Border Market Research Articles

Community Empowerment Through Selling Price Determination Training At The Border Market Of Humusu C Village, Insana District, North Central Timor Regency

This service will be carried out at the border market of Humusu C Village, Insana District, North Central Timor Regency, East Nusa Tenggara Province. The problems experienced by the village are composed in two types of problems, namely accounting problems, and financial management problems with the following details: Accounting problems faced by Humusu C Village include:lack of understanding in financial records so that they are unable to get out of poverty, inadequate knowledge of business concepts, so they are unable to set goals for economic activities carried out. Furthermore, the financial management problem faced by Humusu C Village is a lack of understanding in determining the price of goods sold, resulting in prices that are too low on the products sold and very minimal profits.1) Lack of understanding in financial records; 2) Knowledge of weak business concepts; 3) Inability to set targets and evaluate the business. Financial management problems faced by Humusu C Village include: 1) Putting prices too low and always reducing profits. Solutions offered to overcome these problems include socialization to communities directly involved in international transactions at the border market of Humusu C Village, Focus Group Discussion (FGD) with sellers in the Humusu C Village environment to ensure the determination of selling prices in the border market, and assistance of each team member with the seller group. With the solutions offered for the above problems, it is hoped that international transactions that occur in the border market of Humusu C Village can run according to the policies and rules set by the Government.

Effect of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Implementation on Project Performance; A Case of Rusumo Cross Border Market Project

Effect of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Implementation on Project Performance; A Case of Rusumo Cross Border Market Project

CROSS-BORDER ACTIVITY OF RESIDENTS OF BORDER REGIONS IN THE EUROPEAN UNION (A CASE STUDY OF LITHUANIANS IN THE POLISH BORDER MARKET)

Aim: The study analyzes the cross-border activity of Lithuanians in the Polish border market and the sociodemographic factors determining such activity. Methods: A total of 328 respondents participated in interviews conducted from December 2022 to January 2023. Non-parametric tests were used to analyze the data. The research questions included in this study are as follows – Q1: What are the preferred areas of cross-border activity of Lithuanian residents in the Polish border market?; Q2: What socio-demographic factors determine the cross-border activity of Lithuanian residents in the Polish border market? Results: The results show that the respondents were most active in border trade, tourism, and social relations between regional residents. Age, place of residence, and household size had no significant effect on any of the analyz­ed areas of cross-border activity of Lithuanians in the Polish border market. Education, professional status, and monthly income had a statistically significant effect on cross-border trade activity, while tourism was significantly statistically affected by gender and education. Conclusions: Cross-border activity fosters the development of border trade and tourism, as well as the creation of links between local communities living in border areas that strengthen neighborly relations. Border trade should encourage entrepreneurs to seek innovative and socially responsible practices that support the sustainable economic development of a country or region. The study provides evidence in the context of realizing cross-border activity that supports residents of border regions in adapting to dynamically changing geopolitical conditions.

Improving Traders' And Buyers' Understanding Of The Exchange Rate In Economic Transactions In The Border Market

This community service carried out at the Wini (Indonesia) border market and Regiao Administrativa Especial de Oecusse (Ambeno) Timor Leste. There are 3 problems that occur at the Wini border market, namely 1) During transactions, traders do not have a certain formula for determining and fixing exchange rates. Determining exchange rates in the market is only based on bargaining between sellers and buyers, 2) In the bargaining process, sellers and buyers do not see the exchange rate that applies when the transaction takes place and 3) traders in the border market determine the exchange rate during the transaction only following the exchange rate that has been made by other traders in the border market. The service was carried out using socialization methods and Focus Group discussions with 20 traders/buyers from Indonesia, Timor Leste and the governments of the two countries.The results of this community service provide understanding to buyers and sellers from two countries about the obligation to use the currency of the country where the transaction occurs, the importance of exchanging foreign money at a legal money changer, the rules regarding international trade, as well as an understanding of the basis for determining the selling value of products that bring business profits. . By doing business according to government regulations and international business standards, people in border markets can win profits.

