China's transition from a planned economy to a market economy has brought about remarkably rapid economic growth. Year after year, China boasted of double-digit growth rates since the early 1990s. Attracted by China's so-called "economic miracle," foreign investors began entering the Chinese market hoping to benefit from the country's vast array of financial opportunities. Private equity, particularly a leveraged buyout, was an unfamiliar concept in China until late 1990s. Now China has become the most attractive destination among emerging markets for private equity investment. Global private equity firms are currently raising billions of dollars for funds focusing on China because of the potential for exceedingly high returns. In the early 2000s, there were several instances of the Chinese government approving large foreign private equity deals with a state-owned enterprises in industries deemed strategically sensitive. This is highly unusual because the Chinese government has been traditionally protective of sectors related to national or economic security. However, there were also cases when foreign private equity deals failed to gain regulatory approval even though the Chinese firm was not in a sensitive industry. This paper aims to illuminate the reasons behind this anomaly. By investigating the factors that Chinese regulators consider when reviewing private equity proposals through an analysis of four case studies, this paper will reveal a facet of China's evolving market economy. Based on the parallels drawn from the case studies along with other formidable challenges, this paper proposes that the future of China's private equity market may not be as promising as anticipated by foreign investors.

Desde 2012, o sistema elétrico brasileiro tem passado por crise estrutural e regulatória que culminou no substancial aumento da tarifa. Em virtude dos baixos índices de pluviosidade e da adoção de medidas políticas não precedidas de efetivo planejamento, o sistema elétrico brasileiro, de predominância hidrelétrica, atua no seu limite. As usinas térmicas, que produzem energia cara e poluente, têm sido acionadas a fim de possibilitar a retomada das reservas hídricas, sem sucesso. Embora o marco regulatório vigente, baseado nas Leis n. 10.847 e 10.848/2004, tenha instituído mecanismos para a diversificação da matriz elétrica e para a participação da iniciativa privada em ambiente concorrencial, com a fragmentação dos segmentos do setor, a sua observação prática, treze anos depois, revela que os grandes ativos geradores de energia continuam entregues ao controle estatal e, com isso, submetidos a medidas políticas e regulatórias que afastam o investimento privado. Por meio de consulta à bibliografia especializada e às atuações da Agência Nacional de Energia Elétrica (ANEEL), do Ministério de Minas e Energia (MME) e do Tribunal de Contas da União (TCU), este trabalho analisa os efeitos que se sucederam desde a edição da Medida Provisória n. 579/2012, posteriormente convertida na Lei n. 12.783/2013, passando por demais atos normativos no mesmo período até a Consulta Pública n. 33, empreendida pelo MME com vistas ao aprimoramento do marco regulatório do setor, com foco no estudo da geração de energia elétrica, na atração da participação da iniciativa privada, na criação de mecanismos para o financiamento de novos empreendimentos e no desenvolvimento de mercado que possa remunerar a disponibilidade dos geradores e, com isso, garantir o suprimento de forma adequada e promover a diversificação da matriz hidrotérmica com a inclusão de novas fontes renováveis. / The brazilian electricity system has undergone a structural and regulatory crisis started at 2012, which caused a substantial tariff increase. Due to the low rainfall rates and the adoption of political policies that were not preceded by effective planning, the brazilian hydropower system operates currently at its limit. The thermal plants, which generate expensive and polluting energy, have been activated to enable the resumption of water reserves, but had no success until now. Although the current regulatory framework, built on Laws n. 10.847 and n. 10.848/2004, had instituted mechanisms for the diversification of the electricity matrix and to attract private investment in a competitive environment, which became possible by the unbundling of the sector, its practical observation, thirteen years later, reveals that the large power generators remain under state control and, therefore, submitted to political and regulatory policies that deviate private investment Through the study of the specialized bibliography and the actions provided by the National Electricity Agency (Agência Nacional de Energia Elétrica – ANEEL), the Ministry of Mines and Energy (Ministério de Minas e Energia – MME) and the Audit Court of the Union (Tribunal de Contas da União – TCU), this dissertation analyzes the effects that have taken place after the presidential Provisional Measure (Medida Provisória) n. 579/2012, later converted into Law n. 12.783/2013, and other normative acts in the same period until the Public Consultation n. 33 (Consulta Pública n. 33), undertaken by MME in order to improve the sector's regulatory framework, focusing on the study of electric power generation, attracting private initiative, creating mechanisms for financing new ventures and the development of a capacity market that would make possible to guarantee the adequate supply and support the diversification of the hydrothermal matrix with the inclusion of new renewable sources.

