Asset Ownership Research Articles

Negligible impact of supermarkets on food security (so far) in low-income neighborhoods of Accra, Ghana

In recent years, African policymakers have embraced supermarket development as a form of food system modernization, but the impacts of the proximity of supermarkets on low-income households in a developing African city are largely unexplored. Using a sample of 680 households in seven of Accra’s poorer neighborhoods, we examine the dimensions and level of food security, household-level determinants, and what impact, if any, the arrival of supermarkets has had on local food security. Using two internationally accepted food-security metrics, (Food Consumption Score and Household Food Insecurity Access Scale), two economic measures (income equivalence and asset ownership), and satellite imagery of supermarket locations, we find that physical proximity to supermarkets is not significantly associated with household food security in low-income areas of Accra. The majority of poor households in Accra are currently food secure, but asset ownership is a much stronger predictor of food security than income. The relatively high degree of food security in Accra is likely related to credit-based relationships that households have with local food vendors. Further, given that supermarkets can compete with these so-called “informal” vendors for access to public space, these credit-based relationships will suffer with new supermarket development. Our study highlights the need for nuanced understanding regarding the role of consumer-retailer and retailer-retailer relationship in ensuring food access for low-income households in urban Africa.

Ontology Development for Asset Concealment Investigation: A Methodological Approach and Case Study in Asset Recovery

The concealment of assets is a critical challenge in financial fraud and asset recovery investigations, posing significant obstacles for creditors and regulatory authorities. National governments commonly possess the necessary data for detecting and combating this type of fraud, typically related to personal data and asset ownership. However, this information is often dispersed across different departments within the same government and sometimes in databases shared by other countries. This leads to difficulty semantically integrating this large amount of data in various formats and correlating entities through identifying hidden relationships, which are essential in this type of analysis. In this regard, this work proposes an ontology to support the data integration process in the domain of asset concealment and recovery and fill the gap in the existence of a public ontology for this domain. The applicability of this ontology in the context of integration between data from different departments and countries was validated. The use of the ontology in a pilot project in the context of a tool for investigating this type of fraud was conducted with a Brazilian government agency, and the users validated its applicability. Finally, a new method for constructing ontologies is proposed. The proposed process was evaluated during the asset concealment ontology building and proved to be more suitable than the similar processes analyzed concerning the partial reuse of existing ontologies and the construction of ontologies for data with a transnational scope.

Transparency of asset ownership and its importance for the real sector of the economy

Beneficial ownership creates risks for third parties and the beneficiaries themselves, as well as for the international and national economy as a whole. Transparency of asset ownership is of particular importance for the real sector, which contains the most important production and other resources for the interests of the country. The global trend towards transparency as a condition for access to various transactions and legal actions is manifested in domestic legislation and judicial practice through the use of various legal mechanisms (mainly encouraging beneficiaries to disclose the ownership structure of assets). The interdisciplinary significance of the category of “beneficial ownership” requires the development of a uniform approach to determining the legal status of beneficial owners and controlling persons.

COVID-19 and its effects on food producers: panel data evidence from Burkina Faso.

Burkina Faso implemented stringent measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that profoundly affected its economy and might have exacerbated food insecurity. While prior studies have assessed the impact of these measures on consumers, there is a dearth of evidence of its effects on food producers in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study aims (i) to evaluate the repercussions of COVID-19 on the possession of food production assets and on the number of livestock owned; and (ii) to determine the correlation between the food insecurity experience scale (FIES) score, ownership of these assets, and the number of livestock owned. This study employs a pre-post comparison design in two panels of randomly selected households in Burkina Faso. While Panel A was constituted of 384 households predominantly (76%) living in rural areas, Panel B comprised 504 households, only half of which (51%) lived in rural areas. All households were visited twice: in July 2019 and February 2021, for Panel A, and in February 2020 and February 2021, for Panel B. Panel B was added to the study before the pandemic thanks to additional funding; the timing of the survey was harmonized in both panels for the second round. Regression models were used with fixed effects at the household level, controlling for potential time-invariant confounding variables, and correlation coefficients between possession of production assets or number of livestock and FIES score were measured. Our findings indicate that the possession of some assets in Panel A (cart, livestock, bicycle, watch) was significantly reduced during the pandemic, as was the herd sizes among livestock-owning households in both panels. Households with fewer production assets and number of livestock were more likely to experience food insecurity. This study underscores the vulnerability of rural households in Burkina Faso to the economic disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Addressing the challenges faced by farming and livestock-owning households is crucial for mitigating food insecurity and improving resilience in the face of ongoing crises.

