Economic Development Policy Research Articles

CAPACITY BUILDING FOR CIVIL SERVANTS AND STATE MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATIONS OF VIETNAM'S SEAS AND ISLANDS

Vietnam's seas and islands greatly influence political and legal life for national, regional, and international development in history, present, and future. The article analyzes the need and importance of capacity building for civil servants and state management organizations on seas and islands in the context of developing the marine economy and protecting Vietnam's sea and island sovereignty. With a long coastline and a rich island system, Vietnam is facing many challenges from resource exploitation, and climate change to national security and defense issues. The article discusses the current status of the sea and island management capacity of civil servants, officials, and related organizations, including limitations in expertise, management skills, and the ability to respond to complex situations. The article also proposes strategic solutions to improve management capacity through training, professional development, enhanced international cooperation, and application of modern technology in sea and island management. The article emphasizes that improving the capacity of civil servants and state management organizations is the key to effectively implementing policies for sustainable marine economic development and protecting national maritime interests, making an important contribution to the comprehensive development of Vietnam.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0712/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Social inequalities in adult mortality across Europe (18th-21st centuries): A critical analysis of theories and evidence

This study examines the historical evolution of socioeconomic disparities in adult mortality, with a focus on European societies. Despite the widespread improvements in population health, social inequalities in mortality are a pervasive phenomenon nowadays. This paper employs a critical analysis of both theoretical and empirical literature to investigate major international studies and their findings on longevity differences associated with socioeconomic status from the nineteenth century to the early twenty-first century. Findings reveal that adult mortality trajectories have differed notably across social classes and regions, with some areas exhibiting disparities before the demographic transition and others showing inequalities emerging later. Understanding these long-term health inequality trends sheds light on the changing influence of medical advances and their interplay with economic growth, educational disparities, environmental factors, state roles, and production distribution, which have shaped mortality disparities through different development stages. These factors elucidate the international heterogeneity of results until the mid-twentieth century and offer explanatory insights into observed north-south patterns in Europe. Our findings contribute to a deeper understanding of how advancements in public health, economic development, and social policies have shaped health outcomes over centuries. The implications of this research inform ongoing debates and health policy, emphasizing a nuanced interpretation of historical data to craft effective strategies that address health inequalities today.

Technological progress in central and eastern Europe: Digitalization and business innovation leaders and outsiders

Innovation and the associated digitization of the global economy are becoming the foundation of competitiveness and development. This state of affairs affects all regions and countries of the world, especially enterprises, which need to adapt to stay in the market. The situation is particularly challenging in developing countries, whose economic potential is lower than that of developed economies. Addressing this issue, the article presents the results of a study on the degree of digitization and innovation of enterprises in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), which are among the group of developing economies. The research included independent assessments of innovation and digitization in these countries, as well as a combined assessment of both processes. It was based on a set of 17 selected indicators characterizing the processes of digitization (9) and innovation (8). The CRITIC method was used to calculate the weights of these indicators, and the TOPSIS method was used to determine the digitization and innovation indices, as well as the final digitization and innovation index. Using the results of this analysis, relationships were determined between the digitization and innovation indices, as well as between the final index (innovation and digitization) and selected economic parameters of the countries under study (CEE). The results show that companies in the studied countries are highly differentiated in terms of their digitization and innovation. The best results in both dimensions were obtained by the Czech Republic and Slovenia, while the weakest were by Latvia and Romania. In terms of business innovation, the Czech Republic and Slovenia are the best performers, while Latvia and Romania are the weakest. On the other hand, Slovenia and the Czech Republic are the leaders in business digitization, while Romania and Bulgaria are the worst performers. The remaining countries fell within the area of average development in these dimensions. The obtained results should be a valuable source of knowledge for assessing the measures taken to date in CEE countries in the field of innovation and digitization. It would also be advisable to use them in the development and implementation of economic policy and the targeting of investment activities in the EU. A major opportunity, especially for improving the innovativeness of CEE countries, could be the Open Innovation concept. Its wider implementation in these countries should improve their performance in this regard.

Tropical forest cover, oil palm plantations, and precipitation drive flooding events in Aceh, Indonesia, and hit the poorest people hardest.

