Estimating the minimal efficient scale and the effect of intermunicipal cooperation on service provision areas for waste treatment in Japan
Estimating the minimal efficient scale and the effect of intermunicipal cooperation on service provision areas for waste treatment in Japan
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DOI：
10.1007/s41685-019-00119-6
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发表时间：
2020-02-01
影响因子：
1.4
通讯作者：
Asami, Yasushi
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Baba, Hiroki;Asami, Yasushi
探讨了城市参与城市间合作的成本结构差异，并估计了使人均服务提供成本最小化的最小有效规模。分析单位被指定为废物处理供应区。我们基于Cobb-Douglas形式指定了一个考虑局部环境变量的成本函数，并说明了当前人口与公共服务提供区域最小有效规模之间的差距。有几个关键发现。首先，身处IMC会通过产生交易成本来影响成本函数，例如监控服务提供的质量，但这些成本会根据人口规模进行折现。第二，成本函数与人口不是线性的，是一个向下的凸函数。第三，日本约90%的服务提供领域有机会利用规模经济。然而，地理上的限制使采用IMC框架的废物处理变得更加困难，因为这些地区被山脉等自然要素隔开。然而，这项研究中的模型意味着，市政当局可以通过参与IMC当局有效地减少公共支出。
We explore the difference in cost structure when municipalities participate in intermunicipal cooperation (IMC) and estimate the minimal efficient scale, which minimizes the per capita service provision cost. The unit of analysis is designated as waste treatment provision area. We specify a cost function based on the Cobb-Douglas form that considers local environment variables, and illustrate the disparity between the current population and minimal efficient scale of the public service provision area. There are several key findings. First, being in an IMC affects the cost function by generating transaction costs, such as monitoring the quality of service provision, but the costs are discounted by population size. Second, the cost function is not linear to population, a downward convex function. Third, approximately 90% of the service provision areas in Japan have the opportunity to take advantage of economies of scale. However, geographical constraints render waste treatment with the framework of IMC more difficult, since such areas are separated by natural elements such as mountains. Nevertheless, the model in this study implies the possibility that municipalities can efficiently reduce public spending by participating in IMC authorities.