Policy Authorities Research Articles

Uncertainty and Money Demand Function in Developing Countries

As monetary policy authorities influence many macroeconomic variables by determining monetary aggregates, their relationships with other macroeconomic variables are critical in setting the most appropriate monetary policy rules. Identifying the variables affecting money demand and having a stable money demand function is essential for monetary policy. This paper examines the stability of the money demand function for 12 developing countries over the sample 2006.Q1-2023.Q3. We employ the Autoregressive Distributed Lag Model and the Cross-Sectionally Autoregressive Distributed Lag Model because of the different degrees of integration of the selected variables. According to the results, there is a stable long-run relation in the money demand function for selected developing countries. The uncertainty variable, which is the study’s primary objective, affects money demand negatively in the long run; it does not temporarily affect the demand for money. The findings also indicate that the real GDP (inflation) positively (negatively) impacts demand for real monetary aggregates as expected. The real interest rate measuring the opportunity cost of holding money does not significantly affect money demand. Although the effect of the exchange rate is positive in the short run, it turns negative as time passes and in the long run. This finding supports the ‘wealth effect’ in developing countries.

The Role of the Public Health Workforce in Securing Political Commitment for Tackling Childhood Obesity in Local Government

Local government is well placed to provide leadership for the national ambition in England to halve childhood obesity by 2030 and has delegated authority for many policies thought necessary for effective action. However, with currently constrained local government finances, resources may not be prioritized for the wide range of policies and interventions necessary. Thus, local political commitment is vital for directing local government investment to tackle the issue. This qualitative study investigated how political commitment has been demonstrated in local government, the strategies used to build such political commitment, and the role of the public health workforce. Public health staff from 13 local authorities participated in semi-structured telephone interviews using questions informed by a conceptual framework composed of five previously defined levels of political commitment: rhetorical, institutional, operational, embedded, and system-wide. Thematic analysis showed that public health officers secured a political commitment by framing childhood obesity in line with existing priorities to build support among councillors in a position to advocate for the issue. Public health officers also engaged with multiple stakeholders, gathering data and insights to develop operational and embedded commitment. The study shows that effective health promotion practice requires a skilled and committed public health workforce, acting as policy entrepreneurs to secure system-wide political commitment in local government by proactively navigating local governance and policy processes, to build in opportunities for feedback and accountability.

Macroeconomic Uncertainty and Sectoral Output in Nigeria

The paper examined the impact of macroeconomic uncertainty on the ten largest subsectors of the Nigerian economy using quarterly data from Q1 1981 to Q4 2023. The rationale behind selecting the subsectors is that these sectors constitute about 89 percent of the entire productive activities in the economy. To achieve the objectives, the paper created an index for macroeconomic uncertainty using exchange rate uncertainty, interest rate uncertainty, inflation uncertainty, and real gross domestic product (GDP) uncertainty to create this index. Furthermore, the paper explored the impacts of macroeconomic uncertainty and these individual economic uncertainty indexes on sector output. The study employed the novel dynamic autoregressive distributed lag (novel dynamic ARDL) technique to estimate the results and used the canonical cointegrating regression (CCR) and fully modified ordinary least square (FMOLS) techniques as robustness on the main findings. The findings demonstrated that during periods of recession, macroeconomic uncertainty tends to heighten or reach its peak in Nigeria. Furthermore, the paper showed that the sectors react homogenously to macroeconomic uncertainty. In addition, the impulse response results from the novel dynamic ARDL estimation show that macroeconomic uncertainty can predict robust negative movements in sector output for Nigeria. Indeed, these findings are insightful as they show the importance of macroeconomic uncertainties as key drivers of sector output in Nigeria. The paper argues that the policy authorities should improve their efforts to reduce macroeconomic uncertainty and foster a stable real sector/sectoral output to enhance the macroeconomic environment for Nigeria to aim for higher levels of growth.

Implementation outcomes of disaster risk reduction (DRR) policy in public facilities (PFs): Aceh perspective, Indonesia

PurposeAceh province has established various infrastructure and regulations related to disaster risk and management after the Indian Ocean Tsunami (IOT) hit the province. Hence, this study investigates the implementation of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in Public Facilities (PFs) in Banda Aceh municipality using implementation outcome variables (acceptability, adoption, appropriateness, feasibility, compliance, implementation cost, coverage and sustainability).Design/methodology/approachQualitative methods, including in-depth interviews and document reviews, were applied to collect data for this study. The data were then analysed thematically using NVivo 12 software.FindingsThe lack of public communication regarding DRR in PFs to all involved stakeholders resulted in poor acceptability, adoption, coverage and compliance with the policy implementation among public facilities’ chiefs, owners or managers. Additionally, they were reluctant to implement DRR plans and activities within their facilities due to limited DRR funds.Practical implicationsThis study’s results can contribute to reviewing the policy and practices of Aceh government authorities and other involved stakeholders to improve policy implementation of DRR activities comprehensively across eight groups of public facilities in Banda municipality, other districts in Aceh province, and local areas in Indonesia. Further, the methods used in this study to assess DRR regulations’ progress towards the eight implementation outcome variables can be applied widely to other settings.Originality/valueNo research was found on examining the policy implementation of DRR in PFs in Aceh province, which motivated the author to conduct this work.

