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Price and Profit Regulation in Developing and Transition Economies: A Survey of the Regulators

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  • Colin Kirkpatrick
  • David Parker
  • Yin-Fang Zhang

Abstract

Rate of return or cost of service regulation was the traditional means by which governments, especially in the USA, regulated profitability and prices in privately-owned public utility businesses. However, rate of return regulation was associated with efficiency disincentives. Hence, in 1983 a price cap was proposed to regulate British Telecom when it was privatized. Price caps were later introduced for other privatized utilities in the UK. Similarly, other countries that privatized their utility sectors in the 1980s and 1990s often introduced price cap regimes. This article reports the results of a questionnaire survey of the methods used to regulate profits and prices in privatized utility sectors in a sample of developing and transition economies. In addition to providing an insight into the different methods used in these economies, the article explains the difficulties that their regulators have in operating profit and price regulation regimes.

Suggested Citation

  • Colin Kirkpatrick & David Parker & Yin-Fang Zhang, 2005. "Price and Profit Regulation in Developing and Transition Economies: A Survey of the Regulators," Public Money & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(2), pages 99-105, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:taf:pubmmg:v:25:y:2005:i:2:p:99-105
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9302.2005.00459.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. David Parker & Colin Kirkpatrick, 2005. "Privatisation in Developing Countries: A Review of the Evidence and the Policy Lessons," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 41(4), pages 513-541.
    2. Alexander, Ian & Mayer, Colin & Weeds, Helen, 1996. "Regulatory structure and risk and infrastructure firms : an international comparison," Policy Research Working Paper Series 1698, The World Bank.
    3. Aryeetey, Ernest, 2002. "The Institutional and Policy Framework for Regulation and Competition in Ghana," Centre on Regulation and Competition (CRC) Working papers 30641, University of Manchester, Institute for Development Policy and Management (IDPM).
    4. J. Luis Guasch, 2004. "Granting and Renegotiating Infrastructure Concessions : Doing it Right," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 15024, December.
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    6. Baldwin, Robert & Cave, Martin & Lodge, Martin, 2011. "Understanding Regulation: Theory, Strategy, and Practice," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, edition 2, number 9780199576098.
    7. Mark Armstrong & Simon Cowan & John Vickers, 1994. "Regulatory Reform: Economic Analysis and British Experience," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262510790, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Parker, David & Kirkpatrick, Colin & Figueira-Theodorakopoulou, Catarina, 2008. "Infrastructure regulation and poverty reduction in developing countries: A review of the evidence and a research agenda," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 48(2), pages 177-188, May.
    2. Matthias Finger & Rolf W. Künneke (ed.), 2011. "International Handbook of Network Industries," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 12961.
    3. David Sappington & Dennis Weisman, 2010. "Price cap regulation: what have we learned from 25 years of experience in the telecommunications industry?," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 38(3), pages 227-257, December.
    4. Catarina Figueira & David Parker, 2011. "Infrastructure Liberalization: Challenges to the New Economic Paradigm in the Context of Developing Countries," Chapters, in: Matthias Finger & Rolf W. Künneke (ed.), International Handbook of Network Industries, chapter 27, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    5. Colin Kirkpatrick & David Parker, 2005. "Domestic Regulation and the WTO: The Case of Water Services in Developing Countries," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(10), pages 1491-1508, October.
    6. John Bennett & Ioana Chioveanu, 2019. "Pro‐Consumer Price Ceilings under Regulatory Uncertainty," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 121(4), pages 1757-1784, October.
    7. Antonio Estache & L. Wren-Lewis, 2008. "Towards a Theory of Regulation for Developing Countries: Following Laffont's Lead," Working Papers ECARES 2008_018, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    8. Antonio Estache & Liam Wren-Lewis, 2009. "Toward a Theory of Regulation for Developing Countries: Following Jean-Jacques Laffont's Lead," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 47(3), pages 729-770, September.
    9. Wren-Lewis, Liam, 2013. "Commitment in utility regulation: A model of reputation and policy applications," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 210-231.
    10. Koki Arai, 2021. "The Characteristics of Low Bid Price Survey Standards and Their Impact," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 21(4), pages 593-608, December.

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