Shuji Uranishi

The Post Office vs. Parcel Delivery Companies: Competition Effects on Costs and Productivity

The main purpose of this study is to evaluate whether the competition factor affects cost reduction or TFP growth, even when ownership is maintained by the public sector. For empirical investigation, we selected the parcel delivery market in Japan. Formerly monopolized by the Post Office, the parcel delivery market was dramatically affected by the entry of the privately owned Yamato in 1976, an event which saw the share of the Post Office begin its decline to only 14.9% by 1998. In this study, we estimate the total cost function of goods transported by using a pooled data set, and the hedonic specification of output is formulated in order to consider output characteristics. Our conclusion is that competition has contributed to cost reduction and TFP growth in the case of private companies but not in the case of the Post Office.

Privatization of the Japan Highway Public Corporation: Focusing on Organizational Structure Change

Abstract In October 2005, the Japan Highway Public Corporation was privatized and separated into three expressway companies. Three other public corporations were privatized as well: the Metropolitan Expressway Public Corporation, the Hanshin Expressway Public Corporation and the Honshu‐Shikoku Bridge Authority. The main purpose of this study is to overview the privatization policy taken by the government and to assess the preliminary organizational reforms. We will focus especially on policy issues such as horizontal separation, vertical (management‐holding) separation and regulatory changes, comparing the before‐privatization and after‐privatization periods of the Japan Highway Public Corporation. Evaluations will be based on empirical investigation and theory, as well as on lessons learned from the privatization of the Japan National Railway. † The previous version of this paper was presented at the 46th Congress for the European Regional Science Association, held at the University of Thessaly, 30 August–3 September 2006.

The Effect of Privatization on Productivity and Capital Adjustment

A JR is one of several freight and passenger railway companies created in 1987 after Japan National Railway (JNR) was privatized and separated. The authors use econometric techniques to examine total factor productivity (TFP) increases and to analyze how performance has changed among the JRs. The authors also examine whether, before privatization, capital input overcapitalization existed. Privatization raised annual TFP growth by 1.62%, bringing total annual TFP growth to 2.97% after privatization. Privatization has largely corrected the former JNRs over-capitalization.

Structural reform of the electricity industry and economic growth

Using 782 panel data from 34 OECD countries from 1991 to 2013, this study aims to evaluate how structural reform affects GDP growth rate. We use the Barro-type GDP growth rate regression model and apply both fixed and random effect models. Eight structural reform variables are selected: (i) third party access, (ii) wholesale market dummy, (iii) choice of supplier, (iv) private ownership, (v) generation-others separation, (vi) transmission-others separation, (vii) distribution-others separation and (viii) overall vertical separation. Major finding results are as follows: (i) third party access can positively contribute to GDP growth rate, (ii) wholesale market and overall vertical separation might have a small negative effect, and (iii) other variables have no significant effect.