Designing Efficient Subsidy Policiesina Regional Economy: A Multicriteria Decision - Making (MCDM) - Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) Approach

Abstract

ANDRE´ F. J. and CARDENETE M. A. Designing efficient subsidy policies in a regional economy: a multicriteria decision-making (MCDM)-computable general equilibrium (CGE) approach, Regional Studies. Since policy-makers usually pursue several conflicting objectives, policy-making can be understood as a multicriteria decision problem. Following the methodological proposal by ANDRE´ and CARDENETE (2005), multi-objective programming is used in connection with a computable general equilibrium model to represent optimal policy-making and to obtain so-called efficient policies in an application to a regional economy (Andalusia, Spain). This approach is applied to the design of subsidy policies under two different scenarios. In the first scenario, it is assumed that the government is concerned just about two objectives: ensuring the profitability of a key strategic sector and increasing overall output. Finally, the scope of the exercise is enlarged by solving a problem with seven policy objectives, including both general and sectorial objectives. It is concluded that the observed policy could have been Pareto-improved in several directions