Agency Ltd Research Articles

Technical efficiency and technology gap in Kenya’s tea industry: accounting for farm heterogeneity

ABSTRACT The study used a cross-county survey from Kenya to investigate smallholder tea farmers’ performance using a stochastic metafrontier framework. According to the results, farmers in all four regions are falling short of their potential with the mean technical efficiency ranging from 0.69, 0.77, 0.61, and 0.74, respectively, for the Nandi, Mau, Kisii, and Kericho regions. Comparing its performance with the technology available in the industry, each region faces a technology gap. Even though some variables were not statistically significant, a combination of socioeconomic and farm-specific factors were identified as sources of technical inefficiency among farmers. The farmers in all regions, however, possess the potential to overcome technological constraints and achieve higher levels of productivity. Kenya Tea Development Agency Ltd should, therefore, enhance its efforts to help the farmers improve their management and technical skills on how to use their resources more efficiently.

Pradhan mantri mudra yojana (PMMY) and entrepreneurship development: Present challenges and future prospects

Despite the preferential treatment of the MSME sector in India, such firms are plagued by several obstacles. Among the set of constraints faced by these firms, access to finance is reported to be the most pressing obstacle. Majority of these units do not have access to the formal banking system and are forced to borrow from informal sources, or use their limited own funds. In this context, policymakers have realized the need to provide a helping hand to this sector and have undertaken a host of initiatives such as credit guarantee schemes, promotion of women entrepreneurship, and marketing assistance for accelerating the growth of this sector. Hence The Pradhan Mantri MUDRA (Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency Ltd Yojana (PMMY) was introduced. Studies reveals that Total disbursements under PMMY during FY 2017-18 stood at Rs. 2,46,437 crore. Out of this, 40% has been disbursed to women entrepreneurs and 33% has been disbursed to social categories (SC/ST/OBC) and it is not enough to the entrepreneurship development.

Landmark Administrative Law Developments Mid-Way Through the 20th Century

A trend discernible post 1965 within the judgments of the Supreme Court is the control of discretionary powers of the government. In a society ruled via the rule of law it is essential that the person's rights must not be dependent on the whims of an official, a risk likely to arise if the government enjoys untrammelled discretion or strength. However, there is no signal of abatement of the outstanding discretionary powers of the management. One of the safeguards given to the individual in opposition to the substantial powers of the state are procedural. The Supreme Court has been exercising an energetic and a commendable role in evolving these safe-guards. 3 instances, P. L. Lakhanpal v. Union of India , Union of India v. Indo-Afghan Agencies Ltd . and State of Assam v. Bharat Kala Bhandar , represent the high water-mark of this improvement. These cases display that our Supreme Court is pretty lively in responding to the demand made upon it. It is quite vigilant in shielding individual liberty without, at the same time, unduly hampering the project of the authorities in organising a welfare state.

MATERNITY, PATERNITY AND PARENTAL LEAVE AND THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE CHILD MIA v State Information Technology Agency (Pty) Ltd [2015] JOL 33060 (LC)

Since the enactment of Chapter 19 of the Children’s Act 38 of 2005 and the decision in Ex parte WH (2011 (6) SA 514 (GNP)) it has become possible for homosexual partners, or spouses in terms of a civil union (as regulated by the Civil Union Act 17 of 2006) to enter into surrogate-motherhood agreements. The effect of such an agreement would be that the spouses/partners become the biological parents of the child born of surrogacy. All children, regardless of their parentage or manner of conception, have the constitutionally enshrined right to “family care or parental care” (s 28(1)(b) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996) and the best interests of the child should always be regarded as “of paramount importance in every matter concerning the child” (s 28(2)). It is in light of the acknowledgment of these rights of both homosexual parents, and children begotten from surrogacy, that the case of MIA v State Information Technology Agency (Pty) Ltd ([2015] JOL 33060 (LC) (hereinafter “MIA”)) came before the Labour Court. In MIA a male commissioning parent successfully claimed maternity leave in terms of a surrogate-motherhood agreement. The judgment effectively illustrates the superiority of the Constitution and the prominence of the best interests of the child in all matters relating to children. Determining the best interests of the child requires a process of balancing the rights, duties and interests of the parties to the surrogate-motherhood agreement, as well as that of the greater society. Surrogate-motherhood agreements affect various areas of the law relating to children and families. The problem, however, lies therein that law is often seen as compartmentalised and unrelated to, or unaffected by the Bill of Rights and the Constitution. In MIA, the Court based its decision on the constitutionally protected rights of both parent and child and highlighted the intertwined nature of these rights. In this case the author will address the facts and decision in MIA, as well as progressive and problematic matters arising from the judgment. Thereafter, I shall evaluate the White Paper on Families (approved by Cabinet on 26 June 2013) and how it relates to the importance of the family as a social institution. I shall also discuss the potential implications of the judgment and the White Paper on Families for maternity, paternity and parental leave in South Africa.

MUDRA (Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency Ltd Bank): Funding to Unfunded.

