A HELYI ADÓZTATÁS SAJÁTOSSÁGAI MAGYARORSZÁGON

Author(s): Eva Darabos / Language(s): Hungarian / Issue: 1/2016

A possible alternative of involving resources required for carrying out the municipal tasks is to introduce local taxes which allows the municipalities to manage themselves financially alone. Aim of the treatise is to present the development in number of municipalities introducing local taxes, the role of own revenues and local taxes in the budget of municipalities, highlighting the development in amount of the business tax by settlement type. Based on the data, it can be stated that there has been a significant change in the structure of budget of municipalities since 2008,the local taxes play a decisive role, those ones serve as important sources of funding in addition to the decreasing state aid.

A lender of last resort on trial: Remarks on the controversy surrounding the role of the European Central Bank in the financial crisis

Author(s): Detlev Ehrig / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2016

The recent European debt crisis has generated a growing importance of the European Central Bank (ECB). The ECB was forced to take measures far beyond its traditional role to stabilize monetary markets and inflation. The ECB has adopted a new function as a lender of last resort, providing banks and governments with almost unlimited liquidity and purchasing government bondswithin Outright Monetary Transactions (OMT). This new role of the ECB has been hotly debated.In Germany, the debate even reached the Constitutional Court. The article will give a survey ofthe fundamentals of a lender of last resort and of the debate referring to the arguments of the ECBand Bundesbank. It is indeed questionable whether the ECB has a mandate for its new monetaryand nolens volens fiscal role. Regardless of whether the arguments are convincing, new steps towardsnew fiscal arrangements and a banking union are needed to stabilize the euro area.

A Method to Calculate Corrective Coefficients for the Valuation of Land Rental Payments

Author(s): Irina Aleksandrovna Astrakhantseva,Ekaterina Vyacheslavovna Balandina / Language(s): English / Issue: 25/2019

The authors propose a methodology to calculate corrective coefficients in the process of calculating rental fees for land use. Based on the analysis carried out, a list of factors affecting the value of the coefficients is presented: general economic and political factors, factors of the municipality’s socio-economic status, factors of profitability, physical characteristics, and the geographical location of the plots of land. The authors propose a methodology to evaluate land use intensity. The authors calculated corrective coefficients used to determine rental fees for land use in Ivanovo, Russia. According to the results of the analysis, it can be concluded that the proposed methodology makes it possible to establish lower values of the corrective coefficients and, consequently, the rental fee amount for plots of land of social significance which do not yield significant profits. Based on the example of calculating corrective coefficients for land located in the city of Ivanovo, it is possible to note the increased amount of rental fees for land intended for the placement of trade facilities, public catering, consumer services, hotels, businesses and commercial buildings.

A Model Assessing Innovativeness of Administration Units Awarding Public Contracts as a Tool to Conduct Economic Policy of the State

Author(s): Arkadiusz Borowiec / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2015

In today's market economy factors concerning knowledge, new technologies and innovative solutions are essential for economic development. However, the Polish economy, despite its high innovation potential compared to other European Union countries, is characterized by a very low level of innovativeness. Im-plementing this potential is conditioned by an appropriate economic policy of the state and rational approach to its resources and legal solutions. One of the possi-bilities of such an action is the use of public procurement instrument through which it is possible to more effectively create demand for innovative products and services.As shown by literature studies, the achievements of the subject literature asso-ciated with the creation of demand for innovations by public administration in Poland have been very modest. This gap is recognized by the article, and it at-tempts to build a model for assessing the innovativeness of these units. Network thinking methodology was used to build the model. As a result, after the identification of factors affecting the conduct of an innovative public procurement, a network of links was established between them and examined in terms of type, intensity and duration of exposure. Building a model according to the methodology, the opinions of experts have been used along with long-term observations conducted in the course of participation in all kinds of conferences and trainings. The model was also subjected to validation in two selected units.

A model for predicting Inactivity in the European Banking Sector

Author(s): Themistokles Lazarides / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2015

Purpose – The paper will addresses the issue of inactivity and will try to detect its causes using econometric models. The Banking sector of Europe has been under transformation or restructuring for almost half a century. Design/methodology/approach – Probit models and descriptive statistics have been used to create a system that predicts inactivity. The data was collected from Bankscope. Findings – The results of the econometric models show that from the six groups of indicators, four have been found to be statistically important (performance, size, ownership, corporate governance). These findings are consistent with the theory. Research limitations/implications – The limitation is that Bankscope does not provide any longitudinal data regarding ownership, management structure and there are some many missing values before 2007 for some of the financial ratios and data. Originality/value – The paper's value and innovation is that it has given a systemic approach to find indicators of inactivity.

