The well-being of society can be realized through meeting basic needs, one of which is providing public infrastructure. This study examines the role of Natural Resource Revenue Sharing Funds (DBH SDA) on government investment in infrastructure in 491 regencies/cities in Indonesia. The testing in this research uses panel data regression analysis. The results show that per capita DBH SDA in Indonesia during the study period of 2010–2012 has a significant and positive influence on government investment in infrastructure. The selection of this period is based on the consideration that a resources boom has occurred, where there is an increased global demand for natural resource commodities followed by an increase in commodity prices, thereby positively impacting revenue for countries or regions abundant in natural resources. Despite DBH SDA having a significant and positive influence, regional spending on infrastructure tends to be more influenced by central government transfers such as General Allocation Fund (DAU), Special Allocation Fund (DAK), and Local Own-source Revenue (PAD). It was found that government investment in infrastructure tends to be influenced by transfer funds, indicating that the role of the central government remains significant in determining the infrastructure expenditure of regencies/cities in Indonesia.

Background: People who are financially literate are able to make sound decisions regarding their money since they have a firm grasp of the fundamentals of money and financial products. The significance of financial literacy has been acknowledged by numerous nations, prompting the formation of task teams to assess their populations and develop educational and outreach programs. The requirement to make educated decisions about ever-increasing financial goods necessitates a higher level of financial literacy. Aim: Being able to make sense of one’s personal financial situation is becoming an increasingly valuable skill in today’s world. One of the most essential components for making sure and successful decisions is having a good grip on one’s financial status. By contrast, financial literacy refers to an individual’s level of knowledge and awareness regarding financial matters, whereas investors’ decision-making is characterised by their understanding, prediction, investigation, and assessment of the various stages and transactions involved in making an investment decision. Risk, a decision-making framework and process, and investing itself are all components of investing. Method: Researchers will conduct a cross-sectional survey of Saudi Arabian investors. We used a structured questionnaire to gather data. Using “Cronbach’s a and confirmatory factors” analysis, we checked whether the data is reliable. The links between financial literacy and investment decisions was demonstrated using structural equation modeling (SEM) in IBM-SPSS and SmartPLS. Purpose: The purpose of this research is to look at how the investment choices of Saudi Arabians are correlated with their degree of financial literacy. Consequently, research on the connection between financial literacy, knowledge, behaviour, and investment choices is lacking. Researchers on this subject have already acknowledged the problem’s importance and intended to devote substantial time and energy to solving it. Findings: The study concluded that there was a significant relationship between financial literacy and financial knowledge with respect of investment decision of investors. Similarly, there was a significant relationship between financial behaviour and financial knowledge with respect of investment decision of investors. The discovery of the outcomes will enable regulatory authorities to aid investors in preventing financial losses by furnishing them with sufficient financial information.

Introduction/Main objectives: This study aims to test the influence of the application of the concept of value for money on regional government financial management at the quality level of regional development, which is determined by the level of foreign and domestic investment in local governments. Background problems: State the problem or economic/business phenomena studied in this paper and specify the research question(s) in one sentence. Novelty: This study has a research model that has yet to be widely carried out in Indonesia, namely, a moderated model regression analysis of the value concept for money on the quality of regional development with investment as a moderating variable. Research methods: This study uses data on financial performance, domestic and foreign investment levels, and human development index of 34 provincial governments from 2017 to 2021. This research data comes from the website of the Directorate General of Fiscal Balance, Ministry of Finance and the Central Bureau of Statistics. The data collected in this study is then analyzed using moderated regression analysis (MRA) with the SPSS ver 23.0 application. Findings/Results: The findings in the research show that the application of value for money ( economics, efficiency, and effectiveness ) from local government financial governance can influence the quality of regional development in Indonesia’s provinces in 2017–2021. In addition, the existence of foreign and domestic investment in the provincial government also strengthens the influence of value-for-money financial governance on the quality level of regional development in the provincial government. Conclusion: Based on existing research, local government financial management applies the concept that value for money needs to be increased to create optimal public services to improve the quality of human development in the regions. Regional governments are also expected to be able to encourage the level of capital investment both domestically and abroad to support the creation of development that can strengthen the quality of regional development in the regions.

This study investigates the link between debt and political alignment in international relations between the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and African nations. Using recorded roll-call votes on United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolutions, we explore whether PRC investment in sovereign debt influences the voting behaviour of loan recipient countries. We compile voting data for African countries from 2000 to 2020 to calculate an annual voting affinity score as a proxy for political alignment. Concurrently, data on Chinese public and publicly guaranteed (PPG) loans to African governments are collected. A Two-Stage Least-Squares analysis is employed, using the ratio of Chinese PPG debt to GDP as an instrument to address endogeneity. Results reveal a negative impact of Chinese lending on African political support, while trade, foreign direct investment (FDI), and Chinese GDP positively influence political alignment. In high debt-risk African countries, interest rates have a negative impact, whereas loan maturity shows a positive effect. These findings suggest that Chinese loans, particularly under commercial terms, may have strained bilateral relations due to debt sustainability concerns. Nevertheless, the positive impacts of trade and FDI may enhance international relations, highlighting the limitations of China’s loan diplomacy in fostering long-term strategic alignment in Africa.

Border areas can play a crucial role in market integration and infrastructure development between Central Asian countries, thus creating favorable economic growth and regional cooperation conditions. This study aims to assess the economic impact of border areas between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, focusing on their role in enhancing market integration and infrastructure development to foster regional growth and cooperation.  Focusing on labor and capital as essential production drivers, this study employs a sophisticated panel data regression model to explore the Cobb-Douglas production function’s application in these border territories. The research findings indicate that regions’ elasticity towards capital and labor inputs vary, necessitating differentiated economic strategies. For capital-intensive areas, we recommend prioritizing investments in infrastructure and technology to boost production outputs. Conversely, in regions where labor significantly influences production, the emphasis should be on human capital development through education, training, and improved labor market conditions. The study’s insights into the evolving trade relations between the two countries underscore the need for flexible economic policies to enhance regional integration and cooperation. This research not only fills a crucial knowledge gap but also offers a blueprint for leveraging the diverse economic landscapes of Central Asia’s border areas in future policy-making and regional economic strategy.

This study is considered one of the few studies that attempted to explore the relationship between exports and foreign direct investment in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The study aims to determine the nature of the relationship between exports and foreign direct investment in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during the period between (1990–2023). Employing Ender’s methodology using cointegration and error correction model. The study also relies on data on Saudi exports and foreign direct investment inflows from the World Bank databases. The results indicate the existence of Cointegration between foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows and the Saudi exports in the period (1990–2023), as for the causal relationship between the two variables, the results showed the causal relation between exports and FDI inflows from the direction of exports only, which means that Saudi exports cause FDI inflows in Saudi Arabia, and the study recommends giving more incentives to attract foreign investors in different sector rather than oil sector, besides improving the logistical services which is vital to any investment attraction strategy.