Desde 2012, o sistema elétrico brasileiro tem passado por crise estrutural e regulatória que culminou no substancial aumento da tarifa. Em virtude dos baixos índices de pluviosidade e da adoção de medidas políticas não precedidas de efetivo planejamento, o sistema elétrico brasileiro, de predominância hidrelétrica, atua no seu limite. As usinas térmicas, que produzem energia cara e poluente, têm sido acionadas a fim de possibilitar a retomada das reservas hídricas, sem sucesso. Embora o marco regulatório vigente, baseado nas Leis n. 10.847 e 10.848/2004, tenha instituído mecanismos para a diversificação da matriz elétrica e para a participação da iniciativa privada em ambiente concorrencial, com a fragmentação dos segmentos do setor, a sua observação prática, treze anos depois, revela que os grandes ativos geradores de energia continuam entregues ao controle estatal e, com isso, submetidos a medidas políticas e regulatórias que afastam o investimento privado. Por meio de consulta à bibliografia especializada e às atuações da Agência Nacional de Energia Elétrica (ANEEL), do Ministério de Minas e Energia (MME) e do Tribunal de Contas da União (TCU), este trabalho analisa os efeitos que se sucederam desde a edição da Medida Provisória n. 579/2012, posteriormente convertida na Lei n. 12.783/2013, passando por demais atos normativos no mesmo período até a Consulta Pública n. 33, empreendida pelo MME com vistas ao aprimoramento do marco regulatório do setor, com foco no estudo da geração de energia elétrica, na atração da participação da iniciativa privada, na criação de mecanismos para o financiamento de novos empreendimentos e no desenvolvimento de mercado que possa remunerar a disponibilidade dos geradores e, com isso, garantir o suprimento de forma adequada e promover a diversificação da matriz hidrotérmica com a inclusão de novas fontes renováveis. / The brazilian electricity system has undergone a structural and regulatory crisis started at 2012, which caused a substantial tariff increase. Due to the low rainfall rates and the adoption of political policies that were not preceded by effective planning, the brazilian hydropower system operates currently at its limit. The thermal plants, which generate expensive and polluting energy, have been activated to enable the resumption of water reserves, but had no success until now. Although the current regulatory framework, built on Laws n. 10.847 and n. 10.848/2004, had instituted mechanisms for the diversification of the electricity matrix and to attract private investment in a competitive environment, which became possible by the unbundling of the sector, its practical observation, thirteen years later, reveals that the large power generators remain under state control and, therefore, submitted to political and regulatory policies that deviate private investment Through the study of the specialized bibliography and the actions provided by the National Electricity Agency (Agência Nacional de Energia Elétrica – ANEEL), the Ministry of Mines and Energy (Ministério de Minas e Energia – MME) and the Audit Court of the Union (Tribunal de Contas da União – TCU), this dissertation analyzes the effects that have taken place after the presidential Provisional Measure (Medida Provisória) n. 579/2012, later converted into Law n. 12.783/2013, and other normative acts in the same period until the Public Consultation n. 33 (Consulta Pública n. 33), undertaken by MME in order to improve the sector's regulatory framework, focusing on the study of electric power generation, attracting private initiative, creating mechanisms for financing new ventures and the development of a capacity market that would make possible to guarantee the adequate supply and support the diversification of the hydrothermal matrix with the inclusion of new renewable sources.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / In this thesis we study a range of related commercial banking problems in discrete and continuous time settings. The first problem is about a capital allocation strategy that optimizes the expected future value of a commercial bank’s total non-risk-weighted assets (TNRWAs) in terms of terminal time utility maximization. This entails finding optimal amounts of Total capital for investment in different bank assets. Based on the optimal capital allocation strategy derived for the first problem, we derive stochastic models for respectively the bank’s capital adequacy and liquidity ratios in the second and third problems. The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS) introduced these ratios in an attempt to improve the regulation of the international banking industry in terms of capital adequacy and liquidity management. As a fourth problem we derive a multi-period deposit insurance pricing model which incorporates the optimal capital allocation strategy, the BCBS’ latest capital standard, capital forbearance and moral hazard. In the fifth and final problem we show how the values of LIBOR-in-arrears and vanilla interest rate swaps, typically used by commercial banks and other financial institutions to reduce risk, can be derived under a specialized version of the affine interest rate model