Privatization Process Research Articles

Analysis of modern intelligent methods for protecting critical information infrastructure

Critical information infrastructure (CII), including the financial sector, plays a key role in ensuring the sustainable functioning of economic systems and the financial stability of States. However, the growing digitalization of the financial industry and the introduction of innovative technologies are opening up new attack vectors for attackers. Modern cyber attacks are becoming more sophisticated, and traditional defenses are proving ineffective against new, previously unknown threats. There is an urgent need for more flexible and intelligent cybersecurity systems. Thus, the subject of the study is modern intelligent methods and technologies for protecting critical information infrastructure (CII) from cyber attacks. The object of the research is methods and means of ensuring the protection of critical information infrastructure using artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies. The methodological basis of this study is a comprehensive analysis of the scientific literature on the use of intelligent methods and technologies to protect critical information infrastructure. During the review and critical analysis of relevant scientific publications, key problems and unresolved tasks requiring further scientific research and practical developments in this subject area were identified. This methodological approach allowed us to form a holistic view of the current state and prospects for the development of intelligent cybersecurity tools for critical financial systems, as well as to identify priority areas for further research. The main directions of scientific novelty of this research are: 1. A detailed review of promising approaches based on artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies to ensure effective protection of CII organizations from modern complex cyber attacks. 2. Identification and analysis of a number of key scientific and technical problems that need to be solved to increase reliability, interpretability and trust in intelligent cybersecurity systems, including issues of robustness to attacks, active online learning, federated and differential private data processing. 3. Identification of promising areas for further research and development in the field of application of specialized methods of secure and trusted AI to protect critical financial infrastructure. Thus, this research makes a significant contribution to the development of scientific and methodological apparatus and practical solutions for the use of intelligent methods to ensure cybersecurity.

ECONOMIC ISSUES OF LAND USE IMPROVEMENT AND ACTIVATION OF THE LAND MARKET IN UKRAINE

Land resources, together with other means of production, are actively used in the process of social and economic activity in Ukraine. Under such conditions, the system of land relations, the main forms of land ownership, as well as the peculiarities of owning and using it, which correspond to world experience, were formed. On the basis of the study of scientific works, the land legislation of Ukraine and conducting research, the problematic issues of land relations in the conditions of the development of the market economy in Ukraine and the improvement of the efficiency of land as a resource and means of labor are presented. Ukraine’s desire to rebuild land relations and develop them in accordance with world standards objectively led to the formation of a new system of land management and land use, which is focused on achieving sustainable development, on the formation of an effective landowner and subject of activity on land. In Ukraine, the basic principles of effective development of land management have been created, which provide for equal rights for all forms and subjects of land ownership. In order to ensure a strong economy of the state, special attention should be paid to the activation of the land market, the increase in the amount of rental income of farms and subjects. This should significantly increase the socio-economic development of Ukraine’s economy. Land rent acts as an economic form of realizing the right to own land through rent, occupies a prominent place in pricing, directly shapes the price of land, which is extremely important for the potential of agriculture in market conditions. Economic prerequisites and mechanisms for the effective functioning of land ownership entities are expected to be provided through state regulation of the domestic land market using mainly monetary and commodity interventions. Considerable attention should be paid to the mechanisms of ensuring the solvency of land owners and users and the activation of the processes of further privatization of land resources with the help of preferential lending. The problem of activation and stabilization of the land market began to be solved thanks to the state policy in Ukraine, which is oriented towards European integration.

DESTRUKTIVNI PROCESI PRIVATIZACIJE – EKONOMSKI I SOCIJALNI SUNOVRAT

In the world economy the historical conflict between labor and capital is intensifying in the process of the dominance of speculative financial capital. The rise of unemployment in the new global crisis leads to the spread of fear for the existence of the masses. There is a general decline in the share of employees' income in the national income, along with a real decline in salaries and wages. The functioning of globalized capitalism and the creation of the precariat are investigated. The aggravation of the conflict between labor and large speculative capital is the path to a permanent crisis. The relationship between private capital, profit and the welfare state are the basis of new crises in capitalism. A critical finding of the process of privatization and its destructive action in society is needed. A special part of the paper refers to the creation of a dependent and indebted economy, along with the discovery of the mechanism of creation of the debt burden. Finally, it investigates where modern economies and society have led to the devastating concept of neoliberalism, privatization and the separation of labor from capital and the results of development. Key words: economy, privatization, capital, debt economy.

