This paper provides a concise historical analysis of the political economy of privatization in Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia from the 1980s to 2007, a period that witnessed the emergence of privatization as a primary policy tool to reform the public sector. The paper examines the influence of political history, macroeconomic considerations, and International Development Agencies (IDAs) on the early privatization processes in these North African countries. Despite shared developmental trajectories, internal and external factors had a significant impact on the outcomes of economic liberalization. The paper aims to answer the following key questions: What were the underlying political-economic factors driving privatization, and how successful was it in achieving the promised economic growth? Through a focused analysis of each country’s contextual factors, privatization processes, and outcomes, the paper contributes valuable insights into the nuanced dynamics shaping privatization in developing countries.

The consensus is that price stability promotes sustainable economic growth while excessive inflation harms growth. This study assesses the linkage between inflation and economic growth in South Africa to determine the optimal inflation rate threshold for the sustainable growth of the economy. Quarterly data from 1995 to 2022 was analysed through the ARDL and threshold regressions. The ARDL and threshold regressions estimate established a relationship between inflation and economic growth and computed the optimal inflation rate threshold for economic growth at 6 percent. The results also established that both the repo rate (repurchase rate) and real effective exchange rate have a negative relationship with economic growth. The Toda-Yamamoto causality test result indicated a unidirectional causality runs from inflation to economic growth. These results are crucial for the South African Reserve Bank to discharge its monetary policy functions to attain and maintain price stability. Therefore, this study offers the Bank a roadmap for targeting an inflation rate that aligns with the nation’s long-term objectives for sustainable economic growth.

Earnings disparities in South Africa, and specifically the Eastern Cape region are influenced by a complex interplay of historical, socio-economic, and demographic factors. Despite significant progress since the end of apartheid, persistent disparities in earnings continue to raise questions about the effectiveness of policies aimed at reducing inequality and promoting equitable social system. Individual-level dataset from the 2021 South African general household survey were subjected to exploratory analysis, while Heckman selection model was used to investigate the determinants of earnings disparities in the study area. The results showed that majority of the population are not working for a wage, commission or salary, which also pointed to the gravity of unemployment situation in the area of study. Most of the working population (both male and female) are lowest earners (R ≤ 10,000), and this also cuts across all age-group categories. Majority of working population have no formal education, are drop out, or have less than grade-12 certificate, and very few working populations with higher education status were found in the moderate and relatively high earnings categories. While many of the working population are engaged in the informal sector, those in the formal sector are in the lowest earners group. Compared to any other race, the Black African group constituted the majority of non-wage earners, and most in this group were found in the lowest earners group. Some of the working population who were beneficiaries of social grants and medical aids scheme were found in the lowest, low, and moderate earnings categories. The findings significantly isolated the earnings-effect of age, marital status, gender, race, education, geographic indicators, employment sector, and index of health conditions and disabilities. The study recommends interventions addressing racial, gender, and geographic wage gaps, while also emphasizing the importance of equitable access to education, health infrastructure, and skills development.

Our study evaluated the effect of vanadium (V) on the behavior of Zinnia elegans “double variegated”. In this experiment, Zinnia plants grown in a greenhouse were fed with a nutrient solution and two concentrations of vanadium (0, 6, and 10 μm) applied four times during the experiment. The V at its levels of 6 µm and 10 µm increased plant length, number of inflorescences and fresh weight. We observed that during the development and appearance of flower buds, and flowering were earlier with the addition of 6 µm and 10 µm. During harvest the changes in size and shape were homogeneous with the control treatment. With the addition of 6 µm, flowers of different sizes were induced, with non-uniform petals, but with different shades of color. With 10 µm the shape of the petals, the distance between them and changes in the shades of the flowers were modified. The postharvest life for the flowers of the control treatment was shorter (15 days), the petals, anthers and floral disc at this time were observed in a poor condition. While 6 µm and 10 µm had a longer postharvest life (20 days), the flowers had a good presentation, their colors were more intense compared to the harvest stage. The application of this beneficial element contributed to the development and flowering of Zinnia in the greenhouse. It is suggested that future research be carried out on the accumulation and/or concentration of vanadium in the different stages of growth or its effect on the concentration of other nutrients.

It has long been acknowledged that interpersonal trust is the foundation of business partnerships. Interpersonal trust is frequently required in circumstances involving interdependence among parties, wherein each party is cognizant of the other’s vulnerabilities, the potential consequences of their actions, and the favorable anticipations of others. This study aims to examine and understand the impact of the development of interpersonal trust on the long-term sustainability of the Gayo Aceh coffee business, which has been operational since 1908. The unit of analysis in this study is the stakeholders of the Gayo Aceh coffee industry, including farmers, collectors, sellers, and distributors. This study utilizes a qualitative technique, specifically employing a case study design, for both data collection and analysis. To collect data, we utilized observations and semi-structured interviews. The findings of the research indicate that the establishment of interpersonal trust among producers, collectors, sellers, and distributors has had a discernible influence on the current sustainability of the coffee industry in Aceh Gayo.

The United States, Mexico, and Canada (USMCA) seek to promote fair wages and adequate working conditions, especially in Mexico, by strengthening labor rights and freedom of association. The objective of this research is to determine the factors that influence salary levels in the Mexican Automotive Industry (MAI), through a causality analysis in the Granger sense, to generate a panorama that allows a decision-making process in the Mexican salary policy. With data from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography, the Bank of Mexico and Statista, autoregressive vector models were estimated to determine causalities in the Granger sense. It was proven that minimum wage, employed personnel, production, total sales, and exports are some causes of remuneration in the sector, with the minimum wage being the most significant. The above suggests that the salary increase involves several actors, such as the government (minimum wage), the organization (production, sales and exports) and the market (employed personnel), therefore, the design of appropriate labor policies will contribute to the dignification of salaries inside the MAI.