scholarly journals New Malaysia, Brexit and US-China Trade War: Credit Risk to Malaysian Banks

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wooi Keong Yong ◽  
Wooi Meng Yong
Keyword(s):  
Banking Industry ◽  
Thought Experiment ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Critical Time ◽  
China Trade ◽  
Government Leadership ◽  
Internal Forces ◽  
Policy Measures ◽  
National Governments ◽  
Fiscal And Monetary Policy

A country’s economic prosperity is intimately linked to the external and internal forces that exert influences on its economy. While some of these forces may not be under the overt control of the country’s economic planners, any disruption to the economy by these forces may just tip the balance that causes financial hardship to millions of people. Certainly, national governments through fiscal and monetary policy measures may attempt to prevent such a catastrophe, but what happens if at such a critical time, the needed government leadership is suddenly not available? In such a situation, what will be the most appropriate reaction from the central bank and what is the likely effect to the country’s banking industry? While this scenario might sound like an interesting thought experiment in a banking classroom, a similar situation is in fact unfolding in real life at this very moment in Malaysia.

Possibilities of Using Waste after Pressing Oil from Oilseeds for Energy Purposes

2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Magdalena Kachel-Jakubowska ◽  
Artur Kraszkiewicz ◽  
Marta Krajewska
Keyword(s):  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Calorific Value ◽  
Commodity Markets ◽  
Solid Biofuels ◽  
Food Market ◽  
Good Energy ◽  
Policy Measures ◽  
Environmental Goals ◽  
National Governments ◽  
Global Food

AbstractCurrently, many countries are establishing goals for substituting fossil fuels with biomass. This global trade in solid biofuels, which is to some extent already taking place, will have a major impact not only on other commodity markets like vegetable oils or animal fodder but also on the global land use change and on environmental impacts. It demonstrates the strong but complex link between biofuels production and the global food market, it unveils policy measures as the main drivers for production and use of biofuels and it analyzes various sustainability indicators and certification schemes for biofuels with respect to minimizing the adverse effects of biofuels. Biomass is seen as a very promising option for fulfilling the environmental goals defined by the European Commission as well as various national governments. We have measured selected physicochemical properties of several the most common oilseeds and the residue materials in the form of cakes, moisture, fat, heat of combustion, the calorific value and ash content. The results showed that the considered plants and waste derived therefrom can be a good energy source. Examples include sunflower oilcake, sesame, pumpkin and rapeseed cake, for which the calorific value amounted to respectively: 28.17; 27.77; 26.42 and 21.69 MJ·kg−1.

(Not) Proving the Public Good: Scientific Evidence and the Margin of Appreciation

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 240-262
Author(s):  
Ciarán Burke ◽  
Alexandra Molitorisová
Keyword(s):  
Public Good ◽  
Policy Making ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Legal Cases ◽  
The Public ◽  
European Court ◽  
Margin Of Appreciation ◽  
Policy Measures ◽  
National Governments

Abstract The article offers a critical look at the complex relationship between the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) and policy-supportive (scientific) evidence. In particular, due to now commonplace, evidence-based policy-making of national governments, the Court is effectively supplemented with various statistics and studies and tasked with reviewing policy measures aiming to improve the public good. This article investigates the ECtHR’s use and interpretation of policy-supportive evidence in the proportionality analysis, and how this affects the margin of appreciation. The recent case of Dubská and Krejzová concerning the ban on home births, which the article explores in detail, is illustrative in this regard. Although the Court appears to review scientific evidence substantively, an increased proliferation of statistics and studies may bring about controversy in relation to legal cases, without having a conclusive impact upon the outcome of a dispute.

scholarly journals TACKLING ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN THE INFORMAL SECTOR: AN OVERVIEW OF THE POLICY OPTIONS, APPROACHES AND MEASURES

2015 ◽  
Vol 20 (01) ◽  
pp. 1550006 ◽  
Author(s):  
COLIN C. WILLIAMS
Keyword(s):  
Informal Economy ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Policy Options ◽  
Viable Option ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Comprehensive Review ◽  
Policy Measures ◽  
Responsive Regulation ◽  
Informal Entrepreneurship ◽  
National Governments

The aim of this paper is to review the various policy options, approaches and measures that can be used to address informal entrepreneurship. To do this, it first reviews four possible policy options, namely taking no action, eradicating informal entrepreneurship, moving formal entrepreneurship into the informal economy, or transforming informal entrepreneurship into formal entrepreneurship. Revealing that transforming informal entrepreneurship into formal entrepreneurship is not only the most viable option but also the approach most commonly adopted by supra-national agencies and national governments, a review is then undertaken of how this can be achieved using either direct controls, which seek to increase the costs of informal entrepreneurship and/or the benefits of formal entrepreneurship, or indirect controls that seek to generate a commitment to compliance and greater self-regulation. It is then revealed how these approaches and their accompanying policy measures are not mutually exclusive and can be combined in various ways, exemplified by the responsive regulation and slippery slope approaches. The outcome is a comprehensive review and evaluation of the various policy options, approaches and measures available to policy makers for addressing informal entrepreneurship along with some recommendations regarding the way forward.

