The green economy and inequality in Sub-Saharan Africa: Avoidable thresholds and thresholds for complementary policies

The study examines nexuses between carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, renewable energy consumption and inequality in 39 Sub-Saharan African countries for the period 2004–2014. The empirical evidence is based on Quantile regressions. First, in the 25th quantile of the inequality distributions, as long as CO2 emissions metric tons per capita are kept below 4.700 (4.100), the Gini coefficient (Atkinson index) will not increase. These are avoidable CO2 emissions thresholds. Second, renewable energy consumption should be complemented with other policies to: (i) reduce the Gini coefficient when renewable energy consumption is at 50.00% of total final energy consumption and (ii) mitigate the Atkinson index when renewable energy consumption is at 62.500% of total final energy consumption in the bottom quantiles of the Atkinson index distribution and at 50.00% of total final energy consumption in the 75th quantile of the Atkinson index distribution. These are renewable energy consumption thresholds for complementary policies. The novelty of this study in the light of extant literature is fundamentally premised on providing policy makers with avoidable thresholds of CO2 emissions as well as corresponding thresholds of renewable energy consumption for complementary policies, in the nexus between the green economy and inequality.

Financial development, income inequality and carbon emissions in sub-Saharan African countries: A panel data analysis

This paper examines the dynamic relationship between financial development, income inequality and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in a step-wise fashion, using data from 39 sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries during the period 2004–2014. The study uses three income inequality indicators – the Gini coefficient, the Atkinson index and the Palma ratio – to examine these linkages. The study employs the generalised method of moments as the estimation technique. The empirical findings show that financial development unconditionally reduces CO2 emissions in SSA countries. The findings also show that there are threshold levels of income inequality that should not be exceeded in order for the negative impact of financial development on CO2 emissions to be sustained. Specifically, the study finds that the negative impact of financial development on CO2 emissions is likely to change to positive if the following inequality levels are exceeded: 0.591, 0.662 and 5.59, respectively, for the Gini coefficient, the Atkinson index and the Palma ratio. The findings of this study have far-reaching policy implications not only for SSA countries but also for developing countries as a whole. Policy implications are discussed.

Causality between Output and Income Inequality across U.S. States: Evidence from a Heterogeneous Mixed Panel Approach

In this paper, we investigate the causal relationship between output, proxied by personal income, and income inequality in a panel data of 48 states from 1929 to 2012. We employ the causality methodology proposed by Emirmahmutoglu and Kose (2011), as it incorporates possible slope heterogeneity and cross-sectional dependence in a multivariate panel. Evidence of bi-directional causal relationship exists for several inequality measures -- the Atkinson Index, Gini Coefficient, the Relative Mean Deviation, Theil’s entropy Index and Top 10% -- but no evidence of the causal relationship for the Top 1 % measure. Also, this paper finds state-specific causal relationships between personal income and inequality.

PERAN DANA ZAKAT DALAM MENGURANGI KETIMPANGAN PENDAPATAN DAN KEMISKINAN

This research attempts to examine the role of zakat in reducing income inequality and poverty, by taking a case study in Bogor. Two zakat institutions, Baytul Maal Bogor and Baytul Ikhtiar have been selected. A number of well-known inequality and poverty measures have utilized including Lorenz Curve, Gini coefficient, Atkinson index, headcount ratio, poverty gap index, income gap index, sen index and FGT index. After analyzing 200 household as the respondent, this study found zakat has increased monthly income of the household 11,48%. In general, the presence of zakat helps lower the income inequality an average of 0,3% points. The findings suggest that the presence of zakat has make better the income loss of the respondent an average of 25,7% points. The existence of zakat is able to decrease the poverty incidence an average of 44% points. The gap of poverty can be reduced as the poverty gap show can be reductions of 27%. The depth of poverty can be reduced as the income gap show the reductions 18,8% points. Similarly, the severty of poverty can also be lower as evidenced from 18% points increase in the Sen index and 10% points increase in the FGT index.

The Croatian banking system total assets concentration dynamics: performing a variety of inequality measures

The paper provides an overview of the trend in the concentration of the total assets of banks in Croatia for the period from 2007 to 2016 with the aim of analysing and presenting the changes that occurred in the system. Also, the paper shows the theoretical framework of the indicators used in the research as well as the comparison of their obtained values. The data used to calculate the total assets concentration are taken from the Croatian National Bank. The concentration indices used in the study include the entropy measure, the Theil entropy, the Gini coefficient, the Pietra index, the Atkinson index and the coefficient of variation. The results indicate a very slight decrease in concentration over the past several years, while the coefficient of variation points to the heterogeneity of the system, as well as to inequalities among the banks, which are most evident in the size of banks assets.

The Comparison between Consumption and Production-based Zakat Distribution Programs for Poverty Alleviation and Income Inequality Reduction

This study attempts to analyze the effect of consumption and production-based zakat distribution programs in eradicating poverty and reducing income inequality of the zakat beneficiaries by using the modification of the Center of Islamic Business and Economic Studies (abbreviated as CIBEST) model, Deciles method, Gini coefficient and Atkinson index. It takes the case study of 1,309 zakat beneficiaries managed by the National Zakat Board of Indonesia (abbreviated as BAZNAS) in three different cities and regencies including Bogor, Depok and Sukabumi. It suggests that the present zakat distribution programs conducted by BAZNAS can significantly alleviate poverty and reduce income inequality among zakat beneficiaries. It is observed that one year after receiving zakat programs, production-based programs have higher increase of the material and spiritual condition (represented by falah index) by 300 percentage points while households who obtained consumption-based programs rise by only 20 percentage points. It is also found that the Gini coefficient decreases by 0.017 points while Atkinson index falls by 0.042 points indicating that the income inequality among observed zakat beneficiaries are improved. This study has substantiated the role of zakat for poverty alleviation and income inequality reduction that can benefit development in general. Keywords: Zakat Distribution Programs, Poverty, Income Inequality

PERAN DANA ZAKAT DALAM MENGURANGI KETIMPANGAN PENDAPATAN DAN KEMISKINAN

This research attempts to examine the role of zakat in reducing income inequality and poverty, by taking a case study in Bogor. Two zakat institutions, Baytul Maal Bogor and Baytul Ikhtiar have been selected. A number of well-known inequality and poverty measures have utilized including Lorenz Curve, Gini coefficient, Atkinson index, headcount ratio, poverty gap index, income gap index, sen index and FGT index. After analyzing 200 household as the respondent, this study found zakat has increased monthly income of the household 11,48%. In general, the presence of zakat helps lower the income inequality an average of 0,3% points. The findings suggest that the presence of zakat has make better the income loss of the respondent an average of 25,7% points. The existence of zakat is able to decrease the poverty incidence an average of 44% points. The gap of poverty can be reduced as the poverty gap show can be reductions of 27%. The depth of poverty can be reduced as the income gap show the reductions 18,8% points. Similarly, the severty of poverty can also be lower as evidenced from 18% points increase in the Sen index and 10% points increase in the FGT index.