A Study On Economic Efficiency Of Provincial Development Zones In Anhui

Since reform and opening-up, the development zones which are considered as pilots and windows for opening to the outside world have sprung up in China promoting regional economic development greatly. As the increasing and expanding of provincial development zones, economy output is increasing and the status is rising consistently. By the end of 2013, there are 73 provincial development zones in Anhui province, which only cover less than 2% of the land of the entire province but introduce nearly 1/2 of the actually foreign investment of the whole province, complete nearly 1/3 of the industrial added value, more than 1/3 exports value and achieved nearly 1/5 of the revenue of the whole province. Provincial development zones make significant contribution to employment creating, tax increase and the foreign capital introduction in Anhui province, becoming a new growth pole.Although provincial development zones in Anhui province have made a major achievement, there are obvious regional differences between provincial development zones and national development zones. And there are problems of the pattern of economic growth and inefficiency. At present, the domestic scholars mostly focus on researching on national development zones from different angels, which show the operating efficiency of national development zones is higher than provincial ones. However, study of provincial development zones is not as comprehensive as national development zones, which is lack of public data. There is little study on provincial development zones and the conclusions are controversial.This article takes 74 provincial development zones in Anhui province for example, analyzing situation and problems. At the same time, a empirical analysis by DEA (data envelopment analysis) method based on data from 2010 to 2013 is made. It constructs evaluation index on the economic efficiency of development zones including comprehensive efficiency, scale efficiency and technical efficiency. According to the results, recommendations for improving operating efficiency of Anhui Provincial Development Zones are given.This paper is divided into four chapters. The first chapter introduces the research background of provincial development zones, analyzes domestic research situation and presents a research framework of this article, study object, study method and innovation tips.Chapter 2 takes a look at development course and problems on efficiency of provincial development zones, which indicates that provincial development zones require transformation and upgrading. By listing some of the data, we find that in recent yeas, provincial development zones have made significant progress in economic strength, industry position, infrastructure and other hands. But we can still find inefficiency in development still exists, such as First, low utilization of input factors, the lack of innovation industries, low efficiency of technological innovation, backward of management system and low management efficiency.Chapter 3 analyzes the necessity of transformation and upgrading mainly from several aspects. Firstly, the traditional development idea of development zones does not adapt to the development of new period. Secondly, in recent years development zones have been facing an tense supply of production factors and the constraint factors are more obvious. Thirdly, as a new growth pole of regional development, development zones need join in city development priority zones, realizing fusion between production and city. Finally, under the pressure from the economic growth forecasts, development driven by land expansion and low cost labor pattern is unsustainable. So, transformation is required according to the present stage of development to achieve.On the basis of the above analysis, in chapter 4 we analyze the affecting relationship between input and output of provincial development zones in Anhui by using DEA analysis software based on three input indicators and three output indicators combining with domestic and foreign research results about the development zones. Through the analysis, we found that in most of the provincial development zone in Anhui province, phenomenon of input redundancy and output deficiency exist. The results show that rational allocation of resource is essential to the development zones; the development of provincial development zones mainly rely on capital inputs and economic growth mainly depends on inputs. With the strengthening of international competition and the development of regional economy, technological progress and innovation occupy a more and more important position in the development of development zones. In Anhui provincial development zones, there are problems of backward management system, inefficient management, excessive government intervention and strong performance driven.In chapter 5, suggestions for the development of provincial development zones in Anhui province are given based on the above analysis, including transformation of the pattern of economic development, rational utilization of land resources, enhancing innovation capacity, optimizing the industrial layout and promoting the reform of management system, etc.There are 2 innovation tips in this paper as following:(1) Making a more detailed analysis on operating efficiency of the provincial development zones from perspectives of comprehensive efficiency, scale efficiency and technical efficiency.(2) Choosing provincial development zones as the research object and this kind of research is less now.