Aid Funds Research Articles

Assessment of the influence of healthcare financing strategies on universal health coverage: a case of Garissa County, Kenya

Background: Universal health coverage aims to ensure that all people can use the promotive, preventive, and curative health services they need, while also ensuring that the use of these services does not expose the user to financial hardship. This study aimed to assess the influence of healthcare financing strategies on universal health coverage in Garissa County, Kenya. Methods: The research design for this study was an analytical cross-section study. The study used a mixed research methodology approach where both qualitative and quantitative data were obtained for triangulation purposes. Purposive, systematic, and simple random sampling techniques were employed to recruit study participants in this study. Results: The findings indicated that UHC coverage in Garissa County had been achieved only to a moderate extent. The results indicated that public healthcare financing had a positive and significant influence on UHC coverage in Garissa County (β=0.459; p<0.05). The results indicated that healthcare financing through aid had a positive and significant influence on UHC coverage in Garissa County (β=0.249; p<0.05). The results indicated that private healthcare financing had a negative and not significant influence on UHC coverage in Garissa County (β=-0.092; p>0.05). Conclusions: The results led to the conclusion that public and healthcare aid financing were the most appropriate financing approaches to achieve a notable improvement in UHC coverage in the county. The study also concluded that private health financing had a negative impact on the attainment of UHC.

The Russian Clergy and Church Aid Fund: European Vector (1935–1948)

The Russian Clergy and Church Aid Fund: European Vector (1935–1948)

Fertility preservation in Malaysian pediatric cohort: a survey of healthcare providers' knowledge, practice, attitude, perceptions and barriers.

Impaired future fertility potential secondary to gonadotoxic therapies for childhood cancer is a shattering aftermath faced by childhood cancer survivors. Fertility preservation (FP) has emerged as a key to mitigate this unwelcomed sequelae. FP services catering to the needs of children and adolescents (C&A) population in developing countries are limited. Malaysia recently launched its pioneering pediatrics FP services. To evaluate healthcare providers' (HCPs) FP knowledge, practice behaviors, attitudes, perceptions, and barriers towards FP counseling/services (C/S) for the C&A cohort. A questionnaire-based study was conducted utilizing a questionnaire consisting of 51 items which was adapted from G.Quinn et al. The questionnaire was distributed both online and physically amongst HCPs in a tertiary center. Ethical committee approval was granted by the Research Ethical Committee, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. A total of 102 HCPs completed the questionnaires. The majority of respondents were Malays (74.5%), females (80.4%), gynecology/pediatrics specialty (76.5%), and had children (88.2%). Nearly 72% of HCPs demonstrated good knowledge of FP. Almost 73% of HCPs consulted reproductive specialists (RES) on potential fertility issues and over 80% of HCPs referred patients who enquired on fertility issues to RES. Only 17% of HCPs practiced FP discussion, 12% reported no available person to discuss FP, and 10% of HCPs were unaware of who to discuss FP with. Patients' inability to afford FP (30.4%) tops the list of barriers to FP C/S, followed by limited available information on FP for patients (17.6%) and patients too ill to delay treatment (12.7%). Most HCPs (88.2%) demonstrated unfavorable attitudes towards FP C/S. In general, the majority of our HCP respondents demonstrated good current FP knowledge and practice behaviors. Mitigating several controversial issues in FP would improve HCPs' attitude towards FP. Main barriers to the uptake of FP C/S for C&A were patient and resource barriers. Addressing these issues by funding aid for FP procedures, increasing FP knowledge dispersion, as well as developing age-appropriate FP-related educational materials would improve FP service provision for C&A in the future. In conclusion, successful corrective action combined with strategic planning points to a promising future for Malaysia's FP services provision for C&A.