Valstybinės žemės nuomos instituto susiformavimo prielaidos ir raida

The research work analyses the preconditions for the formation of the institute of lease of state-owned land, discussing the historical context of the emergence of such regulation, reviewing the development of legislation of this institute, the case law interpreting it and the jurisprudence of the Constitutional Court. 
 The formation of the institute of lease of state-owned land was mainly influenced by the prohibition of ownership of land by legal persons in the original wording of Article 47 of the Constitution, as well as by the peculiarities of the restitution and privatisation processes, which prevented the formation of private land masses, and became a prerequisite for the separation of the property complexes (i.e. the ownership of a land plot and the buildings on it).The authors of the paper, having studied the development of the regulation of state-owned land lease from 1992 to 2022, described state-owned land lease as an independent civil law institute, which combines the public law regulation method and strict principles of state property management with the general principles of civil relations (equality of the parties, inviolability of property, proportionality), and seeks to ensure the correct balance between the interests of society and the rights of the owner. The specific regulation of state-owned land lease in the legal system of the Republic of Lithuania and the wide spread of state-owned land lease relations have prevented the real implementation of the Roman law principle superficies solo cedit in Lithuanian property law: although this principle is established in the Civil Code, its exceptions are applied very often, thus preventing the actual dominance of the principle in the legal system of Lithuania.

Privatization, Structural Dependence, and the Problem of Legitimacy

How should a normative evaluation of the merits and demerits of privatization proceed? In response to Joseph Heath’s approach to this question, I first argue that the difference between core and economic functions is not as relevant to establish the limits of privatization, as Heath suggests. I claim, second, that Heath problematically neglects the structural and aggregative effects of privatization. An instance of privatization that, if analyzed in isolation, is anodyne may no longer be so when seen as a further contribution to an already expansive process of privatization. Finally, I argue that Heath fails to consider the risks that pervasive privatization poses in terms of democratic legitimacy, by giving rise to a situation where, on the one hand, citizens are dominated by a privatized state and, on the other hand, the state itself is dominated by private actors.

Dual Class Stock Companies: Global Experience and Russian Practice

Companies with complex equity structures formed by issuing shares of different types are a common phenomenon in developed and developing economies, including Russia. However, the causes and consequences of companies choosing such equity structures are not well understood. In particular, neither theory nor empirical studies give a clear answer to the question of the impact of such equity structures on companies' behavior and performance. This article has two goals: first, to characterize the segment of Russian public companies with dual-class stock, including the question of their genesis, and second, to assess the impact of complex equity structures on company performance. The empirical analysis draws on a database of all Russian public companies whose shares were traded on the Moscow Exchange in 2011-20. Using the tools of descriptive, statistical and econometric analysis, we show that the share of dual-class stock companies on the Russian stock market has been high and stable over time, that the overwhelming majority of such companies were created during the processes of privatization and/or reorganization of industries, and that they are characterized by a significant concentration of ownership and control rights in the hands of the largest shareholder. We find that the issue of dual-class stock does not lead to a decline in company performance. However, company performance is inversely related to the wedge between the control and ownership rights of the largest shareholder. Specifically, it is a decreasing function of the shareholder's control rights and an increasing function of her ownership rights, with almost identical absolute values of these effects. The academic significance of this study stems from the confirmation of a negative effect of the control-ownership wedge on company performance in a quasi-experimental setting of the Russian economy, where the majority of dual-class stock companies emerged as a result of government decisions on privatization/reorganization of industries. The results can be used by stock market participants and regulators, which highlights the practical value of this study.