PUBLISHED EYEWITNESS MEMORIES AS A SOURCE FOR STUDYING THE LABOUR MOBILIZATION OF THE GALICIAN POPULATION TO GERMANY IN 1941-1944

The purpose of the article is to analyze information about the policy of the Nazi occupation authorities in the territory of the Halychyna district, aimed at recruiting and transporting the able-bodied local population to work in Germany during the Soviet-German war, based on the published memories of eyewitnesses. The article highlights information about the peculiarities of the propaganda policy of the German occupation authorities, the purpose of which was to attract as many workers as possible to meet the economic needs of the Third Reich. Information about the activities of individual organizations (Ukrainian Central Committee, Ukrainian National Association, German Labor Front, etc.) was highlighted. One of the activities of these organizations was to provide comprehensive assistance to Galician workers at factories and in agriculture in Germany. A significant role in the work was assigned to the Ukrainian Central Committee, as it directly dealt with the affairs of Galician workers (certificates of Ukrainian nationality, cultural and material assistance, etc.) and assistance to their families. Information is provided on the methods of recruitment, transportation, and living conditions of Galician workers in Germany. The author also presents information about mass roundups of the local population for the purpose of transporting them to Germany and using them in the industrial and agricultural sectors of the Reich. Data on the participation in sabotage actions of members of the OUN-UPA with the aim of preventing the forced deportation of the Galician population to Germany are provided. In addition, information is provided on ways to avoid deportation to Germany and the consequences that awaited fellow villagers and families of the fugitives. The article draws attention to the data on the number of Galician people deported to Germany and the approximate share of workers in various fields of labor (factories, plants, agriculture, etc.). To summarize, we note that on the basis of published eyewitness accounts, the author analyzes the problem under study, namely the labor mobilization of the Galician population to Germany for the purpose of using it for the economic needs of the Third Reich.

Asymmetric impact of climate change on banking system stability in selected sub-Saharan economies

This study is an empirical examination of the asymmetric impact of climate change on banking system stability in selected sub-Saharan economies. The study leverages a quantitative research approach through a panel non-linear ARDL framework and data from 29 selected economies, which spans 1996-2017. Findings from the study reveal that in the long term, partial sums of temperature have an insignificant relationship with banking system stability. Further, partial sums of precipitation are negatively related to banking system stability in the long term. The finding indicates that both positive and negative precipitation do harm banking system stability in the selected sub-Saharan economies. Moreover, we find that partial sums of greenhouse gas emissions had an insignificant relationship with banking system stability. In addition, we conclude that greenhouse gases (positive and negative) do not impair banking system stability in selected sub-Saharan economies in the long term. We surmise from the findings that both positive and negative climate change indexes are harmful to banking system stability. On the short-term asymmetric impact, we discover that partial sums of temperature, precipitation, and climate change index do not harm banking system stability. However, negative greenhouse gas emissions are pernicious to the banking system’s stability in the short term. Conversely, positive greenhouse gas levels were statistically insignificant. The study recommends that central banks and monetary authorities in Sub-Saharan Africa design green banking policies to push the climate change agenda in the banking sector.

Economic Diverification in Nigeria: Agriculture in Perspective

This study examines economic diversification: agricultural in perceptive. In particular the study examines the impact of investment in agricultural sector in achieving economic diversification between periods spanning from the years 2000 to year 2022. Time series secondary data were sourced from Central Bank Statistical Bulletin (2022) and World Bank Development Indicators (2024). Autoregressive Distributed Lag Regression Estimate (ARDL) analysis was conducted with the aid of E-view 10. Findings of this study reveals that agriculture credit guarantee scheme fund for cash crops and livestock have negative and significant impact on economic diversification. More so, agriculture credit guarantee scheme fund for food crops equally has negative and insignificant impact on economic diversification. However, grand total of agriculture credit guarantee scheme fund on agricultural commodities has positive and insignificant impact on economic diversification. Based on study findings, the following recommendations are suggested; that governments at all levels should as a matter of urgency should sustain funding of agriculture sectors and provide necessary infrastructure in the rural areas where majorities of agricultural activities take place in order to diversify her economy. More so, stakeholders in the agricultural sectors mainly the farmers should take advantage of loanable fund available to them and channelled it to appropriate crops that will yield investment return. In addition, it is also recommended that monetary policy authority should look inward to determine why agricultural credit guarantee scheme fund has negative significant impact on all the three categories of agricultural commodities identified. This can be achieved through close monitoring and adequate supervision of the loan disburse to the direct beneficiaries. Lastly, investment in human capacity in agricultural sector is away forward for economic diversification.

