Islamabad’s 2019 ban on single-use plastic shopping bags aimed to reduce plastic waste, but compliance is limited. This study evaluates the effectiveness of the ban as well as other factors in curtailing plastic bag use in Islamabad. Regression modeling within a rational choice framework analyzed survey data from 406 retailers across 18 selected urban and rural markets. We found that the subjective belief that a fine was unlikely (β = −16.10; t = −3.90; p < 0.001), likely (β = −24.99; t = −4.95; p < 0.001), or very likely (β = −43.84; t = −4.07; p < 0.001) for selling bags versus very unlikely was significantly associated with lower usage. Additionally, older retailer age (β = −0.25; p < 0.001) and more education (β = −0.77; p < 0.01) were associated with lower plastic bag usage. Business registration (β = −3.94; p < 0.10) and trade membership (β = −4.04; p < 0.05) also decreased use. Rural location (zone II: β = 13.28; p < 0.001) and plastic bags stock availability (β = 16.75; p < 0.001) increased use. Awareness, viewing bags as “Good”, unlikely fines and lack of substitutes lowered use. Results provide insights to inform more effective policies for reducing plastic waste.

The Primary and secondary shadow education refers to a kind of unofficial education that exists outside the traditional mainstream primary and secondary education system in China, with both commercial and educational attributes. As the primary and secondary school stage is an important key stage for further education, existing research mainly focuses on the spatial distribution of primary and secondary school basic education facilities and non-subject training, with fewer studies targeting primary and secondary school subject tutoring shadow education. With the changes in China’s education industry and the introduction of the Double Reduction Policy, there is an urgent need to conduct in-depth research on the spatial aggregation characteristics and influencing factors of Shadow Education Enterprises for primary and secondary school students. This paper takes the main urban area of Zhengzhou City as the study area, and takes primary and secondary school Shadow Education Enterprises as the research object, and applies spatial analysis methods such as kernel density, nearest-neighbor index, and geographic detector to quantitatively analyze the spatial distribution characteristics of primary and secondary school shadow education tutoring enterprises in Zhengzhou City and the factors affecting them The results show that: 1) The overall spatial pattern of primary and secondary school tutoring Shadow Education Enterprises in the main urban area of Zhengzhou City has largely formed a core-edge structural feature that spreads from the urban center to the periphery, and presents the spatial agglomeration feature of “double nuclei many times” distributed along both sides of the Beijing-Guangzhou Line. 2) The distribution of mentoring Shadow Education Enterprises in the main urban area of Zhengzhou City in relation to provincial model primary and secondary schools is significant and there is a significant difference between the distribution around secondary schools and primary schools. 3) The spatial distribution of Shadow Education Enterprises in the main urban area of Zhengzhou City is mainly influenced by factors such as the size of the school-age population, the level of commercial development, the location of school buildings and the accessibility of transport.

This research aims to examine the intricate connection between the preservation of intangible cultural assets and the promotion of city brands, using Jingdezhen, known as the “Porcelain Capital” of China, as a case study. Through an exploratory investigation, the study highlighted two distinct yet significant issues: the recognition of Jingdezhen’s intangible cultural assets, encompassing folklore, rituals, traditional ceramic skills, and artwork, and the economic effects resulting from cultural tourism. The research delineates the obstacles encountered by Jingdezhen in relation to urbanization, industrialization, and globalization subsequent to its establishment as the principal production hub for Chinese blue and white porcelain. Additionally, it highlights the decline of traditional ceramic skills and expertise, as community members who relied on handicrafts for their livelihoods were affected by the closure of companies. Subsequently, it elucidates the potential prospects arising from cultural tourism and the consequential economic influence of this progress on the local economy and the community’s quality of life. The report delineates community engagement initiatives and collaborative partnerships with local enterprises, colleges, government agencies, and Jingdezhen communities to use the city’s abundant cultural legacy. This research provides a comprehensive overview and assessment of the most effective methods, as identified by international studies, for incorporating the safeguarding of intangible cultural assets into sustainable urban development. Concisely, the paper offers guidance to stakeholders, the local administration, and its legislators. The statement emphasizes the necessity of implementing a comprehensive policy framework in Jingdezhen to safeguard its intangible cultural heritage and promote urban development. The objective is to achieve sustainable growth by leveraging the city’s cultural assets. The results serve as a benchmark for other cities and towns to use their cultural legacy in order to establish a sustainable city brand. Additionally, they make a valuable addition to the worldwide discourse on striking a balance between cultural preservation and economic development.

In the context of globalization and integration of world markets, import operations occupy an important place in the activities of enterprises, forming a significant part of their economic processes. Effective management of these operations requires accurate and timely accounting and high-quality auditing, which becomes especially relevant in modern conditions. The study of methodological features of accounting and auditing of import operations is a relevant and timely area that helps improve the quality of financial reporting and management decisions. The purpose of the study is to analyze the problems and prospects of methodological features of accounting and audit of import operations, as well as to develop recommendations for their improvement. The study examined the main methodological approaches, existing problems and challenges, and proposed solutions aimed at increasing the efficiency and reliability of accounting and auditing in a global economy. The improvement of methodological approaches to the accounting and auditing of import operations will improve the accuracy and reliability of financial reporting, reduce the risks of non-compliance with regulatory requirements, as well as improve management decision-making and the overall financial stability of companies. The development and implementation of effective accounting and auditing methods that comply with international standards and best practices will minimize financial risks and increase the competitiveness of enterprises in the global market. A study of the problems and prospects of methodological features of accounting and auditing of import operations has revealed a number of key issues that require attention and solutions. The main challenges are the complexity and diversity of regulatory requirements, currency fluctuations, the diversity of imported goods and services, difficulties in assessing and recognizing imported goods, and the lack of qualified specialists.

The author puts forward the idea that decentralized finance doesn’t act without managerial influence. The management moves from the external circuit to the internal one, there occurs self-ruling and “self-regulation” of the financial system. This indicates the appearance of a new type of financial intermediation—a cyber-social one. The potential of using decentralized finance in post-Soviet countries are formulated the following: freeing up the time of transaction participants due to the autonomy of transactions; a superior degree of information security compared to traditional forms of financial intermediation; financial intermediation cost saving, freeing up human resources; reduction in the speed of transactions; increasing accuracy in contractual relations due to the elimination of the human factor influence; stimulating the development of new business areas expands the competitive environment; information safety due to the constant creation of a large number of backup copies. At the same time, the author identified and substantiated the risks associated with decentralized financial flows, which may have an impact on the well-being of the population of post-Soviet countries. The purpose of this study is to determine the prospects for applying decentralized finance as a growth factor in the well-being of the population in post-Soviet countries.