Трансформация отношений собственности в России на рубеже 1980–1990-х гг.: предпосылки, содержание, последствия

The transformation of property relations became one of the most significant components of radical changes in Russia at the end of the twentieth century. Its main form was the privatization of state property, which has no analogues in terms of historical scale and content. In this article, the transformation of property relations in Russia at the turn of the 1980s–1990s is reviewed within the problem of “socialist public property” and its evolution in the late Soviet period. Necessity to update the historical approach to the study of the transformation of property relations in Russia is associated with the need for acquiring a deeper understanding of this process’ historical background. The article also provides the solution for the problem of characterizing the content of denationalization and privatization processes at the turn of the 1980s–1990s and its consequences in terms of an individual’s changing place in the system of property relations. We draw the conclusion that problems of the Soviet society, such as: a) contradiction between “government” and “public” property categories; b) inequality in terms of the disposal and usage of property objects between members of the partyeconomic nomenclature and most population, as well as between different groups of the nomenclature; c) exclusion of the majority of citizens from, formally, “national” but, in practice, state property, subsequently had a significant impact on processes of changing property relations. It predetermined an active struggle between different administration levels and so-called “spontaneous” privatization already in the late 1980s. Mass privatization of the 1990s itself was, in general, a natural result of the process of public property “governmentalization”, and it was aimed at consolidating the party-economic elite’s de facto control over production and subsequent redistribution of power in society. Large groups of working people, who lost their formal status of “quasi-owners” in relation to former objects of socialist property, continued to remain only hired workers. This, in particular, caused the absence of serious social cataclysms during rapid privatization processes of the early 1990s. As the information basis, a wide range of regulatory and legal acts of authorities and administrations of various levels, state statistics data, archival documents, periodical materials, results of public opinion polls, and data from literary sources were used.

Privatisation process in Kosovo: characteristics, property and legal perspective

Privatisation process in Kosovo: characteristics, property and legal perspective

Развитие российского федерализма в 1990-х гг. (на примере Омской области)

In the framework of the presented article, the author analyzes the process of management transformation in the Omsk region in the 1990s as the formation of federalism in the Russian Federation. Later, the author of the article plans to carry out similar work in relation to the Altai Territory and the Tyumen region. Based on the available scientific developments and introducing into circulation a wide range of sources, the author of the work identifies the features of the development of federalism in the Omsk region within the framework of the system of socio-political and economic relations. Omsk region had serious industrial and agricultural potential, but also raw materials problems, exacerbated by the transition to market relations. The local leadership put forward the idea of regionalization of economic reform, which required the presence of a strong authoritarian business executive in power. But the active privatization carried out by external forces led to rapid bankruptcy, which did not suit the local leadership, and the population is not satisfied with the decline in living standards. In the Omsk region, this situation leads to increased support for left-wing parties. As part of the national administrative construction, the Azov German National District was created in the Omsk region. The idea of creating the territorial autonomy of the Siberian Tatars, triggered by the process of privatization of the oil industry, was stopped by transferring it to owners living outside the Omsk region.

PRIVATISATION AND COMMERCIALIZATION IN NIGERIA: A STUDY OF POWER HOLDING COMPANY (PHCN) OF PUBLIC ENTERPRISES

The study examines impact of privatization and commercialization of PHCN on Nigeria people. The paper utilized both primary and secondary sources of data and data collected were descriptively analyzed with a view to seeking answers to the broad question of the effect of privatization and commercialization of government-owned enterprises in Nigeria with reference to Power Holdings Company of Nigeria (PHCN), Benin Zone. The study engaged one hundred and fifty-four (154) respondents randomly selected from the five departments of PHCN, Benin. The findings revealed that PHCN has to contend with internal and external environmental hostilities and constraints such as poor funding of the enterprise, corruption, excessive control by the Federal Government, vandalization of its equipment by hoodlums, fraud, shady dealings, poor maintenance, erosion, and debts owed it and irregular rainfall. Government should examine and select the competent people who will handle private enterprises and not people of questionable character. Capturing the confidence of labour, building more power plants, staff training and motivation, monitoring of the privatization processes, transparency and accountability will check corruption, Government interference and recruitment by patronage. The paper concluded that electricity is the bedrock of socioeconomic development of any nation hence priority must be set for its full privatization and commercialization as it did to the national telecommunication carrier, NITEL, so than Nigerians can grow and develop like other nations such as Malaysia, Indonesia and India, which have almost same characteristics like Nigeria. Private-sector driven economy is key to this development and government must create this sector in Nigeria if it must grow and develop industrially, socially and politically.