originally considered by the bank in question. More specifically, in the first problem we assume that the bank invests its Total capital in a stochastic interest rate financial market consisting of three assets, viz., a treasury security, a marketable security and a loan. We assume that the interest rate in the market is described by an affine model, and that the value of the loan follows a jump-diffusion process. We wish to find the optimal capital allocation strategy that maximizes an expected logarithmic utility of the bank’s TNRWAs at a future date. Generally, analytical solutions to stochastic optimal control problems in the jump setting are very difficult to obtain. We propose an approximation method that exploits a similarity between the forms of the control problems of the jump-diffusion model and the diffusion model obtained by removing the jump. With the jump assumed sufficiently small, the analytical solution of the diffusion model then serves as a proxy to the solution of the control problem with the jump. In the second problem we construct models for the bank’s capital adequacy ratios in terms of the proxy. We present numerical simulations to characterize the behaviour of the capital adequacy ratios. Furthermore, in this chapter, we consider the approximate optimal capital allocation strategy subject to a constant Leverage Ratio, which is a specific non-risk-based capital adequacy ratio, at the minimum prescribed level. We derive a formula for the bank’s TNRWAs at constant (minimum) Leverage Ratio value and present numerical simulations based on the modified TNRWAs formula. In the third problem we model the bank’s liquidity ratios and we monitor the levels of the liquidity ratios under the proxy numerically. In the fourth problem we derive a multi-period deposit insurance pricing model, the latest capital standard a la Basel III, capital forbearance and moral hazard behaviour. The deposit insurance pricing method utilizes an asset value reset rule comparable to the typical practice of insolvency resolution by insuring agencies. We perform numerical computations with our model to study its implications. In the final problem, we specialize the affine interest rate model considered previously to the Cox-Ingersoll-Ross (CIR) interest rate dynamic. We consider fixed-for-floating interest rate swaps under the CIR model. We show how analytical expressions for the values of both a LIBOR-in-arrears swap and a vanilla swap can be derived using a Green’s function approach. We employ Monte Carlo simulation methods to compute the values of the swaps for different scenarios. We wish to make explicit the contributions of this project to the literature. A research article titled “An Optimal Portfolio and Capital Management Strategy for Basel III Compliant Commercial Banks” by Grant E. Muller and Peter J. Witbooi [1] has been published in an accredited scientific journal. In the aforementioned paper we solve an optimal capital allocation problem for diffusion banking models. We propose using the solution of the Brownian motions control problem of [1] as the proxy in problems two to four of this thesis. Furthermore, we wish to note that the methodology employed on the final problem of this study is actually from the paper [2] of Mallier and Alobaidi. In the paper [2] the authors did not present simulation studies to characterize their pricing models. We contribute a simulation study in which the values of the swaps are computed via Monte Carlo simulation methods.

Denna studie syftar till att undersöka vilka faktorer som påverkar det svenska jordbrukets möjlighet att bidra till biologisk mångfald. Semistrukturerade intervjuer har utförts i Södermanlands och Östergötlands län med jordbrukare, myndigheter och rådgivare. Intervjuer har genomförts med olika aktörer inom jordbruksnäringen för att få ett brett perspektiv på studien. Resultatet av intervjuerna jämförs med tidigare forskning där administrativa, ekonomiska samt sociala faktorer diskuteras. De främsta faktorer som lyfts fram av samtliga respondenter är problemet med dålig lönsamhet för jordbrukare, komplexa regelverk samt brist på kunskap om jordbruksproduktion i samhället. Resultatet av studien visar att respondenterna har liknande upplevelser av de faktorer som påverkar det svenska jordbrukets möjligheter att bidra till biologisk mångfald / This study aims to investigating factors that influence Swedish agriculture's potential to contribute to biodiversity. Semi-structured interviews have been conducted in the county of Södermanland and Östergötland with farmers, authorities and advisors. Interviews has been conducted with various actors in the agriculture industry to get a broad perspective on the study. The results of the interviews are compared with previous research discussing administrative, economic and social factors. The main factors highlighted by all respondents are the problem of poor profitability for farmers, complex regulations and lack of knowledge about agricultural production in society. The results of the study show that respondents have similar experiences of the factors that influence Swedish agriculture's potential to contribute to biodiversity.