Analysing Delhi’s Prosperity: A Brief Commentary

Delhi is a historical hub for regional, national and international commerce and a place for the socio-political elites. The city is widely considered to be prosperous. This study is an attempt at understanding Delhi’s affluence using both existing literature and data from Aspirational India, Consumer Pyramids Household Survey, 2024, Economic Survey of Delhi, 2023–2024 and Multiple Indicator Survey, 2020–2021. The city of Delhi faces significant challenges in terms of housing quality, access to clean drinking water, electricity connections and asset ownership among different socio-economic groups. It is essential to work towards making these facilities and assets more equitable and accessible to all its residents. Furthermore, enhancing coordination among various levels of government is crucial to ensure a better quality of life for all individuals living in the city. Addressing the pressing issue of limited prosperity in Delhi requires urgent attention and action, given the financial struggles faced by its residents on a daily basis.

Health in the age of asset manager capitalism.

A relatively small number of for-profit asset managers-financial intermediaries that invest capital on behalf of other investors-have emerged in recent decades to become some of the most influential commercial actors in the global political economy. Despite their important role in society, asset managers have received little attention from a public health perspective. In this article, we aimed to propose a conceptual framework of potential pathways and mechanisms through which asset managers may influence health and equity. The framework included asset class-specific pathways related to investments in publicly listed corporate equity, private equity, 'real assets' (e.g. housing, hospitals, farmland) and commodities. The framework also included more generalized pathways, focusing on ways in which the large and highly concentrated asset management sector can drive economic inequities, influence policy and political decision-making and shape the global 'development' agenda. We argue that measures challenging so-called 'asset manager capitalism', such as promoting and protecting the public ownership of companies and assets in essential sectors, are imperative to address the commercial determinants of ill health and inequity.

PLANNING AND JOURNALING THE AGROPOLITAN PROJECT: A FOCUS ON INCOME ANALYSIS FOR POVERTY ALLEVIATION

Although Malaysias poverty rate has decreased, there are still people who suffer from extreme poverty, especially in rural areas. The agropolitan project under the Rural Mega Leap Program (PLMLB) is a program aimed at eradicating extreme poverty and expediting progress in rural regions. The achievements of agropolitan projects are evaluated through the extent to which they help participants to get out of extreme poverty and are measured using Poverty Line Income (PGK). However, PGK only takes into account income and consumption and does not take into account non-monetary aspects such as living conditions, basic facilities and so on. Therefore, this research intends to examinethe effects of the implementationof this project on the participants in eradicating poverty and towards a sustainable livelihood. Multidimensional Poverty Index (IKPD) is used to measure poverty in this study along with its applicationof PGK. A study using the Sustainable Livelihood Framework (KPL), was conducted at the Gahai Agropolitan Project in Lipis, Pahang, involved 45 participants. Research data was obtained through the distribution of questionnaires and analyzed using SPSS version 22 software and Microsoft Excel. Studies show that theproposed project is useful to eradicating poverty and contributing to sustainable livelihoods. Calculation of the Multidimensional Poverty Index (IKPD) shows that the individuals involved are not subjected to multidimensional poverty.In addition, the participants are also exempted from extreme poverty and experience increased income within five years of participating in the Gahai Agropolitan Project. From the aspect of sustainable living, the results of the study show that the participants experience high vulnerability. Analysis of asset ownership shows that the participants of theAgropolitan Project have good asset ownership. Analysis of the regression model of income determinants for the participants demonstrate that financial assets are an important factor affecting income. According to the findings of this study, there are several recommendations for policy implications to evaluate participants or non-participants of agropolitan projects, which is to consider the Sustainable Livelihood Framework (KPL) in rural development and use the Multidimensional Poverty Index (IKPD) as a complement to the PGK.

Livestock farming and women empowerment in rural Bangladesh: a mixed method approach

BackgroundIn Bangladesh, livestock farming is not only a major source of animal protein, but it also provides opportunities for women to contribute to household income. Therefore, this study was undertaken to identify the empowerment status of women livestock farmers, factors influencing women's participation in livestock farming and its impact on women's empowerment.MethodsThe study was conducted in the Mymensingh district (administrative unit) of Bangladesh, due to the active participation of women in livestock farming activities. A total of 200 women were surveyed between May to November 2018. Additionally, prior to the final survey, 02 Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) were performed to gain insight into the context of the study areas. Furthermore, a total of 12 semi-structured in-depth interviews were performed with 12 experienced women livestock farmers to collect data regarding the challenges they encounter in livestock farming. Women empowerment was measured using four domains: decision-making process, ownership of assets, social and political awareness, and freedom of mobility. Descriptive statistics, and Heckman's endogenous treatment effect model were applied to analyze the data.ResultsThe results revealed that majority (75%) of women who are involved in livestock farming had a medium level of empowerment. Women's decision to participate in livestock farming was positively influenced by farm size, knowledge, extension contact, and training. According to the average treatment effect on the treated (ATT) value, the empowerment status of women is 16 points higher among participants in livestock farming compared to non-participants. Furthermore, women in rural areas face several obstacles such as economic issues and inadequate marketing facilities, which may prevent them from engaging in livestock farming.ConclusionsEducating women through raising awareness and providing training is warranted because there is a notable disparity in the empowerment status of women who are and are not involved in livestock farming. This will help women improve their social awareness, decision-making capacity, and mobility. Livestock initiatives that encourage women's involvement could be generated by various rural-focused organizations.