The New EU Industrial Policy: Opening Up New Frontiers for Financial Capital

The EU has implemented a whole array of industrial policy programmes over the past decade to bolster the competitiveness of selected knowledge-intensive industries and to induce a digital and green transition. Responding to shifting competitive challenges in global capitalism, and the adoption of industrial strategies by other major economies, the new EU industrial policy seeks to onshore manufacturing capacity in sectors of geoeconomic importance, and simultaneously reduce dependencies on global value chains. Drawing on a historical materialist perspective, this article historizes and contextualises the financing strategies adopted within EU industrial policy. Faced with tight budgetary constraints, and deficit spending not being an option at the EU level, unlocking private investment takes centre stage, such as by tapping into capital markets or using member state aid or EU structural funds as a precursor, as well as by incentivising private investments through risk-absorbing financial instruments that rely on the EU budgetary resources. As will be shown, the EU has been experimenting with such risk-absorbing financial gimmicks for industrial policy purposes since the 1990s; yet, their usage has reached unprecedented levels with the heightened geoeconomic tensions since the 2008 and Covid-19 crises. The article demonstrates moreover that organised factions within financial and industrial capital have actively advocated for public safeguards, and that their deployment thus is not merely a functionalist response to shifting power dynamics or a desperate last resort in the absence of a supranational fiscal policy.

How do donors integrate climate policy and development cooperation? An analysis of the development aid policies of 42 donor countries

ABSTRACT This article assesses how donor countries integrate climate action into their development aid policies. An analytical framework is developed for the systematic comparison of development aid policies along three dimensions: hierarchy of policy objectives, types of measures the donors implement, and linkages to international climate negotiations. Analyzing the development aid policies of 42 donors, we find that only three have redesigned their development aid policies to fully integrate climate policy concerns. Instead, donors treat climate change as a thematic priority area. This includes several donors that are currently not obliged to provide climate finance under the UNFCCC. Furthermore, five major donor countries emphasize the use of diverse foreign policy tools to support climate action in developing countries. Importantly, we identify how other development goals (poverty, gender) are integrated with climate policy goals. Only two donor countries clearly separate development aid and climate finance. Luxembourg states that its climate finance pledge is additional to development, while New Zealand has a separate climate finance strategy where the allocation of funds is based on climate mitigation effectiveness concerns.

Humanitarian capitalism: The labour regime of aid and the surrogate welfare state in times of global displacement

Recent literature on the geography and political economy of humanitarian migration governance has highlighted the diverse circuits of economic value being forged through ‘refugee crises’ across the world. However, there is a noticeable gap in the examination of what kind of labour relations sustain these new economic circuits. Additionally, there is limited analysis of how humanitarian labour practices intersect with existing geographies of labour precarity in regions where refugee aid operations are conducted. This article aims to address these gaps by exploring the dominant labour relations within the changing landscape of private and public service providers in Greece following the 2015–16 European ‘refugee crisis.’ The article argues that the growth of the refugee aid sector in Greece both capitalised on and exacerbated ongoing processes of labour market deregulation and public sector contraction. The burgeoning aid sector operated as a surrogate welfare state, relying on devalued local labour to address the basic social reproduction needs of global ‘surplus populations’. Extending discussions on the political economy of migration industries beyond profit-making to account for their role in transforming the welfare state and labour relations in spaces of accentuated capitalist crisis, the article demonstrates how the emergency temporalities of aid funding, the rise of public sector managerialism, and employment protection liberalisation impact migrant-facing services, effectively serving as both anti-labour and anti-immigration policy. Furthermore, it illustrates how politically induced migrant ruination is used as a lever to intensify and moralise humanitarian labour in a feedback loop detrimental to both working-class locals and migrants.

Policy strategy: Nickel mining contribution to rural development equity and social violence minimization in Kolaka Regency

The lack of attention from mining companies to the majority of areas still affected by mining activities can result in regional economic disparities and high levels of social violence. It is crucial to have policy strategies for mining contributions to rural development equity and social violence reduction through CSR assistance and other aid funds. This research employs the Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis method using the MULTIPOL analysis tool. Recommended action programs include the construction of schools, provision of scholarships, job openings, business capital, and infrastructure development, supported by strong regulations and law enforcement. Cracking down on illegal mining permits is essential to reduce environmental damage. Holistic and sustainable integration policies, alongside effective law enforcement, are necessary to achieve the goals of equitable development and social violence reduction. These steps should be reinforced with incentives for traditional/community leaders and increased police/military presence in villages within the next 2 years, particularly in zones 2 and 3 of the mining areas. Failure to implement these measures could escalate social violence, jeopardize security, and impede the operations of mining companies in Kolaka. The findings of this research support the priority of security and orderliness in development and underscore the importance of diverse research methods for mining area development policies.