Операционная деятельность играет значительную роль в формировании конечного финансового результата коммерческой организации. Поэтому планирование операционной деятельности является актуальной задачей. Цель магистерской диссертации заключается в совершенствовании планирования операционной деятельности сети ресторанов. Для достижения цели поставлены следующие задачи: обобщение теоретических аспектов планирования деятельности коммерческой организации; выявление особенностей ресторанного бизнеса и анализ действующей практики планирования операционной деятельности; разработка методики планирования операционной деятельности сети ресторанов. Научная новизна исследования заключается в разработке модели планирования операционной деятельности сети ресторанов, направленной на увеличение суммы прибыли и повышение эффективности деятельности организации. Предложено использование нормативного метода для планирования операционной деятельности сети ресторанов. Практическая значимость исследования заключается в возможности использования предложенного инструментария для планирования операционной деятельности сети ресторанов, что создает предпосылки для увеличения суммы прибыли положений и повышения эффективности их деятельности. Использование нормативного метода планирования позволит выявить «узкие» места в работе ресторанов, оптимизировать расходы организации, повысить качество использования ресурсов, составить план мероприятий по повышению эффективности. / Operational activity plays a significant role in shaping the final financial result of a commercial organization. Therefore, planning operating activities is an important task. The purpose of the master's thesis is to improve the planning of the operating activities of the restaurant chain. To achieve the goal, the following tasks were set: generalization of the theoretical aspects of planning the activities of a commercial organization; identifying features of the restaurant business and analysis of current practice planning activities; development of methods for planning the operating activities of the restaurant chain. Research work is to develop models of planning the operating activities of a network of restaurants. The proposed use of regulatory parameters for planning the operating activities of a network of restaurants. The practical significance of the study lies in the possibility of using the proposed toolkit for planning the operating activities of a network of restaurants, which creates prerequisites for increasing the amount of profit provisions and increasing the efficiency of their activities. The use of a regulatory planning method will make it possible to identify “bottlenecks” in the work of restaurants, optimize the expenses of the organization, improve the quality of resource use, draw up an action plan for improving efficiency.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the database system used at the South African Radiation Control Authority and compare it with RAIS (Regulatory Authority Information System). A radiation regulatory authority requires an adequate and effective data management system in order to carry out its regulatory control program efficiently and effectively. RAIS is a comprehensive system that includes all of the main functionality required to support a regulatory framework. A mixed methods approach, including a quantitative descriptive comparative evaluation research study was conducted to determine if the database system currently used by the South African Radiation Control Authority is effective as a data management tool for a regulatory body. Two analyses were conducted. Firstly, the specification records of the South African database system were compared with that of RAIS. Secondly, current database users were surveyed by means of a structured questionnaire. Both analyses reveal that RAIS performs better than the Radiation Control database in the main areas of the regulatory framework. The study results also highlight some of the shortcomings and strengths of the Radiation Control database / Medical Informatics / M.A. (Public Health)

Atualmente, no Brasil, a atenção ao setor de saneamento básico tornou-se uma questão de saúde pública e ambiental. A evolução dos indicadores recentes mostra que o nível de cobertura se encontra em patamares aquém do necessário frente a uma elevada demanda, decorrente do crescimento populacional e de um histórico insuficiente de atendimento no país. Esse setor enfrenta dificuldades na captação de recursos para investimentos por parte das empresas públicas, pois estas se encontram submetidas a regras fiscais tais como limites de endividamento, contingenciamento de crédito e metas de superávit. Além disso, registram uma baixa geração de excedentes, ineficiência operacional e ingerência política. O avanço da iniciativa privada ocorreu de forma tímida no setor, decorrente do caráter fortemente social do mesmo e da ausência de diretrizes que definam suas políticas. Com a introdução de novo marco regulatório estabelecido por meio da Lei no 11.445/2007, surge um ambiente institucional com menos incerteza para atuação de investimentos privados. Diante das preocupações com processos de privatização, como, por exemplo, trade-off custo/qualidade com o qual a empresa privada pode se deparar, constatou-se, por meio de estimação de dados em cross section, via Mínimos Quadrados Ordinários, os tipos de prestadores que tiveram melhor desempenho nos indicadores que compõe as funções-objetivo de cada empresa enunciadas pela literatura do setor. Os resultados indicaram que a participação da iniciativa privada foi positiva para o setor na medida em que apresentou menores perdas de distribuição e de faturamento, maiores índices de produtividade, investimento e qualidade dos serviços. Portanto, pode-se