Articles

Analyzing the Implications of the Growing Street Vendor Population in Gweru, Zimbabwe: A Risk Assessment

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This study investigates the consequences of the growing number of street vendors in Gweru, Zimbabwe, and offers a risk evaluation. The prominence of street vending can be attributed to several factors, including limited formal employment possibilities, poverty, inadequate education or skills, restricted job prospects, and exorbitant leasing expenses. The presence of restricted trading spaces also exerts a substantial influence. Although street selling is thought to have a positive effect on Zimbabwe’s economy, it is recognized that there are possible adverse consequences, such as noise pollution and overcrowding in public areas. Street selling is accompanied with several risks, such as concerns regarding sanitation, competition with established enterprises, traffic congestion, and potential safety dangers. In order to tackle these concerns, it is imperative for policymakers and urban planners in Gweru to enact efficacious laws and regulations that guarantee the establishment of secure, hygienic, and controlled street vending settings. It is essential to strike a balance between the requirements of various groups and to minimize any adverse effects. It is imperative to implement education and awareness initiatives aimed at promoting effective waste management practices. Gweru has the capacity to allocate specific areas for vending, enforce regulations regarding sanitation, control the quantity of traders and their operating hours, offer training and assistance to vendors, facilitate their transition into formal businesses, establish a structured market system, and engage in communication with the informal sector. This study highlights the significance of tackling the problems associated with street vending in order to promote sustainable development and enhance the quality of life for people. Efficient tactics are required to alleviate adverse consequences and foster a cohesive urban milieu.

Power Relations between Program Keluarga Harapan (PKH) Facilitators and Beneficiary Families (KPM) (Study on PKH Implementation in Malang Regency)

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Program Keluarga Harapan (PKH) is a government social assistance program that aims to reduce poverty and improve the welfare of poor families in Indonesia. The PKH program seeks to reduce this social and economic inequality by providing financial assistance based on certain conditions to beneficiary families. However, a paradox also occurred in Malang when the program budget and number of PKH recipients were from 2018 to 2021. This actually shows that PKH has not succeeded in releasing poor people from the abyss of poverty. Using the phenomenological method, this article was created to understand the business process of implementing PKH. Second, it is related to the social dynamics of PKH implementation. The author discusses how the orientation of PKH assistants as social workers is the key to supporting social and economic change for PKH Beneficiary Families (KPM). And finally, the author discusses Power Relations in the context of PKH. This discussion explains the impact of social dynamics in implementing PKH. As a result, bureaucratic and social pathology, especially in the form of corrupt behavior accompanying PKH, has become a challenge that must be overcome. Social pathology among KPM also influences the implementation of PKH. In a deeper analysis, the power relations between PKH assistants and KPM can be explained using Michel Foucault’s power relations approach, which can be correlated to understand the dynamics and interactions in PKH implementation more thoroughly.

The Influence of Technological Literacy, Education, and Employment on Poverty in Kalimantan

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Poverty is a condition in which individuals or groups lack sufficient resources to meet their basic needs. It is a fundamental issue that can affect the economic growth rate of a region. This study aims to analyze the influence of labor force absorption, percentage of computer users, telecommunications consumption, and education level on the number of poor people in the provinces of Kalimantan Island from 2018 to 2022 using panel data regression analysis. The results from the selected Fixed Effects model indicate that telecommunications consumption has a positive impact on the number of poor people, while the education level has a negative impact on the number of poor people. However, labor force absorption and the percentage of computer users do not significantly influence the number of poor people. Based on the research findings, it is hoped that the government can create an extensive telecommunications network. The expectation is that communication facilities and infrastructure will be widely available, leading to reduced telecommunications expenses for the population, allowing them to allocate their money towards daily essential needs. Additionally, adequate communication facilities are expected to aid the teaching and learning process in Kalimantan Island, as the improvement in educational quality has proven to decrease the poverty rate during the research period.

 

The Importance of MSMEs for Poverty Alleviation: A Story from Indonesia

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Objective: This study examines poverty in Indonesia from an economic approach and discusses the importance of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). It focused on the impact of these enterprises on poverty in the country.

Methodology: The analysis incorporated an autoregressive model wherein total workers in MSMEs and economic growth rate as explanatory variables. Annual time series data for the period of 2007-2019 has been used. The study also reviews the earlier empirical studies on the relationship between the growth of MSMEs and poverty alleviation in many other countries/regions. It represents the descriptive analysis of the explanatory variables and trends in poverty and MSMEs’ workforce. The poverty-reducing impact of the increase in MSMEs’ workers has been examined.

Findings: The result is significant which implies that MSMEs can play a very important role in poverty alleviation in Indonesia. The results of the study imply that a strong MSME base is required for the development of the economy and poverty alleviation in the country.

Noverlty: There are many studies regarding MSMEs in Indonesia. However, empirical research regarding the impact of the growth of employment opportunities in MSMEs on poverty levels in Indonesia is still very rare. Therefore, this research fills this gap and at the same time stimulates further research.

Government Expenditure and Poverty in East Java Province

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This study aimed to examine the effect of government spending on poverty in East Java Province. Government spending was examined in terms of spending on education, health, and social protection. The method used was a quantitative approach. Multiple regression analysis was used to test three hypotheses in the study. The population of this study is the Expenditure Realization Report by Function in the APBD of 38 districts/cities in East Java Province in 2017-2021. This study used a saturated sample so that the entire population was used as a sample, amounting to 190 data. The results showed that education expenditure affects poverty with a positive and significant direction of influence. Health expenditure affects poverty, although with a negative direction of influence. Social protection expenditure affects poverty, although with a negative direction of influence. This study is expected to contribute to the government in allocating government spending so that it is following priorities and is right on target for people who are more in need.

Burden of Income Tax and Health Care Inequalities in India- An Empirical Analysis

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Aim: The aim of this study is to evaluate the burden of income tax and health care inequalities in India.

Materials and Method: The data retrieved from various electronic databases such as Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, Cochrane library and other sources regarding individual income tax, allocation of GDP for health sector and the out-of-pocket expenditure of the public for the health sector among top ten GDP countries. The data were analyzed using descriptive analysis.

Results: Though India ranks the fifth place in GDP, it spends only 1.4% of GDP on the health sector, which was very low when compared to top GDP countries, so the public spends more out of pocket for the health sector (67.78%), which forcibly pushes them into poverty.

Conclusion: The Government should make more effort and should allot more amount of GDP for the health sector in future for the beneficiaries of people.

Self-Employment and Poverty in Morocco: The Case of the Informal Sector

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Among the most important sectors where self-employment is expanding are the agricultural, industrial and service sectors. Support programs to accompany self-initiative and enable the integration of the informal sector include : the “Moukawalati” program in its new version, the “Infitah” program, the “Imtyaz” program and the “Moussanada” program, in addition to the “Rawaj”, “Damane Express” and “Tatwir Express” programs. The possibility of obtaining financing is one of the difficulties for the self-employed and small businesses. In addition to this, there are problems related to management, equipment, supervision, support, lack of regular and rigorous accounting management, insufficient training provided (initial and continuing), problems in the use of new technologies and lack of knowledge related to planning and management. The system, the conditions of risk-taking, coupled with the numerous and slow administrative procedures, not to mention the difficulty in obtaining information, low competitiveness, and high costs of speculation.