Challenges Facing Ward Community Policing in Morogoro Rural District, Tanzania

This study investigated challenges facing the Ward community policing in Morogoro Rural District, Tanzania. The study used the explanatory design, sampling 100 subjects who filled a questionnaire. Descriptive statistics analyzed the data through mean score and standard deviation. Based on the results, the study concludes that the Ward community policing initiatives operate very well in the Morogoro Rural District. The community policing had sufficient resources in implementing their daily routines and there was effective communication between police officers and other stakeholders, including community members. Both the law enforcement team and member of the community possessed awareness of the importance of the Ward community policing. Furthermore, community cooperation supported the policing initiatives just as higher policy authorities supported the Ward community policing. Finally, the policy officers were disciplined and citizenship behavior prevailed among the community members. These conclusions imply that community policing is an effective way to maintain peace and harmony in Tanzanian communities.

Ethnoeconomy of Europe: Turkish Segment

The article examines the ethnic factor of the European economy. The migration of the Turks to Europe in the 1960s, formed a special segment of entrepreneurship in the region. A significant part of it was occupied by the representatives of the Turkish diaspora. Several factors including the social one contribute to the active development of the Turkish ethno-business in the European space. In addition, the formation and prosperity of the Turkish ethnic entrepreneurship in Europe is influenced by the high development of family and clan relations as well as the presence of various kinds of auxiliary mechanisms in the form of trade unions and business associations. In the context of small and medium-sized businesses, the key attention is paid to the development of the Turkish fast food industry related to the organization of food outlets, the hotel business, the provision of general services as well as tourism and logistics services. Large network business and transnational corporations of Turkey in most cases are engaged in such areas as: restaurant business; hotel business, including the construction of hotels; distribution of retail chains and Turkish brands. Islamic banking has also become a relatively new rapidly developing area of the Turkish ethnobusiness. The author concludes that the Turkish migration has significantly changed the nature of the European business. However, despite the wide representation of Turkish entrepreneurs in Europe, not all of them achieve the desired success and often face various kinds of discriminatory policies of the European authorities that restrict their activities.

Lviv’s Cinemas During World War II

The article discusses the functioning of cinemas in Lviv during World War II, with a focus on the years 1941-1944. The Nazi authorities introduced a division of Lviv cinemas into those for Germans, Poles, and Ukrainians. These three cinema categories therefore attracted different audiences (in terms of nationality), towards which the occupying authorities pursued separate repertoire policies. The article will analyse the nationality-oriented film policies of the Nazi authorities towards these three groups and their film preferences. The period of Soviet occupation (1939-1941) will also be addressed, albeit not in detail. By taking it into account, it will be possible to highlight some differences in the approach of the Soviet and German occupiers to film policy in Lviv. This research would not have been effective without the use of quantitative methods to compare large sets of repertoire data. There is an error in the paper edition of the journal in the table on page 119. The attached PDF file contains a table with the correct data.

Atmospheric pollution in Chinese cities: Trends and persistence

This paper applies fractional integration to investigate the behaviour of various pollutants in seven Chinese cities. The objective is to establish if the series exhibit long memory and if time trends are statistically significant over the sample period going from January 2014 to November 2022. The results suggest that the steps recently taken by the Chinese authorities to reduce emissions and improve air quality have already had some effect: in most cases the air pollutant series are in the stationary range, with mean reversion occurring and shocks only having temporary effects, and there are significant downward trends indicating a decline over time in the degree of pollution in China. It is also interesting that in the most recent period, the Zero-Covid policy of the Chinese authorities has led to a further fall. On the whole, it would appear that the action plan adopted by the Chinese government is bringing the expected environmental benefits and therefore it is to be hoped that such policies will continue to be implemented and extended to improve air quality even further.

