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on Information and Communication Technologies |
| By: | Ogwang, Ambrose; Kahunde, Rehema; Makika, Maya Denis |
| Abstract: | This study uses a mixed methods approach to analyse the social and economic factors causing the gender gaps in the use of digital financial services (DFS) in Uganda, using the Uganda National Household Survey data of 2019/2020. Quantitatively, we applied the bivariate probit regression and the Fairlie technique to decompose the gender gap. Bivariate regression results showed that among other factors, males were more likely to use both bank accounts and mobile money services than females. A decomposition of the gender gap for each of the DFS using Fairlie decomposition technique indicated that social and economic factors explain 75% and 65% of the existing gender gap in the use of mobile money services and bank accounts in Uganda respectively. The largest contributor to the gender gap in the use of mobile money services was the ownership of a mobile phone (72.4%), followed by expenditure on information and communication technology (ICT) and education contributing 13.5% and 2.7% respectively. Similarly, the largest contributors to the gender gap in the use of bank accounts were education (18.0%), expenditure on ICT (15.3%), age (12.7%) and ownership of a mobile phone (11.5%). Our results from qualitative analysis put culture among the other key contributors to the gender gap. We therefore recommend that policy-makers in Uganda bridge the gender gap in employment and education between men and women, to achieve inclusivity in the use of DFS. |
| Date: | 2024–07–17 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:aer:wpaper:28c0df55-fd40-414e-bfe3-da5032877d45 |
| By: | Taiwo, Shakirudeen; Olofin, Sodik |
| Abstract: | The emerging trend of Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) in Nigeria is diverging in favour of technology, ICT, and manufacturing, which are becoming more sensitive for the evolution of the labour force. With the low levels of technology advancement, skill accumulation, and human capital stock in developing countries, and Nigeria especially, FDI inflows have been identified as major sources of technology, managerial, and technical know-how spillover to developing countries. The accruing knowledge spillover effects of FDI inflows are critical for human capital development to propel technological progress and sustainable economic growth. Therefore, this study investigated the impacts of FDI on human capital and the economic prospects of workers in Nigerias manufacturing and ICT sectors and highlighted the country specific conditions needed to adequately internalize FDI spillover effects on Nigeria's human capital. This study's data analysis is based on a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches. The findings revealed that FDI inflows impact human capital development in Nigeria. Meanwhile, the kind of FDI inflows, the measure of human capital development and the sector matter in the relationship, as aggregated analysis yields little knowledge benefit. Specifically, this study revealed that all the types of FDI, except merger and acquisition, have varying impacts on the components of human capital development, while efficiency-seeking FDI is the most important. The policy implication from this study re-emphasizes the need for further improvement in the regulatory environment, general ease of doing business and incentive management. |
| Date: | 2024–08–05 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:aer:wpaper:2ddedcc0-a133-481b-9807-7da093a085d0 |
| By: | Fujio KAWASHIMA |
| Abstract: | Starting with the release of the Chat GPT in November 2022, the current remarkable development of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) has led to active discussions at both the national and international levels on how AI should be regulated. In parallel, generative AI has rapidly been developed and deployed in practical settings. In April 2023, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) took the initiative in releasing the “Interim Measures for the Administration of Generated Artificial Intelligence Services, " which covers the entire process from the development stage to the provision of services, and which is highly controlling and interventive in nature. In July of the same year, however, the Interim Measures for the Administration of Generated Artificial Intelligence was enacted and announced jointly by the CAC, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Public Security, and the State Administration of Radio and Television, and a stark shift was made towards a more innovation-oriented focus. In the fall of 2023, the U.S. withdrew its proposals in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) and World Trade Organization (WTO) e-commerce negotiations due to the need to secure domestic policy space for AI and other regulatory issues. As shown by such a development, domestic discussion and interest conflicts surrounding AI governance may significantly affect negotiations of rules on e-commerce at the international level. Against this backdrop, this paper offers a detailed analysis of trends in AI regulations in China in order to understand domestic interests and contribute to an understanding of China's current stance in international negotiations, and to provide a foundation for interpreting future changes and predicting the future impact on international AI governance. |
