Transformation Of Lithuanian Road Charging

The current road user charge in Lithuania is based on a temporary system and is not connected to the actually covered mileage. The time-based charge is not considered to be socially fair; therefore, the principles 'user pays' and 'polluter pays' shall be employed. The charge to be introduced will take into account the interests of local road infrastructure users who are currently paying unreasonably high charge for a short distance covered. If the current system is retained and e-tolling system is not established, heavy vehicle drivers would continue paying aroad user charge by purchasing e-vignette. It would mean that road user charges paid by vehicle owners/holders would not cover the damages directly made by the user and the current road charging system would not guarantee sufficient financing for the maintenance and development of the road infrastructure. Legal decisions on electronic road charging system have not been taken yet; however, the project implementation preparation is underway. The latest Parliamentary approvals were received in September 2020, and it is believed that all necessary legal acts will be amended by the end of 2020. The road charging technology has not been selected yet. However, the conducted project's implementation analysis, the assessment of necessary investments and road charging system maintenance costs revealed that a GPS-based technology would be the most economical one. It is planned to implement the electronic road charging system by the beginning of 2023. Upon the project's implementation, additional financing to ensure high quality and safe main roads should be allocated.

Pigouvian Tolls and Welfare Optimality with Parallel Servers and Heterogeneous Customers

Congestion externalities are a well-known phenomenon in transportation and communication networks, healthcare etc. Optimization by self-interested agents in such settings typically results in equilibria which are sub-optimal for social welfare. Pigouvian taxes or tolls, which impose a user charge equal to the negative externality caused by the marginal user to other users, are a mechanism for combating this problem. In this paper, we study a non-atomic congestion game in which heterogeneous agents choose amongst a finite set of heterogeneous servers. The delay at a server is an increasing function of its load. Agents differ in their sensitivity to delay. We show that, while selfish optimisation by agents is sub-optimal for social welfare, imposing admission charges at the servers equal to the Pigouvian tax causes the user equilibrium to maximize social welfare. In addition, we characterize the structure of welfare optimal and of equilibrium allocations.

Is There a Link between User Charges and Expenditures on Public Kindergartens in Poland?

<p>The aim of this article is to assess the link between user charges and expenditures on the service on the example of public kindergartens in Poland. The rationale behind the paper is that implementation of user charges for public service results in effiient use of resources and leads to the passing-on of expenditure increase to consumers. To achieve the aim, three methods were used, namely weighed-least-squares, fixed effect and random effect method. The empirical analysis based on a panel data set for 65 large Polish cities in the years 2012–2018 showed that about 10–25% of an expenditure increase is passed on to consumers in terms of higher user charge. Moreover, user charge financing has a significant negative effect on the unit cost. An increase in the share of user charges in expenditures by 10 pp causes a decrease in expenditure at the level of 2.5–5.0%.</p>

Regional Influence or Institutional Constraints? Impact of Interstate Competition and Fiscal Rules on User Charge Reliance across U.S States

Few studies have been conducted to analyze influential factors of state user charge reliance. This study empirically examines the impact of interstate competition and fiscal rules on state user charge reliance between 1991 and 2014 by applying panel data analysis. Also, this study aims to investigate mechanisms of state user charge reliance and various variables related to user charge reliance, which enhances and broadens understanding of factors that affect state user charge reliance. According to this analysis, overall state user charge reliance is mainly explained by interstate competition, fiscal rules, state tax effort, ideological standpoint and income level. Practically, states need to attend to their taxable resources and consider the actual effect of TELs and balanced budget rules in limiting the growth of government. Future research is recommended to examine mechanisms of state specific user charge sources and expand the variables related to user charge reliance.

ANALISIS SISTEM PENERIMAAN PAJAK PARKIR PADA BADAN PENGELOLA PAJAK DAN RETRIBUSI DAERAH KOTA MANADO

Parking tax is a local tax imposed under the law number 28 of 2009 on local taxes and user charge. The purpose of this study analyze the adequacyn of the Parking Tax Reception System At the Office of Manado Regional Tax and Retribution Agency. The method used is descriptive analysis. Data were obtained through field studies. The results of this research is the System of Parking Tax Admission in Manado City has been adequate and in accordance with the applicable regulations, namely the Minister of Home Affairs Regulation number 59 at 2007 includes the related functions and documents used as well as the division of tasks and responsibilities. In accordance with the concept of internal control where the collector is divided into several parties that are related and the quality of employees have competence in the field. Therefore, there should be socialization and techincal guidance for employees, especially in the field of accounting for better implementation.Keywords: Parking Tax Reception

Community Participation or Manufactured Consent? Strategies for Implementation of Drinking Water Project ‘Jalanidhi’ in Kerala (India)

The present study explains how the state engages with the dominant groups in the community and how people’s consent is manufactured to legitimize the implementation of the project. On the basis of focus group discussion with beneficiaries and informal interview of implementing actors, the study shows that people’s responses towards ‘Jalanidhi’ vary as per their socio-economic positions in the society. While the middle and the upper class people were generally favouring the project, the poor and weaker sections were strongly opposing the idea of user charge for drinking water. The middle class viewed the user charge for drinking water as ‘normal’ and more efficient compared to the state-driven supply; the lower class, especially those who belonged to the scheduled castes (SC) and scheduled tribes (ST), viewed it as a violation of their rights. Yet, they were denied any alternative to the neoliberal agenda of community-based drinking water supply and were forced to conform to the project. The study focuses on using the insights developed by Michel Foucault. His genealogical analysis offers tools to understand the forms of power relations at the grassroots. The study uses ‘Jalanidhi’ as a context to examine these concepts and shows how it can be used to understand the processes that lead to the social acceptance of commodification of natural resources like water.