The representation of disability in the Italian media: The case of Ansa

The representation of disability in the media significantly influences the social perception of disability among the general population, as well as among individuals with disabilities themselves. This study focuses on the case of Ansa, the primary Italian press agency, to examine its portrayal of disability and persons with disabilities in the year 2022. Through the content analysis of a corpus comprising 1692 articles collected via keyword search, the research aims to draw a ‘map’ that can describe the disability narrative conveyed by Ansa. Key findings highlight Ansa’s narrative as displaying a form of under-representation of disability. Physical and mobility disabilities dominate the discourse, adhering to the common mediatic ‘hierarchy of disabilities’. But even more clearly, Ansa’s representation tends to be generic, abstract and lacking in specificity, thus presenting disability as a depersonalised and collective label. The narratives predominantly revolve around political interventions, funding, and institutional aid, with limited attention given to personal life stories that rarely attain national news status. Ultimately, the agency’s portrayal appears as a narrative of disability without the disabled persons, representing the phenomenon as a systemic issue that can be resolved through public frameworks and policies, with no direct involvement of those affected. This reinforces the notion that disability is a depersonalised problem that always needs external solutions.

Корпоративные инициативы духовенства Тобольской епархии по материальному обеспечению священно-церковнослужителей (последняя четверть XIX – начало XX в.)

The article deals with the initiatives of the clergy of the Tobolsk diocese in the issue of material provision of clergy and clergymen in the last quarter of the XIX - early XX centuries. The article characterizes the clergy in the context of the socio-economic status of clerics, based on the regional material. It shows the transition from institutional to corporate method of material provision of the clergy due to the critical attitude of the clergy to the reforms of the pension system, as well as the process of formation of new forms of non-state pension provision among the clergy. For the first time on the basis of the material presented in Tobolsk diocesan bulletins the evolution of the statute of the mutual aid fund of the clergy of the Tobolsk diocese, as well as the factors that influenced its changes and additions were traced. It is shown that in the process of administration of the new diocesan structure there were issues that were not spelled out in the first draft of the fund, which did not provide for all cases of issuing a lump-sum allowance, return of membership fees to the participants of the fund and the issuance of refundable loans and required immediate consideration. On the basis of the reports of the Mutual Aid Fund of the clergy of the Tobolsk diocese the cash flow, the issuance of lump-sum allowances and loans of the Mutual Aid Fund of the clergy of the Tobolsk diocese in 1894-1914 are traced. The author comes to the conclusion that the evaluation of the activities of the mutual aid fund of the clergy of the Tobolsk diocese can not be considered only through the prism of the received lump sum benefits and loans. In spite of the fact that the main task of the fund was not achieved - the transformation into an emeritus fund, and the clergy did not receive non-state pensions, it was possible to achieve a positive impact on the material situation of the clergy, who were in extremely difficult financial situation.

Developing Methods for Assessing the Social Impact of Scientific Study

In many countries, there is a need to introduce new or improved existing methods for evaluating the social impact of scientific study on the environment of scientific institutions and universities. It is necessary to apply complex methodological solutions that should consider using research results by the non-academic world. The results of this evaluation are often crucial for building a university's position in national and international rankings. They may influence decisions regarding the level of financing of scientific institutions and the distribution of public funds for subsidies, scholarships, and financial aid concerning research grants. The paper aims to review existing methodological solutions and identify key trends in developing methods for assessing the social impact of scientific study. In this case, the scope of the research was limited to evaluating the study conducted within the field of social sciences. Running such assessments is more complicated than for the technical domain, for which more easily measurable bibliometric indicators and patents are available. The research used quantitative bibliometric analyzes based on the Scopus citation database, supported by bibliometric network analyzes. The results enable the identification of crucial methodological trends, potential opportunities and directions for developing research conducive to improving methods for assessing the social impact of study. Providing an overview of existing knowledge in this field creates a foundation for continuing further research.

