Black money, “white” owners, and “blue” tenants in the Bangladesh housing market

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 501-526 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.M. Solaiman

Purpose The main purpose of this paper is to critically examine the impact of black money whitening opportunity on the Bangladesh housing market and its ramifications for honest taxpayers and criminal conduct of the people in the country. Design/methodology/approach This paper relies on both primary and secondary materials and carries out an archival analysis of the resources available in libraries and online databases. Findings It demonstrates that black money whitening opportunity has failed to create additional demands for housing property, rather it encourages money laundering, corruption and other criminal activities. Hence, a set of specific recommendations have been submitted to effectively deal with the prevention of generation of black money instead of allowing them to be invested in properties with impunity. Research limitations/implications The discussions are concentrated on the legality of offering amnesty to black money holders and the impact of such indemnities on the housing market in Bangladesh; hence, it does not consider impacts on other economic sectors. It is expected that the publication of this paper will stimulate the government of Bangladesh to discontinue the disputed amnesty in Bangladesh, and other nations having similar problems with black money will be encouraged to follow suit. Practical implications It is anticipated that the implementation of the recommendations furnished in this paper will contribute to significantly decreasing money laundering, corruption and other offences involving money in Bangladesh and in other countries. Social implications Prevention of corruption and other financial crimes. Originality/value This paper represents its originality in its critical analysis of frequent offerings of the opportunity for whitening black money and their unfair impacts on honest taxpayers and resultant stimulation for engaging in money laundering, corruption and other felonies. It evidently justifies the assumption that such amnesties to wrongdoers are contrary to the national constitution, anti-corruption and anti-money laundering legislation and they wound the sense of ethical behaviour of human beings. Moreover, it proves the hypothesis that such opportunities being offered to black money holders have no positive contribution towards creating additional demands in the country’s property markets.

Author(s):  
Wahyudi Ishak ◽  
Ahmadin Ahmadin ◽  
Najamuddin Najamuddin

This study aims to determine the potential of historical attractions in Sinjai Regency, the development of historical tourism in Sinjai Regency 2008-2016, and the impact of historical tourism on the communities around the site, the government and tourists. The method used in the research and writing of this thesis is a historical research method, which includes: heuristics, source criticism, interpretation and historiography. The techniques used in data collection are observation, interview and literature study techniques. The results of this study indicate that Sinjai as a Level II Region in South Sulawesi has tourism potential that is not inferior to other regions. The Batupake Gojeng Archaeological Park, the Karampuang Indigenous Area, and the Balangnipa Fort are one of the historical tourist destinations offered by Sinjai Regency. Although the Tourism and Culture Office of Sinjai Regency was only established in 2017, activities in the tourism sector will continue to be carried out in previous years. The three historical attractions have their respective developments both in terms of facilities and infrastructure to the number of visitors. The contribution of each element in the development of the historical tourism sector in Sinjai Regency is something that needs to be improved. Based on the results of this study it can be concluded that the historical attractions in Sinjai Regency have an impact on the socio-cultural, educational and economic sectors for the local government and the people who live around the site.


Author(s):  
Amira Elnokaly ◽  
Benjamin A.J. Martin

Purpose – In October 2011 the Government brought in measures to reduce the revenue provided by the Feed in Tariff (FIT) system. This change came under a lot of opposition due to the potential affects that it would have upon the industry. The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential benefits of the FIT and the impact that the Governments Comprehensive Spending Review had upon the industry and its uptake by the householders. Design/methodology/approach – For the study and to calculate the benefits of the FIT, a predictive modelling tool was built that could calculate the potential income and savings for a household. A photovoltaic (PV) installation was then monitored for over a year and the results of the predictive modelling tool were compared to actual results produced from the system to show how accurate the modelling tool was. The impacts of the Governments comprehensive spending review and the potential impacts in the industry were then calculated and discussed. Findings – The FIT is still a good incentive for people investing in PV. However, the reduction in the FIT may impact the “Rent a Roof” system and this in turn will impact most heavily on lower income families. The research also concluded that the changes in the political agenda have had a major impact on the FIT for both the industry and the community. Thus, the solar FITs will continue to be an attractive incentive in place to pay for heating through renewable means and thus ensuring reducing the own carbon footprint. Concomitantly, well-developed ownership schemes need to be put in place. Originality/value – The reduction in the FIT was the right move by the Government as it should prevent the increase in energy bill prices which will affect the people without PV at this point in time. It also has been set so that it is still generous enough to encourage the industry and stimulate installation as there is still profit but not in a way that should put people off. The UK may just have to take time to realise that the FITs are still a good deal after the very generous tariff that preceded them.


