Infrastructure development policies have been criticised for lacking a deliberate pro-gender and pro-informal sector orientation. Since African economies are dual enclaves, with the traditional and informal sectors female-dominated, failure to have gendered infrastructure development planning and investment exacerbates gender inequality. The paper examines the effect of the infrastructure development index, the size of the informal economy, and the level of economic development on gender inequality. The paper applies the panel autoregressive distributed lag method to data on the gender inequality index, infrastructure development index, GDP per capita, and size of the informal sector for the period 2005–2018. The sample consists of 44 African countries. The research established that the infrastructure development index, its sub-indices, GDP per capita, and the size of the informal sector are crucial dynamics that governments need to consider carefully when formulating development policies to reduce gender inequality. The research found that investment in infrastructure in general, transport infrastructure, and energy infrastructure reduces gender inequality. infrastructure development has gender inequality increasing effects in some countries and gender inequality reducing effects in others. The pattern suggests that at the continental level a Kuznets-type patten in the relationship between gender inequality and infrastructure development, gender inequality and size of informal sector, and gender inequality and GDP per capita exists. Some countries are in the region where changes in these covariates positively correlate with gender inequality, while others are in the region where further increases in the covariates reduce gender inequality.

This study aims to explore the implications of imported electrical equipment in Indonesia, analysing both short-term and long-term impacts using a quantitative approach. The research focuses on understanding how various economic factors, such as domestic production, international pricing, national income, and exchange rates, influence the country’s import dynamics in the electrical equipment sector. Employing an Error Correction Model (ECM) for regression analysis, the study utilises time-series data from 2007 to 2021 to delve into the complex interplay of these variables. The methodology involves a comprehensive analysis using the Augmented Dickey-Fuller and Phillips-Perron tests to assess the stationarity of the data. This approach ensures the robustness of the ECM, which is employed to analyse the short-term and long-term effects of the identified variables on electrical equipment imports in Indonesia. The results reveal significant relationships between these economic factors and import levels. In the short term, imports are shown to be sensitive to changes in domestic economic conditions and international market prices, while in the long term, the country’s economic growth, reflected through GDP, emerges as a significant determinant. The findings suggest that Indonesia’s electrical equipment import policies must adapt highly to domestic and international economic changes. In the short term, a responsive approach is required to manage the immediate impacts of market fluctuations. The study highlights the importance of aligning import strategies with broader economic growth and environmental sustainability goals for long-term sustainability. Policymakers are advised to focus on enhancing domestic production capabilities, reducing import dependency, and ensuring that environmental considerations are integral to import policies. This study contributes to understanding import dynamics in a developing country context, offering valuable insights for policymakers and industry stakeholders in shaping strategies for economic growth and sustainability in the electrical equipment sector. The findings underscore the need for a balanced, data-driven approach to managing imports, aligning short-term responses with long-term strategic objectives for Indonesia’s ongoing development and industrial advancement.

In the past, Sabah has often been reported as Malaysia’s poorest state, with the recorded highest incidence of absolute poverty among all the other states. The consumption patterns of households in Sabah have been significantly impacted by such circumstances. This further draws light on the adverse impact on the broader economy, as low levels of spending may restrict demand for products and services, stifling economic growth. The understanding of households’ consumption functions based on the Permanent Income Hypothesis (PIH) will advance knowledge in identifying the key factors that influence the households’ spending decisions. Pointing out the scant number of past studies done within this very context, and focusing on the Sabah state in particular, further motivated this study, this paper aims to develop a conceptual framework that can estimate and examine the households’ consumption functions in Sabah. As such, the methodology of drawing upon narrative reviews from research in the past will be used in this paper to develop the conceptual framework. The result of this study built upon the framework developed will help in identifying the factors that explain the households’ consumption patterns, in particular, whether the function estimated will be consistent with the Permanent Income Hypothesis (PIH). It is hoped that the conceptual framework built will aid in providing valuable empirical insight for policymakers in designing effective policies that can uplift households that are living in poverty.

The MENA region, known for its significant oil and gas production, has been widely acknowledged for its reliance on fossil fuels. The dependence on fossil fuels has led to significant environmental pollution. Therefore, the shift towards a more environmentally friendly and enduring future is crucial. Thus, the current study tries to investigate the effect of green technology innovations on green growth in MENA region. Specifically, we examine whether the effect of green technology innovations on green growth depend on the threshold level of income. To this end, a panel threshold model is estimated for a sample of 10 MENA countries over the period 1998–2022. Our main findings show that only countries with income level beyond the threshold can benefit significantly from green technology innovations in term of green growth. Nevertheless, our findings indicate a substantial and adverse impact of green technology innovation on countries where income levels fall below the specified threshold.

The Human Development Index, which accounts for both net foreign income and the total value of goods and services generated domestically, illustrates how income becomes less significant as Gross National Income (GNI) rises by using the logarithm of income. South Africa ranks 109th out of 189 countries in the Human Development Index (HDI) within the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) economic bloc, raising long-term sustainability concerns. The study explores the relationship between economic, demography, policy indicators and human development in South Africa. South Africa’s unique status as a developing country within the BRICS economic group, alongside its lengthy history of racial discrimination, calls for a sophisticated approach to understanding Human Development. Existing research considered economic, demography, policy indicators independently; the gap of understanding their interconnection and long-term effects in the South African contexts exists. The study addresses the gap by using Autoregressive-Distributed Lag (ARDL) approach to investigate the short-term and the long-term relationship between economic, demography, policy indicators and human development in South Africa. By discovering these links, the study hopes to provide useful insights for policymakers seeking to promote sustainable human development in South Africa. The findings indicate that growth in GDP is a key factor in the HDI since it shows that there are more financial resources available for human development. By discovering these links, the study hopes to provide useful insights for policymakers seeking to promote sustainable human development in South Africa.