Globalisation and Pace of Economic Growth in Nepal

Nepal faced serious economic crisis during mid 1980s. Overall balance of payment of the country turned negative in 1982/83 and it remained in the same pattern for three consecutive years. Nepal approached the IMF and the World Bank for their support in solving the economic crises that were being experienced at that time. In response to Nepal's approach these institutions helped Nepal with financial assistance with conditions in order to tide over the external imbalance. These institutions made reformation policies and Nepal had to implement these policies. Nepal entered into the new era of international economic order termed as 'Globalisation'. Nepal formulated and implemented many economic reformation policies compatible with the process of globalisation, liberalisation and privatisation in order to accelerate the process of economic globalisation. This paper aims at studying and analyzing effects of globalisation of Nepalese economy on GDP growth rate and its composition during last three decades starting from 1991/92. The study finds that the globalisation of Nepalese economy has not been able to accelerate the pace of economic growth at desired level.

Analysis of the process of small-scale public procurement in the education sector in the Czech Republic

This paper explores the challenges associated with public procurement processes in the Czech Republic, as well as globally. In particular, it focuses on small-scale construction projects in the education sector and the problems associated with them, including policy making, pricing, efficiency, and the length of the procurement process. The paper also examines the risks associated with public procurement in the construction industry and how these risks can be managed through risk management. Moreover, it analyses the specific problems in the education sector, including imbalanced contractual conditions and unfair arrangements, which often shift the responsibility for risk aftermath to contractors. To gain insight into these issues, a research questionnaire was conducted among construction companies participating in the public procurement process. Based on the questionnaire results and a comparison between public and private procurement processes in the Czech Republic and Germany, the paper identifies flaws in the system and proposes potential solutions. The paper concludes by emphasizing the need for small changes to be implemented to improve the system, even though corruption remains a major issue that needs to be addressed. Overall, this paper provides valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders on how to address the issues surrounding public procurement in the education sector in the Czech Republic and beyond.

Transforming the Cimerwa Cement Manufacturing Company in Rwanda through Privatization to Enhance Profitability

The research targeted the challenges encountered in the privatization process impacting the profitability of Cimerwa Cement Manufacturing Company in Rwanda. This investigation held significance for CIMERWA, the researcher, and future scholars. Adopting a case study approach, the research engaged 172 CIMERWA employees, with a sample size of 64 selected through stratified and random sampling methods. Questionnaires and documentary analysis facilitated primary and secondary data collection, while reliability and validity of the instruments were validated via pilot research using Cranach’s Alpha and expert evaluations. SPSS software was employed for data analysis.Findings indicated that inadequate privatization strategies at CIMERWA hinder long-term sustainable performance and goal attainment, leading to escalated capital and maintenance costs, ultimately impacting the company's prosperity. The study emphasized that CIMERWA's efficiency in profitability hinges on its focus on crucial aspects such as material handling systems, warehousing, cost-effective profitability measures, supply chain and inventory management, all pivotal in organizational management. In terms of the benefits derived from privatization efforts, 23.4% of respondents affirmed that these services ensured accountability for profitability, while 60.9% attested to their role in ensuring profitability accountability. Employing the Pearson correlation coefficient in SPSS revealed a strong 96.3% correlation between privatization efforts and profitability. Keywords: Privatization, CIMERWA cement, Profitability, Accountability, Employees.

Keterkaitan Hukum Privatisasi BUMN Terhadap Kewenangan Negara

Privatization of State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) in Indonesia. Privatization is undertaken with the intention of enhancing company performance, contributing to the country's economy, and improving less efficient management. However, there are concerns regarding the loss of economic sovereignty through privatization. The Indonesian government has implemented a privatization policy based on the 1999 GBHN and the 2003 BUMN Law. Privatization has various dimensions and objectives, including reducing the state's role in the economy, increasing management efficiency, and filling the state budget deficit. The role of BUMN in development has been significant, but there have also been cases of poor management and financial losses. Privatization of BUMN is considered to overcome this problem and improve company performance. However, there are challenges in achieving professionalism and competitiveness in BUMN because employee status is like civil servants. There is also controversy regarding privatization, with some arguing that certain sectors should remain under government control in the interests of the economy. The privatization of BUMN is regulated by the BUMN Law, which emphasizes the importance of transparency, accountability, and fairness in the privatization process. However, there are concerns regarding the consistency of these regulations with the Constitution. Therefore, it is recommended that there be restrictions on the sale of shares during privatization and that the government maintain majority ownership of the shares. Apart from that, a clear definition is needed for the purpose of privatization and more detailed regulations in the BUMN Law.

