Pokračovanie procesu deregulácie cien – otvorená otázka transformácie
CONTINUATION IN THE PRICE DEREGULATION PROCESS – THE OPEN ISSUE OF TRANSFORMATION

Summary/Abstract: The article illustrates (using the example of energy carriers) what mechanisms of a regulated price cause the deformation of the economy structure and its performance. It also gives opinion regarding the direction seeking solutions in the key documents on the economic policy in Slovakia. The article attempted to outline possible solutions for the deregulation in some prices and the role of so called natural monopolies. If the price is considered to be a key factor for allocation of resources and a measure of a relative scarcity, we have to admit that direct interference of the state into pricing in the form of the price deregulation means a deformation of the allocation and coopera-tion mechanisms in the economy. The price deregulation field belongs to such areas in Slovakia where the transformation process has for a certain period of time stopped. The deformed price system is representing a portion of a total deformation and of the limited functionality of the allocation mechanism in the Slovak Republic. In addition, the list of deformations has been also amended by a non-functioning capital market, problems in the banking sector, limited labour market functionality and by the excessive influence of the economic-and-political center on the allocation and coordination mechanism. The deformed allocation and coordination mechanism, however, finally leads to such adaptations of economic subjects that are divergent from the optimum. In this way the reasonable economic structure is injured. The impaired economy structure brings the economic growth in a long term which, however, is lower than the potential growth. A long lasting negligence to the price regulation problem has deforming impacts to regulated (regulated enterprises itself) and also to the non-regulated part of the eco-nomic system. The price structure in the SR during the transformation did nod reflect the relative scarcity of the energy carriers or their production costs. Such price structure means inefficient energy spending and does not allow the energy companies to behave accord-ing to standard market rules. Low prices of energy carriers add up to moving of the production structure towards energy demanding activities. Comparative indicators have proved that the energy de-mand in the SR in comparison with the developed countries has been considerably higher, in comparisons with the transforming Central Europe countries was the same or higher.

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