Economic growth without welfare. The case of the impact of commodities on the Colombian economy

ABSTRACT Economic growth is not always related to social welfare. Therefore, this paper takes the case of the Colombian economy that has a strong dependence on commodity exploitation to identify the impacts of different commodities such as oil, coffee, coal, and nickel over economic variables. The results show that the increase in prices of commodities generates significant impacts on economic activity in variables such as GDP and investment. Also, there are no significant impacts on variables that provide welfare to individuals as total consumption or the unemployment rate.

Modeling of Wages and Prices Behavior: System Dynamic Approach

The economies of almost every country in the whole word have been suffered from coronavirus pandemic consequences. The damage was especially hard for labor markets. The large magnitude of demand and production shocks that was caused by COVID-19 significantly disturbed the dynamics of output, wages and prices. The research problem addressed in this paper focuses on dynamic properties of wages and prices behavior influenced by shocks with different magnitudes and types. We apply a system dynamic approach to conduct the simulations of economic variables and investigate the possibility of their convergence to some stable path. We examine the impact of demand and production shocks on the output and prices as well as on wage and inflation behavior. It is proved that values of models parameters are crucial for existing of new steady state and convergence of economic variables. The paper determines the bifurcation points that separate different modes of transition period in moving towards or away from equilibrium. The research includes the investigation of the impact of economy’s original state and emphasizes the importance of initial point of the system for the next its dynamics after shock. The research results derived in the paper serves as a useful learning tool to develop a discussion of the policy design issues related to reduction of negative impact of severe and unanticipated disturbance like COVID-19.

Measuring the impact of some economic variables on private investment (Iraq case study)

The topic of the study was chosen based on the importance of investment in general and private investment in particular, and the research started from the hypothesis that there are some macroeconomic variables that have a significant impact on private investment in Iraq, which caused a decrease in the role of the private sector in the economy, For the purpose of proving the hypothesis, the research was divided into two topics, as the first section dealt with the theoretical framework of private investment and its relationship to some economic variables such as inflation, unemployment and gross domestic product, while the second study dealt with the standard aspect to explain the effect of these variables on private investment, and the research reached several conclusions, the most important of which is the proof of the significance of the regression coefficient For the independent variables on private investment through (t) test, as (t) calculated is greater than the tabular for all variables, and the (F) test indicates the statistical significance in the model that the value of (F) calculated is greater than the tabular. As for the recommendations, the most important one is to give the private sector more support, attention and care by expediting the adoption and implementation of legislation and laws that increase the participation of this sector in the economy and make investments.

Assessment of Factors Associated with Indoor Air Pollution using Multinomial Logistic Regression: A Case Study of Barbardiya Municipality

Background: Indoor air pollution (IAP) is a major risk factor of acute respiratory infections (ARIs). Most of the households in rural Nepal still depend upon biomass fuel. Associations between socio-economic variables and IAP can be captured using different statistical models. Objectives: The objective of the study was to determine association between IAP condition with socio-economic and demographic factors across the households of Barbardiya municipality, Bardiya, Nepal. Material and Methods: Based upon the primary data of 370 households, association between IAP condition (high, moderate, low) with socio-economic and demographic variables (Ethnicity, education level, income, family size, land size etc.) were established using multinomial logistic regression model. Results: Descriptive analysis revealed that almost 21% of the households were exposed to high (sever) IAP, 41% to low and rest (38%) were moderate. Fitted model predicted that the odds ratio of socio-economic variables like Ethnicity: Tharu community relative to Bhramin/Chhetri community was 2.5 (95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.08 -5.78), household head’s education level: illiterate relative to literate was 8.21 (95% CI: 3.30-59.54), family’s monthly income: ≤ NRs 30000 relative to > NRs 30000 was 2.38 (95% CI: 1.10-5.16) considering high with respect to low IAP. Conclusion: Households of Tharu community have significant proportion of high and moderate levels of IAP (or household air pollution) compared to other ethnic groups. Literacy status of household head also have an association with IAP along with several other factors. Various methods can be adopted to reduce IAP which was recommended to concerned authorities.

Classifying Features Persuading the Use of Long Lasting Insecticide Treated Nets (LLINs) and Its Implications in Exterminating the Incidence of Malaria-Death in Ghana

This is a cross-sectional quantitative study purported to identify features deemed to persuade the usage of LLINs in exterminating incidences of malaria-death in Ghana. The population consisted of mothers and caregivers of children under five in Asamankese a district in the Eastern region of Ghana. Questionnaires were developed based on the profile and the set of study objectives, it sought information on socio-economic variables, knowledge level on LLINs, and influence of climatic and environmental factors on LLINs usage. Data were coded and keyed into SPSS version 20. Frequencies, percentages, means, standard deviations, graphs and tables were used to explore the data. Chi-square test was used to do further investigation. It was revealed that LLINs usage was influenced by a group of features including: background characteristics of household; socio-economic variables, environmental variables and knowledge on importance of LLINs. There was an association between LLINs usage and monthly income of caregivers (p<0.05). Furthermore, there was a significant relationship (p<0.05) between environmental features and LLINs usage. There was a relationship (p<0.05) between one’s knowledge and use of LLINs. In addition, there was a relationship between usage and the number of times per month visits were made to the hospitals for health care. Environmental factors permitted the use of LLINs, Eighty-six (86%) of the respondents who used LLINs did use it because the weather aided them. It is recommended that behavior change education be intensified in the region so that more people can accept and adopt a lifestyle that will protect them from the deadly malaria diseases. Efforts must be made by the major players in the health sector to make the net readily available in the communities at low prices to enable the ordinary Ghanaian to purchase it.

Oil Market Shocks and Financial Instability in Asian Countries

There is no commodity whose interlinkages with the macroeconomy have been studied as extensively as oil, starting with Hamilton’s (1983) seminal study. Thousands of subsequent studies have examined the relationship between oil prices and various economic variables, including the stock market. This strand of the literature began with the pioneering work of Kling (1985). Since then, other financial markets, such as banking, have also received a fair share of analysis.