Narrow Results

The article is about the use and misuse of Ephedra.

Regulations and institutions influence entrepreneurship. This paper investigates whether government regulations and finance institutions help or hinder entrepreneurial performance at the small firm level in Yaoundé and Douala, Cameroon. Performance is examined in terms of growth in sales revenue, profits and labor employment. The results show that ‘government regulations’ have a strong and significantly adverse impact on sales revenue performance. Furthermore, ‘awareness of source of funds’ is found to significantly amplify sales revenue, and profit performance. Government support is significant to growth in labor employment, sales revenue and profit. However, ‘government regulations’ have a consistently negative influence on performance, even when using different indicators. Consequently, Cameroon should provide a more conducive environment for entrepreneurship to flourish and for small firm sales revenue, profit and employment to grow through the simplification or removal of unnecessary regulations and a provision of greater financial support.

Although research on entrepreneurship in the micro and small firms has been the subject of much scholarly attention, it has been mostly on the formal rather than informal economy. Drawing on the push and pull theory, this paper uses Principal Component Analysis to examine the motivations influencing entrepreneurs to venture into informal sector entrepreneurship in a specific South African municipal context. Against a background of addressing their constraints to growth, the prospects of formalization were considered, using logistic regression. The results, based on a sample of 160 entrepreneurs, show that even in the informal economy, pull factors are the uppermost motivations, apparently stronger than push factors, in influencing individuals to partake in microenterprise entrepreneurship. The logistic results indicate that even when some internal and external growth constraints are addressed, the likelihood of the entrepreneurs’ formalizing their business is not encouraging. Although alleviation of the growth hurdles may assist in enhancing entrepreneurial competence, it does not necessarily favor formalization, but enables a lock-in contentment effect to the informal sector. Against this inertia, implications for policy makers are presented.

In light of the scarcity of literature exploring Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) legislation, this paper aims to analyse how national legislation and regulations in Africa include key principles for effective SEA. To achieve this aim, a content analysis of Environmental Assessment (EA) legal arrangements was conducted. Findings reveal that most countries do not have legal provisions for SEA at strategic levels. However, some countries have formal requirements for Environmental Impact Assessment at specific strategic levels. Such requirements may be attributed to an implicit recognition of the need of EA for specific strategic actions. Countries with legal and regulatory requirements for SEA showed varied degrees of conformity with process principles, screening, scoping, impact assessment and documentation strengths, but there are weaknesses in monitoring. Further findings echo a warning as none of the legal arrangements were fully adequate. This paper concludes with recommendations to improve legislation and strengthen SEA practice in Africa.

This paper examines the impact of a liberalised foreign direct investment (FDI) regime in Indian hospitals on FDI inflows. The paper shows that there is hardly any FDI in Indian hospitals due to domestic constraints such as high initial establishment costs, low health insurance penetration, manpower shortages, high cost of medical equipment, and regulatory deficiencies. These constraints also impede domestic investment in hospitals. The paper concludes that a liberal foreign investment regime may not result in increased FDI inflows if regulatory and structural impediments continue to constrain investment in the host economy. Investment liberalisation must thus be supplemented by domestic regulatory reforms to create an environment that is conducive to all investors.

The credit rating agencies (CRAs) have received a great deal of media, political, and regulatory attention since the early summer of 2007. With 2008 financial crisis, there was a common argument that CRAs had not been held accountable for the poor performance that resulted in flawed outcomes. Literature review on CRAs' role in the Europe sovereign debt further strengthened this argument. Through an in-depth study of extensive literature available, we focus on how the rating announcements affected the markets. We also highlight the EU regulations that came into force after a series of downgrades in the Eurozone.

A major challenge for many countries is the implementation of environmental regulations developed to reduce or eliminate air, water, and other pollutants. Recent efforts to ensure value for money in environmental protection, examine how to improve regulatory design, compliance promoting, and regulatory enforcement to deter and prevent regulatory violation. Work in accountability mechanisms such as performance audits have helped identify regulatory implementation issues. Opportunity exits to supplement traditional compliance promotion with new environmental data sources, including from citizen science.

This paper describes the changes taking place in derivatives markets as a result of the 2007–2009 credit crisis. It discusses the developments of new platforms for trading, the use of central counterparties for clearing, the role of trade repositories, and the requirements for the posting of collateral. It explains the way in which the over-the-counter and exchange-traded derivatives markets are converging and argues that liquidity is becoming as important as capital to banks in their decision making.