DEVELOPMENT OF BUSINESS GROUPS IN BRAZIL

Objective: This work aims to understand and analyze the development of large business groups, or Business Groups (BG) in Brazil. Methodology: The article is based on a historical analysis focused on the longitudinal analysis of cases from the Brazilian context to uncover the development trajectories of BG. Results: The historical analysis reveals that BGs in Brazil benefited from institutional failures, some of which were generated in times of crisis, and knew how to take advantage of dynamic institutional arrangements during pro-market reforms, such as the use of government incentives to leverage their participation in the privatization process. Consequences of this capacity include the accelerated growth of several groups without the need for dispersion of capital and control, and the successful implementation of strategies such as vertical integration through acquisitions. Originality and value: By showing how BGs emerged and developed in Brazil, taking advantage of opportunities offered by local institutional arrangements, the study presents the mechanisms that explain the persistence of BGs' superior performance over a long period of time.

Illegal privatisation of critical infrastructure facilities: Problematic aspects and ways to solve them

The relevance of the subject of study is due to the practical importance of protecting critical infrastructure facilities in the context of increasing potential threats from criminal encroachments associated with the illegal privatisation of such facilities. The purpose of the study is to analyse the current state of criminal legal protection of critical infrastructure from illegal privatisation, develop separate recommendations on the specifics of organising an investigation into the illegal privatisation of critical infrastructure objects, and provide proposals for improving the national system for protecting critical infrastructure from illegal privatisation. The methodological approach to the study was based on using a diagnostic method, by which privatisation is considered both as a social and legal phenomenon. Methods of analysis, dogmatic, formal-legal, modelling, comparative-legal are also used. The study provided for a comprehensive review and examination of the current state of regulatory regulation of the protection of critical infrastructure facilities from illegal privatisation in the criminal legal dimension. It is established that in Ukraine, it is insufficient and needs to be improved. Proposals on criteria for assigning critical infrastructure objects to privatisation processes, creating legal mechanisms for their alienation into private ownership and ensuring proper state control over their further functioning are substantiated. The study focuses on the specifics of starting a pre-trial investigation of the illegal privatisation of critical infrastructure facilities and organising a pre-trial investigation, considering the forensic classification of criminal offences committed during the privatisation process. It is proposed to supplement Article 233 of the Law of Ukraine on criminal liability with a separate qualification composition, which would establish criminal liability for the illegal privatisation of critical infrastructure facilities, providing for the commission of this socially dangerous act of punishment in the form of imprisonment. The results obtained are of practical importance in the development and substantiation of theoretical provisions, conclusions and recommendations for improving the national system for protecting critical infrastructure from criminal offences

The Descendants of Lithuanian Immigrants in Kazakhstan: Contours of Ethnic Identity


 
 
 Research on the forced migration of Lithuanians to the east of the former Soviet Union in the 1940s and early 1950s throws up a wide range of issues. Methodologically, most of such studies are similar in terms of the sample chosen, which consists of the former prisoners of gulags and exiles who have returned to Lithuania, but it usually disregards those who stayed. Accordingly, the Lithuanian diasporas that emerged in the east after the forced migration, including in Kazakhstan, have not been studied in detail. In this article, our aim is to answer the questions of how and in what private and public contexts processes of the ethnic identification of the Lithuanian diaspora in Kazakhstan are determined, how ethnic boundaries are drawn, and what cultural and social resources are used for this purpose. As the research revealed, the conceptualisation of ethnicity implied by the Kazakhstan state that has been adopted by our informants eliminates its cultural content, or at most reduces it to forms evident in festive culture, as well as the need and possibilities for its expression. As a result, ethnic identity is constructed on the basis of what is almost the sole criterion: Lithuanian descent in the form of ‘root’ or ‘blood’. For most of our informants, ‘roots’ are just a fact of origin, as shown in the practice of entering Lithuanian ethnicity in personal documents, an officially required practice which does not have and does not presuppose any enactment of ethno-cultural differences. Ethnicity, which is seen as ‘in-rooted’ but also as culture-less and as muted by a doubling of roots among ethnically mixed families of origin, enables a whole spectrum of manipulations of ethnic identity. One such manipulation is attempting to profit from the Lithuanian ethnic identity by turning it into a resource for acquiring benefits. The practice of profiteering from the Lithuanian ethnic identity, and thus its transformation into a resource for gaining benefits in the forms of Lithuanian citizenship and a hope of being repatriated to Lithuania, is probably the most frequent factor in becoming Lithuanian by remembering Lithuanian roots and activating the Lithuanian ethnic identity.
 
