Optimal Pricing and Greening Strategy in a Competitive Green Supply Chain: Impact of Government Subsidy and Tax Policy

With the expanding awareness of worldwide governments to ecological issues, the idea of protecting the environment has been initiated into the supply chain. The role of government in green supply chain management has become especially significant. This paper proposes a green supply chain model with a duopoly structure, in which two manufacturers separately produce green and non-green items sold through a common retailer. The government looks for social advantages and decides subsidies for the green item and taxes for non-green items. Using a centralized and decentralized model, two cases of government interference and no government interference are analyzed with customer green preference. This study focuses on exploring the pricing strategy, greening strategy and comparing the optimal decisions in all the cases to maximize the overall profitability of the supply chain. Numerical results and sensitivity analysis illustrate how the government subsidy on green products and tax policy in non-green products can influence the profitability of supply chain members. The research finding can give valuable experiences to channel members of the supply chain to settle optimum choices with and without government interference by enhancing the green and non-green item market competition. Among the competitive duopoly structure, the centralized model makes more profit and leads to manufactured eco-friendly items.

Development of a Multi-criteria Decision Model for Nigerian Refinery Bottlenecks

Production systems are continually surrounded by bottleneck problems that limit their overall performances. The petroleum industry today faces a lot of challenges which border on production bottlenecks that tend to limit production throughput and hence output. The purpose of this study is to provide a decision support strategy for refinery operators and mangers as well as other stakeholders. The multi-criteria models used were the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and the Test of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). A 9-point saaty scale and 10-point linguistic scale questionnaires were used to elicit responses from experts in the refinery. The statistical computations with the Multi-criteria Decision Model were carried out with the aid of (AHP -OS) BPMSG software on nine criteria which are bottleneck variables which impact on refinery operations and the comparison was made by nine decision makers who are refinery experts while TOPSIS was used for alternatives selection. The result of the AHP showed the contributing weights of individual criterion with “Government Interference” ranking first, exerting a weight of 19.84%. The result also generated a normalized total matrix which is approximately one (1), consistency index of 0.09694 and a consistency ratio of 0.06685 which is within acceptable limit and finally from TOPSIS modeling, “Denationalization” with the highest value of 0.7598 was found to be closest to the ideal solution for the optimal refinery performance. This study has developed a multi-criteria decision model for selecting the best alternative for optimal performance based on inputs from experts and this provides a veritable framework that serves as a decision support strategy for policy makers and stakeholders in the operations of the refinery.

Commercialisation of water supply in Zimbabwe and its effects on the poor: A working framework

Background: Neoliberalism favours the existence of free markets with limited government interference as the best way to conduct business. A feasibility study is necessary regarding the practicality of the application of neoliberalist policies in Zimbabwe’s water sector. This is important because there has been a lack of water in urban and rural areas of Zimbabwe even before the COVID-19 era.Aim: The objective of this study was to investigate the feasibility of the commercialisation of water in Zimbabwe.Setting: The formation of the state-owned Zimbabwe National Water Authority signified a move towards the solidification of the commercialisation of the water sector in Zimbabwe, based in part on neoliberal principles.Methods: This study is a conceptual study, involving the review of various sources of literature to identify trends in the commercialisation of Zimbabwe’s water sector. This study is descriptive in nature and involves the use of secondary data gathered from various publications. This study also makes use of a case study approach.Results: The findings of this study show that the commercialisation of the water sector in Zimbabwe is practical to a certain extent; however, it needs to be performed in a way that acknowledges existing strengths and weaknesses with continuous monitoring and evaluation taking place.Conclusion: While commercialisation is a necessary tool to incentivising economic water usage and generate revenue, there is a need to ensure that those who cannot afford to pay for water in Zimbabwe are safeguarded in order to guarantee their access to basic water, which is their human right.

USING BLOCKCHAIN FOR MANAGING ZAKAT DISTRIBUTION: A JURISTIC ANALYTICAL STUDY

This research study will endeavour, in principle, to make a significant contribution to the field of zakat management. It basically aims at suggesting a unique approach that would be practical and effective in managing the zakat sector through blockchain technology. The paper additionally deals with several current challenges encountered in the adopted approaches of managing zakat in Muslim societies; including, inter alia, inefficiency, lack of transparency in terms of fund collection, managing and distribution. In the meantime, it is hoped that blockchain technology would be adoptable effectively to address such relevant problems in a transparent and immutable manner in effect. This article will basically adopt the qualitative and data collection method. Main data will be collected through articles and dissertations because related data mainly exists in the articles and thesis rather than books. This study assumes certain fiqhi (Islamic jurisprudence) issues of using blockchain for managing zakat distribution such as establishing full-possession or tamlīk (Ownership), transporting zakat funds, and transferring zakat funds directly without ruler or government interference. The findings of this paper indicate that providing a novel method, which would contribute to reducing routine procedures and playing an effective role to put an end to the administrative and financial inefficiencies that have paralysed zakat institutions. The main significant aspect of this research will be establishing an active Technological Department for the purpose of serving charitable projects and reconstructing the trust between groups managing zakat and donors.

