Subsidy Program Research Articles

Geographical patterns of implementing a government subsidy program: implications for health outcomes and nutrient intake in Iran.

The lack of access to a diverse and nutritious diet has significant health consequences worldwide. Governments have employed various policy mechanisms to ensure access, but their success varies. In this study, the impact of changes in food assistance policy on food prices and nutrient security in different provinces of Iran, a sanctioned country, was investigated using statistical and econometric models. Both the old and new policies were broad in scope, providing subsidized food or cash payments to the entire population. However, the implementation of these policies led to an increase in the market price of food items, resulting in a decline in the intake of essential nutrients. Particularly, the policy that shifted food assistance from commodity subsidies to direct cash payments reduced the price sensitivity of consumers. Consequently, the intake of key nutrients such as Vitamin C and Vitamin A, which are often constrained by their high prices, decreased. To improve the diets of marginalized populations, it is more effective to target subsidies towards specific nutrient groups and disadvantaged populations, with a particular focus on food groups that provide essential nutrients like Vitamin A and Vitamin C in rural areas of Iran. More targeted food assistance policies, tailored to the specific context of each province and income level, are more likely to yield positive nutritional outcomes with minimal impact on food prices.

Increasing Community Satisfaction through the Free School Transport Subsidy Program

One form of public service the community needs is transportation services. However, public transportation (city transportation) tends to be abandoned by the public due to the minimal service provided by city transportation operators. Seeing the low and uneven condition of city transportation services influences students who prefer private vehicles to go to school rather than city transportation. Many underprivileged school students need the means to use private vehicles. Besides that, the high use of private vehicles, especially motorbikes, causes increasingly high traffic violations and accidents. Responding to this phenomenon, the Pasuruan Regency Government and the Pasuruan Regency Transportation Service provided free school transportation facilities. In implementing the free school transportation service, its effectiveness needs to be measured using indicators from Law No. 22 of 2009 concerning Road Traffic and Transportation and Minister of Transportation Regulation No. 29 of 2015, which consistof security, safety, comfort, affordability, and equality. , and regularity. Therefore, this research raises a problem formulation regarding the effectiveness of free school transportation services by the Pasuruan Regency Transportation Service. This typeof research is descriptive qualitative, and it was conducted at Free School Transport using questionnaire, observation, and interview data collection techniques. The sampling technique used in this research was incidental. The sample used was 201 free school transportation passengers. Data analysis techniques used in this research include qualitative and descriptive data analysis. From the results of this research, it was concluded that the free school transportation service by the Pasuruan Regency Transportation Service was running well. However, improvements were needed in several aspects that were deemed to be lacking in service.

Classification of Receiving Electricity Subsidy Assistance in Blang Panyang Village Using the K-NN (K-Nearest Neighbor) Method

The electricity subsidy program is one of the poverty reduction programs by providing electricity subsidy assistance funds to poor and disadvantaged households paid by the Government of Indonesia to PT PLN (Persero). The government implements a targeted electricity subsidy policy, the subsidy must be truly enjoyed by the poor. The purpose of this research is to test the K-Nearest Neighbors algorithm in predicting the receipt of electricity subsidy assistance. In the dataset of beneficiaries used in this study, there are 45 records or tuples with four attributes (house condition, income, occupation and number of amperes). The prediction of new data categories is done by using the manual calculation stage of Euclidean Distance from three different K values. The results show that with K=15, K=30 and K=45 the new data (46) has an "Ineligible" category with an accuracy rate of 100%. Then with K=45, K=30 and K=45 the new data (D46) has a "Viable" category with an accuracy rate of 66.6%.

Government Subsidies and Policies for Mask Production Under COVID-19: Is It Wise to Control Less?

Under the COVID-19 pandemic, governments worldwide have subsidized manufacturers or consumers on the production or purchase of masks. However, the impacts of these subsidies on the mask supply chain (MSC) operations are unclear. Motivated by our interview with a mask manufacturer as well as the observed real-world practices, we establish consumer utility-based stylized models to analytically examine government subsidies and policies in the MSC. We utilize the infection transmission model to capture the social health risk during the COVID-19 outbreak. The government aims to maximize social welfare, which includes the manufacturer's profit, consumer surplus, social health risk, and government subsidy expenditure. Results indicate that when the price is not controlled (i.e., the manufacturer decides it), the manufacturer and consumer subsidy programs are equally efficient in enhancing consumer surplus as well as reducing harm to social health risk under COVID-19. Thus, the government can conduct a subsidy scheme that is easier to implement in practice. However, we surprisingly find that the government's excessive intervention will cause disequilibrium in the MSC. When the price or the manufacturer's dishonest behavior is fully controlled by the government, subsidizing the MSC is not always advisable. Besides, our findings are consistent with the public interest theory; that is, the proper implementation of dishonesty prevention and pricing control policies can improve social welfare but sacrifice consumer surplus. Our results contribute to healthcare operations management and generate managerial insights for MSC management during COVID-19 with industrial validation.