A machine learning‐based exploration of resilience and food security

AbstractLeveraging advancements in remote data collection and using the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES) as a proxy measure of resilience, we show that machine learning models (such as Gradient Boosting Classifier, eXtreme Gradient Boosting, and Artificial Neural Networks), can predict resilience with relatively high accuracy (up to 81%). Key household‐level predictors include access to financial institutions, asset ownership, the adoption of agricultural mechanization as evidenced by the use of tractors, the number of crops cultivated, and ownership of nonfarm enterprises. Our analysis offers insights to researchers and policymakers interested in the development of targeted interventions to bolster household resilience.

Impact of SEEFOR-Fadama Project on Poverty Alleviation of Rural Women of Rivers State Nigeria

This study assessed the impact of the SEEFOR project on the poverty alleviation of indigenous women of Rivers State, Nigeria. The socio-economic characteristics of the rural women were described, impact of the project on assets ownership and income of women were assessed and the effect of the project on the rural women’s socio-economic status was determined. A null hypothesis stating that, there is no significant difference in the income of the rural women before and after participating in the project was tested. A multi-stage sampling procedure was employed for data collection. Structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 238 rural women. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data collected. Results showed that a majority (79%) of the women were farmers, had small enterprises (72.7%), had 11 years of experience, 74% used leased land for business, only 5% had access to a credit facility, all (100%) were members of a cooperative society, 64.7% were co-contributors with husband for family upkeep. There was a positive 48.3% and 44.5% increment in the number of women who owned assets such as a good house and television after the project respectively. It was found that there was a 72.35% increase in the mean monthly income of rural women. Generally, the project improved the living condition of the rural women. The perceived effects of the project on women’s socio-economic status were; increased decision-making power at home (3.88) and improvement in the contribution of children’s education/community development (3.87). The study concludes, that the project has relatively reduced the poverty of rural women in the study area as there was a significant increment (72.35%) in the monthly income of the women. It was recommended that policies should be put in place to enhance women’s access to credit facilities and that more projects designed at alleviating poverty in Rivers State should target rural women

Bangladesh Ship Breaking Industry and Livelihood Assessment of Out-Migrant Workers: A Study of Southern - Northern Region in Bangladesh

Since 1971, the shipbreaking industry in Bangladesh has grown rapidly, employing approximately 40,000 to 50,000 underprivileged workers from the most underdeveloped regions of Bangladesh. After working for 15-20 years, they leave this industry for different sorts of physical problems, which lead to a low quality of life. Therefore, this paper aims to explore the livelihood status of the out-migrant workers in the shipbreaking industry of Bangladesh. The instruments used for this research were a semi-closed-ended survey questionnaire, in-depth interviews, ethnographic participant observation, and secondary research. The respondents are from the southern and northern parts of Bangladesh, aged 18 years and older. This study has discovered no significant differences between northern and southern out-migrant workers in asset ownership, goods, or housing quality. However, the southern out-migrant population earned relatively more than the northern migrants due to better access to capital and institutional support. This study also shows that after working a few years, young people desire to do external migration for better income opportunities. Despite minimal overall improvement in livelihood status, southern migrants earn comparatively better. Therefore, the government and other stakeholders must bridge the gap of unequal socio-economic development between the southern and northern regions.

