Uganda will face lengthy battle over land acquisition

2017 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Land Rights ◽  
Constitutional Reform ◽  
Constitutional Amendment ◽  
Land Acquisition ◽  
Land Grabbing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Investment Projects ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Financial Losses

Significance The motion passed only after violent scenes in parliament, as opposition legislators were forcibly ejected from the chamber. The bill should now be introduced within a month, with fierce opposition likely ahead of any vote. The furore may prompt the government to re-evaluate its strategy regarding the other major constitutional amendment it has tabled on compulsory land acquisition. The government argues this amendment is necessary to avoid delays and financial losses related to acquisition of land for infrastructure and investment projects, but opponents fear it will undermine Ugandans’ land rights and facilitate land-grabbing by government insiders. Impacts Constitutional reform controversies will erode NRM support in the 2021 elections. Relations with the Buganda Kingdom may deteriorate once more. Faster movement on infrastructure projects will come at the cost of potentially violent confrontations over land.

The cost-effectiveness of insulin analogs and regular insulin for diabetes control: a case study in Iran

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (4/5) ◽  
pp. 323-331
Author(s):  
Mohsen pakdaman ◽  
Raheleh akbari ◽  
Hamid reza Dehghan ◽  
Asra Asgharzadeh ◽  
Mahdieh Namayandeh
Keyword(s):  
Cost Effectiveness ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Regular Insulin ◽  
Diabetes Control ◽  
Diabetic Patients ◽  
Insulin Analogs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Patients With Diabetes ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Cost

PurposeFor years, traditional techniques have been used for diabetes treatment. There are two major types of insulin: insulin analogs and regular insulin. Insulin analogs are similar to regular insulin and lead to changes in pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties. The purpose of the present research was to determine the cost-effectiveness of insulin analogs versus regular insulin for diabetes control in Yazd Diabetes Center in 2017.Design/methodology/approachIn this descriptive–analytical research, the cost-effectiveness index was used to compare insulin analogs and regular insulin (pen/vial) for treatment of diabetes. Data were analyzed in the TreeAge Software and a decision tree was constructed. A 10% discount rate was used for ICER sensitivity analysis. Cost-effectiveness was examined from a provider's perspective.FindingsQALY was calculated to be 0.2 for diabetic patients using insulin analogs and 0.05 for those using regular insulin. The average cost was $3.228 for analog users and $1.826 for regular insulin users. An ICER of $0.093506/QALY was obtained. The present findings suggest that insulin analogs are more cost-effective than regular insulin.Originality/valueThis study was conducted using a cost-effectiveness analysis to evaluate insulin analogs versus regular insulin in controlling diabetes. The results of study are helpful to the government to allocate more resources to apply the cost-effective method of the treatment and to protect patients with diabetes from the high cost of treatment.

Consumers’ WTP for certified traceable tea in China

2015 ◽  
Vol 117 (5) ◽  
pp. 1440-1452 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaolin Liu ◽  
Lingling Xu ◽  
Dian Zhu ◽  
Linhai Wu
Keyword(s):  
Developed Countries ◽  
Price Premium ◽  
Chinese Government ◽  
Payment Card ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Traceability System ◽  
Consumer Organizations ◽  
The Government ◽  
Premium Income ◽  
The Cost

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine consumer attitudes toward and willingness to pay (WTP) for traceability of tea in China. Design/methodology/approach – The authors used the payment card method to elicit WTP for certified traceable tea and logistic regression model to analyze the factors that affected consumers’ WTP. Findings – The results revealed that most consumers in China were concerned over tea safety; however, their WTP for certified traceable tea was limited. Only income and the degree of concern over tea safety affected the consumer’s WTP for certified traceable tea greatly. When it came to consumers’ WTP a positive price premium, income level, education, and attitude toward traceability of tea significantly influenced the actual premium consumers were willing to pay. Practical implications – The Chinese government and tea producers should pay attention when implementing tea traceability system. First, raising the consumers’ income contributes to the premiums that consumers are willing to pay for certified traceable tea. Second, social groups, consumer organizations and tea producers should popularize knowledge of tea traceability. Third, given the low price premiums that consumers are willing to pay, the establishment of viable traceability of tea in China requires the producers and the government to bear some of the cost associated with the implementation of this system. Originality/value – In past studies on WTP for certified traceable food, the study is focussed on meat in developed countries, and the research has expanded range of study, by conducting a survey in China to determine consumers’ WTP for certified traceable tea, and by empirically examining the main factors that influence the willingness of consumers to pay a price premium for certified traceable tea, as well as the premium that these consumers are willing to pay.