Tropical forest loss and degradation in watersheds disrupt essential ecosystem services that regulate water flow, often causing devastating floods that impact agricultural productivity and impoverish downstream communities. Despite its importance, evaluations of the interconnectedness between the depletion of hydrological services and flooding lack an evidence-base in the Global South and, therefore, have little influence on policy dialogue. In this study, we focus on the forest-rich province of Aceh, Indonesia, using local and national newspaper articles to compile information on flood events between 2011 and 2018. We explored spatio-temporal flood patterns with a combination of climatic, topographic, and environmental factors. We compiled 2,029 reported flood events in mainland Aceh located in 20 of the 21 districts/cities, with a disproportionately high occurrence (71%) in four districts. The trend of flood events exhibited an increasing pattern between 2011 and 2018. Over this period, floods displaced ~158,000 people and damaged ~24,500 houses and ~11,500 ha of agricultural land. Our generalized linear mixed-effect model found that reported flood events were more likely to occur in areas with lower tree cover, more oil palm plantations, and higher precipitation. Areas with a lower human population density and higher poverty rates were found to be most susceptible to flooding events. Our findings highlight the critical link between forest preservation and flood prevention, and the irreplaceable role that forests play in ensuring the well-being of local communities, especially those affected by poverty. Our study underscores the importance of considering these interconnected factors in future land use and economic development plans and policies.

Agricultural Policies and Strategies in Ethiopia: A Review on Transformation Towards an Improved Agricultural Extension

In Ethiopia, economic development policy has historically been dominated by subsistence agriculture, leading to unrealized agricultural potential characterized by low productivity and a focus on subsistence farming practices. This would necessitate giving agricultural policies top priority and launching an improved initiative to speed up the transition from traditional farming. To this end, this review was to summarize the strengths and drawbacks of Ethiopia's agricultural policies and strategies, as well as make recommendations for improved interventions and the potential for scaling them up. This may be very helpful in directing policymakers to introduce the valuable interventions and handle related issues. Since 1991, the government of Ethiopia has implemented various agricultural policies in order to boost agricultural productivity and production, which in turn reduces poverty and food insecurity. However, the results have been found to be unsatisfactory. This is mainly due to the poor performance of the agricultural extension system in terms of its coverage and quality of implementation. Thus, the review argues, addressing such challenges and commercializing the sector could lead Ethiopia to further exploit its agricultural potential. In this regard, the recently implemented cluster farming is the right way to overcome these problems and support subsistence farming by increasing smallholder farmers bargaining power, increasing the faster diffusion of research recommendations and extension packages, knowledge transfer, and market linkage. Therefore, the review recommends that policymakers and development organizations should consider cluster farming as a main farming strategy to increase smallholder farmer’s productivity and support initiatives to attain the intended goals.

The Role of AI-powered financial analytics in shaping economic policy: A new era for risk management and national growth in the United States

The integration of AI-powered financial analytics is revolutionizing how U.S. enterprises and policymakers’ approach economic forecasting and risk management. This article explores the role of AI-based tools, such as machine learning and predictive analytics, in enhancing financial decision-making processes and shaping national economic policy. By providing real-time insights and accurate predictions, AI enables businesses and regulators to anticipate economic trends, mitigate financial risks, and foster financial stability. Through case studies, the research demonstrates how AI has driven economic growth, reduced risks, and enhanced financial oversight within key sectors. Additionally, it investigates the implications of AI on policymaking, highlighting how AI-enabled tools support the development of data-driven economic policies for long-term national growth. Despite the transformative potential, the article also addresses the ethical and regulatory challenges in deploying AI for economic decision-making. Ultimately, this research emphasizes that the future of economic policy in the United States is increasingly tied to the continued advancement and integration of AI-powered financial analytics.

Mapping fertility rates at national, sub-national, and local levels in Ethiopia between 2000 and 2019.