| Date: | 2025–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:eti:rdpsjp:25005 |
| By: | Kaitila, Ville |
| Abstract: | Abstract We analyse the development of labour productivity in five service industries in Europe, the United States, and Japan. Vis-à-vis a group of peer countries, labour productivity in service industries is relatively low in Finland. We further find that the respective gap in capital intensity (capital stock to hours worked) is even greater. Using the growth accounting framework and panel estimations, we find that in 1995–2023 overall capital intensity was positively associated with the level of labour productivity in European countries. This is also the case if the capital stock is disaggregated into four parts with ICT, R&D, software and database, and all other capital analysed separately. Furthermore, the annual change in overall capital intensity, or capital deepening, is positively associated with the change in labour productivity in service industries. The association is weaker when capital is disaggregated into parts, with the strongest association found for the traditional capital stock, while the results for ICT and IPP capital deepening depend on the service industry analysed. |
| Keywords: | Service industries, Productivity, Capital intensity, ICT, R&D, Software and databases |
| JEL: | C23 O14 O30 O47 |
| Date: | 2025–03–27 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:rif:wpaper:127 |
| By: | Yuko Okamura; Tim Ohlenburg; Emil Tesliuc |
| Keywords: | Health, Nutrition and Population-Communicable Diseases Social Protections and Labor-Social Protections & Assistance Social Protections and Labor Poverty Reduction-Conditional Cash Transfers Poverty Reduction-Access of Poor to Social Services Poverty Reduction-Services & Transfers to Poor Science and Technology Development-Innovation Information and Communication Technologies-ICT Applications Information and Communication Technologies-Information Technology Information and Communication Technologies-Poverty Reduction & ICT |
| Date: | 2024–05 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wboper:41548 |
| By: | Mothobi, Onkokame |
| Abstract: | This paper analyses the effect of mobile network coverage on financial inclusion using the survey data of 12, 735 individuals from nine sub-Saharan African countries conducted in 2017. We use the geolocation of respondents to combine the survey data with information on the proximity of mobile network towers. We estimate a two-stage model: in the first stage consumers decide to adopt a technology device, and in the second stage they decide whether to use digital financial services or not. The results show that financial inclusion is positively influenced by mobile network coverage. In counterfactual POLICY BRIEF The Impact of Network Coverage on Adoption of Fintech Platforms and Financial Inclusion Onkokame Mothobi October 2023 / No.798 2 Policy Brief No.798 simulations, we consider that the whole population lives within 2km of the towers of any of these networks and find that the adoption of digital financial services would increase by 2%, on average, depending on the country. Considering a case where the whole population lives within a 2km radius from the LTE tower, financial inclusion would increase by 6% in Mozambique and 3% in Ghana, Rwanda, and Senegal. In Tanzania, where mobile money is a common financial service, investment in GSM and UMTS would have a larger impact on financial inclusion than LTE. These results show that non-Internet-based digital financial technologies have a greater impact on financial inclusion in East African countries than those that require consumers to be connected to the Internet. The results also indicate that digital financial platforms act as substitutes for a bank account among the poor, and as a complement for those who own a bank account. |
| Date: | 2024–04–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:aer:wpaper:323bd6d8-85d4-47e3-b56f-7c23eaececfc |
| By: | Munyegera, Ggombe Kasim |
