Mandatory Certification Research Articles

Detection of SARS-CoV-2 infections in passengers arriving from China and their implications on air travel and public health in Italy

Detection of SARS-CoV-2 infections in passengers arriving from China and their implications on air travel and public health in Italy

PERSONAL FINANCIAL CONSULTING: GLOBAL EXPERIENCE AND PROSPECTS OF DEVELOPMENT IN UKRAINE

Purpose. The purpose of this article is to study the current state of development of the personal financial consulting system in Ukraine, identify its main problems, and determine ways and measures for its improvement and development. Design/methodology/approach. In this study, an analysis of the current state of development of the financial consulting system in Ukraine was carried out. Its main shortcomings were analyzed and based on the study of foreign experience and the possibilities of its implementation in Ukraine, the main recommendations and proposals in this area were developed. Methods of scientific knowledge, analysis and synthesis of information were used to solve these problems Findings. The development of access to Ukrainian citizens to modern financial instruments requires appropriate knowledge and skills. Their absence can only lead to financial losses deterioration. The level of financial knowledge of Ukrainians remains quite low. In view of this, the article summarizes the global experience of raising the level of financial knowledge of the population and justifies the need to develop the profession of personal financial advisor and proposes a set of measures for this. The ways to this are: create and develop educational programs that will train personal financial consultants at Ukrainian universities; inclusion of this profession in the list requiring mandatory certification; creation of a transparent, responsible and professional system of financial consultants. Practical implications. Based on the results of the research, the article highlights the direction of development of the financial consulting system in Ukraine. First, it is necessary to create and develop educational programs that will train financial consultants in Ukrainian universities. Currently, such programs do not exist. In our opinion, this is a good opportunity for universities to create new and interesting educational programs, at least at the master’s level. Secondly, the profession of a financial consultant in many countries of the world is a profession with increased responsibility. If the client loses part or all of his savings due to the bad advice of a consultant, it can become a real human tragedy. Therefore, in our opinion, it makes sense to include this profession in the list that requires mandatory certification. Such certification should be carried out by selected institutions of higher education. The basis for applying for a certificate must be the availability of financial education, the relevant training must be conducted and the certification exam must be passed, based on the results of which the corresponding certificate can be issued. The National Bank of Ukraine should play an active role in the development of the financial consulting system. The financial literacy programs he implements are not able to cover the entire population, and most people do not want or are unable to learn specifically to manage their finances. Instead, the creation of a transparent, responsible, and professional system of financial consultants can certainly improve the situation in this area. Originality/value. In the article, based on the results of the analysis of the current state of development of financial consulting in Ukraine, its main shortcomings are highlighted and a series of measures to regulate the system itself and proposals for its further development are proposed.

СУЧАСНИЙ СТАН ДІЯЛЬНОСТІ СУБ’ЄКТІВ БІЗНЕСУ НА РИНКУ ОРГАНІЧНОЇ ПРОДУКЦІЇ

The article examines the formation of the market for organic products and the main stimulating factors. Such factors include the usefulness of organic products, which arouses the interest of consumers and satisfies their desire to preserve their own health. Organic production ensures the development of the concept of sustainable development and socially responsible business management. The main advantage of organic products is the quality indicator and its mandatory certification. Competitive advantages indicate the properties of the brand and organic products in general, which distinguish them from similar products on the market. The current state of functioning of the market of organic products is analyzed, in particular in terms of achievements in the domestic and foreign markets. Domestic manufacturers represent eight product positions on the global world market, where goods of raw material origin prevail. The countries that remain the world's largest markets for organic products, main logistics hubs and purchasing power consumers are represented. The assortment of organic products is presented, which has the largest specific weight in the consumer basket, which includes both plant and animal products. The dynamics of the volumes of organic imports by product categories in recent years and the main partners of the country in the field of trade in organic products are specified. Problematic issues that remain and affect the further development of the internal organic market are identified. Among the main issues, the low level of consumer awareness and high prices for organic food products are acute. The growth of demand for organic products is influenced by the formation of public awareness of its benefits, ensuring the reliability of the information provided regarding the composition of organic products, which raises the level of trust among potential consumers. According to the results of the analysis of the organic production market in Ukraine, the scenarios of the strategic development of the organic production market are proposed. The proposed strategy will consist in the fact that business entities should take active actions to strengthen their position in the market thanks to the availability of a material and technical base, distribution channels and a wide range of goods, increase the development of rural areas. The development of domestic and international export markets minimizes the costs associated with the transition to organic production.