scholarly journals The hierarchy of public project governance frameworks

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 174-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gro Holst Volden ◽  
Bjorn Andersen
Keyword(s):  
Portfolio Management ◽  
Qualitative Assessment ◽  
Public Project ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Investment Projects ◽  
Project Governance ◽  
Internal Focus ◽  
Management Literature ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study public project governance frameworks in various ministries and agencies in Norway, following the introduction of such a framework on the topmost level (i.e. the cabinet) which applies to the very largest projects. Design/methodology/approach The study is methodologically designed as a qualitative assessment of project governance frameworks that apply to state-funded investment projects in selected sectors, based on data gathered through document reviews and interviews. Findings The study finds that all of the agencies have introduced their own project governance frameworks, which are basically consistent with the recommendations from the project management literature and with the cabinet’s overall requirements in Norway. By contrast, only one ministry has taken a formalized role as a project owner. Governance tasks thus seem to be extensively delegated to the subordinate agencies. This even includes strategic tasks such as project selection and portfolio management, and implies there is a risk that public project governance has a narrow and internal focus. Originality/value The paper is a first step toward a better understanding of public project governance as a hierarchical system and the relationship between project owners on three levels, the cabinet, the sectoral ministry, and the government agency.

Skin lands in Ghana and application of blockchain technology for acquisition and title registration

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 147-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kwabena Mintah ◽  
Kingsley Tetteh Baako ◽  
Godwin Kavaarpuo ◽  
Gideon Kwame Otchere
Keyword(s):  
Current System ◽  
Land Acquisition ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Record Keeping ◽  
Blockchain Technology ◽  
Title Registration ◽  
The Government ◽  
Customary Land ◽  
Ownership Of Land ◽  
Land Transactions

Purpose The land sector in Ghana, particularly skin lands acquisition and title registration are fraught with several issues including unreliable record-keeping systems and land encroachments. The paper explores the potential of blockchain application in skin lands acquisition and title registration in Ghana with the aim of developing a blockchain-enabled framework for land acquisition. The purpose of this paper is to use the framework as a tool towards solving some of the loopholes in the process that leads to numerous issues bedeviling the current system. Design/methodology/approach The paper adopts a systematic literature review approach fused with informal discussions with key informants and leverages on the researchers’ own experiences to conceptualize blockchain application in skin lands acquisition in Ghana. Findings Problems bedeviling skin lands acquisition and title registration emanated from the issuance of allocation notes, payment of kola money and use of a physical ledger to document land transactions. As a result, the developed framework was designed to respond to these issues and deal with the problems. As the proposed blockchain framework would be a public register, it was argued that information on all transactions on a specific parcel of land could be available to the public in real-time. This enhances transparency and possibly resolves the issue of encroachments and indeterminate land boundaries because stakeholders can determine rightful owners of land parcels before initiating transactions. Practical implications Practically, blockchain technology has the potential to deal with the numerous issues affecting the smooth operation of skin lands acquisition and title registration in Ghana. Once the enumerated issues are resolved, there will be certainty of title to and ownership of land and property to drive investments because lenders could more easily ascertain owners of land parcels that could be used as collateral for securing loans. Similarly, property developers and land purchasers could easily identify rightful owners for land transactions. The government would be able to identify owners for land and property taxation. Originality/value This paper contributes to the literature on blockchain and application to land acquisition and title registration with a focus on a specific customary land ownership system.

Impact of carbon permit allocation rules on incentive contracts for carbon emission reduction

Kybernetes ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 1143-1167 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qinqin Li ◽  
Yujie Xiao ◽  
Yuzhuo Qiu ◽  
Xiaoling Xu ◽  
Caichun Chai
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Emissions ◽  
Cost Sharing ◽  
Emission Reduction ◽  
Revenue Sharing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Allocation Rules ◽  
Permit Allocation ◽  
Revenue Sharing Contract ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Cost

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of carbon permit allocation rules (grandfathering mechanism and benchmarking mechanism) on incentive contracts provided by the retailer to encourage the manufacturer to invest more in reducing carbon emissions. Design/methodology/approach The authors consider a two-echelon supply chain in which the retailer offers three contracts (wholesale price contract, cost-sharing contract and revenue-sharing contract) to the manufacturer. Based on the two carbon permit allocation rules, i.e. grandfathering mechanism and benchmarking mechanism, six scenarios are examined. The optimal price and carbon emission reduction decisions and members’ equilibrium profits under six scenarios are analyzed and compared. Findings The results suggest that the revenue-sharing contract can more effectively stimulate the manufacturer to reduce carbon emissions compared to the cost-sharing contract. The cost-sharing contract can help to achieve the highest environmental performance, whereas the implementation of revenue-sharing contract can attain the highest social welfare. The benchmarking mechanism is more effective for the government to prompt the manufacturer to produce low-carbon products than the grandfathering mechanism. Although a loose carbon policy can expand the total emissions, it can improve the social welfare. Practical implications These results can provide operational insights for the retailer in how to use incentive contract to encourage the manufacturer to curb carbon emissions and offer managerial insights for the government to make policy decisions on carbon permit allocation rules. Originality/value This paper contributes to the literature regarding to firm’s carbon emissions reduction decisions under cap-and-trade policy and highlights the importance of carbon permit allocation methods in curbing carbon emissions.

