A Comparative Study of the Benefits of Applying Target Cost Contracts Between South Australia and Hong Kong

This article aims to identify and analyze the key benefits of adopting Guaranteed Maximum Price and Target Cost Contracts (GMP/TCC) over and above the traditional lump‐sum contractual arrangement through an empirical questionnaire survey conducted in South Australia and compared with the findings in Hong Kong. The Mann‐Whitney U Test indicated differences in perception between the two groups of respondents on the majority of the identified benefits. The study has provided an in‐depth understanding of the perceived benefits of the GMP/TCC scheme, hence leading to a wider application of those alternative integrated procurement strategies in both regions for reference by the construction community at large.     

The fiscal cost of child grants in the context of high adult mortality in South Africa: A simulation to 2015

This paper investigates the expected costs of cash transfers to children in South Africa up to 2015. The child population is not expected to grow between 2008 and 2015 and thus the fiscal cost of the Child Support Grant is expected to stabilise in the near future. The other major child grant, the Foster Care Grant, is far less predictable – while it is not intended to be an orphan grant, three quarters of its beneficiaries are orphans. Because of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, the number of dual orphans is expected to double between 2008 and 2015, reaching 1.3 million, and the overall number of orphans (maternal, paternal and dual) to reach 4.8 million by 2015. If the Foster Care Grant were to become a de facto orphan grant, its costs would escalate rapidly. The paper does not argue in favour of an orphan grant, but rather for greater effort in ensuring that the Child Support Grant reaches the neediest children, especially maternal orphans.     

诉讼效率的经济学分析

诉讼效率应当使全部的诉讼资源在司法机关之间和诉讼参与人之间得到均衡分配。诉讼效率的物质表现是诉讼资源的配置状况。高昂的诉讼机会成本经常使人们不选择诉讼而选择其他手段;诉讼效率成本是诉讼效率物质体现的种种消费,其收益是定纷止争的结果及定纷止争本身对整个社会秩序带来的效益。探求诉讼效率最佳状态可以转化为解决诉讼边际成本与边际收益如何处在相等点上的问题。     

Estimating the Equity Risk Premium Using Accounting Fundamentals

This study uses recent developments in the theoretical modelling of the links between unrecorded accounting goodwill, accounting profitability and the cost of equity, together with Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) betas, to estimate the ex-ante equity risk premium in the UK. The results suggest that, over our sample period from 1968 to 1995, the premium has been in the region of 5%. Our estimate lends support to the view that the ex-ante equity risk premium is substantially less than the historical average of the excess of equity returns over the risk-free rate, and is similar to the rates applied recently by UK competition regulators.     

浅谈建设项目全过程造价控制的重要性

工程建设过程中造价控制是工程建设控制的目标之一,工程造价的高低直接反映了建设项目的管理水平、投资效益和工程质量。在建设工程中,工程造价是建设工程中系统管理工作的核心,降低工程造价提高经济效益是控制工程造价的目的。本文叙述了工程建设从投资决策、设计、招投标、施工及竣工验收各阶段工程造价的控制方法。     

探求收入公平分配的真义

收入分配是一连串的事情。要判断收入分配公平与否，绝不能仅仅着眼于收入差距本身的大小，而必须对形成收入分配最终结果的整个流程进行全面考察。机会平等、规则平等、按贡献分配和适度调节，是构成公平收入分配的四个要素。前三者又可理解为权利平等或公正，是公平的重心所在，也是判断收入分配公平与否的主要标准。收入分配政策必须着重强调机会公平、规则公平和按贡献分配，再辅之以政府的适度调节，才能有效避免各种误解和误导。     

完善海军航材采购制度的对策和建议

海军航空兵部队的建设和发展对海军航材采购提出了新的要求。本文就如何完善海军航材采购制度提出以下对策和建议:加强采购人才培养,建立健全航材采购法规制度,降低航材采购成本,加强对航材采购的监督。     

江苏沿江制造业产业集聚分析

产业在地理空间上的集聚现象已经成为许多学科领域研究关注的焦点，从一般经济学理论、产业经济学、区域经济学、国际贸易理论、管理学到空间经济学理论都有从各自领域对产业在地理空间上集聚有所解释。我们从江苏沿江产业集聚现象的形成和发展着手研究，试图以地理集中度为衡量指标，以制造业为例，根据各学科的相关理论对产业集聚的形成原因进行剖析，指出影响江苏沿江制造业产业集聚的因素。实证结果说明，本地市场规模、产业关联和FDI是影响江苏沿江产业集聚形成的显著因素。     

Regional Production and Cost Minimization in the Republics of the Former Soviet Union

After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the problems encountered early in the reforms made it obvious that understanding the system and structure of the economy during the Soviet period was crucial for predictions and recommendations. The present study analyzes the production of the republics of the former Soviet Union, by grouping them into the regions defined by common geographical and historical conditions, and by estimation of cost functions that represent the two major theories of international trade: the Heckscher-Ohlin and Ricardo-Viner models. The estimated parameters of the cost functions allow us to draw conclusions about the achievement of cost minimization and to calculate the elasticities that represent the comparative statics of both models. As a result of the analysis, it is demonstrated that the achievement of the cost-minimization goal depends on local conditions.     

The geography of tourism: An introduction

The geography of tourism is limited by a dearth of published research in geographic journals, the relatively few individuals who actively participate in the sub-discipline, and the lack of prestige the subject matter specialty has in geography. Despite these imperfections geographers make important contributions to the study of tourism because of their unique point-of-view. This characteristic perspective is seen in the context of a conceptual frame-of-reference which consists of a matrix based on two trichotomies. An analysis and interpretation of this framework and its application to the nine substantive articles included in the special issue constitute a majority of the article.