Environmental problems in the transportation of petroleum products in Kazakhstan

The presented article tells about the placement of countries in terms of reserves and processing volumes. About the state of oil production and oil refining in Kazakhstan and the presence of environmental risks in the transportation of petroleum products. Without the transportation of oil and oil products, economic development is impossible. For Kazakhstan, the possibility of organizing the correct transit of oil and oil products is an urgent task. The profits from transportation should be commensurate with the environmental risks in the event of an accident. To reduce environmental risks, the authors of the article recommend using only modern specialized vehicles, tight control when unloading oil products at small gas stations and huge fines if spills and leaks are allowed. For multimodal transportation, it is recommended to use flexitanks and conduct constant environmental monitoring in the process of transporting oil and oil products. All this can easily be done if there is mandatory certification according to ISO 14000 standards.

Концептуальні засади кадрового забезпечення підрозділів внутрішнього аудиту в центральних органах виконавчої влади

The hostilities and martial law in Ukraine significantly affected the activities of the internal audit units of the central executive authorities. The remote work of the employees of the division and the impossibility of direct interaction with the objects of audits limits the functions of internal audit, but at the same time, its importance in the management of public finances is not lost. New challenges require internal auditors to improve the quality of audits, which directly depends on the quantitative and qualitative composition of internal audit units. The purpose of the article is to develop the conceptual basis for improving the quality of staffing of internal audit units in state authorities. The analysis of staffing and organization of internal audit activities in the main managers of budget funds and their subordinate institutions for 2017-2021 indicates a constant decrease in the number of employees and an increase in the percentage of vacant positions of internal auditors. Such a situation is the result of a number of factors, but the most important of them is the lack of highly qualified, motivated personnel who possess professional competence based on relevant education and practical experience for the proper performance of audit tasks. The article proposes a four-level model of training specialists in the “state internal auditor” profession, which ensures the gradual formation of professional competencies and practical experience, starting from the assimilation of basic theoretical knowledge in higher educational institutions to mandatory certification at the workplace. In order to implement the given proposals, it is important to establish at the legislative level requirements for the educational and professional level of applicants for the position of internal auditor, as well as mandatory requirements for improving their qualifications after enrollment in this position. A study of the currently existing legislative and normative documents on the organization of the activities of the internal audit units of the central authorities shows the absence of any norms that would clearly regulate these issues.

A regulatory model for standardizing financial advisory services in Nigeria

The rapid growth of financial advisory services in Nigeria has increased the need for a robust regulatory framework to ensure consistency, transparency, and consumer protection. Currently, the sector lacks standardized guidelines, leading to variations in service quality, conflicting advisory practices, and risks to investors. This paper proposes a regulatory model aimed at standardizing financial advisory services in Nigeria, addressing critical challenges such as the lack of uniform certification requirements, inconsistent service quality, and inadequate consumer protection mechanisms. The proposed model focuses on five key components: regulatory oversight, certification and training, ethical standards, consumer protection, and technology integration. It advocates for the establishment of a dedicated regulatory body or a specialized unit within existing financial regulatory institutions to oversee financial advisory services. A mandatory certification process will ensure that only qualified individuals provide financial advice, while ethical guidelines will promote professionalism and integrity. The model also emphasizes the need for consumer protection through mechanisms like dispute resolution channels and transparency in fees and services. Additionally, the integration of digital tools and technology, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain, is suggested to enhance compliance monitoring and service delivery. By standardizing the sector, the proposed regulatory model aims to foster investor confidence, ensure the sustainability of the financial advisory industry, and contribute to Nigeria’s broader financial inclusion goals. It also draws insights from international best practices, highlighting how other emerging economies have successfully regulated similar sectors. This paper provides practical recommendations for policymakers and industry stakeholders on the effective implementation of this model, outlining potential challenges and suggesting solutions to ensure widespread adoption.

