对自然垄断理论的缺陷分析及其启示

现有自然垄断理论从规模经济和成本劣加性定义了自然垄断.笔者认为他们在确定自然垄断的分析方法上存在缺陷,忽略掉了某些重要的交易(制度)成本,他们仍然局限于原有的分析框架.一旦采用效益-费用分析方法,引入交易(制度)成本,那么规模经济和成本劣加性对于自然垄断既不是必要的,也非充分的.自然垄断问题实质是一个制度安排与选择问题.自然垄断的本质在于它是由一系列联系性极强的合约安排所构成的制度体系,交易(制度)成本劣加性是其充要条件.而现有自然垄断理论仅仅是某些情况下一种特例.垄断性行业改革不仅仅是反垄断,其全部在于节约交易(制度)成本,提高制度绩效,这才是改革的实质和目标.基于此,给出了一些建议.

Analysis on Weaknesses of the Theory of Natural Monopoly and Corresponding Revelations

Natural monopoly is characterized by economies of scale and production cost subadditivity in the traditional and new theory of natural monopoly.The paper thinks that they are incorrect in the method of judging some industry as natural monopoly.They neglect some important transaction(system) cost factors.Once giving up the old analytic framework, the authors find that economies of scale and production cost subadditivity are neither necessary nor sufficient for natural monopoly.Based on the analysis on weaknesses of the traditional and new theory of natural monopoly,the paper discusses the essential character of natural monopoly and educes some corresponding revelations about the reform of network industries.