A MULTIDIMENSIONAL AND DYNAMISED CLASSIFICATION OF POLISH PROVINCES BASED ON SELECTED FEATURES OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN 2002–2013

Author(s): Wojciech Lukaszonek / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2017

For close to two decades after the fall of communism in 1989, Polish higher education enjoyed an unprecedented period of development. Favourable political, economic, social and demographic changes led to a fivefold increase in the number of students and the number of higher educational institutions. The dynamic changes and their effects did not occur uniformly, in either space or time. An attempt is made here to identify and analyse the regional differentiation between Polish provinces in terms of features relating to higher education. To investigate the changes in higher education in the period of economic and social transformation, observations were made of fundamental characteristics of higher education in the years 2002–2013. The applied procedure uses new statistical methods applicable to a space of doubly multivariate data. The covariance matrix used to construct principal components is given the structure of a Kronecker product. The results led to the identification of six groups of provinces, including two consisting of a single province – Mazowieckie and Małopolskie provinces – which contain the largest and the highest-ranked2 higher educational institutions in Poland: the University of Warsaw and Jagiellonian University.

A NEW AND UNIFIED APPROACH IN GENERALIZING THE LINDLEY’S DISTRIBUTION WITH APPLICATIONS

Author(s): Bouchahed Lahsen,Zeghdoudi Halim / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2018

This paper proposes a new family of continuous distributions with one extra shape parameter called the generalized Zeghdoudi distributions (GZD). We investigate the shapes of the density and hazard rate function. We derive explicit expressions for some of its mathematical quantities. Various statistical properties like stochastic ordering, moment method, maximum likelihood estimation, entropies and limiting distribution of extreme order statistics are established. We prove the flexibility of the new family by means of applications to several real data sets.

A NEW ESTIMATOR OF MEAN USING DOUBLE SAMPLING

Author(s): Vadlamudi Kalyan Rao,Sedory Stephen A.,Singh Sarjinder / Language(s): English / Issue: 4/2017

In this paper, we consider the problem of estimation of population mean of a study variable by making use of first-phase sample mean and first-phase sample median of the auxiliary variable at the estimation stage. The proposed new estimator of the population mean is compared to the sample mean estimator, ratio estimator and the difference type estimator for the fixed cost of the survey by using the concept of two-phase sampling. The magnitude of the relative efficiency of the proposed new estimator has been investigated through simulation study.

A NEW METHOD FOR COVARIATE SELECTION IN COX MODEL

Author(s): Nader Ebrahimi,Ujjwal Das / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2018

In a wide spectrum of natural and social sciences, very often one encounters a large number of predictors for time to event data. An important task is to select right ones, and thereafter carry out the analysis. The l1 penalized regression, known as “least absolute shrinkage and selection operator" (LASSO) became a popular approach for predictor selection in last two decades. The LASSO regression involves a penalizing parameter (commonly denoted by l) which controls the extent of penalty and hence plays a crucial role in identifying the right covariates. In this paper we propose an information theory-based method to determine the value of l in association with the Cox proportional hazards model. Furthermore, an efficient algorithm is discussed in the same context. We demonstrate the usefulness of our method through an extensive simulation study. We compare the performance of our proposal with existing methods. Finally, the proposed method and the algorithm are illustrated using a real data set.

A PARADOX OF REFORMING PENSIONS IN POLAND

Author(s): Anna Zabkowicz / Language(s): English / Issue: 3/2016

Recent years see intense reforming of funded pensions sub-system in Poland. Actually, what are the policy objectives at which change in design introduced in 2013 (mandatory funding) and projected in 2014 (voluntary funding) is oriented? The article briefly reports what contemporary re-designing of the pension system at different stages was about, and reconstructs the objectives of reforming at each stage. It finds that interlocking streams of change aimed at two goals in fact which are i) relief to public finance ii) expanding pension funding by financial intermediaries. It argues that the two are in contradiction to each other, and this makes a paradox of pension reforming. The review of 2013- and 2014- design, unexpectedly enough, results in conclusion that at present reforming is focused on pension funding revitalization, which may cause a recurring distress to public finance. Thus, the article identifies one of dilemmas of institutional-order development in Poland, which can be probably also experienced in other countries where pension funding has been introduced.