The bright side of having a strong rival under environmental certification

Third-party certification plays an important role in promoting Environmental Corporate Social Responsibility (ECSR) activities, which usually cannot be directly observed by consumers. This article studies firms’ costly abatement efforts as their ECSR, in a horizontally differentiated duopoly with asymmetric costs. We consider a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) as the external certifier to set an ECSR standard. We show that the equilibrium certification outcome depends on the cost asymmetry between the two firms as well as the relevant market dynamics (e.g., the degree of product substitutability, consumers’ valuation for ECSR efforts). Specifically, when the cost gap between the two firms is sufficiently wide, the NGO would set a high standard to selectively target the more efficient firm. In this setting, we find that surprisingly, the more efficient firm can be better off when the abatement cost of its less efficient rival is reduced, provided that the competition is not too intense. We also examine mandatory certification operated by the government and show that a firm may prefer to have a strong rival staying in the market rather than a weak rival exiting the market. Our analysis provides a rationale for the (free) sharing of environmental technology patents among competing firms in the industry.

The Value of Mandatory Certification: A Real Effects Perspective

ABSTRACTWe study the real effects of certification to demonstrate the value of mandatory certification over and above mandatory disclosure in enhancing investment efficiency. In our model, a firm's manager selects a project to maximize the firm's short‐term stock price, which is a function of her certification and disclosure decisions about the outcome of the project. Although the manager might be either forthcoming or strategic with regard to the disclosure of her private information, she can strategically choose whether to incur a cost or not to certify her disclosure, unless mandated. The manager always selects the first‐best project when both certification and disclosure are mandatory. However, when certification is voluntary, project selection is inefficient. In addition, mandating disclosure without mandating certification can lead to lower investment efficiency than mandating neither. In justifying why mandatory certification is beneficial for public firms, our results offer a note of caution regarding the contemplated regulatory moves for increased disclosures by public firms without corresponding certification requirements, for example, the recent SEC proposal requiring extensive climate‐related disclosure.

Systematic optimisation framework for a sustainable multi-owner palm oil-based complex

In Malaysia, palm oil mill (POM) retrofit towards pollution control is vital to receive mandatory certification. Resource, waste, energy and water integrations could be performed between POM, palm oil refinery (POR) and conventional heat and power plant (CHP) under different owners to form a sustainable integrated palm oil-based complex (POBC). A cooperative game context is applied where multi-owner POM, POR and CHP act as multiple “players” in the POBC “game”. This study presents a systematic optimisation framework to design a sustainable multi-owner POBC. Firstly, five objectives related to economic, environmental and energy potentials are balanced using fuzzy optimisation approach to yield multi-objective optimal POBCs under four facility construction scenarios. Subsequently, profit-cost allocation within the multi-owner POBC is performed via an integrated cooperative game-based approach. The four fuzzy optimal POME-eliminated POBCs achieved economic potentials at 39.71 × 106- 40.84 × 106 USD/y with maximum λ (0.652). The profit-cost allocation results show economic potential improvements at 0.12 × 106- 0.46 × 106 USD/y for the multi-owner POBC facilities. POM is the major GP receiver whereas CHP benefits the most from POBC collaboration. The optimal multi-owner POBCs are economically feasible upon decision-makers' interest and robust against investment cost variations. The increment in Feed-in Tariff and biomass-based steam price reduces the economic stability of multi-owner POBC.

POLICING FORENSIC EVIDENCE

POLICING FORENSIC EVIDENCE

Quantum Communications: Prospects for Legal Regulation

The article examined the problems of legal regulation of one of the directions of quantum technologies — quantum communications. On the basis of the study, the authors made proposals to include the development and legal provision of quantum communications in the information security strategy of the Russian Federation; on the development and legal consolidation of the principles of legal regulation of quantum communications; the creation of the Federal Agency for the Development of Quantum Communications and the Determination of its Legal Status; The establishment in Russian legislation of a general mandatory requirement, in accordance with which for the production of quantum communications for the needs of the State administration should be used exclusively financial equipment and components; the introduction of mandatory certification and standardization of quantum communications technologies; Establishing special rules for public procurement of software and hardware for quantum communications. In addition, the question is raised about the adoption at the supranational level of the relevant international Convention, which establishes the basic principles of interaction between the state, business and science in the development and implementation of quantum technologies.