scholarly journals The Global Crisis and the Subsidies to Manufacturing Firms

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 41-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaya Halil Dincer ◽  
Balas Ayse Nilgun
Keyword(s):  
World Economy ◽  
Manufacturing Firms ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Global Crisis ◽  
Quality Certification ◽  
The World ◽  
Firm Type ◽  
Policy Measures ◽  
National Governments ◽  
The Impact

Abstract The 2008-2009 global crisis has severely affected the world economy. Most national governments utilized fiscal policy measures including subsidies to reinforce and sustain their economies. In this study we examine the impact of the 2008-2009 global crisis on subsidies paid to manufacturing firms either by their governments or the European Union (i.e. EU). Our results indicate that, overall, a significantly larger proportion of firms had received subsidies after the global crisis. When we look into different subgroups, we find that firm size, female ownership, female management, and quality certification did not matter (more firms in all of these subgroups had received subsidies). On the other hand, our results demonstrate that firm type and top manager’s experience level made a difference in terms of subsidies received after the crisis.

scholarly journals Capital Markets, COVID-19 and Policy Measures

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (33) ◽  
Author(s):  
Khalid ElFayoumi ◽  
Martina Hengge
Keyword(s):  
Trade Openness ◽  
Large Wave ◽  
Macroeconomic Conditions ◽  
Portfolio Flows ◽  
Policy Responses ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Policy Measures ◽  
Asset Classes ◽  
Fiscal And Monetary Policy

The COVID-19 pandemic and associated policy responses triggered a historically large wave of capital reallocation between markets and asset classes. Using high-frequency country-level data, this paper examines if and how the number of COVID cases, the stringency of the lockdown, and the fiscal and monetary policy response determined the dynamics of portfolio flows. Despite more dominant global factors, we find that these domestic factors played an important role, particularly for emerging markets and bond flows, contributing to a global wave of reallocation to safer asset classes. Our results indicate that rising domestic COVID cases had a strong positive effect on portfolio flows, which responded to an increase in financing needs in affected economies. Lockdown and fiscal policy measures also led to an increase in portfolio flows; however, evidence from the CDS market suggests that the increase in flows was dominated by supply forces, reflecting investors' preference for stronger policy responses. In contrast, we find that interest rate cuts led to a decline in portfolio flows as investors searched for higher yield. Finally, we show that COVID policy responses also affected countries' exposure to the global shock and that pre-COVID macroeconomic conditions, such as lower sovereign risk and higher trade openness, contributed to larger flows during the COVID episode.

scholarly journals Making Sanitation and Hygiene a Human Security Issue: The case of Nyamagabe District, Rwanda

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kwizera, Maurice Kwizera, Maurice ◽  
Lambert Karangwa ◽  
Jeannette Murekatete ◽  
Gilbert Rukundo Mutabaruka ◽  
Jean Paul Mbarushimana ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Security Issue ◽  
Sanitation And Hygiene ◽  
Government Leadership ◽  
Working Together ◽  
Practical Experiences ◽  
National Governments

This case study was developed to inform subsequent research and analysis of local government leadership and prioritisation of sanitation and hygiene (S&H) in East Africa. Consolidated learning from across the three countries involved can be found in the Sanitation Learning Hub (SLH) Learning Brief: Strengthening sub-national systems for area-wide sanitation and hygiene. From late 2020 to early 2021, the SLH collaborated with local government actors and development partners from three sub-national areas to explore ways of increasing local government leadership and prioritisation of S&H to drive progress towards area-wide S&H. For some time, local government leadership has been recognised as key to ensuring sustainability and scale, it is an important component of the emerging use of systems strengthening approaches in the sanitation sector. It is hoped that this work will provide practical experiences to contribute to this thinking. Three case studies were developed to capture local government and development partners’ experiences supporting sub-national governments increase their leadership and prioritisation of S&H in Siaya County (Kenya), Nyamagabe District (Rwanda), and Moyo District (Uganda), all of which have seen progress in recent years. The development partners involved were UNICEF in Kenya, WaterAid in Rwanda, and WSSCC/ Uganda Sanitation Fund in Uganda. The cases were then analysed through three online workshops facilitated with staff from the local governments, central government ministries and development partners involved to explore them in further detail, review experiences and identify levers and blockages to change. Lessons from the workshops are documented in the SLH learning brief mentioned above. This is the case study developed by Nyamagabe District and WaterAid documenting their experiences and reflections from working together to increase prioritisation of S&H in Nyamagabe District, Rwanda.

scholarly journals Understanding Learning Trajectories Is Key to Helping Adolescent Girls

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lant Pritchett ◽  
Marla Spivack
Keyword(s):  
Adolescent Girls ◽  
Critical Time ◽  
Full Potential ◽  
Learning Trajectories ◽  
Education Systems ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Leave Policy ◽  
The Uk ◽  
National Governments