Fertility rates are key indicators of population health and demographic change, influencing economic development, healthcare planning, and social policies. Understanding subnational variation in fertility rate is important for effective geographical targeting and policy prioritization. This study aimed to identify geographic variation, trends, and determinants of fertility rates in Ethiopia over the past two decades. We estimated total fertility rates (TFRs) and age-specific fertility rates (ASFRs) using five nationally representative cross-sectional Demographic and Health Surveys collected in Ethiopia between 2000 and 2019. ASFRs represent the number of live births per 1,000 women aged 15 to 49 during the 3 years before each survey, while TFRs indicate the average number of children a woman would have by the end of her reproductive years, calculated as the sum of ASFRs over five-year intervals. We developed model-based geostatistics by incorporating demographic and healthcare access data with spatial random fields to produce high-resolution fertility rate maps. These results were then aggregated to produce fertility rate estimates at local, sub-national, and national levels in Ethiopia. The national TFR gradually declined from 4.8 live births in 2000 to 4.2 live births in 2019, but it is still above the replacement level of 2.1 children per woman. There were sub-national and local variations in TFR, ranging from 5.7 live births in Somalia and 5.3 Oromia regions to 2.7 live births in Addis Ababa and 3.6 live births Dire Dawa cities. Geographical areas with high TFR were mostly associated with a high proportion of Muslim women and low access to health facilities. Despite a decline in fertility rates among women of reproductive age over the past two decades, marked spatial variation persists at sub-national and local levels in Ethiopia, with demographic factors determining the spatial distribution and rate of decline, highlighting the need for tailored programs and strategies in high-fertility areas to increase access to family planning.

Spatial and interindustry interactions in labour productivity convergence: An Industrial Journey via Galician Shires, 2010–2018

Regions and industries are not isolated islands; so, when evaluating productivity growth, regional and sectoral growth paths should not be expected to generate independently. Moreover, accounting for spatial interactions via econometric models has become normal practice; but modelling interindustry dependencies has not. Thus, we expand labour productivity econometric convergence models by introducing interindustry spillovers in addition to spillovers that are spatial in nature. To illustrate our findings, we present an empirical application predicated upon Galicia (extreme northwest Spain), a region posing major challenges to such modelling. Our results point to the relevance of interindustry spillovers in explaining productivity growth. Furthermore, the approach allows us to better interpret covariates that explain the different growth paths across regions and industries, thus enabling more reliable policy recommendations. We find that interindustry dependencies transmit productivity shocks across regions. In addition, our results suggest that spatial and interindustry dependencies should be considered when formulating (sub)regional economic development policies. Finally, our approach corrects possible misspecification problems that arise from data scarcity. This makes it a viable alternative for multiregional econometric tests in which some sectoral detail is needed. It is particularly useful for sets of regions where data needed to populate such models is scarce.

The impact of economic agglomeration on China's urban public health.

This study aims to explore the impact of economic agglomeration on the urban prosperity through economies of scale and agglomeration, it may also affect the public health of the agglomeration area. This paper takes 280 cities in China as the research object, and explores the impact of economic agglomeration on public health through a two-way fixed effects model, instrumental variable method, and generalized moment estimation. The results indicate that: (1) the improvement of China's economic agglomeration can significantly promote urban public health, and economic agglomeration is a prerequisite for the improvement of urban public health, but there is no reverse causal relationship. (2) The enhancement of economic agglomeration in Northeast China has the greatest promotion effect on public health, followed by the eastern, western, and central regions; The economic agglomeration enhancement of the pilot medical group in closely connected cities has a greater promoting effect on public health than the pilot medical group in non-closely connected cities. (3) Empirical results based on micro sample data show that the improvement of economic agglomeration will also promote the increase of the number of public hospitals in cities. This study emphasizes the important role of economic accumulation in the improvement of urban public health and provides empirical support for future economic development policies and practices.

Social Inequalities in Colombia: An Analysis from a Cultural and Social Perspective

The objective of this article was to analyze inequalities in Colombia using a strategic prospective approach to identify the social, economic and cultural dynamics that prolong such asymmetries and propose actions to reduce these gaps. The methodology employed is based on the use of advanced prospective analysis tools, such as influence matrices and variable mobility diagrams, in addition to the identification of key actors involved in the formulation and execution of public policies. The results point to the complexity of the interactions between critical variables such as access to technologies, gender equity and youth participation in employment; likewise, the study showed that certain actors, such as the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Equality and Equity, have a significant influence on the achievement of objectives that seek to mitigate social inequalities in Colombia. The study concludes the need to work on public policies for social and economic development, but with an approach based on education and changes in cultural patterns in society that allow the gradual reduction of inequalities. The discussion points out that through strategic collaboration among diverse actors and a comprehensive approach, progress can be made towards a sustained reduction of inequalities, promoting a more equitable and inclusive development in Colombian society.