Livelihood assets and poverty among fishing households in Bicol Region, Philippines during the COVID-19 pandemic

Research efforts concerning COVID-19 primarily focused on the macro-level impacts of the pandemic on multiple fronts. Less attention was paid to individuals and less still to the socio-economic condition of the poorest sectors. This research addresses this gap by utilizing the theory of change (ToC) of asset ownership to examine the effects of livelihood asset ownership on the poverty status of 200 fisherfolk households in the Bicol Region, Philippines, during the pandemic. The study employed descriptive measures and logistic regression with principal component analysis (PCA) to examine the survey data. Results revealed that ownership of productive assets increased the likelihood of households maintaining the status of nonpoor compared to households who owned less to nothing. Whereas, households with more physical assets were more likely to fall below the poverty line during the pandemic. Defining poverty in terms of livelihood asset ownership has important implications for policymakers. Addressing these evidence gaps enables a nuanced analysis of the socio-economic condition of fishing households during the pandemic. The study suggests that aid organizations and funding agencies should complement grants with efforts that promote asset ownership through capacity-building services like training, mentoring, and providing market links for fishing communities.

Implementation of Financial Aid for Local Political Parties in Banda Aceh City

<p><em>This study examined the </em><em>allocation</em><em> of financial aid funds from the Banda Aceh Regional Government Budget (APBK) to Local Political Parties X and Y in Banda Aceh. This study conducted empirical juridical research and presented the findings of field research using two analytical frameworks: Legal Effectiveness theory and Siyasah Maliyah Fiqh theory.</em><em> It focused on local political parties since they represent a unique kind of democracy in the Aceh region</em><em>.</em><em> From the standpoint of legal effectiveness theory, the findings of this study suggest that the supporting facilities in the form of financial aid and legal factors are adequate and suitable. Nevertheless, barriers remain present within law enforcement, society, and culture. From the accumulated results of the components of the theory of legal effectiveness, a fiqh siyasah maliyah perspective is obtained. Thus, it can be concluded that the principles of ownership and management are still hampered by transparency, accountability, and openness of information to the community. The principle of abuse and corruption is already working well, but the accuracy of targeting financial funds must be improved The people's benefit has not been completely realized as a result of the aid use not being targeted.. The principle of amar ma'ruf nahyi mungkar has also not been fully implemented because it is hampered by a crisis of public trust, the party's understanding of regulations, and the infrastructure supporting transparency and accountability.</em></p>

Analisis Distribusi Dana Bantuan Perum Perumnas dalam Mendukung Tujuan Pembangunan Berkelanjutan (TPB)

Organizations and companies as integral elements in society are faced with the responsibility to understand and manage the impact of their operations on the environment, social and economy. The company program, especially BUMN, including Perum Perumnas, which supports the TPB, is the Social and Environmental Responsibility Program (TJSL). This research aims to analyze the role of Perum Perumnas in supporting the Sustainable Development Goals (TPB). This research method is data analysis research or company reports, especially the Perum Perumnas sustainability report for 2021-2022. The results of this research are that Perum Perumnas in 2021-2022 contributed to 10 of the 17 TPB. The order of cumulative TPB aid funds for 2021-2022, from largest to smallest, is TPB 16 (Peace, Justice and Resilient Institutions), TPB 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), TPB 6 (Clean Water and Decent Sanitation), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements), SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 2 (No Hunger), SDG 7 (Clean and Affordable Energy), SDG 14 (Protecting Marine Ecosystems), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), and TPB 10 (Reducing Inequality). The trend in the distribution pattern of Perum Perumnas TPB assistance areas in 2021-2022 follows the project locations handled by Perum Perumnas with the distribution of Perum Perumnas TPB assistance areas still focused on Java Island.