sugerir que as parcerias entre setor público e privado são alternativas viáveis para acelerar o cumprimento das metas de universalização dos serviços. / Currently, in Brazil, the attention to basic sanitation sector has become a matter of public health and environmental concerns. The evolution of the recent researches states that the level of coverage is not enough to fulfill the high demand due to population growth and a history of inadequate investments in the country. This sector is facing difficulties in raising funds by public enterprises, as these are subject to tax rules such as limits on debt, curtailment of credit and surplus targets. In addition, they have had low generation of profit, operational inefficiency and political interference. The private enterprise investments in the sector have not being significant due to its evident social character and the lack of guidelines that define their policies. With the introduction of new regulatory framework established by the Law number 11.445/2007, an institutional environment have being created with less uncertainty for the private investments. In face of the concerns about the privatization processes, for instance the cost-quality trade-off which a private company may have to deal with, it was found through cross section data estimation via OLS (Ordinary Least Squares) the supplier types that had better performance on the indicators that comprise the objective functions of each company listed in the literature of the sector. The results indicated that the participation of the private capital was positive for the sector as it showed lower losses on sales and distribution, higher rates of productivity, investment and quality of services. Therefore, it can be suggested that partnerships between public and private sectors are viable alternatives to accelerate the achievement of the targets of a universalized service.

A expansão da geração de energia elétrica é tema de permanente atenção por parte do Estado brasileiro, dos investidores e da sociedade em geral, em razão da essencialidade dessa atividade para o desenvolvimento econômico e social sustentável. Com bases nas premissas de garantia do suprimento, planejamento e modicidade tarifária, foram adotados no Brasil diversos mecanismos de incentivo à geração de energia elétrica, que representam atratividade ao investidor público e privado. Os riscos na geração de energia elétrica também são indicados em diversos instrumentos, desde a legislação federal e a regulação promovida pela Agência Nacional de Energia Elétrica - ANEEL até contratos, regras e procedimentos relativos à comercialização de energia elétrica e à operação do Sistema Interligado Nacional - SIN. No presente trabalho é apresentada análise da atividade de geração de energia elétrica no Brasil, a partir do modelo setorial definido em 2004, numa visão legal-regulatória sobre riscos para seu desenvolvimento e mecanismos de incentivos definidos pelo Poder Público. Se os riscos, de um lado, podem afastar o investidor do setor, os meios de mitigação de riscos e os incentivos, por outro lado, atraem esse mesmo investidor, em razão do cenário favorável propiciado por diversos benefícios definidos, especialmente nos últimos anos, por meio de programas governamentais, como o Programa de Aceleração do Crescimento PAC, o Regime Especial de Incentivos para o Desenvolvimento da Infraestrutura REIDI, linhas de financiamento do Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social BNDES e outros. Considerado esse cenário, o objetivo desse trabalho é possibilitar uma avaliação sobre o desenvolvimento da atividade de geração de energia elétrica, quanto aos seus riscos e mecanismos de incentivo, sob o enfoque legal-regulatório, o que visa contribuir para o debate acadêmico e a ampliação do conhecimento sobre o setor elétrico brasileiro. / The expansion of electricity generation is a subject of constant attention by the Brazilian Government, investors and society as a whole, due to its essential role for the economic and social development. Based on the premises of supply guarantee, planning and low tariffs, incentive mechanisms were adopted in Brazil to encourage electricity generation, representing attractiveness to general public and private investors. The risks in electricity generation are also appointed by several instruments: federal legislation and regulation promoted by Electric Energy National Agency (ANEEL Portuguese acronym), contracts, rules and procedures related to electricity commercialization and operation of National Interconnected System (SIN Portuguese acronym). In this paper are presented analysis of electricity generation in Brazil, (since the beginning of current model 2004), including a legal-regulatory view about risks to its development and incentive mechanisms which are defined by the Government. There is a kind of fine-tuning balance, one hand risks may avert investors, on the other hand, the incentives may attract the same investors. We can identify this behavior due to the favorable business environment created by several and specific benefits that were defined, especially in last years, through Governmental programs, such as Acceleration Growth Program (Programa de Aceleração do Crescimento PAC in Portuguese), Special Development Incentives for Infrastructure (Regime Especial de Incentivos para o Desenvolvimento da Infraestrutura REIDI), funding lines from National Development Bank (Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social BNDES) among others. Then, this paper goals to provide an evaluation about development of electricity generation, its risks and incentive mechanisms under the legal-regulatory focus, in order to contribute to academic debate and expansion of knowledge about Brazilian electricity sector.

