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The hypothesis of additive utility (or preference independence) is often applied to the demand for broad aggregates. Recent testing provides some evidence favourable to the hypothesis, thus overturning the older results based on the standard asymptotic tests which are seriously biased against the null in small samples. Using data for seven countries and a variety of tests, this paper shows that preference independence also cannot be rejected for more narrowly defined commodities - beer, wine and spirits. The implications of the results for efficient taxation of alcoholic beverages are also explored.

This paper investigates the mining sector's poor productivity performance as measured by the growth accounting formula for multifactor productivity (MFP) index during the recent mining boom in Australia. We provide an alternative measure of productivity growth by estimating a translog variable cost function, with parameters that separate productivity growth due to technical change from that due to the effects of returns to scale, capacity utilisation and natural resource inputs. The results show that the average MFP growth in Australian mining based on the dual cost-function measure of technical change is 2% over the sample period 1974-75 to 2007-08, rather than-0.2% from the published index. The difference arises because declining natural resource inputs, the effects of capacity utilisation and returns to scale have all reduced the 'true' MFP growth.

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