Avaliação da resiliência e da vulnerabilidade da mobilidade no contexto de políticas desafiadoras de tarifas de transporte: um estudo de caso do Rio de Janeiro

Abstract Resilience of urban mobility is an emerging topic, with most studies focusing on natural disasters or technical disturbances. However, there is a gap in understanding the resilience and vulnerability of urban mobility in the face of economic threats and inadequate transport policies, particularly in developing countries such as Brazil, characterized by social inequality and urban segregation. This study sheds light on the issue of urban inequalities and segregation, aiming to identify the most vulnerable and resilient areas of Rio de Janeiro in the event of an economic crisis. We assessed the resilience and vulnerability of the public transport system with commonly used accessibility indicators, applying fuzzy logic to data from 160 districts. We considered a scenario without the fare subsidy program. The results indicate that districts with better access to high-capacity transport systems and job opportunities exhibit higher levels of resilience and lower vulnerability. However, the study also uncovers socio-spatial inequalities, with resilience values tending to be higher in coastal areas and central business districts, exacerbating disparities. Addressing urban inequalities and segregation requires not only improving travel times and transportation systems but also considering the economic impact on vulnerable populations and promoting decentralized employment opportunities.

Factors influencing smallholder maize farmers' fertilizer use under the fertilizer subsidy programme in the northern region of Ghana

Factors influencing smallholder maize farmers' fertilizer use under the fertilizer subsidy programme in the northern region of Ghana

Factors Affecting Farmers’ Access to Agricultural Subsidy in Makwanpur and Dhading Districts of Nepal

The government of Nepal has been providing high priority to subsidy programs to support farmers and boost the national economy. Increasing access to and effectiveness of the subsidy program is important to enhance growth of agricultural sector. However, there has always been a concern about access to and effectiveness of the subsidy programs to address the problem of farmers in Nepal. This study was carried out to determine the factors affecting farmers' access to the agricultural subsidy. For this, a multi-stage sampling method was employed, and altogether 120 commercial vegetable growers from Dhading and Makwanpur districts of Nepal were selected using simple random technique. Descriptive statistical tools and binary logistic regression were used to analyze the data. Out of the total sampled households, 55.83% had accessed at least one agricultural subsidy program, and the highest number of sampled households (39.17%) received the subsidy for agricultural tools. The result of binary logistic regression revealed that factors like ethnicity, membership in agricultural groups or co-operatives, farm visit by extension agents, and participation in agricultural training were significantly (p<0.01) influencing farmers' access to agricultural subsidy. Hence, the farmers are suggested to operate through agricultural groups or co-operatives, and the concerned authorities and policymakers should emphasize agricultural extension services and agricultural subsidy simultaneously for synergistic effects. SAARC J. Agric., 21(2): 263-276 (2023)

Do Food Price Subsidies Increase Nutritional Intake of Indonesian Households?

Indonesia's economy has developed rapidly, but it has not solved undernourishment issues among low-income people. Therefore, similar to other developing countries, Indonesia has instituted a food price subsidy program known as Rice for the Poor (RASKIN) to help low-income families meet their needs and alleviate some of their financial burdens. This study examined how RASKIN affected the intake of calories and three macronutrients of Indonesian households using the representative National Socioeconomic Survey (SUSENAS) data. In comparison to intake without the subsidy, the estimation results based on the endogenous switching regression model suggested that receiving the subsidy raised the household calorie intake by 368.4 Kcal/day for recipients and 454.6 Kcal/day for nonrecipients. Likewise, households receiving the subsidy raised their macronutrient intake, encompassing protein, carbohydrate, and fat, compared to those not receiving it. Therefore, RASKIN contributed to raising the intake of calories and three macronutrients. However, a certain portion of non-poor households were found to receive RASKIN owing to mistargeting, suggesting that the government should rectify targeting errors to enhance the effectiveness of the subsidy and attain the key purpose of improving the well-being of people with low incomes.