VALUATION OF ENERGY INDICATORS FOR NEW RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS IN UKRAINE TAKING INTO ACCOUNT SOCIAL ASPECTS

One of the most serious problems of the housing and communal state is the inefficient use of energy resources. The condition of the enclosing structures of buildings does not meet current standards, and internal engineering networks are outdated and in need of modernization. The cost of maintaining the construction fund in Ukraine is several times higher than in European countries. Given Ukraine's energy dependence, increasing the energy efficiency of housing is an extremely important issue. One of the direct reforms in construction is the introduction of new energy efficiency standards in the regulatory framework, as well as the introduction of mandatory energy certification of buildings with the specified energy efficiency class. At the same time, the requirements for the level of housing quality and comfort in buildings are growing. The purpose of the study is to analyze the specific energy consumption of new residential buildings (starting in 2019) and a comparative assessment of energy consumption per capita for different cities in Ukraine and other countries. The study was conducted on the basis of statistical data and data from energy certificates for residential buildings provided in the Unified State System in the field of construction. The class of energy efficiency in the energy certificate is determined by certified energy auditors, taking into account European approaches to the calculation of energy consumption for different needs of buildings. With the entry into force of the Law of Ukraine "On Energy Certification of Buildings", the development of an energy certificate has become mandatory for new buildings, state-owned buildings, local government buildings and in case of attracting public funds for thermal modernization of buildings. The study also examined other social aspects, in particular, the results of assessing the ability of the population of Ukraine to pay for utilities and the level of quality of housing conditions in households.

Awareness and Sustainability among Palm Oil Independent Smallholders: Adoption Decision of MSPO Certification

In 2017, the Malaysian government through Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) has stipulated that all oil palm growers in Malaysia must obtain Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification to ensure the sustainability of the palm oil industry in Malaysia. To help oil palm growers, especially independent smallholders, the government offers various incentives such as financial support and advisory services to them to ensure that they obtain MSPO certification. If this certification is not met, they will not be able to sell palm oil to the mills. Malaysia's Prime Minister declared mandatory MSPO certification implementation, and all oil palm grower were granted a grace period until 31 December 2019. However, according to the most recent data, only 31 percent of independent smallholders were certified as of December 2020. The impact of not having MSPO certification is significant, resulting in poor quality of life and remaining below the poverty line among independent smallholders. Based on the facts stated above, it is crucial to identify the factors that contribute to independent smallholders' low degree of certified ownership. Previous research has mostly focused on the factors that influence MSPO certification ownership among organized smallholders (See Shahida et al.(2018) and Begum et al. (2018)) and there is still a scarcity of research on independent smallholders. Ni et.al. (2016) revealed that awareness of MSPO is weak among independent smallholders where 97.5% of the survey respondent do not know about sustainable palm oil and 86.7% do not know about MSPO certification. This study further notes that the most important factors reported for the implementation of MSPO are the perceived advantages of the certification and policy support for the implementation of MSPO certification. Therefore, this study focuses on the independent smallholders and will look at how awareness, sustainability practices, and socio-demographic characteristics influence certification or non-certification among independent smallholders. Keywords: MSPO certification, Independent smallholders, Sustainability, Palm oil industry

Implementation of european regulations of green building in the construction industry of Ukraine