Digital platform governance structures: A case study of Yandex Taxi

The study of governance structures in digital platform ecosystems remains relevant not only for economic research, but also for qualifying the legal status of platform workers, as well as for the development of economic policies that affect the labor market, rights and obligations of platforms and their workers. The paper presents the results of an empirical study of the conditions and mechanisms used by the Russian digital platform Yandex Taxi to incentivize and control platform workers (drivers) in 2022—2024. Mechanisms of transaction governance between platform participants are described, the dual role of algorithms is demonstrated: as systems of matching and coordination of participants, as well as incentives for legally independent drivers. The paper shows that digital platforms use hierarchical governance structure, controlling the parameters of transactions, quality standards and conditions of service provision. It is concluded that the platform system of rules and mechanisms is internally logical, which allows the platform to be regarded as a regulator of economic relations.

Problems and Solutions in the Bond Market of UK

The global economy after the COVID-19 pandemic, continues to face challenges by widespread inflation. In response, central banks globally, including the Bank of England, have started cycles of interest rate raise to control inflationary pressures, directly affecting the bond market by increasing bond interest rates. Under the latest market situation, it is necessary to analysis the potential problems in bond market, to further understand its impacts on economic development and monetary policies. The UK bond market is sensitive to monetary policy, particularly during periods of economic distress. For example, when the Bank of England introduced a sudden reversal in policy from quantitative tightening to urgent bond repurchasing program in September 2022, the bond market has volatile response to changes in fiscal and monetary strategies. There is market segmentation in the UK bond market significantly impacts liquidity, particularly during periods of market stress or financial crises. This segmentation effect caused by investor preferences and maturity structures, results in liquidity differences that increasing funding costs. UK government have large burden of bond interest payments, which are mainly driven by high inflation rates and the bond structure with large proportion of inflation-indexed bonds. To mitigate these problems, it is recommended that the UK government implement transparency policy changes, with clearly identify these problems, adopting the recommend approaches to deal with problems from various aspects.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND MANUFACTURING FIRMS PERFORMANCE IN EDO STATE, NIGERIA

This study examines sustainable development in manufacturing firms’ performance in Edo State, Nigeria. The purpose was to establish the association among social, economic and environmental developments on manufacturing firms in Edo State. The methodology utilized was the survey research proportions. The population comprised of top level employees of ten selected manufacturing firms registered with the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) in Edo state, with international affiliation. A total of one hundred (100) employees of the ten selected manufacturing firms in the state, constituted the sample size. The purposive sampling technique was made use to choose ten (10) employees each from the designated manufacturing firms. Data analysis engaged was the descriptive and inferential statistics. The outcomes discovered that manufacturing firm’s social and economic developments were significant predictors of sustainable development among the manufacturing firms, in the State, while environmental development was insignificant. The study recommended that manufacturing firms should exemplify social development program as core values, it is also recommended, that they formulate and implement economic development policies that will foster the growth of their firms, the study concluded that firms should take proactive measures to minimize their environmental approach by adopting eco-friendly initiatives.

Tax potential of municipalities as the basis of regional budgets

In the Russian Federation (hereinafter referred to as RF, Russia), which is a federal state with a three-level budget system, it is assumed that there is tax potential at all levels: federal, regional, and local. With the help of taxes, the financial basis of local governments is formed and the socio-economic development of municipalities is ensured. In developed countries, municipal budgets are formed mainly from the taxes assigned to them. In Russia, they continue to remain the most problematic link in the country’s budget system. The purpose of the article is to study the influence of the taxes assigned to local budgets on the formation of the tax potential of the municipalities. Objectives are the following: analysis and assessment of revenues of the Russian local budgets in dynamics, justification of directions for increasing the tax potential. The methodological basis of the research is founded on a systematic approach, within which the following methods have been used: analysis and synthesis, generalisation, grouping, tabular method, etc. The research has found that over the past years, with the introduction of the Tax Code of the RF, problems of insufficient tax and non-tax revenues remain for most municipalities, low level of the tax potential and predominance of interbudgetary transfers in their budgets are current. Due to the increasing centralisation of the tax revenues, the degree of dependence of the municipalities on the federal centre is high. Without actually enhancing the tax potential of the municipalities, the development of the regional economy is impossible. The re -search results can be used in practice when developing economic policy for municipal development.