Features of Afghanistan Governance in the Period 2021–2024

Stability in Afghanistan depends on many factors, including external ones. The article analyzes the development of the situation in the country after the Taliban came to power. Considering the development of the security situation, in the humanitarian field, and the social policy of the current authorities, the author assesses the internal situation in the country and identifies the main factors that determine the level of risks and challenges emanating from the territory of Afghanistan. According to the estimates given in the article, after the Taliban came to power, with the relative stabilization of the situation within the country, instability arises in the direction of Pakistan and Iran. The author has established the dependence of social sustainability in the country on the volume of external assistance. The author predicts a worsening of the situation in Afghanistan in the event of a reduction in foreign aid.

Эволюция информационной политики судебных органов власти: этапы, особенности правового регулирования

The article examines the evolution of the information policy of the judiciary in the context of reforming the judicial system in post-Soviet Russia. Based on a systematic approach, a retrospective study of the formation and development of the information policy of judicial authorities in Russian society in the context of legal regulation was carried out and the author’s approach to highlighting the stages of its institutionalization in connection with the adoption of regulatory documents is presented: the first stage (1991‒2000) is pre-institutional, which is characterized by the emergence of information activities of the judicial system; the second stage (2001‒2018) ‒ the initial stage of institutionalization of the information policy of the judicial authorities; the third stage ‒ (from 2019 to the present) characterizes the formation of the information policy of the judicial system in Russia. The article provides a detailed description of each stage, identifies the factors that influenced their development, and explores the peculiarities of legal regulation and associated challenges. The study also presents findings from research on the implementation of information activities and policies, conducted by the authors using materials from the Arbitration Court of the Novosibirsk Region in 2010 and 2024 in a monitoring mode. The significance of this research lies in systematizing the known facts and phenomena characteristic of the period under study, allowing for an analysis of the transformation of judicial information activities into a coherent information policy and offering a fresh perspective on its implementation in modern Russia.

Remittance Inflow, Investment, and Economic Growth in Africa amidst COVID-19 Pandemic

Africa has fared well in the aspect of remittance receipts in recent years; however, the region recorded a decline in remittances amid the COVID-19 pandemic which constrained the circular flow of income significantly and ultimately economic growth. In view of this, this study investigates the economic effects of remittance inflows and investment on economic growth in Africa amid COVID-19 pandemic using a panel of 48 economies and estimated with pooled OLS and two-step system GMM. The study employed two distinct approaches for estimation; pre-COVID-19 (2010–2019) and amid COVID-19 (2010–2023). The results indicate that the behavior of remittances, investment and economic growth in Africa is not significantly different between pre-COVID-19 and amid COVID-19. That is, remittances remain a significant economic growth catalyst in Africa whereas investment is not (though with growth effect potential). Overall, the study concludes that African economic policy stakeholders and other relevant policy authorities should sustain the current remittance and labor policy frameworks with possible fine-tuning where applicable while doubling their investment efforts especially in productive sectors of the economy.

Trust, Justice, and Expertise in Nuclear Waste Management: A Q-Method Analysis of Environmental Discourses in the United Kingdom

ABSTRACT Nuclear waste is ethically contentious, concerning institutional trust, community engagement and the role nuclear plays in different sociotechnical configurations of energy futures. Using Q-methodology with a diverse UK-based stakeholder group, we find three emergent discourses: a) ‘Managing a distrustful public’, b) ‘Fair and democratic nuclear waste decision-making’, and c) ‘Putting the experts in control’. Although multi-stakeholder support is expressed for geological disposal of wastes, disagreements arise toward the ethics of nuclear-powered energy futures and for community decision-making roles. We recommend that policy authorities must first strengthen community withdrawal rights, and second, renew deliberative democratic decision-making mechanisms within energy policy strategy.

The effect of the Paradox of thrift on modern Russia and the ways of countering it with social fiscal instruments

The article explains the essence of the paradox of thrift and the reasons why it currently manifests itself in Russia and in a number of other countries, with an emphasis on the excessive income differentiation and insufficiency of social guarantees to the population, together with the policy of financial authorities aiming at the value increase of the sovereign funds while unemployment is still high. The Classical relationship between savings, investment, and GDP growth is contrasted with the Keynesian one – consumption – GDP growth – investment – while proving the much greater applicability of the latter to the assessment of current situation in Russia. The evolution of the share of savings in the Russian national product over the past three decades is presented, indicating the factors that determine it. Based on that, the author substantiates the need for dynamic optimization of the relationship between consumption and savings to accelerate the growth of Russian economy. To neutralize the paradox of thrift, the author suggests the ways of increasing the effectiveness of state social policy through a transition from the categorical principle of its formation to the principle of targeting and prioritization.

