This research explores the intricate relationship between digitalization, economic development, and non-cash payments in the ASEAN-7 countries over a ten-year period from 2011 to 2020. Focusing on factors such as commercial bank branches, broad money, and inflation, the study employs panel data regression analysis to investigate their impact on automated teller machine (ATM) usage. The findings reveal that commercial bank branches significantly influence ATM usage, emphasizing the role of accessibility, services, and technological preferences. Broad money also shows a significant impact on ATM transactions, reflecting the interplay between fund availability and non-cash transactions. However, inflation does not exhibit a direct influence on ATM usage. The research underscores the importance of maintaining service quality and security in the banking sector to enhance digital financial inclusion. Future research opportunities include exploring diverse non-cash payment methods and extending studies to countries with significant global economic impacts. This research contributes valuable insights to policymakers aiming to enhance digital financial inclusion policies, ultimately fostering economic growth through the digital economy in the ASEAN-7 region.

This study aims to determine the extent of gender inequality in human resource development in Indonesia against Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN). This research using secondary data from various relevant sources. There are five dimensions that and are important for measuring gender equality, namely economic participation, economic opportunities, political empowerment, educational attainment, and health and welfare. The assessment was carried out on Indonesia and other countries in Southeast Asia. The results of the study show that Indonesia has the lowest gender development index (GDI) score compared to the average in ASEAN. Then, gender empowerment measure (GEM) Indonesia increased slowly. The most striking gap is in the income dimension, where men’s income far exceeds women’s income. This happens because women work less than men because women are more traditional in domestic roles in Indonesia, where women are prioritized in managing the household. However, for political indicators, there has been an increase in the number of women in parliament, but the target has not yet reached 30 percent of the total number of women in parliament. This situation shows that there is a reduction in the gender gap in the economy and politics. But the number is still too small, it is necessary to increase the equally distributed equivalent percentage (EDEP) for the Economic Participation Index, Parliamentary Representation Index and Income Index.

This paper investigates the elements affecting dividend yield in developing Southeast Asian countries—more specifically, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore. Examined here are the roles of financial information including debt to equity ratio, free cashflows, property, plant, and equipment (PPE) and total sales with controlling factors of size, institutional ownership, and firm age using both short-run and long-run analytical frameworks including the Error Correction Model and Engle and Granger’s approach. The results reveal different trends in the three nations. Higher debt and free cashflows lower dividend yield in Thailand; institutional shareholders benefit from maintaining greater dividend payouts. Aging companies in Malaysia are more likely to pay more dividends while rising revenues are linked to smaller short-term payouts. Leveraged and asset-heavy companies are more likely to keep paying dividends in Singapore. These discoveries have important ramifications for investors and business management trying to maximize dividend policies and improve shareholder value in developing economies.

This article investigates how green logistics influences Vietnam’s trade balance with Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries. By using the gravity model, the article applies fixed effects (FEM) and random effects (REM) to analyze panel data on trade balance, GDP, population, trade openness, and the green logistics index of Vietnam with ASEAN countries from 2012 to 2018. The research findings indicate that green logistics has not significantly affected Vietnam’s export trade balance with ASEAN countries. The article suggests solutions for the Vietnamese government and export businesses to enhance Vietnam’s trade balance with ASEAN countries by integrating green logistics activities. By following these recommendations, Vietnam can ensure that international trade aligns with environmental conservation, laying the groundwork for sustainable and inclusive economic development in Vietnam.

This study investigates the influence of government expenditure on the economic growth of the ASEAN-5 countries from 2000 to 2021. The study employs the Pooled Mean Group (PMG) ARDL model and robust least squares method. The importance of the current study lies in its analysis of the short and long-run impact of government expenditure on economic growth in ASEAN-5. The empirical findings demonstrate a positive relationship between government expenditure and economic growth in the long run. These results align with the Keynesian perspective, asserting that government expenditure stimulates economic growth. The study also confirms one-way causality from government expenditure to economic growth, supporting the Keynesian hypothesis. These insights hold significance for policymakers in the ASEAN-5, highlighting the necessity for policies promoting the effective allocation of productive government expenditure. Moreover, it is important to enhance systems that promote economic growth and efficiently allocated economic resources toward productive expenditures while also maintaining effective governance over such expenditures.

This study examines how economic freedom and competition affect bank stability. We use data from 70 ASEAN-4 banks from 2007 to 2019 using the system generalized technique of moments. Results corroborate competition-fragility hypothesis. Market strength (or less competition) can boost bank stability. However, in the ASEAN-4 area, competition and bank stability have a non-linear relationship, suggesting that bank stability may decline after market strength exceeds a threshold. Financial and economic freedom also boosts bank stability. This implies banks in free financial and economic contexts are more stable. Banks with more market dominance in nations with more economic or financial autonomy may also be more unstable. The findings suggest that authorities should allow some competition and economic flexibility to keep banks stable. The study examined ASEAN-4 economic freedom’s effects empirically for the first time. It illuminates competitiveness and bank stability.