Determination of Priority Sectors in Economic Development in Maluku Province

This research aims to determine priority sectors in formulating economic development policies in Maluku Province. The methods used in this research are Location Quotient (LQ), Shift Share (SS), and Klassen Typology. The research results show that based on the three methods above, the priority sectors in economic development in Maluku Province are sectors that have superiority, and competitiveness and are among advanced and rapidly developing sectors (prime sectors). These sectors are the Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries sectors, the Wholesale and Retail Trade sector, Car and Motorcycle Repairs, the Government Administration, Defense and Mandatory Social Security sectors, and the Education Services sector. This sector is a sector that absorbs a lot of workers. Apart from that, the primary sector is a sector that plays an important role in economic development in Maluku Province. The contribution of the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries sectors indirectly shows that the economic structure of Maluku province is still supported by the traditional economy. Then, geographically, the vast area of Maluku Province, the majority of which is water areas; however, this sub-sector has yet to become the main support for the economy of Maluku Province. For this reason, the Maluku provincial government should prioritize the superior sectors and commodities it owns while still paying attention to other industries and commodities according to their potential and development opportunities in order to encourage the growth of Maluku Province's GRDP for future regional development. The implications of this research can be recommendations for economic planning and development in Maluku Province. The implications of this study can be recommendations for economic planning and development in Maluku Province

Nexus between country governance, globalization, sustainable development policy, fair trade and economic sustainability: a mediation-moderation approach

Sustainable development of the economy is the goal of every country in the world. The eco¬nomic growth of China is accepted worldwide, but the Chinese economy also suffers from an economic crisis. The role of the Chinese government is important for chinses businesses and the economic sus¬tainability of the country. The theoretical framework of this study is designed to determine the impact of globalization and sustainable development policy on fair trade and economic sustainability in China. A questionnaire based on Likert scale were employed with a random sampling technique to collect the cross-sectional data for this research and 1094 responses were collected at the rate of 55%. AMOS sta-tistics tool was employed for the findings of this study based on a research questionnaire. The research concludes that globalization and sustainable development policy have a significant impact on fair trade and economic sustainability in China. This study introduced a new framework related to economic sus¬tainability in the body of knowledge. The theoretical and practical implications of this study have signif¬icance for literature and practitioners in China to achieve sustainability in the economy. The research is novel as it highlighted the importance of globalization and sustainable development policy for fair trade and economic development in China. Accordingly, it would be helpful for the policy makers to have reli¬able decisions for sustainable development and promotion of fair trade.

Current labor market in the EU and Ukraine: trends, problems, forecasting and solutions

The labor market is one of the economy changing components, it is quite similar to the market for goods and services, but instead of the demand and supply of goods, there is a demand and supply of labor, knowledge, skills and abilities that are supplied by the employee. The EU, in turn, is known for its openness to immigrants and the employment of third-country nationals. This creates new opportunities and challenges for workers and employers. Labor market research helps to understand the impact of immigration on labor markets. Covid-19 has actually become that springboard on the way to changes in the economies and labor markets of countries around the world. Transformations and changes that were just emerging until 2020 (this may safely include digitalization, automation, the spread of remote employment, etc.) will further intensify under the influence of the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russian-Ukrainian war and lead to a significant redistribution of workers between sectors. In general, labor market research in the EU and Ukraine helps countries to understand and respond to various challenges and opportunities related to employment, labor migration, economic development and social policy. The purpose of our work is to identify trends and problems that exist at the present stage of development of the labor market, as well as to forecast the further development of the labor market at the level of the European Union and Ukraine

Revitalization of Fisheries Production Factors Supporting the Income of Traditional Fishermen in Tanjung Medang Village, Bengkalis