Reliability of Regulating Artificial Intelligence to Restrain Cartelization: A Libertarian Approach

Competition is building block of any successful economy, while a cartelized economy is against the common good of society. Nowadays, developing artificial intelligence (AI) and its plausibility to foster cartels persuade governments to revitalize their interference in the market and implement new regulations to tackle AI implications. In this sense, as pooling of technologies might enable cartels to impose high prices and violate consumers’ rights, it should be restricted. By contrast, in the libertarian approach, cartels’ impacts are defined by government interference in the market. Accordingly, it is irrational to rely on a monopolized power called government to equilibrate a cartelized market. This article discusses that AI is a part of the market process that should be respected, and a restrictive or protective approach such as the U.S. government Executive Order 13859 is not in line with libertarian thought and can be a ladder to escalate the cartelistic behaviors.

Constructing Markets for Solar Energy—A Review of Literature about Market Barriers and Government Responses

A global conversion of energy production and consumption into renewable alternatives is required if climate targets are to be met. Solar photovoltaic systems (PVs), which convert sunlight into electricity, are an energy source that is receiving increasing attention. However, PVs are not competitive on the energy market and have therefore been dependent on governmental support through market interventions since their introduction. The aim of this paper is to find out what overall conclusions may be drawn after 40 years of experience in trying to establish the PV technology on the market through market interventions. In order to answer that aim, a systematic literature review of peer-reviewed studies on PV technology and market interventions from 1979 to 2019 is presented. The review clearly indicates that market barriers and interventions show great similarities over time and the technology is still dependent on government interference. The need for interventions does not look to decrease in the near future. The review also shows that market constructions by governments are short term in character. A conclusion drawn is that governments may sustain market interventions until nondesirable sources of energy are phased out.

Policies Conducted to Support Maritime Safety and Security in Sea Transportation Systems

Transportation in the era of globalization vital. Public transportation generally includes trains and buses, but also airline services, ferry ports, and taxis. The existence of good public transportation greatly affects the economy of a region or region. The success of economic growth in a country cannot be separated from government interference in an effort to create public transportation that is comfortable, safe, clean, and well ordered. Sea transportation in Indonesia has not been optimally developed, but has significant potential. Therefore, safety and security are key factors that must be considered as a basis and benchmark for decision makers. The safety and security system of marine transportation in Indonesia is not yet running optimally, accidents still often occur both due to natural and human factors. The main cause of marine accidents is due to the ferries exceeding their loading capacities. Government policies in the maritime sector, both the fishing industry and the shipping industry have not been consistently implemented in accordance with the prevailing laws. Keywords: Policy, Safety, Security, Maritime, Sea Transportation

On the Problem of Development of Source Base on History in Russia in the Middle of the 19th Century

The article is concerned with the government policy in the field of publication of scientific origins connected with activities of Russian Historical association in Moscow University. The government activity in scientific sphere was connected with ideology. Ministry of enlightenment tried to prohibit publication of ‘harmful’ books. The author concludes that government interference into scientific affairs could not be unlimited. Russian university scientists protested against administrative influence into development of science and publication of historical sources.

Book Review: "Escaping Paternalism"

In Escaping Paternalism, Mario J. Rizzo and Glen Whitman offer a response to Thaler and Sunstein’s argument for government interference with people's choices. Though the book is dense and difficult, it is far and away the best discussion of behavioral economics. The authors do not claim to have proved that behavioral economists err in asserting that people choose irrationally. Their claim is that irrationality has not been proven to exist. In other words, we in fact know much less about the prevalence of irrational choice than some behavioral economists think we do.

Current trends in agricultural cooperation in Israel

Since the establishment of the independent state of Israel, the main emphasis in the agricultural sector has been placed on the development of agricultural cooperatives, while funds have been purposefully allocated for their creation. Cooperatives have gone through signifi cant milestones in their development. The liberalization of the world economic complex off ered its own tools for the development of the Israeli economy, proclaiming the primacy of market principles, which imply a sharp reduction in government interference in the activities of the cooperative system. Today, Israel’s modern, highly effi cient cooperatives continue to dominate agriculture. The transition from a de facto monopoly in the agricultural sector with the need, on the one hand, to diversify the structure of production and management, on the other, while deepening specialization in accordance with the emerging conjuncture of the domestic and international food markets, ensured their de facto dominant position in the hierarchy of producers in the agricultural sector, in to a large extent ensuring the satisfaction of the country’s needs for food. It should be emphasized that the experience of Israel in the development of agricultural cooperation can and should, after critical consideration, be used in the form of its individual aspects in domestic practice.