IMPLEMENTATION OF FERTILIZER SUBSIDIES: IMPACT ON AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SECURITY IN INDONESIA (A CRITICAL REVIEW)

Fertilizer subsidies are an essential economic policy affecting Indonesia's agricultural sector and food security. This article critically reviews the implementation of fertilizer subsidies and its impact on agricultural economic growth. We analyze changes in policies and approaches implemented in recent years and their impact on resource allocation efficiency and agricultural productivity. By considering the interactions between government policies, agricultural markets, and economic dynamics, this Research identifies factors that influence the success and failure of fertilizer subsidy programs from an economic perspective. The results provide in-depth insight into the impact of fertilizer subsidy policies on economic growth in the agricultural sector and food security in Indonesia and provide a basis for improving more efficient and sustainable policies.

Sustainable petrol subsidy program in Malaysia

The purpose of this research is to propose a sustainable petrol subsidy program to enhance the effectiveness of the Malaysian government in subsidizing petrol to B40 and M40 households. B40 and M40 households, which suffered from poverty due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, at the present moment, there is very limited study on the sustainable petrol subsidy program for B40 and M40 households. This research adopts a quantitative research method. One hundred and fifty questionnaires were disseminated to Malaysian B40 and M40 households. Sixty households responded to the questionnaire. This paper utilized cross-sectional design to test hypotheses that contribute to the sustainability of the petrol subsidy program in Malaysia post-COVID-19 pandemic. This paper has unique and important findings: household welfare, fiscal and macroeconomic issues, and environmental pollution are the most important factors that contribute to the sustainability of petrol subsidies in Malaysia. This research is the pioneering research in Malaysia that provides comprehensive insights on sustainable petrol subsidy, leading to a significant implication on the socio-economic wellbeing of the B40 and M40 households. It provides unique contributions to the government petrol subsidy in Malaysia, as it is one of the very limited studies in Malaysia post-COVID-19 pandemic.

THE IMPACT OF CLOSING MEDICARE PART D COVERAGE GAP ON MENTAL HEALTH OF OLDER ADULTS

Abstract The ACA mandated the gradual elimination of the Medicare prescription drug coverage gap (also called the “Doughnut Hole”) beginning in 2011. This policy change can impact mental health through mechanisms such as reduction in out-of-pocket (OOP) expenses and increased access to prescription medication. However, no previous study has examined its impact on mental health outcomes of older adults on Medicare. Employing data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (from 2006 to 2016), compare the mental health of Medicare beneficiaries (66-70 years; N=7,664) with that of non-Medicare beneficiaries (60-64 years; N=8,079) before versus after policy implementation. We find that the 2011 phasing out of Medicare drug coverage gap was associated with 0.86-point (p< 0.05) improvement in the Mental Component score of the Short-Form 12 Health Survey among beneficiaries. Our analysis was robust to using alternate measures of mental health outcomes (Kessler Index and PHQ-2) as well as to an alternate construction of treatment and control groups (comparing individuals aged 60-70 years on Medicare and private insurance). We find no detectable differences in the mental health of Medicare beneficiaries who already receive subsidies for costs associated with the coverage gap through the Low Income Subsidy (LIS) program. Further, we find that elimination of the doughnut hole reduced OOP expenses by $32.65 among Medicare beneficiaries in our sample. Overall, our results for mental health and OOP expenses are mainly attributable to women. This evidence highlights indirect effects of drug coverage gap elimination on mental health outcomes among Medicare beneficiaries.

Can the Indonesian collective action norm of Gotong-Royong be strengthened with economic incentives? Comparing the implementation of an aquaculture irrigation policy program

The Indonesian multi-level governmental program (PITAP) is a participatory pond irrigation management policy established by the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries. It aims to catalyze the rehabilitation of irrigation canals to improve water access for small-scale aquaculture farmers. In PITAP, traditional aquaculture farmers are incentivized with government funding to create community-based co-management groups (POKLINA), to maintain the self-governance of their irrigation canals. The logic of PITAP is to encourage POKLINA farmers to rehabilitate their irrigation canals through subsidized labor payments that are coupled with strengthening the strong cultural norm of mutual assistance (i.e., collective action) within Indonesian society called Gotong-Royong. PITAP aims to revitalize Gotong-Royong through subsidized labor compensation with the hope that when the subsidy program is over, Gotong-Royong will be revitalized without external support. In this study, we compare and analyze four villages on Lombok, Indonesia, that participated in PITAP program in 2020 and 2021. The study is supported with empirical data using various qualitative data collection methods, including interviews, participant observations, and the collection of policy documents. We further use the Social-Ecological System Framework (SESF) as a diagnostic tool to structure the data collection process and analysis. Findings indicate that different variables hinder and enable collective action in the four villages, leading to different PITAP program outcomes. The likely reason for this, suggested by our findings, is that each village has different social and ecological conditions that influence intrinsic motivation for collective action. PITAP program either crowds out intrinsic motivation under some conditions or crowds it in under others. This suggests the need to consider contextual adaptations in policy design and implementation to improve outcomes better.

