Government Policy Research Articles

Investment Opportunities in Uganda's Real Estate Market

Uganda's real estate market presents lucrative opportunities for investors driven by rapid urbanization, economic growth, and favorable government policies. Key urban centers like Kampala, Entebbe, and Mbarara are experiencing significant development, and increasing demand for residential, commercial, and industrial properties. This growth is bolstered by a steady rise in GDP, enhanced infrastructure, and increased foreign direct investment. However, investors must navigate challenges such as regulatory complexities, land ownership issues, economic volatility, and infrastructure deficiencies. Successful investment strategies include thorough market research, due diligence, strategic location choices, local partnerships, and sustainable practices. With careful planning, investors can capitalize on Uganda's dynamic real estate market and contribute to its ongoing development. Keywords: Urbanization, Economic Growth, Investment Opportunities, Real Estate Market, Infrastructure Development

Analysis of low-carbon technology transfer strategies based on a quadrilateral evolutionary game

Promoting low-carbon technology transfer is crucial for reducing global greenhouse gas emissions, combating climate change, and fostering sustainable development. Based on the “efficient market” and “active government” concepts, a “government-intermediary-receiver-sender” game model was constructed, identifying evolutionary stable strategies and key factors affecting strategy selection. It was found that (1) receiver and sender needs and government policy incentives increase intermediaries' willingness to participate, reducing input costs and shifting government support from incentives to compensatory regulations; (2) optimal strategies emerge when incentives for low-carbon technology senders, receivers, and intermediaries, and penalties for serious defaults by senders and receivers exceed a threshold, fostering high participation willingness and leading to government implementation of compensatory regulations; (3) differentiated penalties are necessary to avoid a sender-receiver prisoner's dilemma but only ensure one side's willingness to participate, while government incentive-based regulation can overcome negative constraints and promote active participation from both sender and receiver. Compensatory regulations encourage sustained technology transfer costs and reduce incentive costs, with optimization focusing on lowering government publicity costs and increasing economic benefits for intermediaries.

‘Because it’s who I am’: self-determination of LGBTQ adults with intellectual disability

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer and Asexual (LGBTIQA+) people with intellectual disability face unique challenges in asserting their identities. We aim to understand how Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) individuals with intellectual disability exercise self-determination within disability services. Eight LGBTQ adults with intellectual disability who used disability services participated in qualitative interviews. Fifteen key informants, representing government policy makers, disability service organisations, gender and sexuality educators, and senior leaders of LGBTQ organisations were also interviewed. We found that LGBTQ people with intellectual disability navigate barriers to self-determination: making autonomous decisions about their sexualities or gender identities; coming out and being recognised as LGBTQ; and gaining a sense of belonging in both disability and LGBTQ spaces. We suggest organisational-level actions including: (1) building organisational awareness; (2) including sexuality and gender identities in person centred support planning; and (3) increasing access to positive visual representations and experiences of pride.

Urgency of District Head’s Policy in the Implementation of the Use of Trotoar and Edge of the “Jalan Bj Habibie” In Bone Bolango District of Gorontalo

This article analyzes the right policies to avoid the occurrence of criminalization, traffic congestion, environmental cleanliness that is not maintained and irresponsible behaviour along the sidewalks and curbs of Prof. B.J Habibie, Bone Bolango district. The policy of the regional head in making the function of the roadside and sidewalk useful for the community is a necessity or a necessity to protect the public from the disturbance of security, comfort, and order. No matter how good the existence of roads and sidewalks without being supported by government policies in their utilization, it will not guarantee the comfort of the user community, because, without a policy that guarantees safety and comfort for users and the community, the facilities built will bring disaster to the community and facility users. Keywords: policy, district head, public facility, road facility, Bone Bolango

Time lag analysis of real estate supply policies for housing construction projects

ABSTRACT Real estate is not only a vital component of the economy, but it also has a considerable influence on household finance and various social and cultural phenomena. South Korea is experiencing an accelerating trend of economic polarization, which is being driven by low interest rates and growth paradigm. It’s important to recognize that asset disparity, rather than income differences, is the primary cause of this polarization. Therefore, it is crucial for government entities to intervene through real estate policies to address this issue. However, government policies have at times failed to meet expectations, showing limitations in stability and reliability. They have failed to provide precise responses to demand and supply, ranging from implementing excessive regulation policies to considering occupancy rates as current supply rather than as results of previous policies. To address these issues, we applied cross-correlation analysis to derive time lags between procedures in housing construction projects at the national level in South Korea. This approach can provide essential insights to enhance the effectiveness of supply policies by identifying the temporal discrepancies that occur until actual supply is realized.