Women’s empowerment and its influence on the uptake of breast cancer screening in Tanzania: an analysis of 2022 Tanzania demographic health survey data

BackgroundBreast cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide, with a high mortality rate in developing countries, including sub-Saharan Africa. Screening is one way to ensure early detection and management of breast cancer, and it is influenced by several factors. Education and socio-economic status may also affect the utilization of breast cancer screening services as these impact decision-making. This study aimed to investigate women’s empowerment and its influence on the uptake of breast cancer screening among women in Tanzania.MethodsThis study utilized the 2022 Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey data, and included 4216 women aged 20 to 49 years. Women empowerment variables used include social independence, decision-making, ownership of assets, and attitude towards violence. Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 26 was used for data cleaning and analysis. Descriptive statistics and bivariate analysis were done, including a multivariate logistic regression to assess the level of association between independent variables with breast cancer screening.ResultsFindings indicate that the prevalence of breast cancer screening is 5.2%. Age, education level, literacy, ownership of assets, attitude towards violence, and decision making are associated with ever going for breast cancer screening. Women aged 45 to 49 years (AOR = 6.28, 95% CI = 6.27–6.28), those with secondary or higher education (AOR 1.1, 95% CI = 1.05–1.06), literate women (AOR = 1.13, 95% CI = 1.13–1.13), those who own a house (AOR = 3.08, 95% CI = 3.08–3.09), who jointly decide on their healthcare with partners on healthcare (AOR = 1.18, 95% CI = 1.18–1.19) had significantly higher odds of going for breast cancer screening.ConclusionWomen’s empowerment is significantly associated with the likelihood of engaging in breast cancer screening. Empowered women are more likely to undergo screening. Focus should be on empowering women through education, businesses, and community involvement. Country-specific interventions and breast cancer screening awareness campaigns should include empowerment initiatives to promote screening uptake.

Analisis Implementasi Akad Musyarakah Mutanaqisah pada Pembiayaan ASN di Bank NTB Syariah Cabang Sriwijaya

Musyarakah Mutanaqishah is a form of cooperation between two or more parties for the ownership of an item or asset. Where this cooperation will reduce the ownership rights of one party while the other party increases its ownership rights, this transfer of ownership is through a payment mechanism for other ownership rights. This research aims to explain the implementation of the Musyarakah Mutanaqisah contract in ASN financing at Bank NTB Syariah Sriwijaya Branch and the obstacles in implementing the contract. The method used is descriptive qualitative by observing, evaluating, analyzing and describing the phenomena that occur in implementing the Musyarakah Mutanaqisah contract on ASN financing at Bank NTB Syariah Sriwijaya Branch. The results of the study state that the implementation of the Musyarakah Mutanaqisah (MMQ) contract for ASN consumer financing at Bank NTB Syariah Sriwijaya Branch has been carried out by the DSN-MUI fatwa as stated in the SOP for financing implementation. The obstacles faced by Bank NTB Syariah in the implementation of ASN financing with the MMQ contract include, among others, the lack of understanding of customers regarding the regulations and mechanisms for implementing financing with the Musyarakah Mutanqisah (MMQ) contract; some customers cannot provide proof of asset ownership on behalf of the customer or their spouse, some customers apply for financing without bringing their spouse for various reasons, and some customers are unable to provide funds for administrative and insurance costs required before the financing disbursement process can be carried out.

Is Kenya’s gender wealth gap narrowing? New insights from probate records

Abstract This article introduces a new dataset on individuals leaving inheritances in Kenya, which sheds light on the country’s marked gender disparities in the ownership of wealth. An estimated 9% of decedents in Kenya leave estates that undergo probate or administration. Since the 1980s, men have been four times more likely than women to leave such estates at death. But this gender estate gap has been narrowing. The share of women leaving wealth at death has risen from below 10% in the 1970s to 25% today. The geographic variation in this gender estate gap shows that women are more likely to leave wealth in regions with active land and property markets, suggesting that women are sharing in the ownership of assets purchased in the course of their lifetimes. In contrast, in regions where much of the wealth stock is comprised of ancestral land, women remain a smaller share of inheritance-leavers.

Analysis of Civil Evidence Principles in The Ownership of Non-Fungible Token Assets

This research aims analysis of the civil evidentiary principle, ownership of Non-Fungible Token assets can be proven through documents showing transfers from the previous owner to the current owner, as well as other evidence supporting the validity of the transaction. However, because NFT technology is still new and not fully legally recognized, further analysis is still needed to determine the appropriate mode of proof in this context. This study uses a normative method with a statutory approach (statute approach), as well as an analytical approach (analytical approach). The results of this study are to determine the principle of audi et alteram partem, the principle of ius curia novit, the principle of nemo testis indoneus in propria causa, the principle of ne ultra petita, the principle of de gustibus, non est disputandum, the principle of nemo plus juris transferre potest quam ipse habet on non-asset ownership Fungible Tokens. The principle of audi et alteram partem, which ensures that all parties have the right to be heard, upholds fairness in NFT ownership disputes by guaranteeing that each side has an opportunity to present their case.