Construction is an example of anthropogenic activity that not only harms the environment, but often causes the destruction and even destruction of ecosystems. The threat is posed by all stages of construction from design and survey work to maintenance of the finished building and its disposal at the end of the housing cycle. By creating an additional environmental burden, the construction industry has a negative impact on human health. Instead of natural ecosystems, as a result of construction activities, urban areas are created – a zone of continuous development within the city or urban agglomeration. Whether the urban environment will be comfortable for a person or, on the contrary, a person will feel ecological discomfort depends on the work of architects, builders, and the quality of building materials. The ecological state of cities can be attributed to the global environmental problems of mankind. The desire to reduce the impact on the environment encourages the search for ways to improve, innovative methods, the latest technologies, safe for the environment and human health building materials. Current trends in the implementation of green building standards are promising for overcoming the environmental crisis of cities, and make it possible to reduce the impact of the construction industry on the environment. In order to accelerate the pace of implementation of aspects of "green building" it is necessary to implement European environmental standards in the legislation of Ukraine. The introduction of mandatory environmental certification of buildings at the legislative level (starting with new buildings) is one of the most important steps in this direction. The basis is the already popular and time-tested British international certification system BREEAM, the rating system for energy efficient and environmentally friendly buildings LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, USA), or DGNB (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Nachhaltiges Bauen, Germany).

Incentives for Palm Oil Smallholders in Mandatory Certification in Indonesia

The Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) is a mandatory certification for palm oil plantations based on compliance with Indonesia’s regulations. Its implementation has been slow, particularly for independent smallholders that face problems of complicated requirements, limited capacity, and limited funding. Meanwhile, limited incentives are in place, either in the form of premium prices, ease of regulation, or funding. This article aims to elaborate on the role of incentives and their options in supporting the acceleration of ISPO implementation to ensure and improve the market access of smallholders. It identifies ways to develop incentives to facilitate the acceleration of ISPO certification and alternative financing sources available to support this. The method of this research is based on qualitative methodology using a literature review, policy document analysis, and in-depth interviews with informants from the government and smallholders. The analysis of this article shows that incentives are needed in the form of funding, regulatory measures, technical assistance, promotion, and rewards for good practices to provide better facilitation and financial support for the regulatory compliance in the legal, managerial and financial aspects of the ISPO. These incentives target government and smallholders. Implications for enabling these incentives include the improvement of government coordination, improved understanding of challenges faced by smallholders, and adoption of innovative approaches to manage financial resources, which are crucial to facilitate smallholders’ capacity and organizational improvement.

APPLICATION OF FUNCTIONAL-TARGET ANALYSIS TO CHOOSE THE CLASSIFICATION FEATURES OF A SELF-TAPPING SCREW

Classification and systematization of metal products with a wide range of standard sizes and numerous design features, in particular, various types of hardware products, is a necessary condition for the regulation of their indicators in normative and technical documentation and one of the key aspects to use the computer technologies to solve tasks of modern manufacturing. Analysis of the domestic market of hardware products indicates a significant content of fasteners, including self-tapping screws manufactured by European and Asian companies, which are not subject to mandatory certification and are supplied either according to foreign standards (ISO, DIN, DIN EN, etc.), or in branded versions, which enhances the relevance of activity for their systematization and classification. To select classification features, it is proposed to use a functional-target analysis based on the definition of useful functions of the analyzed object. As classification features of self-tapping screws, it is proposed to use their main structural elements: the shape of the head, the type of thread and point, the shape of the slot, etc. The main structural elements of the self-tapping screw, regulated in the actual normative and technical documentation, are presented in the form of general classification schemes. The proposed classification of self-tapping screws can be used as for the development of normative and technical documentation of this type of fasteners and for technological processes of its production, designing new types of screws.

