Grassroots innovations in the informal economy: insights from value theory

ABSTRACT

The scholarship on innovation hitherto has prioritized exchange value, scalability and large scale commercialization, overlooking the other significant human centric values discussed in 'value theory'. Consequently, innovations in the informal economy are often undermined due to their inability to generate exchange values. This paper identifies and examines the suitability of the nuanced set of values discussed in value theory for informal sector grassroots innovations. Based on ten years of ethnographic research in different parts of Jammu and Kashmir in India, we find that these innovations generate a diverse set of values, ranging from use value to socially embedded reciprocal exchange value to different forms of relational and non-relational intrinsic values. At a juncture when strengthening alternative innovation approaches occupies a priority, these findings have important bearing on innovation policy scholarship.     

Market access implications of non‐tariff measures: Estimates for four developed country markets

We quantify the effects of non‐tariff measures on the extensive margin of trade, examining the number of countries exporting particular products to Canada, the European Union, New Zealand and the United States. We find that non‐tariff measures that impose a conformity requirement, that is, testing, certification or inspection, will reduce the number of countries exporting to these markets. Conformity requirements imposed for sanitary or phytosanitary reasons have the largest effect in Canada, reducing the number of exporting countries by 47% compared to the situation where no compliance requirement is imposed. Conformity requirements imposed for other reasons covered by the WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade have the largest effect in Canada and New Zealand, reducing the number of exporting countries by 27% compared to the situation where no compliance requirement is imposed. However, we generally find a statistically significant positive effect for nontariff measures that do not impose a compliance burden, suggesting that such measures may facilitate trade.     

互惠性偏好下的供应链金融委托代理模型比较研究

供应链金融是近年来兴起的用于解决中小企业融资难问题的重要金融创新之一,但目前学术界的研究多以经典的委托代理模型为基准,忽略了供应链金融参与方之间存在着互惠性偏好的倾向。文章简要回顾了委托代理理论的发展脉络,结合行为经济学家Rabin提出的互惠性偏好理论,对委托代理模型进行了行为经济学层面的拓展,以当前流行的供应链金融中核心企业与协作企业委托代理关系为研究对象,比较分析了互惠性偏好引入前后各方的收益情况。文章首先构建了经典的Holmstorm和Milgrom模型,研究了核心企业和协作企业均为理性经济主体情形下的博弈收益情况;其次,通过将互惠性偏好引入到Holmstorm和Milgrom模型中,比较分析了各方收益的变化情况;再次,通过参数校准的方法,进行了具体的数值案例分析;最后对模型未来可能的发展方向进行了展望。研究结果表明：通过引入互惠性偏好,在一定的数学条件下,核心企业和协作企业之间的契约制度设计存在着帕累托改进的空间。     

碳关税:发达国家实施的可能性及中国的应对策略

尽管发达国家和发展中国对于开征碳关税的合规性、合理性存在很大争议。但鉴于发达国家在国际经济秩序中的主导地位,掌控着话语权,而发展中国家之间对碳关税缺乏统一协调的立场,因此发达国家未来单方面实施碳关税政策的可能很大。为此,中国应当未雨绸缪,积极应对碳关税。中国需要从战略层面和政策层面采取对策,在战略层面,发展低碳经济是应对碳关税的根本手段;在政策层面,尽快在国内开征碳税可能是一种较好的政策选择。     

抑制奢侈品消费热涨与外流的路径探讨

我国奢侈品市场发展迅速,但消费热涨与外流现象十分严重。如何实现奢侈品消费健康发展?目前各界争议难决的途径有两种:一是增加消费税,抑制奢侈品消费热涨,二是降低进口关税,遏止奢侈品消费外流。然而,由于调整奢侈品消费税或进口关税所致的进口环节税及其他方面的联动效应具有复杂性,加之局部均衡和一般均衡的经济分析表明,增加消费税抑制不了奢侈品消费热涨,降低进口关税难以阻截奢侈品消费外流,因此不必纠结于在增加奢侈品消费税与降低其进口关税之间该做何选择。针对奢侈品消费热涨与外流的多种原因,治本之道在于以完善奢侈品税制为核心,在合理量化奢侈品、注重奢侈品税率累进分层的同时兼之以多方举措。     

中国光伏发电成本下降潜力分析

国内外光伏发电成本一直高于传统发电成本或者销售电价为了实现光伏发电的低价上网,需了解如何降低光伏发电成本以及光伏发电成本下降的潜力,探求中远期光伏成本下降潜力,为政府和企业提供决策依据。通过开发基于全寿命周期成本结构的自底向上模型,分析出在主要驱动因素作用下2020年前我国光伏发电成本下降潜力得出光伏发电将在部分地区平价上网的结论,光伏发电成本还应进一步降低,才能规模化应用和可持续发展;技术创新可对光伏成本下降做出较大贡献     

浅析阶梯电价对供电企业的影响及对策

国家发改委拟推行的居民生活用电阶梯电价引起了社会的广泛关注,这也对供电企业提出了新的要求。通过对政策的解读,初步分析了实行阶梯电价可能对供电企业在计量系统、抄表管理、核算管理、运行管理和经营管理等方面的影响,并提出一些管理和技术方面的应对措施,为实行居民生活用电阶梯电价的供电企业提供参考。     

Revenue-Constrained Combination of an Optimal Tariff and Duty Drawback

A duty drawback is an export subsidy determined as a percentage of the tariffs paid on the imported inputs used in its production. This paper examines the revenue-constrained optimal tariff structure in a small open economy including a duty drawback as a trade policy tool. This paper has two main aims. First, we show that the revenue-constrained optimal combination of tariff and duty drawback for a given revenue level is not unique. Second, we show that if the optimal import tariff rates are all positive when the duty drawback rate is zero, then the optimal import tariff rates are always positive when the duty drawback is positive.     

中国与世界主要国家电价比较分析

通过对世界部分国家电价进行对比,剖析了我国在上网电价、输配电价、终端销售电价以及电力与其他能源产品比价方面存在的问题,认为我国电价总体水平偏低,需要适时调整电价水平和电价结构,尽快形成独立的输配电价。     

厂网分开体制下蓄能电站投资回收方法的探讨

在我国电力工业实行厂网分开体制后且电力市场尚未建立的情况下,业内对抽水蓄能电站在电力系统中的作用以及如何回收投资尚未形成统一认识。从厂网分开体制下抽水蓄能电站在电力系统中的调峰和备用作用入手,进一步论述了蓄能电站的效益。通过对拟建设工程实例的分析,详细测算了蓄能电站的替代效益,探讨了在厂网分开情况下以不推动电价上涨为前提实现蓄能电站投资回收的具体方法。