Suchergebnisse

Opponents of privatisation argue that 'natural monopoly'in the supply of electricity (and similar services) will prevent competition between private suppliers. Professor Primeaux, of the University of Illinois, shows from his studies of competing electricity firms in the United States that two suppliers can serve the same area.

The theory of natural monopoly has been substantially transformed in previous years. Ina clear and straightforward style, Dr. Sharkey gives an integrated presentation of the modern approach to this subject. Although the book is mainly conceptual in nature, the final chapter on natural monopoly in the telecommunications industry shows the practical applications of the theory. After an historical survey of natural monopoly, there follows a chapter stating and explaining the main results as well as giving a preliminary overview of the rest of the book, where concepts such as the subadditivity of costs, optimal pricing, sustainability, and destructive competition are presented. The essence of the subject is presented in a manner accessible to the general reader, though the book also provides a synthesis of the subject suitable for advanced students

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There is a renaissance of interest in yardstick competition as an aid to regulators. It can work well when the only source of inter‐firm cost differences is efficiency. However, when cost differences arise from other factors, yardstick competition must rely on statistical analyses which have so far not been very successful in determining the effect on distribution cost of the cost environment, scale and service quality.

The aim of the article is to reveal some aspects state regulation of natural monopoly in Russia, which are of paramount importance in economic and social life of the country. The optimal path to reforming the monopolized industries is currently a very topical question for Russia. The Russian government requires studying the foreign experience in this field and adapting it to the Russian conditions. Almost complete lack of transparency in the pricing of natural monopolies is one of the most important problems in Russia. In this connection, against the background of almost uncontrolled corruption in the country, the decision to increase tariffs for practically all services provided by monopolists, irrespective of the world prices for energy resources, causes distrust and just censures. The inefficient management of the state corporation Gazprom, a significant reduction in taxes transferred to the state budget, has not, until now, been the subject of thorough audit and critical analysis by the relevant government agencies. The Ministry of Energy does not attempt to reform the gas industry, for example, in the likeness of Scandinavian countries, where surprising results have been achieved in the operation of numerous energy suppliers. The increase of tax revenues to the country's budget and the improvement of the quality of life of the population depend on to the scope of reforms of the industry the state will carry out based on a combination of administrative and economic control measures. Methods of investigation used: analysis, synthesis, comparative analysis.