ARE FUND MANAGERS SKILLED OR IS IT SIMPLY LUCK? A CASE OF ENERGY MUTUAL FUNDS

Fund managers often tout that the performance of the funds they manage is due to their wisdom and management skills. The success in convincing the investors to this notion enables them to claim a higher salary and perks for themselves and charge a hefty or premium fee from the investors for the company they work for. However, changes in government policies, as well as in domestic and international market conditions, often influence the performance of the funds they manage. Suppose investors are not aware of this phenomenon. In that case, they may end up unnecessarily paying a hefty fee to the fund managers and investing in the wrong stock or mutual fund thereby suffering a loss in terms of the return on investment and capital loss. So, the investors must know whether the performance of any funds is due to the wisdom or skills of the fund managers or simply due to some exogenous factors beyond their control, which, in this study, we call luck. In this study, we apply the so-called Fama and French's bootstrap simulation method to determine whether the observed value of alpha – a measure of the fund’s performance – is due to fund managers’ skill or simply luck using data on monthly returns of the fifteen Equity Energy mutual funds from January 2024 through June 2019. This method involves computing a distribution of t(alpha) estimates of actual fund returns and comparing it to the performance of a cloned population of lucky funds with their true alphas set to zero. If actual funds produce higher values of t (alpha)s than the cloned population of lucky funds, then fund managers do have the skill. This distinction between skill and luck is crucial, as funds can do well or poorly by luck. Our study shows that funds can produce extreme alpha values just by luck, even if the fund's true alpha is zero. This implies that long-term investors are better off holding market portfolio ETFs and earning market return rather than paying more in fees and overall costs in attempts to beat the market. JEL classification: G1

Moving Towards Sustainable Purchase Behaviour: Determinants of Consumers’ Acceptance of Electric Vehicles in Malaysia

Electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming more common in the transportation industry in recent times. However, the market share of EVs is still unrivalled by that of conventional internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs), particularly in developing countries such as Malaysia. This study seeks to investigate the factors of consumer acceptance of EVs in Malaysia. This study specifically investigates six selected factors that may have a significant role in determining EV acceptance. The research was conducted using a quantitative approach, with data collected via an online questionnaire survey among consumers using snowball sampling. Based on 243 valid responses, the findings revealed that environmental concern, energy efficiency of EVs, cost consideration of EV purchases, government policy towards EVs, availability of charging infrastructure, and social influence are positively and significantly associated with consumer acceptance. This study highlights the importance of improving the user experience, resolving practical issues, and emphasising the benefits of EVs to expedite the transition to sustainable and eco-friendly EVs in the context of developing countries.

Exploring the Influence of Thai Government Policy Perceptions on Electric Vehicle Adoption: A Measurement Model and Empirical Analysis

This study explores the influence of Thai government policy perceptions on the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs). Transitioning to EVs is vital for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and combating climate change, aligning with global sustainability goals. This study addresses gaps in understanding how multidimensional perceptions of government policies influence EV adoption intentions in emerging markets, particularly in Thailand. A questionnaire was distributed to 3770 respondents across Thailand between January and March 2024. The survey assessed multiple dimensions of government policy, including commitment and efficiency, welfare, communication, policy effectiveness, and tax benefits. Using statistical techniques such as Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), second-order confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and structural equation modeling (SEM), this study validated the constructs of government support perception and examined their influence on EV adoption intentions. The findings highlight that tangible government policies, particularly those improving EV infrastructure and providing clear regulatory support, alongside effective communication about these policies, significantly influence public willingness to adopt EVs. The results also emphasize the critical role of perceived government commitment and fiscal incentives in shaping consumer decisions. Based on these insights, this study recommends prioritizing the expansion of EV infrastructure, enhancing the visibility of government commitment, and improving direct financial incentives to accelerate EV adoption. These findings contribute to the growing body of knowledge on EV adoption in emerging markets and offer practical implications for policymakers seeking to promote sustainable transportation solutions.