Author(s):  
S. Haranath

The Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent national lockdown have created lots of impact on the lives and livelihoods of people living in India. The impact of Coivd-19 lockdown is very high on North Andhra Villages because many migrant workers in the urban areas are represented from North Andhra villages. This study was conducted in seven north Andhra villages to know the approaches, strategies and best practices adopted by the villages during the Covid-19 lockdown period. It is a qualitative study that adopted an exploratory research design. The purposive sampling method has been adopted and collected the data from 44 villagers through a semi-structured interview schedule. The study found that the closure of industries, schools, companies and the imposition of lockdown and regulations for controlling the spread of Covid-19 brought many problems to the Individuals, families and at large the community itself. The people in the villages were scared to come out of the house and feared that the disease might contact them. Some felt lonely. The health care professionals, the Government of Andhra Pradesh and the Government of India have continuously supported the people in India with various support services. Overall, this pandemic and the lockdown have taught a new lesson to human beings.


2014 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 653-659
Author(s):  
Gary Sams

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to summarise and analyse the new compensation provisions brought in by the government for Phase 1 of the HS2 high-speed train line. Design/methodology/approach – To summarise each of the proposals and provide a critical assessment of each of them. Findings – For the most part, and the Homeowner Payment Scheme (HPS) is a marked exception, the new HS2 compensation provisions set out a logical approach to reducing the impact of the scheme on the people most directly affected by its blighting affect. There are, however, a number of concerns as to whether there are more urgent reforms that have not been considered. Research limitations/implications – The proposals were announced in April and in respect of some of them, particularly the HPS, very little information is available as yet. Practical implications – The paper should provide factual information on a very new set of compensation provisions and a critical appraisal of their value. Originality/value – As the compensation provisions have been published only recently there will be few other similar commentaries available.


Author(s):  
_______ Naveen ◽  
_____ Priti

The Right to Information Act 2005 was passed by the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) Government with a sense of pride. It flaunted the Act as a milestone in India’s democratic journey. It is five years since the RTI was passed; the performance on the implementation frontis far from perfect. Consequently, the impact on the attitude, mindset and behaviour patterns of the public authorities and the people is not as it was expected to be. Most of the people are still not aware of their newly acquired power. Among those who are aware, a major chunk either does not know how to wield it or lacks the guts and gumption to invoke the RTI. A little more stimulation by the Government, NGOs and other enlightened and empowered citizens can augment the benefits of this Act manifold. RTI will help not only in mitigating corruption in public life but also in alleviating poverty- the two monstrous maladies of India.


2020 ◽  
Vol 132 (2) ◽  
pp. 301-305
Author(s):  
Daewook Kim

AbstractThe expression נפשות in Ezekiel 13 refers to two different meanings: (living) human beings and the spirits of the dead. The words כסתות and מספחות seem to refer to the paraphernalia involved in the women’s practice of necromancy and in the fall of the people, respectively. The expression נפשות is employed as antanaclasis to establish a conceptual connection between necromancy and ruin.


Author(s):  
Soha Abutaleb ◽  
Noha El-Bassiouny

PurposeThe paper examines three main stakeholders in the market and their roles toward achieving sustainability marketing. Those stakeholders are consumers, companies and policymakers. The current study is examining consumers’ attitudes toward sustainability marketing and their purchase intentions of sustainable products through the use of theory of planned behavior. The paper is also examining the role of companies and policymakers in encouraging consumers to consider sustainability in their purchasing decisions.Design/methodology/approachConcurrent research study is applied, where qualitative and quantitative research methods are conducted at the same time for different purposes with equal weights. Qualitative interviews were applied with fast-moving consumer goods companies and policymakers, while quantitative surveys were applied with Egyptian consumers.FindingsThe results showed that companies are taking serious and effective steps in transforming their marketing strategies into sustainable marketing ones. The government role is still limited as there are no strict laws and regulations that force companies and factories in Egypt to develop sustainability marketing strategies. Consumers’ attitudes were highly affected by firms' sustainable practices as well as subjective norms that led to influencing their intentions toward purchasing sustainable products.Originality/valueAlthough the topic of sustainability marketing is considered by a plenty of researchers in the academic discipline, there are no studies that have combined the main three stakeholders' roles in achieving sustainability marketing in one study. The study highlights the impact of government role and firms' role on consumers' attitudes and purchase intentions toward sustainable products, especially convenient products. This was done through the adoption of the theory of planned behavior.