Farmers' adoption of agriculture green production technologies: perceived value or policy-driven?

Understanding the underlying reasons for farmers' AGPT adoption in the context of resource environment tightening and agricultural carbon reduction has become crucial to promote agriculture sustainable development. This paper uses multiple ordered regression model and probit model to test the impact of farmers' perceived value on their adoption of agricultural green production technologies (AGPT) by using the first-hand data from 613 rice farmers in Hunan, and explores the effect and mechanism of policy subsidies and market incentives on the adoption of AGPT, and investigates the differences in the impact of perceived value on the adoption of green technologies in different production stages. The results showed that, (1)farmers' AGPT adoption is significantly affected by their perceived value, in which perceived benefits significantly promotes farmers' AGPT adoption, while the perceived risks is the opposite. But farmers' AGPT adoption in different production stages is influenced by different perceived value. The adoption of soil testing and fertilization technology (STFT) in the pre-production stage is significantly influenced by the perceived benefits; adoption of green pest control technology (GPCT) in the mid-production stage is significantly influenced by both the perceived benefits and the perceived risks; and adoption of straw return technology (SRT) in the post-production stage is significantly influenced by the perceived risks. (2) Farmers' adoption of green technologies can be encouraged by policy subsidies, which also have the moderating effect of decreasing the negative influence of perceived risks on farmers' adoption behaviour. (3) Further analysis reveals that market incentives can compensate for the limitations of policy subsidies, greatly promote farmers' adoption of AGPT, and regulate farmers' perceived risks and perceived benefits to encourage them to use green technologies. Consequently, the Government should actively publicize and organize training on agriculture green technologies, and provide diversified subsidy programmes for different green technologies. And governments should also improve the quality certification system and the market price mechanism for agricultural products, so as to help farmers adopting green technologies to achieve an increase in their income.

When Daces Bite Deeper than Sharks – Does the SMEs Public Subsidy Dose Matter?

Abstract One of the EU's main priorities is to boost the competitiveness of its member states through subsidies from the European Structural Funds. As SMEs are key elements of competitiveness, their support through various subsidy programmes is important. However, as our research shows, the distribution of funds among SMEs is highly unequal. While some SMEs are very successful in obtaining subsidies, others (especially the smallest ones) are not. Using a robust dataset of Czech companies, we have identified subsidy ‘sharks‘ receiving multiple times more funds, compared to mediocre ‘salmons‘ and lowly supported ‘daces‘. While using counterfactual design with control for a subsidy dose and taking labour productivity as a proxy for competitiveness, we have found out that the subsidy dose really matters. It seems that the higher the dose, the lower the impact on competitiveness. Since, on average, subsidies led to higher competitiveness of beneficiaries, the subsidy daces significantly outpaced sharks. From a policy perspective, limiting support per beneficiary could lead to higher effectiveness of support programmes. This study also highlights the importance of the subsidy dose in evaluation practice and research.

Factors and incentives that affect electric vehicle adoption in Greece

Electric vehicle proliferation is still at exceptionally low level in Greece. The subsidy program “I move electrically” aims to accelerate the transition to EVs providing incentives both for company and private electric vehicles. In order to analyze the factors that affect the consumers’ intention to purchase private electric vehicles in Attica a questionnaire survey was conducted. Discrete choice models were developed to analyze the factors that influence the intention of users to purchase and willingness to pay extra for an EV compared to a conventional car. Travel and demographic characteristics, provision of financial incentives, environmental awareness, charging time and charging infrastructure were found to affect the intention to purchase an EV in Greece. The paper concludes with policy measures and recommendations regarding the charging infrastructure, the provision of financial incentives and marketing policies that could support the adoption of EVs.