A Performance Ranking of LGUs in Macedonia

Author(s): Mirjana Kraja-Sejdini / Language(s): English / Issue: 15/2016

Local government performance within public sector performance is coming back because local government is faced with the problem of increased responsibilities under tighter budgets. Therefore, the issues of managing taxpayers’ money more efficiently and effectively still remain a challenge for local government decision makers. In addition, increased social inclusion has created a need for increased accountability and transparency towards local government managers. This paper aims to facilitate decision makers as well as local government officials to offer a ranking system of local government units (LGUs/municipalities) in Macedonia by analyzing and normalizing some of the main financial indicators that make up the final annual accounts of all LGUs in Macedonia. The output of this work is a local government index showing the best and worst performing municipalities in the country. The provision of one aspect of LG government performance allows all local government stakeholders to have an overview of the budget spent as well as identify some best practices by comparatively identifying the practices of the best performing LGUs. However, the data availability has narrowed the scope of this performance ranking. We hope that this study will contribute modestly to the existing literature of the performance in the public sector and specifically in that of the local government sector. There is an increasing interest in studies related to public sector performance. However, this interest has been very little in Balkan Countries.

A Real-Business-Cycle Model with Reciprocity in Labor Relations and Fiscal Policy: The Case of Bulgaria

Author(s): Aleksandar Vasilev / Language(s): English / Issue: 03/2017

In this paper we introduce reciprocity in labor relations and government sector to investigate how well the real wage rigidity that results out of that arrangement explains business cycle fluctuations in Bulgaria. The reciprocity mechanism described in this paper follows Danthine and Kurmann (2010) and is generally consistent with micro-studies, e.g. Lozev et all. (2011) and Paskaleva (2016), while at the same time comes into contrast with models with efficiency wages of no-shirking type that emphasize the importance of aggregate labor market conditions as the main determinant in wage setting, e.g. Vasilev (2017). Rent-sharing considerations, and worker's own past wages turn out to be the most important aspects of how labor contracting happens. In contrast, aggregate economic conditions, as captured by the employment rate, are not found to be quantitatively important for wage dynamics. Overall, the model with reciprocity and fiscal policy performs well vis-a-vis data, especially along the labor market dimension, and in addition dominates the market-clearing labor market framework featured in the standard RBC model, e.g Vasilev (2009).

A Resolution in the Spanish Banking Sector: The Case of Banco Popular Español

Author(s): Magdalena Kozinska / Language(s): English / Issue: 6/2018

The restructuring of Banco Popular Español (BPE) through its takeover by Banco Santander provided a valuable example of the first resolution framework application, which allowed for the assessment of its effectiveness. However, similar crisis tools were also utilised in the Spanish banking sector in 2008–2013. Their analysis may provide a valuable contribution to the issue of selecting the most appropriate resolution tools for banks, which can be utilised by Spain and other EU countries when further restructuring their respective banking sectors or managing crises. The aim of this article is to evaluate the effectiveness of the BPE resolution. Additionally, other examples of the application of the “sale of business” tool from the Spanish banking crisis of 2008–2013 were assessed. The conclusions were then used to assess the possible application of similar tools at other banks in Spain and other European countries.

A THREE-PARAMETER WEIGHTED LINDLEY DISTRIBUTION AND ITS APPLICATIONS TO MODEL SURVIVAL TIME

Author(s): Rama Shanker,Kamlesh Kumar Shukla,A. Mishra / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2017

In this paper a three-parameter weighted Lindley distribution, including Lindley distribution introduced by Lindley (1958), a two-parameter gamma distribution, a two-parameter weighted Lindley distribution introduced by Ghitany et al. (2011) and exponential distribution as special cases, has been suggested for modelling lifetime data from engineering and biomedical sciences. The structural properties of the distribution including moments, coefficient of variation, skewness, kurtosis and index of dispersion have been derived and discussed. The reliability properties, including hazard rate function and mean residual life function, have been discussed. The estimation of its parameters has been discussed using the maximum likelihood method and the applications of the distribution have been explained through some survival time data of a group of patients suffering from head and neck cancer, and the fit has been compared with a one-parameter Lindley distribution and a two-parameter weighted Lindley distribution.

A Well-Funded Public Health System for a Healthy National Economy

Author(s): Ibrahim Almaashi / Language(s): English / Issue: 05/2014

The article focuses on the healthcare financing analysis in Romania in the European context, trying to capture the revenue and the expenses trends over the last years. All time health system was the most important domain for a national economy. It is known that a domestic economy works if it has a good health system. This is the reason for which I took as an example to be followed Netherlands health system that I would recommend to be used even in Romania in order to get the best results.