Public opinion and expert critique: reconsidering the role of constitutional scholars in Japan’s security policy

Abstract Do experts’ opinions influence public opinion? Although experts with academic backgrounds are gaining a presence in policy debates, empirical studies deliver inconclusive results on whether experts have a cueing effect. Moreover, while most studies focus on cases where experts propose or recommend policies, the influence of their criticism on government policy has not received much research attention. To fill this gap, through an online survey in Japan, we test the effect of constitutional scholars’ criticism on people’s support for a dispatch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF). Since constitutional academics, regarded as influential experts, have historically criticized the constitutional legitimacy of Japan’s security policy, they provide a suitable case to examine. The results show that such criticism has no causal effect on public attitudes even among the most liberal respondents or those with high confidence in constitutional scholars. Contrary opinions from retired general officers decreased support for the dispatch among individuals who were conservative or had high confidence in the JSDF. These findings imply that though people consciously sift through information from different sources, they mostly reject the opinions of academic experts.

Coronanomics: Implications of COVID-19 Pandemic in The Economy in Indonesia

Coronanomics is the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the economy. The purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the macro economy which includes several macro indicators, namely data on economic growth, inflation rates, interest rates, consumption, and investment in Indonesia as well as government policy responses in overcoming the Covid-19 pandemic. This study uses a literature study by taking data from several literatures that support the research process. This study uses quantitative data that is described qualitatively to analyze the impact on the macro economy. Data collection techniques used by listening and analyzing data by means of data reduction, data display, and an overview about the literature to be developed in this study. The results showed that the Indonesian economy in the third quarter of 2021 increased by 3.51% (yoy), although it slowed down compared to the previous quarter's achievements, household consumption grew by 1.03% (yoy). Investment growth slowed by 3.74% (yoy), supported by construction investment. The government's consumption performance was 0.66% (yoy), in line with the reallocation of spending to accelerate the national economic recovery program, including the handling of the Covid-19 delta. The inflation rate in October 2021 was 0.93%, a decrease compared to inflation in 2020 of 1.66%. The government's policy responses that have been carried out in order to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic are divided into two, namely through the Covid-19 Handling Policy and the National Economic Recovery Policy (PC-PEN).

How Federal Government Policy Helped Create Retirement Insecurity

Financial security in retirement is crucial. Without it, people fall into poverty, work until they die, and die younger than they should. In the 21st century, Americans fund their retirement from Social Security, traditional pension plans, defined contributions plans and private retirement savings plans. Of these four, only Social Security is exclusively the creature of government. Nevertheless, federal law regulates the other three to such an extent that it is fair to say that all four reflect government retirement policy. Since 1974, the federal government has spent billions of dollars supporting the private retirement system. In turn, the private retire-ment system has often failed its participants, sometimes leaving them impoverished. In contrast, Social Security has consistent success in reducing poverty and providing a financially strong old age. The last 50 years demonstrate that the private sector is an unre-liable provider of retirement benefits. Private employers deny their workers retirement benefits, siphon off pension monies for corporate use and declare bankruptcy as a means of leaving their losses to the fed-eral government to make right. In turn, the federal government must spend even more money regulating the private sector and protecting pri-vate workers and their retirement monies. Whatever the theories, we have decades of proof that if the federal government wants to ensure financial security for the elderly, then it should stop providing tax ben-efits and direct payments to private sector retirement plans and instead focus on expanding and strengthening Social Security.

Opportunities to Narrow Potato Yield Gaps and Increase Resource Use Efficiency in West Java, Indonesia

AbstractConsumer demand for potato in Indonesia increases while production stagnates. Government policy recognised this discrepancy and prioritised efforts to increase potato yields through farmer support programs with moderate effects to date. This study aimed to decompose potato yield gaps and identify agronomic yield constraints in West Java. Actual yield and management practices of 178 farm registrations over five consecutive growing seasons were analysed with stochastic frontier analysis. The potential yield (Yp) for each registration was simulated with the LINTUL-POTATO-DSS crop model. The overall yield gap was decomposed into its efficiency, resource and technology components. The potato yield gap was 21.5 t ha−1, corresponding to 54% of Yp. The efficiency and technology yield gaps were both ca. 10 t ha−1, corresponding to 26% of Yp, and the resource yield gap was negligible. All fields received sufficient inputs for potential production, but most inputs were used inefficiently. An early first fungicide spray after emergence and frequently spraying to control late blight increased yields significantly. The seed generation planted was critical to potato yield gaps as yield decreased significantly with older generations. Some high-yielding fields, however, were also planted with older seed generations, so other production factors contributed to the yield gap as well. Improving potato yield and reducing current yield gaps in West Java will require well-performed late blight control, the use of high-quality seed and improved management practices, which include reduced input rates.