Determinants of Cross-Border Food Purchases on the European Union Market: Research Results from the Lithuanian–Polish Border

Cross-border trade is one of the possible ways to promote sustainable development by facilitating the exchange of knowledge, technology, and resources and fostering transnational cooperation and innovation towards more environmentally and socially responsible practices. Considering this, the aim of this study was to identify the determinants of food purchases in the EU market in the complex context of factors influencing cross-border purchasing behavior. The novelty of this research lies in its focus on analyzing the determinants of food purchases by inhabitants of border regions in the EU market, specifically within the context of cross-border shopping behavior, using face-to-face self-report interviews conducted in 2022 among Lithuanian consumers purchasing food from the Polish border market. Employing multivariate analysis and scoring methods, a model of the market behavior of inhabitants of the border regions inside the European Union was built and statistically verified. The identification of key determinants, i.e., economic factors (p = 0.013), marketing factors (p = 0.003), risk related to economic factors (p = 0.036), material status (p = 0.009), professional activity (p = 0.044), and age of respondents (p = 0.020), offers valuable insights to scholars investigating consumer cross-border shopping behavior and empowers trade organizers and managers in making informed corporate strategy decisions.

Determinants of performance improvement of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) in the border market of North Timor Central District – Timor Leste

This study examines the impact of financial literacy, technological innovation, government support, and subjective norms on the performance of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the North Central Timor District (TTU)-Timor Leste Border Market. Furthermore, it seeks to identify appropriate strategies for enhancing MSME performance in this region. Both multiple linear regression analysis and descriptive analysis were employed as research methods. The study population included all MSMEs in the TTU District, totaling 693 entities. The researchers employed a purposive sampling technique based on the Slovin formula, selecting 80 respondents as research samples. The findings indicated that technological innovation, government support, and subjective norms significantly affect MSME performance in the TTU-Timor Leste Border Market. To improve the performance of MSMEs, various strategies can be implemented. These encompass the enhancement of financial literacy through training and mentoring programs, adopting e-commerce within the digital economy, and improving human resource quality and product standards. Other strategies include fostering partnerships among institutions, cultivating an investment-friendly bureaucracy, implementing product labeling, establishing legal business associations, and promoting motivation and self-confidence.

PRICE TRANSMISSION OF MELONS (CUCUMIS MELO AND CITRULLUS LANATUS) IN MYANMAR – CHINA BORDER TRADE

Border trade is the main export channel for agricultural products from Myanmar (formerly Burma). With an increasing quantity and value of exports during the last few decades, melons have become one of the major crops in the national export strategy of Myanmar. In this paper, the word “melons” is used to represent both watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) and muskmelon (Cucumis melo) cultivars. No previous research exists on price transmission between these countries, especially for the horticultural produce market. This study aims to measure the magnitude and speed of spatial price adjustment in melons exported from Myanmar to China. Price transmission in the melon export market in Myanmar is analyzed by studying the lead-lag relationship among prices in the border market in Myanmar and the selected wholesale markets in Beijing, China, using a vector autoregressive model (VAR). Prices are transmitted quickly from Myanmar to the selected wholesale markets in Beijing, China. The wholesale market price in Beijing, China lags only one day behind the Myanmar price. In the Myanmar border market, the melon price is affected only by its own lagged price. The adjustment of melon prices in one day suggests that market information is getting passed up the market channel, and there does not appear to be a need for a policy to improve market efficiency.

Non-economic determinants of the behavior of the Kaliningrad oblast residents on the Polish border market

Dynamic changes in international relations as well as political, economic and social conditions make it necessary to study the behavior of inhabitants of border regions. The article aims to present non-economic determinants of the behavior of the inhabitants of the Kaliningrad Oblast on the Polish border market. The article describes the specificity of the market behavior of Russians, the causes and effects of changes in these behaviors. Selected political and economic, socio-cultural and psychological factors as well as situational factors such as local border traffic are described. The analysis of bibliographic materials was used to achieve the goal. The behavior of Russians is influenced by the decisions of the authorities and the social, emotional and existential values created in l, but geopolitical factors seem to take precedence over socio-cultural and psychological factors.

Evaluating the Economic and Social Impact of the Construction of the Border Market and Its Role in the Development of Urban Areas (Case Study: Market of Hendijan City)

Evaluating the Economic and Social Impact of the Construction of the Border Market and Its Role in the Development of Urban Areas (Case Study: Market of Hendijan City)

State Borders as Center of Economic Growth: Case Study of the East Arso District in the Indonesia – Papua New Guinea Border