Coastal fisheries in Tanjung Medang Village, North Rupat District, Bengkalis Regency play an important role in shaping the economic characteristics and culture of its community. Physically, the North Rupat District is predominantly divided into residential areas along the inter-village roads and coastal areas that serve as the primary source of livelihood for most of its population. Now, North Rupat District has become a destination for both residents and visitors, impacting the existence of increasingly complex local economic resources and wisdom along the coastal areas of North Rupat District. Revitalization of coastal fisheries production factors is needed to improve economic life. Therefore, what model of economic development policy is needed to access traditional local economic resources to reduce local poverty? What kind of revitalization is required for traditional fishermen to utilize maritime economic resources fairly for the local population? The economic development policy for alternative marine economic resources involves integrating and collaborating the rights and obligations of state actors, private actors, and the public in maritime politics and economics. The revitalization of coastal fisheries production factors includes organizing the ecological integration of areas as traditional fishing grounds, tourism economic areas, and the originality of traditional culture across various disciplines, as well as fostering cultural integration among stakeholders and intergenerational concern among the Tanjung Medang community.

Does The Consumption of Energy, Renewable Energy, Natural Resources and Emissions Affect Gross Domestic Product?: The Study of Southeast Asia

We face the challenges of economic growth productivity which still uses dirty energy and minimal efforts to cleaner energy transition. The debate on efforts to increase productivity by diverting dirty energy into clean energy while still preserving nature has long been discused. Southeast Asia is a region that has massive development potential with valuable natural resources facing regional threats in addition to decreasing environmental quality but also prosperity. This study aims to identify initial steps are needed to control energy consumption, which is still considered dirty, the extent of the scope of Southeast Asia's current clean energy transition and how emissions can be a determinant of the decline in regional economic produtivity. This is the first study to combine the Cobb-Douglass production function model with three models that focus on (1) energy consumption, (2) renewable energy and natural resources, and (3) emissions. The data used is secondary data for the period 2004-2018 sourced from the World Bank Development Indicator and ourworlddata.org. Panel data regression was used as an analytical technique. This study was conducted in the Southeast Asia region (with selected countries with developing economies and insutries, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam). The results of this study show that in the energy consumption model, only labor has a significant effect on GDP, in model B there is renewable energy consumption and the labor force which significantly affects GDP and in model C there are CO2 emissions and GHC emissions that affect GDP in the Southeast Asia region. This research will provide input to policy makers and growth analysts to form policies for sustainable economic development in Southeast Asia.

Pakistan’s path to universal health coverage: national and regional insights

BackgroundUniversal Health Coverage (UHC) is a common health policy objective outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals. With provincial governments taking the initiative, Pakistan has implemented and extended UHC program amid a complex public health landscape. In this context, we assess Pakistan’s progress toward achieving UHC at the national and subnational level.MethodsWe use data from the Demographic and Health Surveys and the Household Integrated Economic Survey to construct a UHC index at the national and subnational level for 2007, 2013, and 2018. Furthermore, we use Concentration Index (CI) and CI decomposition methodologies to assess the primary drivers of inequality in accessing medical services. Logistic regression and Sartori’s two-step model are applied to examine the key determinants of catastrophic health expenditure (CHE).ResultsOur analysis underscores Pakistan’s steady progress toward UHC, while revealing significant provincial disparities in UHC progress. Provinces with lower poverty rate achieve higher UHC index, which highlights the synergy of poverty alleviation and UHC expansion. Among the examined indicators, child immunization remains a key weakness that one third of the children are not fully vaccinated and one sixth of these not-fully-vaccinated children have never received any vaccination. Socioeconomic status emerges as a main contributor to disparities in accessing medical services, albeit with a declining trend over time. Household socioeconomic status is negatively correlated with CHE incidence, indicating that wealthier households are less susceptible to CHE. For individuals experiencing CHE, medicine expenditure takes the highest share of their health spending, registering a staggering 70% in 2018.ConclusionPakistan’s progress toward UHC aligns closely with its economic development trajectory and policy efforts in expanding UHC program. However, economic underdevelopment and provincial disparities persist as significant hurdles on Pakistan’s journey toward UHC. We suggest continued efforts in UHC program expansion with a focus on policy consistency and fiscal support, combined with targeted interventions to alleviate poverty in the underdeveloped provinces.