Model Analysis of Millennials' Purchase Intention Electric Cars in JABODETABEK

This study explores a model of customer purchase intention in millennial segment electric car buyers in Jabodetabek using a modified Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and analyzed by Structural Equation Modeling using Smart-PLS 3.2.9. Although sales of electric cars in Indonesia are increasing, consumer purchase interest, especially the millennial generation, is still low compared to other Asian countries. This study examines the influence of factors in the modified TPB, including Attitude, Subjective Norms, Perceived Behavioral Control, Government Policy and Environmental Concern on the purchase intention of electric cars. Data was collected through a survey of millennials in Jabodetabek. The results of SEM analysis show that Attitude and Environmental Concern have a positive and significant influence on the purchase intention of electric cars. Meanwhile, Subjective Norms, Perceived Behavioral Control and Government Policy have a positive but insignificant impact on the purchase intention of electric cars for millennials in Jabodetabek. The findings of this study provide insights for manufacturers, policymakers and marketers on how to increase the adoption of electric cars among millennials. Appropriate strategies can be designed to drive electric car market growth and overcome existing barriers.

Evaluation of alternative farm safety net program combination strategies

PurposeSeveral farm safety net strategies are available to farmers as a source of financial protection against losses due to price instability, government policies, weather fluctuations and global market changes. Producers can employ these strategies combining crop insurance policies with countercyclical policies for several crops and production areas; however, less is known about the efficiency of these strategies in enhancing profit and reducing its variability. In this study, we examine the efficiency of these strategies at minimizing inter crop year farm profit variability.Design/methodology/approachWe utilized relative mean of profit and coefficient of variation, to compare counterfactually calculated farm safety net strategies for a sample of 28,615 observations across 2,486 farms and four dryland crops (corn, soybean, sorghum and wheat) in Kansas spanning nine crop years (2014–2022). A no farm safety net strategy is used as the benchmark for every alternative strategy to ascertain whether a policy customization is statistically different from a no farm safety case.FindingsThe general pattern of the results suggests that program combination strategies that have a high-profit enhancement potential necessarily have low profit risk for dryland wheat and sorghum production. On the contrary, such a connection is absent for dryland corn and soybeans production. Low-cost farm safety net strategies that enhance corn and soybeans profits do not necessarily lower profit risks.Originality/valueThis paper is one of the first to use a large sample of actual farm-level observations to evaluate how combinations of safety net programs offered under the Title I (PLC, ARCCO and ARCIC) and XI (FCIP) of the U.S. Farm Bill rank in terms of profit level enhancement and profit risk reduction.

Policymaking and the role of government in promoting public health during Covid-19 in Indonesia?

The global COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted inadequate physical activity, which has an impact on public health. Government policies are critical in supporting public health and encouraging physical activity during COVID-19. In addition, collaboration between public and health authorities, influencers, and governments is essential in implementing public education campaigns to promote physical activity and healthy behaviors. In Indonesia, strategies to encourage physical activity among children can include home-based physical activity programs, online physical education classes, and outdoor activities that adhere to social distancing guidelines.

Assessment of Salt, Potassium, and Iodine Intake in the Croatian Adult Population Using 24 h Urinary Collection: The EH-UH 2 Study.

In this study, we analysed data on 1067 adult participants (mean age 57.12 (SD 13.9), men 35%). Mean salt and potassium intakes were 8.6 g/day (IQR 6.2-11.2) and 2.8 g/day (IQR 2.1-3.5), respectively, with a sodium-to-potassium ratio of 2.6 (IQR 1.8-3.3). We detected a decrease of 17.6% (2 g/day less) in salt consumption compared with our previous salt-mapping study. However, only 13.7% and 8.9% met the WHO salt and potassium recommended targets of 5 g/day and 3.5 g/day, respectively. Salt intake was higher, and potassium ingestion was lower, in rural vs. urban regions and in continental vs. Mediterranean parts of Croatia. Moderate to severe iodine insufficiency was determined in only 3% of the adult participants. In the last fifteen years, salt consumption has been significantly reduced in the Croatian adult population because of the intensive and broad CRASH program. However, salt intake is still too high, and potassium ingestion is too low. Salt reduction programs are the most cost-effective methods of cardiovascular disease prevention and merit greater consideration by the government and health policy makers.

