In this paper we analyse some possible unconventional factors of efficiency in public transport. The occasion for such analysis rises from a case study in the southern Italian region of Sicily. Most of the regional bus service is here historically franchised to some local private bus companies,...

The Bank of Japan decided to implement the next-generation RTGS project of the BOJ-NET Funds Transfer System. Under the project, the new system will have liquidity-saving features and will incorporate large-value payments that are currently handled by two private-sector designated-time net...

This paper assesses the existence of both greater profitability for large-scale farms and economies of scale in the French viticulture sector, thereby confirming or invalidating the argument put forward by the European Commission to justify the abolition of vine planting rights. According to...

The paper presents the results of study of the efficiency of Ukrainian gas distribution system after increasing the prices on imported natural gas. Author detects decreasing returns to scale, relatively high productivity and increased profitability in the sector of gas supply.

This paper applies an economic lens to the argument that dairy farmers should increase production via supplements, which has led to concerns regarding the environmental impact of intensification. This paper finds: 1. Intensification has led to farms producing at levels incompatible with profit...

I estimate a translogarithmic cost function for the Costa Rican banking industry from which I analyze the presence of economies of scale by bank and market segment (public or private) for the period of 1997-2009. I conclude that the public banks have higher overall economies of scale than the...

This study aimed to analize the business maintenance issue faced by milk producers, in the long term. It was analized farms in the states of Rondônia, Tocantins and Rio de Janeiro. The main goal of this study was to verify the existence of economies of scale among milk pro-ducers. The function...

In this paper we estimate the parameters of a translog cost function for the broiler production activity in Brazil, to infer about scale economies in the activity. Cross-section data is used, from a survey of 229 producers in the main producing regions. Other characteristics of the producers...

This article reviews ideas and results from the politico-economic literature on the efficiency and stability of national borders. In particular, we discuss the relations between the determination of national borders and democratization, global economic integration, international and civil...