Ab’nġn Zayif Ekonomġk Halkasi Yunanġstan’in Ekonomġk Krġzġ Dġnecek Mġ?

Author(s): Serap Durusoy,Ömür Samgloglu / Language(s): Turkish / Issue: 1/2012

The financial crisis that emerged in the USA in the second half of 2007 quickly achieved global proportions and influenced many countries including Greece. However, when the effects of the global crisis merged with the ongoing unsustainable external debt problems of Greece the effects of both crises were compounded. The inability to diagnose the Greek economy, which is without doubt the weakest link in Europe, and the resultant confusion as to its true status, has played a significant role in this development. In this context, it can be stated that both internal and external factors have a contributing role. In fact, the country‟s 2008 macro-economic indicators reflected the unsustainable status and the revenue earning channels services sector which was the locomotive of the national economy, dried up, resulting in production decreases in agriculture and the industrial sectors. Financial support was provided by the EU and the IMF in response to the crisis that was confronted. Using the financial resources provided an attempt was made to avert the situation and widening of the corporate and financial reform scopes were attempted. In pursuit of these aims; tighter controls, internalization of the grey economy, and provision of various incentives to encourage foreign investment were introduced together with the initiation of dialogues with other countries entrepreneurial corporations and institutions in order to promote the flow of resources into the country from tourism and maritime trade. The Greek crisis has resulted in the increase of discussions of the extent of the effectiveness of EU in the process and the Greek economic administration as well.

ABOUT SOME CONTROVERSIAL QUESTIONS REGARDING THE NON-FINANCIAL INFORMATION IN THE ANNUAL FINANCIAL STATEMENT (IN THE CONTEXT OF THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY)

Author(s): Gergana Nikolova / Language(s): English / Publication Year: 0

The topic of the study is set in the aspect of: the increasing needs of the users of financial and non-financial information in the Annual Financial Statement; legislative changes for disclosure of the non-financial informationin the AFS in force since 1st January 2017; the lack of experience in Bulgaria for disclosure of non-financial information and the search for good practicesin other countries where they exist and are developed.

Access to medical services and the wealth of Polish citizens

Author(s): Marta Pietrzak / Language(s): English / Issue: 9_EN/2018

The article attempts to verify the inverse care law (Hart's law) in Poland on the example of the geographic accessibility of medical human resources by citizens. The aim of the article is to analyze selected economic indicators in relation to the ratio of the number of doctors per 10,000 citizens in individual provinces in Poland. The analysis is to verify whether medical practitioners in Poland are guided by the wealth of the citizens of a given region when choosing the place of providing medical services. A research hypothesis was tested, according to which economic indicators - i.e. gross income per capita, gross domestic product, unemployment rate, local public spending on health care, and private household health expenditure – are correlated with density of physicians, i.e. the number doctors for 10,000 residents in a given province in Poland. The correlation was examined using Spearman’s correlation coefficient, and the results obtained showed that there is a geographical variation in access to doctors in Poland and that Hart's law was partially confirmed. Based on the conclusions, a statement can be put forward that, although access to medical services is universal and provided by the state, it varies and is not equal for all citizens.

Accessibility of Polish and Nordic Cittaslow Towns

Author(s): Alicja Zawadzka / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2018

The main objective of this article is to indicate transport accessibility (according to two criteria: fly&60 and 6×60×60) and information accessibility (on the Internet) of all Polish (28 ) and all Nordic (9 ) towns — members of the International Network of Cities Where Living is Good. The research was conducted using non-reactive methods: content analysis and desk research. The analysis has shown that the fly&60 criterion is met by eight Cittaslow towns (seven Polish and one Nordic), and the 6×60×60 criterion — by five towns (four Polish and one Nordic), which confirms the thesis on the peripheral nature of Cittaslow cities, which in fact may be perceived as an attracting factor. Their location, away from frequently used routes, may attract (some of them already do so) tourists seeking alternative forms of leisure, following a growing global trend of sustainable tourism. The level of accessibility to online information on the Cittaslow towns is varied, but rather low.

Accountancy in Poland in the period of the centrally planned economy. A few comments from experience

Author(s): Zdzislaw Fedak,Anna Karmanska / Language(s): English / Issue: 99/2018