This study explores the impact of environmental degradation on public debt in the largest Southeast Asian (ASEAN-5) countries. Prior research has not examined environmental degradation as a possible determinant of public debt in the ASEAN region. As such, the primary objective is to examine key determinants of public debt, notably economic growth, trade openness, investment, and environmental degradation. Utilizing the Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares (FMOLS) method and data from 1996 to 2021, the study reveals a negative correlation between investment and public debt. Conversely, a positive relationship exists between economic growth, environmental degradation, and public debt levels. These findings hold significant implications for policymakers seeking to craft effective economic and environmental strategies to ensure sustainable development in the ASEAN-5 region. Stronger economic growth can drive up public debt. Importantly, the study highlights the importance of tailored approaches, considering each country’s unique fiscal and developmental characteristics. Applying the Two-Gap Model enhances the understanding of these complex dynamics in shaping public debt and its relationship with environmental factors.

Professional judgments in business valuation should be based on persuasive comparative data and conclusive empirical studies. However, these judgments are frequently made without these conditions, causing professional skepticism. An appraiser should explain in detail what was done to get the market value because valuation is the initial crucial step in the investment decision process. In socially responsible investment schemes, an appraiser has a fiduciary duty and a vital role in protecting the public from fraud and the risk of asset value destruction. Professional skepticism is essential to direct the appraiser’s judgment towards independent valuation for the public interest, assisting in evaluating the relevance and reliability of information, especially relating to social, environmental, and ethical issues. This paper studies the business valuation process from a behavioral finance perspective in the United States and Indonesia, aiming to tweak business valuation practices, identify biases, and mitigate them to ensure the market value does not shift far from fairness opinion. The case study explores experiences from the professional role-learning process. The results highlight the need for an appraisal protocol in business valuation, improvements in the discount for lack of marketability application, and these findings are pertinent to business appraisers and regulators. Recommendations include enhancing the clarity of professional judgments and the integration of recent empirical studies into practice.

Agriculture is an industry that plays an essential role in economic development towards eliminating poverty issues, but foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows to this sector remain modest in Vietnam. This study analyzed the determinants of foreign direct investment in the agricultural sector into the Southern Key Economic Zone (KEZ) of Vietnam, which is considered the foreign direct investment magnet of Vietnam, but its FDI inflows into the agricultural sector have been consistently low, and has shown a downward trend in recent years. The study was based on a sample of 129 foreign investors of a total of 164 multinational enterprises (MNEs) in the agricultural sector, including representatives of the Board of Directors and representatives at the department level. The Partial Least Squares Structural Equation modeling (PLS-SEM) approach was used to test the hypotheses. Findings indicated that FDI attraction policies have the strongest impact on FDI inflows. This was followed by infrastructure, regional agriculture policies, public service quality, natural conditions, and human resources. This study suggests policy recommendations to improve foreign direct investment inflows into the agricultural sector of the Southern Key Economic Zone (KEZ) of Vietnam.

Papua, one of the provinces in Indonesia, is recognized for its limited infrastructure and high poverty rates. This limitation undoubtedly emphasizes the government’s special attention toward augmenting foreign and domestic investments by expanding industrial sectors to absorb more labor, thereby aiming to enhance the region’s economic performance. The focus of the study seeks to assess the extent to which foreign and domestic investments, industrial employment, and the proliferation of industries in Papua contribute to increasing the Gross Development Product (GDP) and reducing poverty. By employing secondary data from 2016 to 2022 and utilizing the Regression Data Panel method, it encompasses 29 districts. The findings reveal that domestic investment, employment in the industrial sector, and the number of industries significantly influence poverty rates. However, as conclusion, foreign investment, surprisingly, demonstrates no substantial impact on economic performance. This unexpected result might be attributed to issues linked with the inadequate quality of financial performance, which doesn’t align with the available investment funds. Utilizing the analytical network process (ANP), the study outlines two primary strategies. The first involves prioritizing investment expansion by focusing on both domestic and foreign investments. The second strategy emphasizes industrial revitalization through augmenting the number of industries and enhancing labor participation in the industrial sector.

In the current context of China’s vigorous development of its high-speed rail (HSR) network to accelerate the realization of connectivity, which is the aim of the “Belt and Road” initiative, it is crucial to study how the specific opening of HSR enhances enterprise human capital investment efficiency. Using a multiple-time-point difference-in-differences (DID) regression model, we empirically study data from listed Chinese companies. An HSR opening can promote the efficiency of an enterprise’s human capital investment. We further explore the relationship between HSR and a company’s human capital investment, by considering the moderating effects of firm property rights and foreign shareholding. Our findings indicate that these factors can enhance the impact of HSR on the efficiency of firms’ investments in human capital. Finally, to ensure the reliability of our experimental findings, we employed a combination of propensity score matching and the DID methodology. The findings of this study offer empirical evidence that can inform enterprise management strategies and provide valuable insights for policymakers seeking to promote economic growth.

COVID-19 has amplified existing imbalances, institutional and financing constraints associated with a development strategy that did not take sufficient account of challenges with emissions, environmental damage and health risks associated with climate change in a number of countries, including China. The recovery from the pandemic can be combined with appropriately designed investments that take into account human, social, natural and physical capital, as well as distributional objectives, that can also address commitments under the Paris agreement. An important criterion for sustainable development is that the tax regimes at the national and sub-national levels should reflect the same criteria as the investment strategy. Own-source revenues, are essential to be able to access private financing, including local government bonds and PPPs in a sustainable manner. Governance criteria are also important including information on the buildup of liabilities at all levels of government, to ensure transparent governance.
Despite differences in political systems, the Chinese experiences are relevant in a wide range of emerging market countries as the measures utilize institutions and policies reflecting international best practices, including modern tax administrations for the VAT, and income taxes, and benefit-linked property taxes, as well as utilization of balance sheets information consistent with the IMF’s Government Financial Statistics Manual, 2014. The options have significant implications for policy advice and development cooperation for meeting global climate change goals while ensuring sustainable employment generation with transparency and accountability.