Global burden associated with 85 pathogens in 2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Despite a global epidemiological transition towards increased burden of non-communicable diseases, communicable diseases continue to cause substantial morbidity and mortality worldwide. Understanding the burden of a wide range of infectious diseases, and its variation by geography and age, is pivotal to research priority setting and resource mobilisation globally. We estimated disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) associated with 85 pathogens in 2019, globally, regionally, and for 204 countries and territories. The term pathogen included causative agents, pathogen groups, infectious conditions, and aggregate categories. We applied a novel methodological approach to account for underlying, immediate, and intermediate causes of death, which counted every death for which a pathogen had a role in the pathway to death. We refer to this measure as the burden associated with infection, which was estimated by combining different sources of information. To compare the burden among all pathogens, we used pathogen-specific ratios to incorporate the burden of immediate and intermediate causes of death for pathogens modelled previously by the GBD. We created the ratios by using multiple cause of death data, hospital discharge data, linkage data, and minimally invasive tissue sampling data to estimate the fraction of deaths coming from the pathway to death chain. We multiplied the pathogen-specific ratios by age-specific years of life lost (YLLs), calculated with GBD 2019 methods, and then added the adjusted YLLs to age-specific years lived with disability (YLDs) from GBD 2019 to produce adjusted DALYs to account for deaths in the chain. We used standard GBD methods to calculate 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs) for final estimates of DALYs by taking the 2·5th and 97·5th percentiles across 1000 posterior draws for each quantity of interest. We provided burden estimates pertaining to all ages and specifically to the under 5 years age group. Globally in 2019, an estimated 704 million (95% UI 610-820) DALYs were associated with 85 different pathogens, including 309 million (250-377; 43·9% of the burden) in children younger than 5 years. This burden accounted for 27·7% (and 65·5% in those younger than 5 years) of the previously reported total DALYs from all causes in 2019. Comparing super-regions, considerable differences were observed in the estimated pathogen-associated burdens in relation to DALYs from all causes, with the highest burden observed in sub-Saharan Africa (314 million [270-368] DALYs; 61·5% of total regional burden) and the lowest in the high-income super-region (31·8 million [25·4-40·1] DALYs; 9·8%). Three leading pathogens were responsible for more than 50 million DALYs each in 2019: tuberculosis (65·1 million [59·0-71·2]), malaria (53·6 million [27·0-91·3]), and HIV or AIDS (52·1 million [46·6-60·9]). Malaria was the leading pathogen for DALYs in children younger than 5 years (37·2 million [17·8-64·2]). We also observed substantial burden associated with previously less recognised pathogens, including Staphylococcus aureus and specific Gram-negative bacterial species (ie, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Helicobacter pylori). Conversely, some pathogens had a burden that was smaller than anticipated. Our detailed breakdown of DALYs associated with a comprehensive list of pathogens on a global, regional, and country level has revealed the magnitude of the problem and helps to indicate where research funding mismatch might exist. Given the disproportionate impact of infection on low-income and middle-income countries, an essential next step is for countries and relevant stakeholders to address these gaps by making targeted investments. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Wellcome Trust, and Department of Health and Social Care using UK aid funding managed by the Fleming Fund.

Pendayagunaan Dana Zakat, Infaq, dan Shodaqoh Melalui Pemberdayaan Program Layanan Kesehatan: Studi Kasus Padalembaga Kesehatan Madani Rumah Sehat Madani Yayasan Dompet Sosial Madani Provinsi Bali

The use of Zakat, Infaq and Sadaqah (ZIS) through the Madani Social Wallet in Bali plays a strategic role in alleviating poverty, increasing social welfare and building a sustainable community economy. Dompet Social Madani as the manager of ZIS is responsible for collecting, distributing and using funds effectively in accordance with Islamic Sharia principles. The use of ZIS in Bali is carried out through several stages starting from identifying mustahik, raising funds to implementing empowerment programs. Mustahik is the main beneficiary of ZIS distribution which includes the poor, orphans, widows and other vulnerable groups. Transparency and accountability in reporting fund management are important foundations for building public and donor trust in Dompet Social Madani. Madani Bali Social Wallet also integrates an economic empowerment approach in ZIS management. The empowerment program includes vocational training, support and business capital so that mustahik can be economically independent. In addition, part of the ZIS funds are allocated for the development of social infrastructure, such as building schools and other public facilities, to provide long-term benefits for the community. Collaboration with government, the private sector and other organizations is essential to increase the positive impact of ZIS. This collaboration optimizes resources and increases the efficiency of program implementation. Public education about the importance of zakat, infaq and shadaqah is also an integral part of the Bali Madani Social Wallet's efforts to expand reach and increase community awareness and involvement. One form of utilizing ZIS through the Madani Social Wallet in Bali is by establishing a Madani Health Institution which is realized in the form of a Madani Healthy House by not only collecting funds for aid, but also providing health services directly to the poor and underprivileged.