HTA259 Exploring Collaboration on HTA Methodology for Medical Technologies in the Dutch ZonMw HTA Methodology 2021-2024 Subsidy Program

HTA259 Exploring Collaboration on HTA Methodology for Medical Technologies in the Dutch ZonMw HTA Methodology 2021-2024 Subsidy Program

Solving Solar: How Past Policy Collides With Future Technology

This Comment discusses the importance of developing a solar waste management plan. Specifically, this Comment presents the argument that the United States should not create a large federal regulatory framework that includes expansive subsidies for solar panel recycling, but instead should invest in solar recycling technologies that offer solar recyclers the opportunity to profitably recycle junk panels. Ultimately, the federal government’s role should be limited to one of investment and support as states craft solar waste management systems that work for them.
 In support of this argument, this Comment explores the history and future of solar panel development, the current state of solar production and recycling, and the magnitude of the threat solar waste presents. Additionally, this Comment discusses how nations outside the United States are addressing the solar waste problem, the advent of new solar recycling technologies, how Congress may adapt the existing Resource Conservation and Recovery Act to include solar panels and encourage recycling of junk panels, the success story of lead-acid battery recycling, and what the solar recycling network of the future may look like.
 Ultimately, this Comment concludes that given recent advancements in recycling technology, with proper planning, encouragement, and investment from both state and federal governments, the private sector will be incentivized to recycle used solar panels without burdensome government intervention while sustaining a profitable business. Such a result will create a truly clean and renewable source of energy and relieve American taxpayers from bearing the cost of expensive solar recycling subsidy programs.

Bibliodiversity in subsidized translations

In 2009, Argentina’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship launched Programa Sur (PROSUR), a translation subsidy programme, in order to promote Argentinian literature abroad. Since the interest in Argentinian women’s writing is increasing transnationally, this article aims to consider the extent to which PROSUR supports and contributes to transnational bibliodiversity, more specifically to the presence of women’s writing and gender equality in the literary sector. By analysing the discourse used by PROSUR, both online and in a personal interview, and by analysing the data on which publishing houses received grants for which authors, as well as works between 2010 and 2022, this article finds that PROSUR supports specific agents in the field that work to increase bibliodiversity, like independent publishers. Still, men’s writing receives proportionally more grants than women’s writing, although this gap has become smaller over the years, with women’s writing surpassing men’s in 2022. Moreover, the data also shows that a large number of applications are made for a small number of women who already had some visibility through national and international prizes, English translations, or film adaptations.

Spatial Accessibility of Public Electric Vehicle Charging Services in China

Decarbonizing the transport sector using electric vehicles (EVs) is a vital pathway for China to achieve the carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals. Despite the unprecedented growth of EV diffusion in China, little information is available for the spatial accessibility of public electric vehicle charging services (EVCSs). This study developed an applicable accessibility measurement framework to examine the city-level accessibility of EVCSs in China using the Gaussian two-step floating catchment area (G2SFCA) method. G2SFCA takes the EV charging stations with charging piles as supply and the EV ownership data as demand. The results indicate that (1) the eastern region of China has the highest density of EV charging stations (69.1%), followed by the central region, while the western region has the lowest density; (2) the spatial accessibility of EVCSs has a different pattern, where the central region has the highest accessibility, followed by the eastern and western regions; (3) the spatial mismatch between EVCSs and EV diffusion in the eastern region is larger than that of the other two regions, which may be attributed to the suboptimal layout of EV charging stations and the inconsistent pace between EV penetration and EV charging station construction; and (4) there is a significant spatial inequity in the accessibility of EVCSs across both all three regions and the entirety of China, with the western region exhibiting the highest inequity, followed by the central and eastern regions. Based on these findings, policy implications are drawn for different regions in China, which may aid policymakers in crafting strategic policies and subsidy programs to foster the advancement of EVCSs.

Peripheral centers: vertical politics and the geography of Chinese cross-border opium replacement in Southeast Asia’s “New Golden Triangle”

ABSTRACT China’s Opium Replacement Policy (ORP) is one of the country’s earliest cross-border development interventions in the upper Mekong region. A massive state subsidy program for “alternative” development in the northern parts of Myanmar and Laos, the ORP helped finance a wave of Chinese agribusiness investments abroad since the mid-2000s, causing significant social and ecological transformation. Yet key details about the program remain opaque. In this article, we contribute to a growing literature on the rising economic power of China’s “peripheral centers,” borderland prefectures whose role in foreign affairs has increased significantly as the country’s borders become more porous. We review state motives for establishing the ORP and use public records about the program’s activities in Myanmar and Laos to interrogate the vertical politics that structure and complicate the ORP’s implementation. The program’s public records are characterized by a mix of transparency and opacity which we analyse to show that the ORP’s increasing transparency since around 2010 has moved away from regulating impacts abroad and instead toward securing and distributing benefits for borderland business (and their interlinked political) interests in China. As borderland authorities play a growing role in China’s foreign trade, we show that the vertical politics that increasingly shape the regulatory environment have allowed the ORP to proliferate in size and influence as state oversight of its activities abroad has waned.