How do you know what something is worth?

The old axiom holds that something is worth what someone is willing to pay for it. 

But what if the asset is not for sale? How do you value a business asset – a car or a computer for example – for the purpose of a balance sheet? 

The Failure of Parliament on Telco Regulatory Reform Package

The failure of the Parliament to pass the telecommunications regulation reform package before the end of the year is deeply frustrating and leaves the industry and consumers exposed to yet more uncertainty and disadvantage.

The attitude of some parliamentarians to what is a package that is supported by every stakeholder except Telstra is difficult to understand.

Letter to ACCC Chairman

The CEOs of seven telecommunications companies, six of which are CCC members, recently wrote to the ACCC chairman Graeme Samuel expressing their deep concern at a recent pricing decision from the ACCC that seems at odds with the signals from the Commission over the past several years. The letter is available here.

The letter reflects a growing worry in the industry that the Commission has not grasped just how fragile competition truly is. The ACCC itself, in its most recent annual report on the state of competition, pointed out that the industry is one of the most concentrated in the world, and had been getting more concentrated over the past three years.