This article aims to pinpoint the East Arso District’s existing economic conditions and identify factors contributing to devising the region as the center of economic growth in the Indonesia–Papua New Guinea (PNG) border. Data were collected through focus group discussion, observation, and a literature review conducted between October and November 2021. By using a qualitative approach, this study found that the East Arso District offers the potential to be developed as the center of economic growth in the Indonesia–PNG border. The region community’s commodities are considered including agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and livestock goods. The scope of the study also examines the condition of PNG’s neighboring communities in Sandaun Province, road infrastructure, and cross-border and security. This article proposes a model of economic development for the East Arso District: the establishment of Transnational Border Posts (PLBN), border market, road infrastructure, a multi-purpose cooperative society and improvement of access to commodities, education, and health. Additionally, the plans to create the East Arso district the center of economic growth are also expected to strengthen ties and cooperation between Indonesia and PNG, which, in turn, can prevent misunderstanding and conflict in the future. KEYWORDSBorder; East Arso; Indonesia; Keerom; PNG

CONSUMER BEHAVIOR OF INHABITANTS OF KALININGRAD DISTRICT IN THE POLISH-RUSSIAN LOCAL BORDER TRAFFIC ZONE

Local Border Traffic (LBT) established on the Polish and Russian border in 2012 created new market opportunities for Russian consumers from the Kaliningrad District, which led to a question of how the changing political, economic and social conditions impacted consumer behavior of Russians in the border market of LBT. The study aimed to answer this question based on a survey of 1,022 respondents from Kaliningrad District, carried out in 2012–2016. Findings show that Russian consumers benefitted from cross-border shopping and trade and contributed to local development on both sides of the border until administrative and economic barriers appeared. The unfavorable border crossing regulations, ban on the import of agri-food goods from Poland to the Russian Federation, and increasingly unfavorable ruble exchange rates changed the behavior of Russian consumers significantly, decreasing their purchase and consumption of goods and services bought in the LBT zone in Poland.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and Its Implications for Economic Security in the Republic of Indonesia-Papua New Guinea Border Market Area

The COVID-19 pandemic spread to the Indonesia-Papua New Guinea (PNG) border poses a real threat to people living in the region. As a consequence of this pandemic, the Transnational Border Post (PLBN) and the border market have been temporarily closed since January 2020. This article aims to analyze the implications of COVID-19 on the economic security of the people at the RI-PNG border and the responses of two countries, particularly Indonesia, toward the economic security threats in the border region. This article was developed from qualitative descriptive research using field research methods. Data were collected through interviews and observations and supported by secondary data. This study revealed that the short-term implications of COVID-19 on economic security existed in the form of income reduction, even income loss, due to the closure of cross-border access. Income reduction may lead to the emergence of medium-term implications in the form of unemployment and debt. If there is no solution, the long-term implications may exist in the form of widespread poverty in the RI-PNG border area.

Transaction Cost of Black Market in the Region Timor-Leste Border

Timor-Leste’s cross-border trade involves the people of the two countries on the border. Cross-border trade, which was originally facilitated by the government of Indonesia and East Timor by providing a common border market, has been closed since the Covid-19 pandemic. As a consequence, illegal transaction activities continue around the border with an unconventional approach and run outside the control of the state. The study aims to determine the effect of transaction costs, institutional changes, black markets on the welfare of people in border areas directly or indirectly. Explanatory research is a method approach used with PLS (Partial Least Square). The results of the study show that the direct relationship between constructs is positive, except that the transaction cost on welfare is negative. The indirect effect of transaction costs and institutional changes on welfare through the black market is positive. The factor of low transaction costs and changes in people’s behavior and income causes the trading process to be outside the government’s permit. Another supporting factor is the ease of accessibility in the form of proximity to mileage, means of transportation, and the similarity of economic needs. Black market practice is unlawful, and the state loses revenue. Keywords: Transaction Cost, Institutional Change, Black Market, WelfareJEL Classification: D60, F10

Participation of Indigenous Papuan Women at the Skouw Border Market, Indonesia–PNG

This article aims to scrutinize the extent of participation of Indigenous Papuan Women in the Skouw Border Market and the challenges they encounter. The Skouw market contributes to Indonesia’s economic development where Indigenous Papuan traders and Nusantara traders (non-Papuans) are the drivers. This study adopted qualitative research, while primary and secondary data were collected through interviews, observations, and library research. By using an Indigenous feminism approach, this article demonstrates several points: 1) the participation of indigenous Papuan women in the Skouw market is pretty deficient compared to Nusantara traders, thereby providing guidance and initial capital from the government to enable Papuan women is required; 2) commodities sold by Indigenous Papuan women should be expanded – not only focusing on farming products but need to sell commodities similar to those of Nusantara traders; 3) if indigenous Papuan women continue to face marginalization and get limited access to the Skouw market, this could be seen as a new form of colonization for Papuan women. KEYWORDSIndigenous; Indonesia; Papua; PNG; Skouw

