Thesis (doctoral)--Universität Breslau.

D.Com. (Transport Economics) / Port charges in most of the ports in the world have evolved in a haphazard manner over many years. In recent years, competition between ports and the drive towards commercialisation and privatisation have necessitated the restructuring of the charges in many ports according to sound economic principles. The contention in this thesis is that the charges in South African ports can be restructured in accordance with such principles, provided the monopoly profits at present earned on wharfage are eventually foregone, but that revenue neutrality can be maintained during the phasing-in period. The existing tariffs for all South African ports are then restructured in accordance with the principles involved and examples of the port expenses of ship and cargo owners before and after the restructuring are given. While these examples prove the hypothesis, it is pointed out that conclusions cannot be simplistically derived from such comparisons, because the efficiency in the use of port land and the handling of cargo will increase as an outcome of the incentives to such efficiency, which the new charges will create.

Ce travail traite du rôle joué par les fonctions de surface sur le transport et le piégeage de cations alcalins en présence d'eau, dans des SBA-15 fonctionnalisées. Il s'agit aussi d'étudier les effets de confinement sur la thermodynamique de l'eau adsorbée. La première étape a consisté à synthétiser les différentes SBA-15, contenant des groupements fonctionnels acides du type PO(OH)2, SO3H, COOH ainsi que leurs équivalents alcalins contenant du Li, Na, K ou Rb. Les solides obtenus ont été caractérisés à l'état sec par DRX, adsorption-désorption de N2 et par RMN du solide, afin de rendre compte respectivement de l'organisation du réseau poreux, des caractéristiques texturales et de la structure locale des motifs organiques. Puis, nous avons étudié ces solides en présence d'eau adsorbée. Nous avons mis en évidence l'instabilité des solides alcalins contenant des ions Na+, K+ et Rb+. Nous proposons également une étude thermodynamique de la fusion de l'eau confinée par DSC, pour laquelle nous montrons que déplacement de la température de transition solide/liquide de l'eau adsorbée dépend de la taille des pores. Ensuite, nous avons analysé les dynamiques ionique et moléculaire de l'eau confinée par Spectroscopie d'Impédance Complexe (SIC) et par diffusion quasi-élastique des neutrons (QENS). L'étude par SIC nous a permis, pour les solides acides, de révéler une conduction protonique selon un mécanisme de Grötthus, et de montrer une dépendance entre les valeurs de conductivité et le pKa des fonctions acides. Finalement par QENS, nous avons observé deux régimes de mobilité des protons, de part et d'autre de 220K, que nous avons associés à des populations différentes de protons. / This work deals with the role played by the functions of surface transport and trapping of alkali cations in the presence of water in SBA-15 functionalized. It is also to study the effects of confinement on the thermodynamics of the adsorbed water. The first step was to synthesize the different SBA-15 containing acidic functional groups of type PO (OH) 2, SO3H, COOH and alkali equivalents containing Li, Na, K or Rb. The solids obtained were characterized in the dry state by XRD, N2 adsorption-desorption and solid state NMR, respectively, to reflect the organization of the pore network, and textural characteristics of the local structure of organic patterns. Then, we studied the solid presence of adsorbed water. We have highlighted the instability of solids containing alkali ions Na +, K + and Rb +. We also study the thermodynamics of melting of water confined by DSC, for which we show that displacement of the transition temperature of solid / liquid water adsorbed depends on the pore size. Then, we analyzed the ionic and molecular dynamics of water confined by Complex Impedance Spectroscopy (CIS) and by quasi-elastic neutron scattering (QENS). The CIS study allowed us, for strong acids, reveal a proton conduction mechanism in a Grotthus, and show a dependence between conductivity values and the pKa of the acid functions. Finally by QENS, we have observed two regimes of mobility of protons, on both sides of 220K, which we associated with different populations of protons.

This research develops a microeconomic theory of the financial firm that is empirically implementable. Financial firms such as banks and savings and loan associations produce intermediation services between borrowers and lenders. User costs per unit of service can be derived for all goods. For financial services, these include the effects of reserve requirements, capital gains or losses, deposit insurance, interest rates, and service charges. Items generating more expenditure than revenue for the firm have positive user costs, and are inputs. Those with negative user costs are outputs. Comparative statics on profits, supplies of output and demands for input are derived for interest rates and monetary regulations. Data comprise pooled time series and cross section data for eighteen banks in New York and New Jersey for the years 1973-1978. User cost and quantity data are constructed for loans, demand deposits, time deposits, cash, labour and materials. The first two are outputs and the last four inputs. A specification is derived for the variable profit function, and the testing of regularity conditions such as monotonicity and convexity described. A test for the existence of a money supply, as a subset of financial goods is developed. The test imposes no prior restriction on the form of the money supply. The empirical results indicate that convexity and monotonicity obtain, at the geometric mean of the sample. Elasticities of supply for outputs are positive, but less than unity. Elasticities of demand are negative. Bank response to any monetary policy action can be calculated, and some experiments are reported on. An alternate model is derived to permit imperfect competition in the financial firm market for outputs and inputs. The model is shown to yield testable predictions, and price taking behavior for these banks is ruled out. The results indicate that it is possible to develop and implement a model of financial firm behavior. Such a model is required to ensure accuracy in the effectiveness of monetary policy. / Arts, Faculty of / Vancouver School of Economics / Graduate

In 2002 the Legislative Tuan promulgated the ¡§Charges Law.¡¨ Undoubtedly this has empowered county and city governments to levy charges/fees. Kaohsiung City Government has thus commissioned us to reexamine the reasonableness of the charges system of Kaohsiung city and study how to enhance the levy of charges, through investigating user charges/user fees, Activity Based Costing, and the charges system of counties and cities. This would increase the revenues of Kaohsiung city and comply with the Charges Law requiring local governments to periodically examine and adjust the regulations on charges. The study has found: (1) The fees charged by Kaohsiung City government agencies for city service can be increased. (2) Fewer than 30% of agencies of Kaohsiung City government as well as other county and city governments charge fees that are permitted by local ordinances and regulations. (3) Kaohsiung City has less revenues derived from levying charges than does Taipei City, primarily because the latter has more high rate, more people using public services and facilities and charges new fees. (4) As indicated by questionnaire survey, government agencies for citizen service of Kaohsiung City are not eager to adjust charges or levy new fees in the future. This study suggests Kaohsiung City to adjust charges and levy new fees in consideration of the distinctive conditions of city, by abiding by the ¡§equal, fair¡¨ principle, and by referring to other county and city governments in this regard.

Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

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Thesis (B.Sc)--University of Hong Kong, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 137-140)