This research analyses the effects of openness, telecommunications, and institutional nexus on economic growth in African countries using a panel model with data from 16 landlocked countries from 1996 to 2021 and employing the pooled mean group estimation technique that mitigates bias from country heterogeneity and discerning short-term and long-term equilibrium dynamics and two-step system-generalized method of moments (GMM) estimation for robustness check. The empirical findings indicate that openness exerts a significantly positive effect on economic growth in the models. This supports the neoclassical model, suggesting that being landlocked should not impede economic growth, but rather, growth should depend on opportunities available to each country. However, institutions and telecommunications show a mixed correlation with economic growth. These findings can guide landlocked developing countries in enhancing their exports and fostering skill acquisition to attract advanced technology. In conclusion, policymakers should improve macroeconomic policies, telecommunications infrastructure, and institutional structure to strengthen the sustainability of economic growth in African landlocked 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.

Working Capital Management (hereafter WCM) is the strategic tool that helps a company navigate through challenging economic growth, and influence its competitive performance. Thus, this study examines the impact of WCM on the competitiveness of firms operating in the non-financial sectors in Pakistan. We use the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) technique to ensure the robustness of our results. The study findings reveal that both a large net trade cycle and surplus working capital have a substantial negative impact on firms’ competitiveness within their respective industries. These results suggest that companies should streamline their investments in working capital accounts and concentrate more resources on long-term projects that maximize value to improve their competitiveness compared to other companies. Therefore, firms that are effectively managing their short-term financial affairs are experiencing much better performance in all aspects of firm performance. The research findings highlight the urgent need for governmental initiatives designed to improve WCM practices in these industries. It is imperative for the management of  companies with excess net working capital to maximize their working capital efficiency, aligning it with industry standards to enhance competitiveness. Moreover, policymakers should prioritize easing access to financial alternatives that allow enterprises to maintain an efficient working capital structure without relying on excessive measures. Furthermore, policymakers should be cautious when determining minimum cash balance requirements in a cash-strapped economy where external financing is relatively more expensive than in other regional economies.

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.

Bali is the most famous tourist destination in the world, and this popularity has led to a significant rise in the island’s economy. The rise in income has also driven an increase in demand for infrastructure. Moreover, the Bali regional competitiveness index, in the infrastructure pillar, shows a lower figure compared to the national level. So that the Bali Provincial Government focuses on building an infrastructure strategy. This research uses the Input-Output Table (IOT) model, namely the 2016 Bali Province IOT which will be released in 2021. This analysis was chosen because IOT assumes that one sector can be an input for other sectors, in terms of this this is the construction sector. With investment in strategic and monumental infrastructure marking the New Era of Bali, it will result in additional Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) of IDR 18.7 trillion, or in other words Bali’s GRDP will increase by 9.71% from the condition of no investment. This shows that infrastructure development is able to boost Bali’s economy. Further research is needed to be able to qualitatively analyze development infrastructure strategies in Bali. Remembering that a qualitative approach is also important to be able to analyze in depth.

The increase in world carbon emissions is always in line with national economic growth programs, which create negative environmental externalities. To understand the effectiveness of related factors in mitigating CO₂ emissions, this study investigates the intricate relationship among macro-pillars such as economic growth, foreign investment, trade and finance, energy, and renewable energy with CO₂ emissions of the high gross domestic product economies in East Asia Pacific, such as China, Japan, Korea, Australia and Indonesia (EAP-5). Through the application of the Vector Error Correction Model (VECM), this research reveals the long-term equilibrium and short-term dynamics between CO₂ emissions and selected factors from 1991 to 2020. The long-term cointegration vector test results show that economic growth and foreign investment contribute to carbon reduction. Meanwhile, the short-term Granger causality test shows that economic growth has a two-way causality towards carbon emissions, while energy consumption and renewable energy consumption have a one-way causality towards carbon emissions. In contrast, the variables trade, foreign direct investment, and domestic credit to the private sector do not have two-way causality towards CO₂ emissions. The findings reveal that economic growth and foreign investment play significant roles in carbon reduction, which are observed in long-term causality relationships, while energy consumption and renewable energy are notable factors. Thus, the study offers implications for mitigating environmental concerns on national economic growth agendas by scrutinizing and examining the efficacy of related factors.