2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Omokolade Akinsomi ◽  
Katlego Kola ◽  
Thembelihle Ndlovu ◽  
Millicent Motloung

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) on the risk and returns of listed and delisted property firms on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). The study was investigated to understand the impact of Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) property sector charter and effect of government intervention on property listed markets. Design/methodology/approach – The study examines the performance trends of the listed and delisted property firms on the JSE from January 2006 to January 2012. The data were obtained from McGregor BFA database to compute the risk and return measures of the listed and delisted property firms. The study employs a capital asset pricing model (CAPM) to derive the alpha (outperformance) and beta (risk) to examine the trend amongst the BEE and non-BEE firms, Sharpe ratio was also employed as a measurement of performance. A comparative study is employed to analyse the risks and returns between listed property firms that are BEE compliant and BEE non-compliant. Findings – Results show that there exists differences in returns and risk between BEE-compliant firms and non-BEE-compliant firms. The study shows that BEE-compliant firms have higher returns than non-BEE firms and are less risky than non-BEE firms. By establishing this relationship, this possibly affects the investor’s decision to invest in BEE firms rather than non-BBBEE firms. This study can also assist the government in strategically adjusting the policy. Research limitations/implications – This study employs a CAPM which is a single-factor model. Further study could employ a multi-factor model. Practical implications – The results of this investigation, with the effects of BEE on returns, using annualized returns, the Sharpe ratio and alpha (outperformance), results show that BEE firms perform better than non-BEE firms. These results pose several implications for investors particularly when structuring their portfolios, further study would need to examine the role of BEE on stock returns in line with other factors that affect stock returns. The results in this study have several implications for government agencies, there may be the need to monitor the effect of the BEE policies on firm returns and re-calibrate policies accordingly. Originality/value – This study investigates the performance of listed property firms on the JSE which are BEE compliant. This is the first study to investigate listed property firms which are BEE compliant.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pawan Taneja ◽  
Ameeta Jain ◽  
Mahesh Joshi ◽  
Monika Kansal

Purpose Since 2013, the Indian Companies Act Section 135 has mandated corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting by Indian central public sector enterprises (CPSEs). CSR reporting is regulated by multiple Government of India ministerial agencies, each requiring different formats and often different data. This study aims to understand the impact of these multiple regulatory bodies on CSR reporting by Indian CPSEs; evaluate the expectation gap between regulators and the regulated; and investigate the compliance burden on CPSEs. Design/methodology/approach An interview-based approach was adopted to evaluate the perspectives of both regulators and regulated CPSEs on the impact of the new regulations on CSR reporting quality. The authors use the lens of institutional theory to analyse the findings. Findings Driven by coercive institutional pressures, CPSEs are overburdened with myriad reporting requirements, which significantly negatively impact CPSEs’ financial and human resources and the quality of CSR activity and reports. It is difficult for CPSEs to assess the actual impact of their CSR activities due to overlapping with activities of the government/other institutions. The perceptions of regulators and the regulated are divergent: the regulators expect CPSEs to select more impactful CSR projects to comply with mandatory reporting requirements. Originality/value The findings of this study emphasise the need for meaningful dialogue between regulators and the regulated to reduce the expectation gap and establish a single regulatory authority that will ensure that the letter and spirit of the law are followed in practice and not just according to a tick-box approach.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Youliang Yan ◽  
Xixiong Xu

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether and how affiliation with the government-controlled business association, namely, China Federation of Industry and Commerce (CFIC), affects corporate philanthropy in an emerging market. Design/methodology/approach Through an analysis of survey data gathered from Chinese private firms, this paper conducts multiple regressions to examine the impact of the CFIC membership on corporate philanthropy. Findings Empirical results show that the CFIC membership of private entrepreneurs is significantly positively associated with corporate philanthropy. Moreover, this study finds that the provincial marketization level and the firm Communist Party branch attenuate the positive association between CFIC membership and corporate philanthropy, indicating that the effect of CFIC on corporate philanthropy is more pronounced in regions with lower marketization level and firms without Communist Party branch. The findings are robust to various alternate measures of corporate philanthropy and remain valid after controlling for potential endogeneity. Practical implications Firms will be more active in corporate philanthropy to respond to the government’s governance appeal when they join the CFIC. This highlights the implications of political connections and in particular on the value of government-controlled business associations in the Chinese business world. Originality/value This study extends the literature on the determinants of corporate philanthropy and deepens the theoretical understanding of the governance role of business association with Chinese characteristics.


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