Preparing a framework for two-stage target-cost arrangement formulation

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 123-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pertti Lahdenperä
Keyword(s):  
Service Provider ◽  
Development Process ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Two Stage ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Investment Projects ◽  
Second Stage ◽  
Target Cost ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Concrete Model

Purpose – Early involvement of the project team with the construction resources seems to be gaining popularity as it aims to improve the cost efficiency of a project as there is significantly more potential to influence the project solution at that point in time. The missing price during early involvement/selection and the principal-agent setting, however, tend to leave the project owner in doubt of the reasonableness of pricing when it is fixed only later after the joint design phase involving the service provider and the owner. The purpose of this paper is to find a solution for this challenge. Design/methodology/approach – A two-stage target-cost (2STC) arrangement has been proposed as the solution. In this model the service provider earns a bonus by suggesting a lower target cost than the reference set at the time of the involvement of the provider. The amount of bonus also impacts the cost over-run risk transferred to the service provider to avoid overly optimistic promises. The proposition encompassed just the basic idea, and did not really delve into actual model formulations and their functioning under practical realities. Therefore, the required work is presented here in the form of a conceptual, discursive study focusing on relevant theories and empirical findings from major investment projects. Findings – The study produces a requirement framework for the 2STC model to allow functioning models to be formulated and tested. The framework incorporates numerous requirements, constraints and a suggested path forward. For instance, while the model may not be manipulatable, it must incentivise the service provider to seek more cost-effective project solutions, be feasible also from the view of the project owner and adapt to various project risk profiles and ranges of efficiency improvements. Research limitations/implications – The study suggests more concrete model formulations to be provided under the guidance of the presented framework. Originality/value – The 2STC model is a unique concept and no comparable construct is known to exist. Besides the requirement framework, the study also strengthens the foundation of and need for the 2STC model by a thorough survey of its theoretical linkages. Accordingly, the study presented in this paper forms the second stage in the overall 2STC development process focused on benefiting project owners and the industry.

Battle to stop Ecuador re-election reform intensifies

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Oil Prices ◽  
Public Institutions ◽  
Constitutional Reform ◽  
Political Decision ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Political Situation ◽  
Election Reform ◽  
The Government ◽  
Political Decision Making

Subject The outlook for constitutional reform and presidential re-election. Significance Since the government announced its intention to revise the constitution to allow President Rafael Correa to seek re-election in 2017, the opposition has resisted the move. Various parties and coalitions have attempted to call a referendum on the issue using mechanisms in the 2008 constitution to enable greater public participation in political decision-making. The government has used its influence over public institutions to block a referendum, fearing defeat at the polls. The outcome of the conflict remains unclear six months on from when the proposal was first announced. Impacts The fragmentation of the opposition will bolster government attempts to rebuff demands for a referendum. Denying the public the opportunity to vote on constitutional reform will undermine the legitimacy of the president and government. The economic fallout from low oil prices will complicate the government's political situation and allow for opposition gains.

Political turbulence overshadows economy in Venezuela

2016 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Policy Change ◽  
Constitutional Amendment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Gold Miners ◽  
The Government

Subject The turbulent political outlook. Significance The opposition Democratic Unity Movement (MUD) has outlined a three-pronged strategy to remove President Nicolas Maduro: a recall referendum, a constitutional amendment and street protests. Meanwhile, Maduro's attempt to focus on domestic economic matters has been derailed by the disappearance and murder of 18 gold miners, with seven still missing, in Tumeremo, Bolivar state. Impacts The MUD's prioritisation of removing Maduro rules out the possibility of negotiated policy change. US policy will roil both the government and opposition. The miners' murder may escalate into national concerns over crime and impunity if not addressed effectively.

Malaysia will see more autocratic governance

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Credit Rating ◽  
Prime Minister ◽  
Content Type ◽  
International Credit ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Cost

Subject Malaysia under Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. Significance The new Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition led by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has sought to reform drastically the country’s politics. Its focus on tackling corruption has included pursuing former Prime Minister Najib Razak over the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal; Najib denies all charges against him. Impacts The government will allow global investigations into 1MDB funds to accelerate. A substantially higher debt-to-GDP ratio (80%), as per new calculations, will increase the cost of future borrowing. Economic confidence-building measures will secure Malaysia’s international credit rating. Contractual penalties may force the government to delay rather than cancel infrastructure deals with Singapore and China.

Graft scandal undermines Dominican re-election plans

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Constitutional Reform ◽  
Construction Sector ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Slow Progress ◽  
The Government ◽  
Protest Activity

Subject Anti-corruption protests. Significance Major anti-corruption marches in August underlined ongoing popular frustration with the slow progress of official investigations into the Odebrecht corruption scandal. While President Daniel Medina has pledged to investigate all wrongdoing and bring culprits to justice, few formal prosecutions have yet been launched. Popular disillusionment with the government could therefore threaten Medina’s plans for a constitutional reform to permit unlimited presidential re-election. Impacts Marcha Verde is likely to step up its protest activity as pre-campaigning begins for the 2020 elections. Ongoing political noise about corruption could deter some investment, particularly in the construction sector. US relations may suffer due to the OFAC action against Bautista, and the cutting of diplomatic ties with Taiwan.

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