A consultancy calculates that it can supply crude oil assaying services to a small oil producer for $115,000 per year for five years. There are some upfront costs the consultancy will require the oil producer to absorb. What is the maximum that these upfront costs could be, if the equivalent annual annuity to the oil company is to be under $160,000, given that the cost of capital is 9%

Suppose that a government that is skeptical of efforts to regulate prices charged by private companies is nevertheless concerned that an electric utility company is taking advantage of consumers with unfair pricing policies. which of the following policy options might most effectively enable the government to achieve its objectives in this situation? do nothing to all. turn the company into a public enterprise. use antitrust laws to increase competition. regulate the firm's pricing behavior.