This financial modelling case study describes the development of the 3-statement financial model for a large-scale transportation infrastructure business dealing with truck (and some rail) modalities. The financial modelling challenges in this area, especially for large-scale transport infrastructure operators, lie in automatically linking the operating activity volumes with the investment volumes. The aim of the paper is to address these challenges: The proposed model has an innovative retirement/reinvestment schedule that automates the estimation of the investment needs for the Business based on the designated age-cohort matrix analysis and controlling for the maximum service ceiling for trucks as well as the possibility of truck retirements due to the reduced scope of tracking operations in the future. The investment schedule thus automated has a few calibrating parameters that help match it to the current stock of trucks/rolling stock in the fleet, making it to be a flexible tool in financial modelling for diverse transport infrastructure enterprises employing truck, bus and/or rail fleets for the carriage of bulk cargo quantifiable by weight (or fare-paying passengers) on a network of set, but modifiable, routes.

The Akit tribe fishermen on Rupat Island, Riau, Indonesia, are a remote indigenous community with a low level of education. They have experienced cultural acculturation after the influx of outsiders and the government built road infrastructure to break the isolation. The government also provides internet facilities to speed up the process of modernizing communications between them. The research aim is to analyze the role of government support as a mediator in the influence of education and acculturation on communication modernization among Akit fishermen. The research used a survey method, involving 165 of the 763 Akit fishermen as respondents. This number determine used the Sample Size Calculator technique. Respondents were selected using a purposive random sampling technique. The variables studied consisted of education, acculturation, government support (as mediator), and communication modernization. Data collection was carried out through a closed questionnaire containing statements, which were measured with a 5-point Likert scale. The data were analyzed using the Structural Equation Modeling method with the help of SmartPLS 4 software. The research results show that acculturation and government support have a positive and significant influence on communication modernization, while education plays a negative influence. Government support as a mediator plays a positive and significant role in the influence of education on communication modernization, while it does not play any role in the influence of acculturation. The most implication of this research is that the government must further increase its role in organizing the acculturation process for Akit fishermen to accelerate the communication modernization process.

This research endeavors to assess the legal requirements for the operation of mediation and conciliation centers in the UAE based on Federal Law No. 17 of 2016 and its amendment in 2021 No. 5. It is structured into three main sections: the first establishes and defines these centers, the second defines conciliation procedures and the third considers the preceding. The aim is to identify the legal procedures associated with mediation and conciliation centers within the UAE judicial systems and their function in providing solutions for civil and business litigations with the most efficiency and minor financial investments. It also calls for using other forms of conflict adjudication before adopting the legal approach. The conclusions and recommendations indicate the necessity of further improving the Mediation and Conciliation Centers Law due to the necessity of legislative shifts, which would contribute to the UAE’s leading position in legislation related to centers for mediation and conciliation.

The proportion of national logistics costs to Gross Domestic Product (NLC/GDP) serve as a valuable indicator for estimating a country’s overall macro-level logistics costs. In some developing nations, policies aimed at reducing the NLC/GDP ratio have been elevated to the national agenda. Nevertheless, there is a paucity of research examining the variables that can determine this ratio. The purpose of this paper is to offer a scientific approach for investigating the primary determinants of the NLC/GDP and to advice policy for the reduction of macro-level logistics costs. This paper presents a systematic framework for identifying the essential criteria for lowering the NLC/GDP score and employs co-integration analysis and error correction models to evaluate the impact of industrial structure, logistics commodity value, and logistics supply scale on NLC/GDP using time series data from 1991 to 2022 in China. The findings suggest that the industrial structure is the primary factor influencing logistics demand and a significant determinant of the value of NLC/GDP. Whether assessing long-term or short-term effects, the industrial structure has a substantial impact on NLC/GDP compared to logistics supply scale and logistics commodity value. The research offers two policy implications: firstly, the goals of reducing NLC/GDP and boosting the logistics industry’s GDP are inherently incompatible; it is not feasible to simultaneously enhance the logistics industry’s GDP and decrease the macro logistics cost. Secondly, if China aims to lower its macro-level logistics costs, it must make corresponding adjustments to its industrial structure.

Fiscal spending for road construction to link Kalabakan, Sabah, Malaysia with North Kalimantan, Indonesia is an idea that have been proposed for over 20 years. The announcement for the relocation of Indonesia’s capital city from Jakarta to East Kalimantan give a strong justification for the construction of the Serudong-Simanggaris road. The fact that population size is big in Kalimantan and strong purchasing power is estimated in North and East Kaliamantan provide a strong argument for the need to have a road link. Having said that, the effect of road construction on output growth is not clear. The purpose of this study is to estimate the impact of road construction and the business activities across two sectors being assumed on output Sabah’s output growth. Based on the input-output analysis conducted using the output multiplier, the one-off road construction would lead to 1.8% growth in Sabah’s overall output.

More and more urban studies researchers and students are using images. This choice often stems from the need to illustrate, analyse and understand territories and urban phenomena. This contribution seeks to demonstrate, on the basis of examples drawn from scientific productions in Greater Lomé, how the photographic approach makes it possible to apprehend the urban phenomenon. Three forms of image use can be identified in the documents consulted. On the one hand, images are a source of data to support information received through observation. On the other hand, photography is a technique for collecting metadata which, when triangulated with several sources, enables a query to be answered. Finally, the diachronic and chronological analysis of images of a social reality enables us to detect the visible and the invisible in order to take a critical look at the social world and the dynamics of social relationships.

Background: Globally, unpaid carers face economic and societal pressures. Unpaid carers’ support is valued at £132 billion a year in the United Kingdom (UK) alone. However, this care comes at a high cost for the carers themselves. Carers providing round the clock care are more than twice as likely to be in bad health than non-carers. These carers are therefore proportionately more likely to need statutory services such as health care provision. It is critical that carers are better supported to be involved in the shaping, delivery and evaluation of the services they receive. Unfortunately, qualitative evidence on how carer organisations can do this better is scarce. Methods: Working collaboratively with a community-based carers organization, we undertook a qualitative study. Purposive sampling was used to recruit 23 participants. Online, semi-structured, one-to-one interviews were conducted with carers, community organization staff and stakeholders to ascertain their experience and views on the involvement service. Results: Firstly, there are a range of benefits resulting from the involvement service. The carers see the service as an opportunity to connect with other carers and share their views and ideas. Secondly, staff and service providers also reported how involvement gave a platform for carers and was of value in helping them shape needs-led services. Thirdly, we found that barriers to good involvement include the lack of a clearly understood, shared definition of involvement as well as the lack of a diverse pool of carer representatives available for involvement activities. Conclusion: The findings from our study provide important insights into how carers, staff and service stakeholders view barriers and enablers to good involvement. The findings will be of interest to a range of community-based organizations interested in further involving members of their community in shaping the services they receive.