India is the largest emerging market for Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises which is growing very fast and plying a crucial role in providing large employment opportunities at rural India. The MSMSE’s are the pillar of economic development & growth of a country however India need to enhance the investment to the small business units to mininmise the demand &supply gap for funding because lack of adequate finance is the biggest challenge faced by theses units. Thus, The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the promised Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency Ltd (MUDRA) to fund the unfunded. This paper takes in-depth overview on Purpose of Mudra, Products & Schemes offered by Mudra, Mudra Card, Eligibility Criteria For Mudra Refinance/Loan, PMMY Maharashtra State current Progress and benefits to the small entrepreneurs by Mudra.

Overview: Intellectual Property Law

The Supreme Court decided four cases involving intellectual property in the 2012–13 judicial year. In Public Relations Consultants Association Ltd v Newspaper Licensing Agency Ltd,1 the Supreme Court referred to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) the question of whether copies of a webpage made on a user's screen and cache fell within the temporary copies exception in Art 5.1 Information Society Directive,2 or whether such use amounted to a copyright infringement in the absence of rights-holder authorisation. The question arose in the context of whether customers of the appellant's news monitoring service required a licence to view reports on the appellant's website. The reports contained opening words of the respondents' online articles, several words surrounding customer-selected keywords and a hyperlink to the article on the source website.3 While the lower courts ruled that Art 5.1 did not apply,4 Lord Sumption, having reviewed the CJEU jurisprudence, made clear the Supreme Court's view that Art 5.1 extends in principle to temporary copies made for the purpose of browsing by an unlicensed end-user.5 Art 5.1 was thereby characterised as treating viewing (as opposed to downloading or printing) of copyright material on the internet in the sameway as its viewing in physical form, something which has never been an infringement.6 Despite its seemingly settled view, the Court nonetheless referred the matter to the CJEU for a preliminary ruling, in recognition of the need for a uniform approach to a question which could affect the legality of use of a basic technical facility by millions of people across the European Union.7

Benefits of freeway investment through innovative procurement

South Africa’s pressing development challenges include an ageing road network and sharp growth in road traffic. The construction of adequate transport infrastructure, and the capital investment required to fund it sustainably, are prerequisites for social and economic development. Furthermore, there is a legal and moral obligation to spread the economic benefits of such investment to smaller firms and historically disadvantaged South Africans. In 2008, the South African National Roads Agency Ltd launched the Gauteng freeway improvement project, covering 560 km of roads. The first 185 km of roads include the construction of additional lanes, reconfiguring interchanges and the introduction of a multi-lane free flow electronic toll collection system, all to be financed through capital borrowings and toll income. This paper will discuss innovations in the procurement of the civil works that enabled the involvement of firms owned by black South Africans and prevented the consolidation of large firms in joint ventures.

Managing Copyright Information

AbstractA new Law Licence was agreed between the legal profession and the CLA in late 2008 and Paul Rollins of the The Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd, describes its main features and the role of the CLA in enforcing copyright law in the UK.

Public Access to Copyright Works Submitted to Government: Copyright Agency LTD V New South Wales and the Implications for Information Access

The decisions of the Full Federal Court and High Court of Australia on 'Copyright Agency Ltd v New South Wales' are reviewed in the context of their relevance to copyright owners who submit works to government. The implications of the High Court's verdict on information, access and freedom of information legislation are explored. It is argued that a statutory exception to copyright infringement is needed to allow open access to government information.

Public Access to Copyright Works Submitted to Government: Copyright Agency LTD V New South Wales and the Implications for Information Access

Public Access to Copyright Works Submitted to Government: Copyright Agency LTD V New South Wales and the Implications for Information Access

Public Access to Copyright Works Submitted to Government: Copyright Agency Ltd v. New South Wales and the Implications for Information Access

Governments create and commission copyright protected material as part of their core administrative functions and they sometimes compete with the private sector as developers of commercially valuable assets. Governments also under licence copyright protected material owned and created by others. A wide range of copyright material is also submitted to State and federal governments when individuals and corporations comply with legal obligations or conduct business with government agencies. That material submitted to governments, and the information it contains, can have value that extends beyond the initial transaction. Governments can add value by compiling and processing the information and then charge the public for access. Material submitted to government is also an important source of information source of information about how governments function. When the principles of open government and transparency are discussed, the primary focus is usually upon access to information recorded in documents created within government agencies. However, it is often necessary to extend access to documents received by agencies. Copyright in that material will be privately owned and that can conflict with public access.

Back burner

January: Special couriers are des‐patched from the Central Office of Information with the Folio edition of the Works of George Orwell. Book Marketing Council special promotion for National Book Sale is 101 answers to 1001 questions (Guinless Superlatives). Management buy‐out of British National Bibliography is followed by an agreed takeover of The Standard Book Numbering Agency Ltd. Avon County equips mobile libraries with CB radio. Aslib Marketing Group buys European rights in new personal computer for information managers, the Avocado. In a draughty ceremony at Walton Corner, Maurice Line is given the freedom of Thorp Arch Industrial Estate, and invested with a Gannex raincoat. Task Force to consider LA insignia merchandising operation meets at offices of Touche Ross. Unusual weather conditions at Heathrow delay departure of Royal Party for Trinidad and Tobago.