Predicting the Collisions of Heavy Vehicle Drivers in Iran by Investigating the Effective Human Factors

Traffic collisions are one of the most important challenges threatening the general health of the world. Iran’s crash statistics demonstrate that approximately 16,500 people lose their lives every year due to road collisions. According to the traffic police of Iran, heavy vehicles (including trailers, trucks, and panel trucks) contributed to 20.5% of the fatal road traffic collisions in the year 2013. This highlights the need for devoting special attention to heavy vehicle drivers to further explore their driving characteristics. In this research, the effect of heavy vehicle drivers’ behavior on at-fault collisions over three years has been investigated with an innovative approach of structural equation modeling (SEM) and Bayesian Network (BN). The database utilized in this research was collected using a questionnaire. For this purpose, 474 heavy vehicle drivers have been questioned in the Parviz Khan Border Market, located on the border of Iran and Iraq. The response rate of the survey was 80%. The participants answered the questions on Driver Behavior Questionnaire (DBQ) and a sleep assessing questionnaire named Global Dissatisfaction with Sleep (GSD). In this research, human factors affecting at-fault collisions of heavy vehicles were identified and their relationships with other variables were determined using the SEM approach. Then the descriptive model constructed by the SEM method was used as the basis of the BN, and the conditional probabilities of each node in the BN were calculated by the database collected by the field survey. SEM indicates that other attributes including GSD, mobile usage, daily fatigue, exposure, and education level have an indirect relation with heavy vehicle drivers’ at-fault collisions. According to the BN, if there is no information about the characteristics of a heavy vehicle driver, the driver will likely have at least one collision during the next three years with the probability of 0.17. Also, it was indicated that the minimum probability of the at-fault collision occurrence for a heavy vehicle is 0.08.

TAJIK-AFGHAN BORDER AREAS AS A SOCIO-ECONOMIC and ETHNOCULTURAL CONTACT ZONE

In the modern world, borders are often no longer perceived as a barrier, but, on the contrary, become a contact zone for border regions, engaging nations and peoples, their cultures and economies. Presumably, at present the remoteness of any area from a country’s center does not imply its cultural or economic backwardness; conversely, it most likely offers additional opportunities for economic and socio-cultural development. This article examines the border regions of the Republic of Tajikistan and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, their cooperation and the consequences of these ties for their socio-economic development. The beginning of the post-Soviet period was characterized by weak economic ties between Tajikistan and Afghanistan due to the civil wars that affected both countries at the time. The countries also lacked the transport infrastructure required for cross-border trade and cooperation. Subsequently, through the efforts of the authorities of the two countries and international organizations, these problems began to be resolved. The article’s scientific novelty lies in the analysis of the socio-demographic development of the border areas in Tajikistan and Afghanistan and the identification of the key forms of ethnocultural interaction of the border population. As a result of the study, the authors identify and characterize the forms of socio-economic and ethnocultural contacts that occur through border trade, commercial migration, education and the integration of refugees into the Tajik community. The significant role of these contacts plays a significant role in the life of the population of the border areas, which are cut off from the centers of their countries. First, it is a mutually complementary process that involves obtaining new knowledge and strengthening ties. Secondly, cross-border trade and commercial migration between Tajikistan and Afghanistan play a vital role in the livelihoods of the respective communities and support the development of border regions, contributing to the development of friendly relations between countries and act as effective methods of fighting poverty, creating new jobs and providing income for the population of the border regions. In addition, the study examined the programs and projects of international organizations that contribute to the development and strengthening of border relations between Tajikistan and Afghanistan in the sphere of border trade and strengthening of security. The authors conducted an observation and a survey at the border market, where residents of the neighboring territories of Tajikistan and Afghanistan come together. The observation revealed that for many households, border markets are the only platforms for earning money.

