The study compares manufacturer prices in Australia and seven other countries for 150 pharmaceuticals listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), as at 30 June 2000. The comprehensive study found that prices in the USA are between 80 to 160 per cent higher than in Australia, and prices...

On 31 July 1998 the Commission received a request from the Treasurer to undertake, on behalf of the Government of the Australian Capital Territory, a study into whether it is in the public interest for the ACT to: . ban the sale of eggs from battery caged hens in the ACT (whether produced in the...

On 23 February 1999 the Assistant Treasurer referred international telecommunic-ations market regulation for inquiry and report within six months. The report focused on the reform of international telecommunications markets, in particular on the payment arrangements between providers of...

This paper looks at the extent of differences in the accessibility, quality and price of telecommunications services between remote, rural and urban areas in Australia and other comparable countries. It finds that users experience some disadvantages compared with urban users, but generally no...

The Council of Australian Governments, as part of its review of national whole-of-government frameworks for the prevention, preparedness for, and management of a major animal disease emergency such as an FMD outbreak, asked the Productivity Commission to report on the impact of a foot and mouth...

The Productivity Commission's final research report, released December 2004, responds to a request by the Australian Government to examine the contribution that national reform of building regulation has made and further reform could make to the performance of the building and construction...

This paper finds that private sector, which can play an important role in the conservation of biodiversity, is being constrained from doing so by a range of institutional factors. Commonwealth, State and Territory institutional and regulatory arrangements ¡X particularly relating to land...

Australian manufacturing is a picture of diversity and contrasts. This is the main finding of this paper which examines trends in the Australian manufacturing sector over the last two decades. Manufacturing output has quadrupled since the mid-1950s. The fastest growing activities have been those...

Rules of origin arrangements under the Australia–New Zealand Closer Economic Relations Trade Agreement (CER) were referred to the Commission for examination and report by May 2004. The request stemmed from concerns that Australian and New Zealand firms were having difficulty achieving the...

The terms of reference for this public inquiry into the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 asked the Commission to look at how effective the Act had been been in achieving its objectives, and to assess the costs and benefits of the Act. In its final assessment, the Commission identified ways in...