Preparing Auditors to Evaluate Blockchains Used to Track Tangible Assets

SUMMARY This article summarizes “Tracking Tangible Asset Ownership and Provenance with Blockchain” (Sheldon 2022), which introduces auditors to the risks of using blockchain’s shared repository to track assets in the physical world. The underlying challenge is keeping the status of tangible assets aligned with their digital representations on a blockchain. In response, the summary focuses on the parties, technologies, and processes that make this task complex. The summary begins with an overview of how blockchain can be used to track tangible assets, then discusses four stages of tracking tangible assets with blockchain: (1) design and governance of a blockchain, (2) asset creation, (3) asset transfer, and (4) asset retirement. Based on the risks highlighted in these four stages, the summary presents a framework of risk considerations and control objectives that auditors can use to evaluate the extent to which a blockchain serves as a reliable repository for tracking tangible assets.

Education, Risk-attitude and Agricultural Innovation: Farm Level Investigation in North India

This paper explores the role of farmers’ education in promoting farming innovation, that is, contract farming (CF). Applying the Tobit model on cross-sectional data of 754 wheat growers in Haryana, it has been found that education directly and indirectly (by reducing risk aversion) stimulates the participation intensity of farmers in CF. It directly enhances farmers’ capacity to absorb and comprehend CF complexities and indirectly reduces farmers’ risk-aversion attitude. It fosters a positive attitude and willingness to adopt modern technologies. Hence, both the education and risk-taking attitudes of farmers are found to be significant for CF adoption probability and intensity. Other factors like farm size, non-farm income, asset ownership and access to credit, media and contact with extension services are all positive stimuli of CF participation intensity. The study suggests promoting field school and awareness programmes to help farmers both acquire and disseminate information on modern farm practices and technologies. JEL Codes: C01, I25, Q16

Firm-level political risk and corporate investments in the hospitality and tourism industry: The moderating role of asset tangibility and corporate governance quality

Firms in the hospitality and tourism (HT) industry need to continuously make capital investments to sustain their long-term growth. These investments occur under varying conditions, including levels of political risk. Hence, this study examines the effects of firm-level political risk on corporate investments of 251 U.S. HT over the period 2002–2022. It further explores the moderating role of asset tangibility and corporate governance. Using fixed-effect regression analyses, the study finds that firm-level political risk negatively impacts corporate investments in the HT industry. Results reveal that asset tangibility and ownership concentration help mitigate the negative effect of firm-level political risk, while institutional ownership exacerbates this negative effect. Given that corporate investments are the backbone of the sustainable growth of HT firms, this research provides important implications for policymakers and practitioners in their attempts to reduce the negative effect of political risk on corporate investments.

Computation of Socio-Economic Status in the AWI-Gen Project.

Socio-economic status of participants in many public health, epidemiological, and genome-wide association studies is an important trait of interest. It is often used in these studies as a measure of direct interest or as a covariate. The Africa Wits INDEPTH Partnership for Genomic and Environmental Research (AWI-Gen) explores genomic and environmental factors in non-communicable diseases, particularly cardio-metabolic disease. In Phase I of AWI-Gen, approximately 12,000 participants were recruited at six sites in four African countries. Participants were asked questions about asset ownership. This technical note describes how AWI-Gen computed socio-economic status from the asset register.

Copyright Violation in Works of Art Using the Form of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFT) in the Era of Digitalization

Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) are exclusive rights granted by the state to individuals or groups to safeguard their intellectual works. Such works may include inventions, works of art, writings, designs, and trademarks, among others. In Indonesia, IPR is regulated by several laws, including the Patents Law (Law Number 13 of 2016), Copyright Law (Law Number 28 of 2014), and Marks and Geographical Indications Law (Law Number 20 of 2016), among others. These rights encompass copyrights, patents, trademarks, industrial designs, trade secrets, and other related rights. The purpose of IPR protection is to encourage innovation and creativity by providing legal protection for the fruits of intellectual labor, thereby enabling individuals and organizations to reap the benefits of their efforts. Businesses and individuals must understand IPR laws and regulations, as they affect the ownership, licensing, and transfer of intellectual property assets. Violation of two-dimensional works of art and NFTs is a form of crime in digital economic activities, in this case, the government must intervene to overcome this crime. The issue at hand is a direct result of insufficient legal regulations governing the digital realm. Cybercrime, which encompasses a multitude of illicit or perilous activities that take place in the virtual world or through the utilization of computer and internet technology, encompasses copyright infringement. This form of wrongdoing entails the contravention of intellectual property rights, such as the unlawful distribution of music or films, software piracy, or the unauthorized use of trademarks. Legal protection pertains to regulations that are concerned with digital works of art.