English

Rorya is one of new districts in Tanzania established in 2007. The district is a reflection of typical rural life in Africa South of Sahara where rural communities inhabiting dry woodlands and dependent on natural resources for their sustenance do not consider indigenous tree species as valuable resources of income. The study was conducted in the low lands of Rorya district-Tanzania to assess contribution of wild Acacia species for sustenance among rural communities. Ethnobtanical survey and standard sapling procedures were used for data collection and description of Acacia distribution patterns. Distribution and diversity of Acacia species is affected by multiple factors some of which could not be addressed by the arithmetic models employed in this study. Of all the sampled Acacia species, A. seyal ranked topmost as potential tree resource for a wider local and cross border market. Unlike other sampled Acacias, A. seyal has comparatively rapid biomass turnover within a short period. Density of A. seyal is much higher in swampy black cotton soils. Despite the economic potential of the species, significant proportion of Acacia woodlands is cleared annually for charcoal. Though Acacia seyal stumps coppices readily, combination of clearing and over grazing can convert the Acacia woodland to typical grasslands within a shorter duration of 20 years. At the same time, there is neither a conservation guideline nor land tenure arrangement in place for sustainable conservation. The study is recommending urgent legislative and land tenure reforms to control the current free access and encroachment that has nastily denuded the wood lands. Acacia being good source of pollen, commercial placement of bee hives is advocated as a supplementary economic activity in parallel with selling of wood fuel.   Key words: Acacia, Vachellia, Senegalia, sustainable development.

Pengaruh Tingkat Upah Dan Investasi Terhadap Tingkat Pengangguran Di Kabupaten Timor Tengah Utara

The application of wage levels in the district of Timor Tengah Utara has not yet adhered to government regulations as stipulated in the Provincial Minimum Wage. Most workers only hope for employment provided by the government through the recruitment of State Civil Apparatuses by prospective workers who have formal education. Employment opportunities opened by private parties through private companies in the district of Timor Tengah Utara are still very limited. As a result of these real conditions, the unemployment rate in Timor Tengah Utara district is still high. Speculation carried out by the community to achieve family welfare is to exploit the potential and opportunities of the border market and to speculate into labor outside the region or abroad legally and illegally with various risks

High levels of imported asymptomatic malaria but limited local transmission in KwaZulu-Natal, a South African malaria-endemic province nearing malaria elimination

BackgroundKwaZulu-Natal, one of South Africa’s three malaria endemic provinces, is nearing malaria elimination, reporting fewer than 100 locally-acquired cases annually since 2010. Despite sustained implementation of essential interventions, including annual indoor residual spraying, prompt case detection using malaria rapid diagnostics tests and treatment with effective artemisinin-based combination therapy, low-level focal transmission persists in the province. This malaria prevalence and entomological survey was therefore undertaken to identify the drivers of this residual transmission.MethodsMalaria prevalence as well as malaria knowledge, attitudes and practices among community members and mobile migrant populations within uMkhanyakude district, KwaZulu-Natal were assessed during a community-based malaria prevalence survey. All consenting participants were tested for malaria by both conventional and highly-sensitive falciparum-specific rapid diagnostic tests. Finger-prick filter-paper blood spots were also collected from all participants for downstream parasite genotyping analysis. Entomological investigations were conducted around the surveyed households, with potential breeding sites geolocated and larvae collected for species identification and insecticide susceptibility testing. A random selection of households were assessed for indoor residual spray quality by cone bioassay.ResultsA low malaria prevalence was confirmed in the study area, with only 2% (67/2979) of the participants found to be malaria positive by both conventional and highly-sensitive falciparum-specific rapid diagnostic tests. Malaria prevalence however differed markedly between the border market and community (p < 0001), with the majority of the detected malaria carriers (65/67) identified as asymptomatic Mozambican nationals transiting through the informal border market from Mozambique to economic hubs within South Africa. Genomic analysis of the malaria isolates revealed a high degree of heterozygosity and limited genetic relatedness between the isolates supporting the hypothesis of limited local malaria transmission within the province. New potential vector breeding sites, potential vector populations with reduced insecticide susceptibility and areas with sub-optimal vector intervention coverage were identified during the entomological investigations.ConclusionIf KwaZulu-Natal is to successfully halt local malaria transmission and prevent the re-introduction of malaria, greater efforts need to be placed on detecting and treating malaria carriers at both formal and informal border crossings with transmission blocking anti-malarials, while ensuring optimal coverage of vector control interventions is achieved.

Regional Shift in the Global Automotive Sector

The automotive sector accounts for a significant part of the global cross border trade. Therefore, it is to reflect the current economic structure around the world. This study reveals economic characteristics of this significant sector, while considering how cross border trade, production and market of this sector have experienced shifts across regions over the last decade. This study proves that Asia-Pacific region has displayed remarkable growth in terms of automotive imports and exports, and motor vehicle assembly and market over the last decade constituting a larger share of the global automotive sector. On the other hand, European region still leads the global automotive imports and exports.