| Abstract: | Rwanda has distinguished itself in terms of efforts to promote gender equality and womens empowerment. However, some distinctive gender-based socio-economic differences remain that are worthy of policy attention. This study examined the gender differences in access to and usage of financial services and products in Rwanda using the FinScope survey of 2020. Probit regression models were used to estimate the propensity of ownership and access to digital platforms and the likelihood of using financial services. Results showed that women significantly lag behind men in terms of adoption of mobile phones, computers and the Internet. Similarly, they are less likely than men to own bank and mobile money accounts, which further translates into reduced propensity to save, and to receive and send remittances. Using Tobit regression models, the study revealed gender differences in financial inclusion at the intensive margin, that is, the amount of money saved, borrowed and sent in remittances was significantly lower among females than among males. Propensity score matching was used as a robustness check that further confirmed the negative gender effect on financial access and usage. The results imply that strategies to promote financial inclusion and digital financial services (DFS) ought to pay special attention to the specific challenges that limit women from adopting digital platforms, and from accessing and effectively using financial services to ensure greater gender equality and inclusive sustainable development in the country. |
| Date: | 2024–07–17 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:aer:wpaper:928e048f-f001-46a8-9841-c8538417ca48 |
| By: | Oleche, Martine; Muriithi, Moses; Kamau, Paul; Njoka, John; Ngigi, Samuel |
| Abstract: | Shocks, whether idiosyncratic or covariate, have been common in many parts of the world and are a development challenge. Shocks ordinarily manifest themselves in many forms, and they affect households and sectors differently depending on the nature and the status in which a household finds itself in when it strikes. Theoretically, shocks of any nature adversely affect human capital development in a country. The COVID-19 pandemic was one of the most recent and severe shocks that brought the entire globe to a halt. This paper was designed to investigate how COVID-19 affected school attendance in Kenya as a form of human capital development. Kenyas gains in human capital development have been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, which hit the country in March 2020. Arguably, the COVID-19 pandemic worsened the education sector due to closure of schools for a period of at least seven months (March October 2020). While some learners were able to transition to online studies, most students especially in public schools, stayed at home without any form of learning. The results show that presence of COVID-19 incidences reduced the probability of children attending school. Being a male child and child belonging to a single parent household head had a reduced probability of school attendance. Households with higher incomes had an increased probability of school attendance while controlling for COVID-19 incidences. Children from elderly household heads had a reduced probability of school attendance when controlling for COVID-19 incidences. In future, there is need to put measures that can support public primary schools to cope with such shocks, e.g. acquisition of ICT gadgets, subsidised data bundles and basic media equipment that facilitates remote learning. |
| Date: | 2024–08–05 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:aer:wpaper:3c3826bb-b1fb-4731-84c2-e8da752dbe06 |
| By: | Pyan Muchtar; Budy Resosudarmo |
| Abstract: | This paper examines the causal effects of online food delivery (OFD) platforms on household food security in the context of a developing country, Indonesia. We construct food security data from households’ consumption surveys from 2012 to 2022 and merged it with a novel dataset on OFD platform penetration across districts, compiled through a combination of internet scraping and machine learning. Utilizing a contemporary event-study estimator to analyze the impact, our findings indicate that the expansion of OFD services enhances food security at the district level, with a more pronounced effect in rural areas, among younger households, and male-led households. We also show that this impact is likely driven by increased competition in the food market. |
| JEL: | D12 O14 O33 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pas:papers:2025-05 |
| By: | Bertrand, Nguenkwe Ronie |
| Abstract: | This study explores the ways of facilitation and enhancing intra- Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) trade, which has remained structurally weak over more than twenty years, by focusing on the East African Community and the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU). The study uses a descriptive analysis of trade and the indicators of facilitation of trade in those three communities. An econometric analysis of factors underlying the level of trade in those three communities is conducted using an augmented gravity model. The econometric results demonstrate that the number of POLICY BRIEF Facilitating Regional Trade: Lessons from WAEMU and EAC on How to Increase Trade in CEMAC Nguenkwe Ronie Bertrand October 2023 / No.807 2 Policy Brief No.807 documents and the number of days required to export has a negative and significant impact on trade in EAC and WAEMU, but a positive impact in CEMAC. Infrastructure services, notably the use of the Internet have a negative impact on intra-zone trade in EAC |
| Date: | 2024–04–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:aer:wpaper:101b1645-09a9-45cf-9eb8-9c340ec2a154 |