First Peoples economic landscape: analysis of the ecosystem

PurposeThis paper focuses on First Peoples Founders of for-profit entities in Australia and the role of the Indigenous Economic Development Agencies (IEDAs). We explore the challenges facing First Peoples enterprises, influenced by historical exclusion from white settler society, and the practices of the IEDAs from the perspectives of Founders and agencies.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative study utilising Indigenous Standpoint Theory and Indigenous research methods, elevating Founder perspectives, in the Yaruwu language - the Nilangany Ngarrungunil, owners of knowledge, to that of research collaborators.FindingsThe First Peoples economic landscape is continually evolving with IEDAs contributing to that evolution despite contentious identity ownership definitions. Founders secure in their own identity, are focused on self-determination and opportunities provided by IEDAs, government and corporate sector policies. However, opportunities are undermined by ongoing racism, discrimination and prevailing stereotypes leading to homogeneity, invisibility and exclusion. Founders question organisational commitments to overcoming systemic exclusion in particular their commitment to building respectful relationships and understanding First Peoples ways of working. Instead, Founders focus on building a sustainable First Peoples economic ecosystem through relationship-based practices rather than transactional reconciliation which ignores the reality of the lived experience of everyday racism.Originality/valueThis study extends the scholarly discourse on First Peoples for-profit enterprise success written with an Indigenous voice. We demonstrate how this Founder generation are strengthened by culture with identity infused in organisational practices underpinning their aspirations of economic self-determination.

Assessing the Environmental and Economic Impacts on Industry Informatization for Ningxia’s Renewable Energy Development

This paper analyzes the informatization process of Ningxia's renewable energy industry, its impact on the environment and economy, and uses the coupling coordination degree and grey correlation method to construct a system covering government policies, technological progress, new energy development trends, natural environment and other factors, which can comprehensively evaluate the informatization process in Ningxia and the impact on local renewable energy. Firstly, the coupling coordination degree is used to calculate the relationship between industrial information and renewable energy, and then the gray correlation analysis method is used to evaluate the impact index of Ningxia's renewable energy industry informatization, and corresponding suggestions are taken. The results of the model analysis show that the informatization of Ningxia's renewable energy industry can have a positive impact on the environment and economic development, and there is a strong correlation between the informatization process of Ningxia's renewable industry and government support, Ningxia's economic level, and natural environment quality. The process of informatization is closely related to government policies, technological progress, new energy development trends, and environmental factors, and the optimization of the new energy structure can improve the sustainability of Ningxia's economy, so improving the above content can promote the development process of renewable energy in Ningxia.

How economic policies and development impact marine fisheries: Lessons learned from a transitional economy

This article examines the impact of economic growth on Vietnam’s marine fisheries and the effectiveness of government policies in promoting sustainability. Despite impressive economic growth, environmental concerns have become urgent and require serious consideration in Vietnam. The Vietnamese government has implemented policies to reduce over-exploitation in coastal areas and improve the efficiency of offshore fishing, but unsustainable practices and illegal fishing remain significant problems. This study examines the effects of transitioning from a centrally-planned economy to a ‘socialist-oriented’ market economy on the productivity and efficiency of Vietnam’s marine fisheries. The main focus is on productivity changes, with additional consideration given to technical progress, environmental changes, and management practices. The findings shed light on the complex relationships between economic development, environmental sustainability, and marine fisheries in Vietnam. The study highlights the importance of sustainable practices and effective government policies in promoting the sustainability of the country’s marine fisheries. This article provides valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders concerned with the sustainability of marine resources in Vietnam and beyond.

Reimagining entrepreneurship by utilizing venture dynamics in sharing economy: Evaluating the symbiosis of macro and micro factors for sustainable capital flows in developing markets

AbstractVenture capital (VC) plays a vital role in fostering revolution and entrepreneurship in emerging economies. However, attracting VC investments remains a significant challenge for startups in these markets. This study investigates the macro and micro factors influencing VC attraction in the Bangladeshi startup ecosystem, employing a mixed‐methods approach. A systematic literature review was performed to recognize the key factors influencing VC attraction in emerging markets. Qualitative interviews with 20 stakeholders, including startup founders, investors, and policymakers, were undertaken to gain insights into the challenges and opportunities for VC attraction in Bangladesh. Quantitative analysis of secondary data on VC investments and startup characteristics was executed to examine the associations connecting the identified factors and VC investment amount. The findings reveal that government policies, human capital availability, and informal institutions are critical macro factors influencing VC attraction, while founder and team characteristics, business model and scalability, and traction and validation are key micro factors. The study contributes to the literature on VC in developing economies by providing a comprehensive examination of the interplay of institutional, human capital, cultural, and startup‐specific factors shaping VC investment decisions. The findings have important implications for policymakers, investors, and entrepreneurs seeking to foster a more vibrant and sustainable startup ecosystem in Bangladesh and beyond. The research underlines the need for a holistic approach to addressing the challenges and leveraging the opportunities for VC attraction in emerging markets.