A expansão da geração de energia elétrica é tema de permanente atenção por parte do Estado brasileiro, dos investidores e da sociedade em geral, em razão da essencialidade dessa atividade para o desenvolvimento econômico e social sustentável. Com bases nas premissas de garantia do suprimento, planejamento e modicidade tarifária, foram adotados no Brasil diversos mecanismos de incentivo à geração de energia elétrica, que representam atratividade ao investidor público e privado. Os riscos na geração de energia elétrica também são indicados em diversos instrumentos, desde a legislação federal e a regulação promovida pela Agência Nacional de Energia Elétrica - ANEEL até contratos, regras e procedimentos relativos à comercialização de energia elétrica e à operação do Sistema Interligado Nacional - SIN. No presente trabalho é apresentada análise da atividade de geração de energia elétrica no Brasil, a partir do modelo setorial definido em 2004, numa visão legal-regulatória sobre riscos para seu desenvolvimento e mecanismos de incentivos definidos pelo Poder Público. Se os riscos, de um lado, podem afastar o investidor do setor, os meios de mitigação de riscos e os incentivos, por outro lado, atraem esse mesmo investidor, em razão do cenário favorável propiciado por diversos benefícios definidos, especialmente nos últimos anos, por meio de programas governamentais, como o Programa de Aceleração do Crescimento PAC, o Regime Especial de Incentivos para o Desenvolvimento da Infraestrutura REIDI, linhas de financiamento do Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social BNDES e outros. Considerado esse cenário, o objetivo desse trabalho é possibilitar uma avaliação sobre o desenvolvimento da atividade de geração de energia elétrica, quanto aos seus riscos e mecanismos de incentivo, sob o enfoque legal-regulatório, o que visa contribuir para o debate acadêmico e a ampliação do conhecimento sobre o setor elétrico brasileiro. / The expansion of electricity generation is a subject of constant attention by the Brazilian Government, investors and society as a whole, due to its essential role for the economic and social development. Based on the premises of supply guarantee, planning and low tariffs, incentive mechanisms were adopted in Brazil to encourage electricity generation, representing attractiveness to general public and private investors. The risks in electricity generation are also appointed by several instruments: federal legislation and regulation promoted by Electric Energy National Agency (ANEEL Portuguese acronym), contracts, rules and procedures related to electricity commercialization and operation of National Interconnected System (SIN Portuguese acronym). In this paper are presented analysis of electricity generation in Brazil, (since the beginning of current model 2004), including a legal-regulatory view about risks to its development and incentive mechanisms which are defined by the Government. There is a kind of fine-tuning balance, one hand risks may avert investors, on the other hand, the incentives may attract the same investors. We can identify this behavior due to the favorable business environment created by several and specific benefits that were defined, especially in last years, through Governmental programs, such as Acceleration Growth Program (Programa de Aceleração do Crescimento PAC in Portuguese), Special Development Incentives for Infrastructure (Regime Especial de Incentivos para o Desenvolvimento da Infraestrutura REIDI), funding lines from National Development Bank (Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social BNDES) among others. Then, this paper goals to provide an evaluation about development of electricity generation, its risks and incentive mechanisms under the legal-regulatory focus, in order to contribute to academic debate and expansion of knowledge about Brazilian electricity sector.