Asia & the Pacific Policy Studies最新文献

This paper uses household panel data from the Thai Socio-Economic Surveys of 2012 and 2017 to examine the effects of parental health shocks on child education and labour. Three measures of parental health are analysed: chronic illness, hospitalisation, and functional health status. The results show that the parentʼs illness decreases school enrolment and leads to fewer years of education completed. Boys are less likely to have attended school if any parent was chronically ill or had any health problems. Parentsʼ chronic illness increases the probability of entering the labour force for youths aged 15 and over; however, only maternal illness increases their time spent at work. Additionally, parental illness significantly increases household health expenditures, but there is a significant decline in education expenditures. The results suggest that targeted government support to low-income families affected by major illnesses of parents could help them to maintain their children in school.

The high rice prices of 2023 have highlighted the need for increasing rice productivity. But improving productivity, especially in low-performing rice-producing regions, should also improve incomes for the numerous smallholder cultivators. This article examines what we can learn from the experience of high-performing rice-growing regions, which have both high rice yields and incomes. We focus on two best-performing villages from Kerala, southern India and Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Using a detailed case study approach combining farm budget analysis, counterfactual simulations using agricultural household models, and qualitative insights, our analysis shows the contribution of price support, irrigation, and agricultural research in these two regions to the current situation. While price support was the prominent factor in Keralaʼs village, irrigation and extending the cropping intensity was important for farm incomes in the Mekong Delta village. This comparative analysis demonstrates the need for an ongoing evaluation of price and non-price factors and supplementing farm incomes through specific interventions for developing low-performing rice-producing regions.

This paper investigates whether and how export growth to China varies following shocks in bilateral political relations between China and six Southeast Asian countries—Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam—between 2000 and 2019. High-frequency news data is used to quantify bilateral political relations between each of the six countries and China. Then, a net cooperation index, plus separate indices of political cooperation and conflict, are placed in an augmented gravity model of trade situated in a vector autoregression framework alongside real exchange rate and industrial production variables to examine the short- (months) and long-run (years) effects of shocks to bilateral political relations on each countryʼs exports growth to China. The results reveal that political relations with China played a role in Thailandʼs and Vietnamʼs exports growth to China but not in Indonesiaʼs, Malaysiaʼs, the Philippinesʼ and Singaporeʼs, and contribute new findings to the literature on politics and trade. Code and data for the analysis is available at: https://github.com/tradepolsrepository/tradepols.git.

When Australia deploys tools of statecraft in attempts to develop influence with Pacific Island neighbours, inherent colonial legacies exist which are not always recognised, but ultimately affect relationships. We examine Australian economic tools of statecraft applied to migration, trade and development aid, and how a colonial ‘logic of habit’ persists within their deployment which unintentionally undermines their effectiveness. In highlighting these historical hangovers, we suggest reimagining Australiaʼs perceptions of and relations with the Pacific—from neighbours with resources to be utilised, to mutually respected trading partners.

We investigate investor sentiment regarding mandatory corporate social responsibility (CSR) as a public policy. Using the event study methodology, we analysed the cumulative abnormal returns (AR) of companies impacted by Section 135 of the Indian Companies Act 2013. Our findings suggest that setting a CSR expenditure threshold may lead companies lagging in CSR to over-invest, potentially hindering value maximisation. Specifically, we observed that the cumulative AR for companies lagging in CSR are lower than those leading in CSR. Therefore, mandating CSR practices may be counterproductive for value creation. This event study is one of the first to evaluate the impact of mandatory CSR as public policy on CSR-leading and lagging firms.

This paper presents a novel ‘legal process’ analysis to examine labour market institutions' role in addressing violations of migrants' labour rights in Indonesia. Examining 92 labour disputes and conducting qualitative interviews with stakeholders, the study explores Indonesia's primary labour market institutions' effectiveness in safeguarding migrants' rights. Systemic shortcomings within Indonesia's labour market institutions are revealed, indicating their limited capacity to protect migrants' labour rights effectively. Qualitative interviews provide insights into various foci and disconnects contributing to institutional failures. Calling attention to the role of the state, this study identifies ‘institutional fixes’ that facilitate migrant rights protection, such as the assistance provided by private lawyers. It argues for shifting focus from ‘migrant exceptionalism’ to acknowledging migrants' experiences within labour market institutions as workers. This study contributes to understanding migrant labour governance in Indonesia, emphasizing the need to address institutional failures and advocate for comprehensive reforms to protect migrants' rights effectively.

In 2010, Chinaʼs government promulgated policies that, within a decade, saw early childhood education universalised across China. In this mixed-method study, we examine how a preschool advocacy coalition convinced the government to embrace these policies at a time when China was classified as a low and middle-income country by the World Bank. We posit that, in large part, this was because advocates combined both moral and economic development arguments and, by so doing, built a coalition that included educators, parents and actors with the influence and political skills required to provide coordinated leadership and governance.

Indonesiaʼs economy is highly dependent on the fossil fuel industry as evidenced in measures of non-taxable revenue, energy subsidy, energy mix and regulatory flexibility. To cut carbon emissions by 41% in 2030, the energy system needs to transition faster than anticipated through progressive reforms and investment. Policy makers understandably are fearful of the shocks and unrests resulted from fossil fuel subsidy reform. However, the fears were shown to be an over-reaction, especially if poorer households were supported. The state-owned enterprise, Perusahaan Listrik Negara, is the central player in the tug of war between the fossil fuel and renewable sectors. The government should signal unwavering support for international investment in the renewables, and update the regulation on rooftop solar that boosts return on investment for domestic households. International investors will need modelling of cost competitiveness of wind farms against coal-fired plants in more remote areas.

This study developed an analytical framework enabling a better understanding of the relationship between accountability and public trust through the moderation effect of public participation. To test the relationship empirically, a cross-sectional survey was conducted in three local governments of two provinces in Nepal. The results demonstrated that the constructs of transparency, responsiveness, and public participation were significant predictors of public trust in Nepal, whereas liability and controllability were not significant predictors. These findings suggest that trust in the government depended on the governmentʼs performance and cultural aspects of people in Nepal, with performance aspects being more influential. These findings have theoretical and practical implications. The study contributes to the “performance-trust model” presented in the existing literature by adding the moderating effect of perceived public participation.

This paper offers essential insights into Southeast Asiaʼs transition to clean energy, a cornerstone for global climate objectives. Based on 27 interviews with regional energy and climate experts conducted between September 2022 and October 2023, the research distils key factors into 3Ds: Demanding, Doable, and Dependent. Highlighting these aspects would foster readiness, persuade stakeholders, and secure international support, all of which are pivotal for advancing the energy transition towards net-zero emissions in Southeast Asia.