This study uses a combination of archival and documentary research, as well as quantitative analysis, to uncover the evolution and impact of banking regulations on the economy of Brunei Darussalam. Available evidence suggests that throughout most of the 20th century, regulators adopted a laissez-faire approach with minimal regulations in the banking industry. However, financial crises tend to trigger regulatory reforms. Growing household indebtedness and bankruptcies were precursors to the introduction of major institutional changes, including the establishment of a centralized monetary and financial regulatory authority, Autoriti Monetari Brunei Darussalam in 2011 (later renamed the Brunei Darussalam Central Bank (BDCB) in 2021), the Brunei Darussalam Protection Corporation in 2011, as well the Credit Bureau in 2012. Various financial regulations covering personal credit/financing, interest rates, credit card usage, and the Total Debt Service Ratio (TDSR) requirements have been introduced to promote financial stability and consumer financial protection. This has coincided with an evident decline in private and household indebtedness as well as non-performing loans/financing among banks. However, promoting financial stability and supporting economic growth can be a tricky balancing act for regulators to navigate. This study finds that the lack of local investment opportunities limits the possibility for surplus funds to circulate in the economy. In terms of policy recommendations, the role of financial regulations is discussed in the context of addressing global challenges such as inequality and climate change.

As the energy demand continues to rise and the environmental regulations are more stringent, both the use of refinery catalysts and the quantity of spent hydroprocessing catalysts are increasing. When the performance of the catalysts is unable to meet the desired level, they will be unloaded as the spent catalysts, which might be subject to a series of treatments. If the spent hydroprocessing catalysts meet the requirements of the regenerability, they are regenerated via oxidative regeneration and resulfided or reactivated via the rejuvenation process that combines the thermal and chemical treatments. When the catalytic activity cannot be restored, metals are recovered from the spent catalysts, and remaining materials can be used to prepare other useful products. Finally, the residue of spent hydroprocessing catalysts is stabilized and disposed by using an environmentally sound method. The goals of the treatment of spent hydroprocessing catalysts are always to maximize the life of the catalysts and minimize the generation of hazardous wastes.

Acid rain is formed when sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides reach the air and are transformed into sulfate or nitrate particles. When combined with water vapor, they are converted into sulfuric or nitric acids. Acid rain can adversely affect aquatic life, erode stone buildings and marble statues, and seriously threaten trees and crops. Power plants that burn coal to generate electricity are a chief cause of acid rain. The US Congress and US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) have worked to reduce acid rain by restricting the amount of sulfur allowed in the coal burned by power plants and other industrial sources. In some areas, where pollution is concentrated, plants may burn only coal with 1% sulfur or less. In rural locations, a maximum sulfur content of 2% is allowed. Nitrogen oxide emissions from cars also contribute to acid rain. These emissions are being reduced by new car emissions standards that have been established by the US EPA. Acid rain monitoring stations are built to determine the long-term effects of acid deposition. The 1990 Federal Clean Air Act Amendments required power plants across the nation to reduce sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions. These measures have significantly reduced the pollutants that contribute to acid rain formation.

Aquatic life at all levels of the food chain can be harmed by acid rain. Destruction begins at the lowest level of the food chain, when the tiny microorganisms that are food for minnows and other small organisms die. As food sources dwindle, more and larger fish die. Acid in the water may also interfere with oxygen circulation, harm fish gills and cause heart problems in fish. Even though acid rain is a complex global problem, there are things that each of us can do to help control it. Conserving energy helps by reducing electricity demands on our power plants. Carpooling also helps, by reducing emissions of nitrogen oxides. And widespread recycling will also help control acid rain. By minimizing the volume of waste we generate, we are contributing to reductions of nitrogen oxide emissions from waste incinerators. These are a few ways that, with enough individuals acting on behalf of the environment, each of us can make a difference.

The massive real-estate price increases experienced in Israel over the last several years have elicited in policymakers the realization that they need to take action to reduce housing demand and prevent the Israeli housing market from collapsing. As a result, during May and October 2010, the Bank of Israel stepped in and increased the effective rate on mortgages and lowered the number of qualified applicants. In announcing the new regulations, the Bank of Israel’s main objective was to halt rising demand and to prevent further growth of the housing bubble. We use event study analysis to show that not only did the new regulations have no effect on housing prices but they in fact also markedly influenced the market value of the real-estate companies traded on the Tel-Aviv stock exchange.

In this chapter, a brief introduction is presented to radioactive pollution and its management. Both natural and artificial sources of radiation are discussed with special attention to the relative importance of each source. In addition, radioactive isotope applications in tracing, radiography, insect control, food preservation, medical diagnoses, therapy, sterilization, and power generation are briefly described. Sources of radioactive pollution are identified including nuclear weapon tests, nuclear accidents, routine effluent release into the environment, and radioactive waste. Radioactive pollution prevention measures are presented including: treaties, regulations and standards, and technical methods to control pollution. The risk-informed regulatory process is briefly described, along with the technical methods to control radioactive wastes via site selection criteria, design of radioactive waste disposal facilities, and performance assessment.

The following sections are included:

• Introduction
• A Constructive Response to the CRA Critiques
• Landmark Case
• CRA Regulations
• International Recommendations
• Improving Current CRA Regulations
• Concluding Remarks
• Notes