 

“Servants not Soldiers”: The Origins of Slavery in the United States Army, 1797–1816

Abstract: This article illuminates a lesser-explored aspect of the United States as a “slaveholding republic.” Between 1816–1861, the U.S. Army relied on thousands of enslaved persons who served as officers' servants. In 1816, Congress authorized allowances, rations, and bonuses for officers' private servants while putting an end to the practice of soldiers serving as servants. This legislative move effectively subsidized and incentivized military slaveholding. The paper delves into the political circumstances and legislative maneuvers that led Congress to institutionalize military slavery, establishing mechanisms to sustain, fund, and expand the number of enslaved servants. Military slavery developed gradually with the foundation, bureaucratization, and professionalization of an American military peace establishment. It evolved from 1797 to 1816 through competing policy objectives, resulting in a long-lasting bureaucratic workaround euphemistically termed "servants not soldiers." Facing public criticism over officers’ abuse of soldiers’ labor, the army “outsourced” officers’ servants through a dual process of privatization and racialization, differentiating between “public” and “private” service, between free, white soldiers and enslaved, black servants. Though serving slaveholders’ interests, the adopted solution was a product of bureaucratic contingencies and ad-hoc decision-making and not a policy orchestrated by a cabal of enslavers. Interestingly, a basic question of reimbursement led somewhere unanticipated, ending in government-sponsored enslaved servitude. Acknowledging this contingency does not excuse the actions but underscores how slavery was often "solved" through institutional accommodation rather than political or moral opposition. Thus, slavery directly impacted the U.S. Army, a central national institution, altering the military system at its pivotal, formative moments.

Insurance and the public–private management of risk at US commercial nuclear power plants

AbstractThis article examines the public–private partnership between the federal government, private insurers, and power companies that enabled the development of commercial nuclear power generation during the 1950s and its evolution to the present day. The public–private process of nuclear insurance development and its impact on nuclear safety is examined through the lens of the Price–Anderson Act enactment and subsequent renewals. The purpose is to show how commercial nuclear insurance evolved over time, and how the indemnification of potentially catastrophic losses influenced the safety behavior of operators, regulators, and other institutions. Evidence is presented demonstrating the relationship between nuclear insurance and safety, using insurance liability and property premiums, and key measures of nuclear safety.

Privatisation of land plots during military time, legal aspects

The paper critically examines the regulatory legal framework within the realm of land legislation, both pre-existing before the imposition of martial law and subsequent enactments following the commencement of armed aggression by the russian federation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022. The primary focus of the authors lies in the comprehensive analysis of the legal dimensions surrounding the privatization process of land plots under conditions of martial law, particularly delving into the system of constraints imposed on the land rights of citizens. The research encompasses a meticulous exploration of the provisions outlined in the current Land Code of Ukraine, national laws, and the legislative amendments implemented during the duration of martial law. Noteworthy emphasis is placed on scrutinizing court practices, especially the rulings of the Supreme Court. Additionally, the paper undertakes an analysis of the contributions of legal scholars, shedding light on their principal viewpoints and judgments regarding the mechanisms of privatization. The authors underscore the inconsistency inherent in land legislation that curtails the land rights of citizens during wartime, positing that these inconsistencies may pose challenges in their effective implementation. Consequently, they advocate for the necessity of legislative amendments. Furthermore, the paper deliberates on the prospect of eschewing the established procedures for the privatization of land plots. Given the pressing relevance of the issue of land privatization amid martial law, the study is anchored in contemporary events and provides a thorough exploration of the legal facets within the domain of land law. The conclusions drawn from the obtained results hold significance in understanding the prevailing mechanisms of land privatization against the backdrop of martial law.