There is a growing consensus among national governments and development partners about the importance of girls’ education. This is reflected in the UK government’s commitment to quality education for every girl for 12 years, and in targets for increasing girls’ schooling and learning adopted by the Group of 7 (G-7) countries at their meeting in mid-2021 (G7, 2021). The emergence of this consensus comes at a critical time. Education systems in low- and middle-income countries are facing a learning crisis, with many systems failing to equip children with the foundational skills they need to reach their full potential. Within this movement for girls’ education, much attention is focused on the unique challenges adolescent girls face, and on programmes to help girls stay in school. But designing interventions without sufficient understanding of the drivers of adolescent girls’ challenges will leave policy makers frustrated and girls unaided. To help adolescents reach their full potential, we must first understand what is undermining their progress in the first place. Understanding learning trajectories (how much children learn over time) is key to helping both today’s and tomorrow’s adolescent girls. This insight note briefly explains what learning trajectories are and then offers six analytical insights about learning trajectories that can inform education systems reforms to ensure that every girl meets her full potential.

scholarly journals The Economic Effects of COVID-19 Containment Measures

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (158) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pragyan Deb ◽  
Davide Furceri ◽  
Jonathan Ostry ◽  
Nour Tawk
Keyword(s):  
Monetary Policy ◽  
Economic Activity ◽  
Economic Effects ◽  
Economic Costs ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Absolute Value ◽  
Containment Measures ◽  
Policy Measures ◽  
Fiscal And Monetary Policy ◽  
Global Data

Containment measures are crucial to halt the spread of the 2019 COVID-19 pandemic but entail large short-term economic costs. This paper tries to quantify these effects using daily global data on real-time containment measures and indicators of economic activity such as Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) emissions, flights, energy consumption, maritime trade, and mobility indices. Results suggest that containment measures have had, on average, a very large impact on economic activity—equivalent to a loss of about 15 percent in industrial production over a 30-day period following their implementation. Using novel data on fiscal and monetary policy measures used in response to the crisis, we find that these policy measures were effective in mitigating some of these economic costs. We also find that while workplace closures and stay-at-home orders are more effective in curbing infections, they are associated with the largest economic costs. Finally, while easing of containment measures has led to a pickup in economic activity, the effect has been lower (in absolute value) than that from the tightening of measures.

scholarly journals Policy Measures for the Diaspora during the COVID-19 Crisis: The Case of Cyprus

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 13
Author(s):  
Angeliki Konstantinidou ◽  
Daniela Vintila
Keyword(s):  
Crisis Management ◽  
Traditional Approach ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Member States ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
Institutional Cooperation ◽  
Policy Measures ◽  
National Governments ◽  
The Eu

The COVID-19 pandemic constitutes an unprecedented challenge for policy-makers worldwide. The coronavirus outbreak has rapidly put into question states’ preparedness for crisis management, while also raising particular concerns on how national governments assist their citizens abroad in situation of distress. This Policy Brief tackles the issue of governmental responsiveness to the diaspora in a context of pandemic alert. In doing so, we focus on the case of Cyprus, one of the EU Member States with the largest share of citizens residing abroad. Drawing on official documents publicly released by different Cypriot authorities, we map the different initiatives adopted by the Cypriot Government in the attempt to assist its diaspora during the pandemic. Our analysis shows that, in line with its traditional approach towards non-residents citizens, Cyprus has adopted a rather pro-active stance vis-à-vis its population abroad. Since the COVID-19 outbreak, several initiatives have been put forward by ministerial actors, often via inter-institutional cooperation, aiming to mobilise resources that could meet diaspora’ needs. However, the Government’s engagement with the diaspora during this crisis has remained rather selective. Most policy measures primarily aimed to provide support to Cypriots in specific (mainly European) destination countries, while also targeting particularly vulnerable groups of individuals stuck abroad during the pandemic.

scholarly journals Between Real World and Thought Experiment: Framing Moral Decision-Making in Self-Driving Car Dilemmas

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vanessa Schäffner
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Thought Experiment ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Moral Decision ◽  
Moral Decision Making ◽  
Business World ◽  
Autonomous Cars ◽  
On The Road ◽  
Self Driving Cars ◽  
Trolley Cases

AbstractHow should driverless vehicles respond to situations of unavoidable personal harm? This paper takes up the case of self-driving cars as a prominent example of algorithmic moral decision-making, an emergent type of morality that is evolving at a high pace in a digitised business world. As its main contribution, it juxtaposes dilemma decision situations relating to ethical crash algorithms for autonomous cars to two edge cases: the case of manually driven cars facing real-life, mundane accidents, on the one hand, and the dilemmatic situation in theoretically constructed trolley cases, on the other. The paper identifies analogies and disanalogies between the three cases with regard to decision makers, decision design, and decision outcomes. The findings are discussed from the angle of three perspectives: aspects where analogies could be found, those where the case of self-driving cars has turned out to lie in between both edge cases, and those where it entirely departs from either edge case. As a main result, the paper argues that manual driving as well as trolley cases are suitable points of reference for the issue of designing ethical crash algorithms only to a limited extent. Instead, a fundamental epistemic and conceptual divergence of dilemma decision situations in the context of self-driving cars and the used edge cases is substantiated. Finally, the areas of specific need for regulation on the road to introducing autonomous cars are pointed out and related thoughts are sketched through the lens of the humanistic paradigm.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document