НАПРЯМКИ РЕФОРМУВАННЯ СУЧАСНОЇ СИСТЕМИ ПРОФЕСІЙНОЇ ПІДГОТОВКИ УЧИТЕЛІВ В КИТАЇ

World globalization processes, scientific and technological progress have caused the need to reform educational systems in many countries. Quality education is considered to be one of the main prerequisites for forming an effective specialist in the international labor market. Teachers are the main participants of the educational process, so reforming the system of teachers professional training is a priority. Studying the processes of reforming teachers education in other countries allows to determine effective measures for its updating and to prevent certain mistakes in the process of reforming the domestic educational system. China is demonstrating active socio-economic development and transformations in many spheres. Education, including teachers preparation, is a priority of reforms in the country. The reform of teachers education in China is multi-vector and involves several areas. Structural reform of the system of teacher education removes restrictions on the introduction of teacher training programs and ensures the openness and expansion of the entire system of teacher education in China. The policy of higher education priority and introduction of mandatory hours for professional development contributes to raising the professional level of teachers in the country. The standardization of educational programs of teachers professional training and mandatory certification of applicants for teaching positions are introduced to ensure a relatively equal level of teachers professionalism in China. Areas such as the study and analysis of reform processes in China's modern teacher education system aimed at overcoming existing problems and shortcomings, as well as the study of innovations in teacher training in various fields of training, may be of interest for further research to identify effective measures. improving the quality of pedagogical education and the possibility of their application in the system of professional training of teachers of Ukraine.

What effect does the presence of sustainability and traceability certifications have on consumers of traditional meat products? The case of Iberian cured products in Spain

The objective of this study was to determine the differences in the behaviour and perception of consumers from three regions in Spain with different levels of Iberian ham consumption (high, medium and low) on the attributes related to traceability and differentiated quality certifications. The study was carried out with a sample of 1501 consumers using an online questionnaire in which respondents were asked about their consumption habits regarding cured products and a choice experiment for Iberian ham was performed. The results showed that consumers give greater utility to the attributes of mandatory certification established for Iberian products (quality standards) and to the price, followed by nonmandatory quality certifications (organic, animal welfare, carbon footprint, and PDO). Specifically, animal welfare certification has been the most valued in all areas, especially in the areas with the lowest consumption.

Study of the Influence of the Connection Mode of the STI Brand Aluminum Radiator on its Thermal Characteristics

Aluminum radiators of various brands have become widespread on the market of heating equipment nowadays. It is possible to reduce the cost of manufacturing radiators by reducing the surface of the heat-emitting internal fins, while maintaining their appearance, and the heat transfer claimed by the manufacturer is being maintained high enough. Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No 717 of June 17, 2017 introduced mandatory certification of all types of heating appliances. Deviations of the nominal thermal power of the section indicated in the device passport from the indicators established by the test results should not exceed the maximum permissible values (from –4 to +5 %). As a rule, no previous tests were carried out by the manufacturer. Thus, the study of the influence of the radiator connection mode with a reduced fin surface on its thermal characteristics is an urgent task. The article presents the results of the studies of a factory aluminum radiator with a reduced surface of STI Classic brand fins with a heat output of 1.92 kW under design conditions. The specified heat transfer of the device does not take into account its connection mode. The reduction of the inner and rear fins reduced its surface area by 28.8 %. As a result of the experiments carried out, it was found that the thermal power of the device is 22 % lower than the declared value when connected from top to bottom and 48 % lower when connected from bottom to top under design conditions. During the warmer period of the heating season, with a small temperature difference between the coolant and the indoor air, the average heat output of the radiator coincides with the declared value.

Marketing and Distribution System Foster Misuse of Antibiotics in the Community: Insights from Drugs Wholesalers in India.

Antibiotic misuse is one of the major drivers of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). In India, evidence of antibiotic misuse comes largely from retailers as well as formal and informal healthcare providers (IHCPs). This paper presents the practices and perspectives of drug wholesalers, a critical link between manufacturers and last-mile dispensers. Four experienced wholesalers and an ex-State Drug Controller (ex-SDC) were interviewed in depth, using semi-structured guides in the National Capital Region of Delhi, India, between November 2020 and January 2021. Four main findings were that wholesalers (i) have limited knowledge about wholesale licensing and practice regulations, as well as a limited understanding of AMR; (ii) directly supply and sell antibiotics to IHCPs; (iii) facilitate medical representatives (MRs) of pharmaceutical companies and manufacturers in their strategies to promote antibiotics use in the community; and (iv) blame other stakeholders for unlawful sale and overuse of antibiotics. Some of the potential solutions aimed at wholesalers include having a minimum education qualification for licensing and mandatory Good Distribution Practices certification programs. Decoupling incentives by pharmaceutical companies from sales targets to improve ethical sales practices for MRs and optimize antibiotic use by IHCPs could alleviate wholesalers’ indirect actions in promoting antibiotic misuse.