Distribution, ecology, and threats assessment of 11 endemic frankincense tree taxa (Boswellia) in the Socotra Archipelago (Yemen)

Societal Impact StatementConserving frankincense trees (Boswellia) is crucial for both ecological and socio‐economic reasons. Surveying these trees in the field and using remote sensing unmanned aerial vehicles in the Socotra Archipelago, we found that Socotran frankincense trees are threatened by forest fragmentation, overgrazing, and increasingly frequent extreme climate events. A better understanding of the distribution and the threats of these important insular species will improve the conservation policy of the local authorities and benefit local communities in the Socotra Archipelago. At the same time, this work serves as a good practice example to guide conservation efforts for other culturally important threatened tree species around the world, therefore helping to sustain local livelihoods, fostering ecological resilience, and supporting socio‐economic stability.Summary Globally, frankincense trees (Burseraceae: Boswellia) are increasingly under threat because of habitat deterioration, climate impacts, and the olibanum trade. Despite harboring nearly half of the species in the genus, up‐to‐date insights are lacking for the insular endemic frankincense trees of the Socotra Archipelago UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage Site (Yemen). We combined georeferencing of individual trees in the field with remote sensing applying unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to evaluate Boswellia distribution and (sub)population sizes in the entire Socotra Archipelago. We counted 17,253 trees across all 11 taxa and we surveyed almost 55% directly in the field, collecting individual information on threats and health indicators. We estimate that the current total population sizes of the relatively common Socotran Boswellia taxa (Boswellia elongata, Boswellia popoviana, and Boswellia ameero) consist of a few thousand mature individuals with fragmented distribution of which a large proportion occurs in highly disjunct relictual stands, while the more range‐restricted species survive only through a few hundred (Boswellia nana and Boswellia samhaensis) to fewer than a hundred trees (Boswellia scopulorum). Our field data show that the Socotran frankincense trees are threatened by fragmentation and overgrazing resulting in a lack of natural regeneration, in combination with effects of extreme climate events (e.g., higher frequency and intensity of cyclones and prolonged drought) and potential future infrastructure developments; the species are less impacted by resin collection. We provide recommendations to strategize urgent protection of the declining Socotran frankincense trees, and we update their conservation status, resulting in an endangered status for seven and a critically endangered status for four taxa.

Competition Policy Dynamics: the Influence of Domestic-Specific Factors in a Globalized Landscape

The primary purpose of this essay is to unravel the multifaceted dynamics of competition policy and offer insights into the factors driving policy variations worldwide. It aims to contribute to the ongoing discourse on competition policy by bridging the gap between theory and practice, offering empirical support for observed trends, and providing practical implications for policymakers and practitioners. This research employs the literature study. The analysis reveals that, while there is a discernible global convergence toward economic-based competition policy and independent competition authorities, domestic-specific factors such as levels of privatization, democracy, political ideology, legal origin, and types of capitalism continue to exert significant influence, shaping competition policies in distinctive ways. This nuanced understanding challenges the notion of complete global convergence and underscores the importance of context-sensitive policy design. The findings have practical implications for policymakers and practitioners, emphasizing the need to tailor competition policy frameworks to the unique circumstances of each country. In a rapidly changing global landscape, recognizing and accommodating these factors is crucial for the continued relevance and adaptability of competition policy.

South African inflation response to fiscal policy shocks

ABSTRACT The research employs Bayesian Vector Autoregressions with hierarchical priors to analyze the intricate economic implications of fiscal policy shocks on inflation, monetary policy, and fiscal authorities in the context of South Africa. The study explores data spanning from 1979 to 2022. Contrary to conventional economic theories, our analysis demonstrates that unexpected increases in national government expenditure led to counterintuitive initial decreases in inflation. This highlights the complexity of inflation dynamics and challenges existing paradigms. Moreover, the lagged response of inflation to changes in government revenue emphasizes the role of inflation expectations and market dynamics. Clear communication by fiscal authorities is crucial for shaping these expectations and understanding their impact on inflation.

The Impacts of Centralized Control on Mixed Traffic Network Performance: A Strategic Games Analysis

Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS) address contemporary transportation challenges, as Connected Vehicles (CVs) can play a pivotal role in enhancing efficiency and safety. The role of central governing authorities in shaping traffic management policies for CVs influences decision-making processes and system performance. In this work, the role of central governing authorities in the traffic management of a mixed traffic network is examined, integrating System Optimum principles with game theory. More specifically, we introduce and develop a framework that models and analyses the strategic interactions between different stakeholders in a mixed traffic environment, considering central governing authorities with varying levels of control. The results indicate how the various levels of control of a central governing authority may have an impact on the network in terms of traffic measures. Through a strategic games analysis, the trade-offs associated with centralized control mechanisms are demonstrated and recommendations are offered for policymakers and practitioners to optimize traffic management strategies.