Analysis of House Conditions and Optimization of Aid Funds Based on Criteria for Unlivable Houses in Lubuklinggau Timur II District, Lubuklinggau City

This research addresses the problem of public knowledge of uninhabitable houses and the difficulty in identifying houses that do not meet community housing standards, to provide criteria for uninhabitable houses as well as optimize the rehabilitation assistance budget carried out by the Government. This research uses a quantitative descriptive method by collecting data through questionnaires, field observations, and documentation on 69 sample houses. The results of the analysis categorize the level of damage to the house into three categories, namely heavy, moderate, and light damage. From the research results of 69 sample houses, it was found that only 59 houses met the requirements for the uninhabitable house rehabilitation assistance program. In optimizing the allocation of aid funds, the level of damage to the house must be taken into account. With a more objective approach, rehabilitation housing programs can be more effective and provide greater benefits to people in need.

IMPLEMENTATION OF PROVIDING LEGAL AID TO CHILDREN AS PERPETRATORS OF THE CRIME OF OBSCENITY

IMPLEMENTATION OF PROVIDING LEGAL AID TO CHILDREN AS PERPETRATORS OF THE CRIME OF OBSCENITY

How does climate vulnerability affect the just allocation of climate aid funds?

In the process of global climate finance, the perspective of climate justice, especially distributive justice, has received widespread attention. However, how this principle is implemented in the practice of climate finance is still a topic that deserves in-depth discussion. Accordingly, this study aims to empirically examine the impact of climate vulnerability on the just allocation of climate aid (including mitigation and adaptation) funds based on balanced panel data of 89 countries from 2010 to 2020. To better understand this relationship, asymmetry, the moderating effects of government quality and low-carbon technologies, and the threshold effect of financial development are also empirically tested. The empirical results confirm that there is justice in the allocation of climate aid funds. Specifically, countries with higher climate vulnerability tend to receive more mitigation and adaptation funds, with adaptation funds being more responsive. However, this relationship is not universal but asymmetric. In addition, we test the mechanisms behind it. The quality of government and low-carbon technology development can enhance the beneficial effects of climate vulnerability, but government quality can only have an effect on the just allocation of mitigation finance. We also find a single threshold effect of financial development in the allocation of mitigation finance. Climate vulnerability contributes more to improving the just allocation of mitigation finance when the level of financial development exceeds the threshold. Finally, we provide policy implications for donors and recipients, respectively.

Managing the Accounting Information System for School Operational Aid Fund Receipts and Expenditures: Strengthening Internal Control at Public Junior High School 2 Sampit

The purpose of this research is to understand the Accounting Information System for the receipts and expenditures of BOS funds as an internal control tool at SMP N 2 Sampit. The research method used in this study is a qualitative descriptive approach. The informants in this study are the school principal and teachers of SMP N 2 Sampit. Data collection techniques include observation and interviews, while data analysis is conducted using qualitative descriptive analysis following Miles and Huberman's theory, which involves three steps: data reduction, data presentation, and drawing conclusions or verification. Triangulation techniques are employed to verify the reliability of the collected data or information. The results of this research indicate that the implementation of the Accounting Information System for the receipts and expenditures of BOS funds at SMP N 2 Sampit has been successful. Internal control over the receipts and expenditures of BOS funds at SMP N 2 Sampit has been effective. Additionally, the Accounting Information System for the receipts and expenditures of BOS funds at SMP N 2 Sampit complies with applicable regulations.

Symbols of State: Explaining Prestige Projects in the Global South

Abstract Why do governments pursue flashy international development projects despite more basic material needs? I argue that economically questionable “prestige projects” can be politically useful for legitimacy-seeking governments of small states in the Global South. Prestige projects provide these governments with otherwise unavailable symbolic capital as well as a means for seeking international status. Using new data on China’s global development finance since 1949, I document nearly 400 prestige projects and show they are concentrated in developing countries with small economies that increase their support for China’s diplomatic interests. An illustrative case study of Costa Rica’s national stadium shows how host countries use prestige projects to acquire national symbolic capital and pursue status. Evidence from a survey experiment in Papua New Guinea further demonstrates that prestige projects are uniquely associated with the national government and status-seeking motives. The findings contribute to research on the political economy of foreign aid, international development, status-seeking, and Chinese development finance.