Experiences of the Hungarian EU funding in the 2014-2020 budgetary period

The aim of the paper is to analyse the implementation of Hungarian EU funding in the most recent budgetary period which ended in 2020. The research examines the intervention fields aimed by the operational programmes and the statistics of grant applications as well. In addition, the study gives a detailed analysis about the economic development programme compared to the one in the previous financial cycle. Overall, the aim is to seek the funding practice in Hungary regarding to the sectoral priorities and the characteristic of regional allocation.

WHY PARTICIPATE IN THE “ONE BELT AND ONE ROAD” INITIATIVE? AN INCOME CONVERGENCE APPROACH

This paper seeks to investigate the motivations of countries that participate in the One Belt and One Road (B&R) Initiative, a China-led economic development programme with the intention of enhancing regional economic cooperation. We examine the income convergence hypothesis for B&R countries with both linear and nonlinear unit root tests to detect the presence of economic integration over the periods 1960–2016 and 1979–2016. For the B&R countries that are found to show income convergence to China in our income convergence testing, we argue that they tend to have a strong existing economic relationship with China. By contrast, the countries that have relatively weak economic relationships with China tend to show no convergence to China, and they take advantage of the B&R as an opportunity to catch up. Moreover, we find evidence that more countries converge to China’s real per capita income for the years after 1978 when China started its transition to a market economy and initiated the open-door policy to embrace globalization. The results suggest that China contributes to a higher degree of income convergence in regional integration.

Facilitating the transition from the second to the first economy in South Africa’s rural areas

Here we describe an economic development programme termed ARISE – an acronym for African Rural Initiatives for Sustainable Environments. The programme has the potential to contribute to the simultaneous achievement of three goals to which South Africa is committed, namely: • job creation, • broad-based black economic empowerment, and • achieving expressed conservation and environmental objectives. The programme is currently being developed in the form of two ongoing pilot projects that, taken together, employ 576 previously jobless people, have created several small enterprises, and are beneficially affecting thousands of hectares of severely degraded land in South Africa’s rural areas (EOI2, 2006). The programme may be categorised in the context of South Africa’s economy as either “economic development” through poverty alleviation and in future perhaps part of the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP), and clearly has the potential to enable people in South Africa’s rural areas to make the transition from the “second” (informal) to the “first” (formal) economy. ARISE therefore offers an ideal opportunity for a large-scale rollout across South and southern Africa.

Beplanning van toekomstige ekonomiese ontwikkeling met besondere verwysing na kapitaalvorming, monetere beleid en werkgeleentheidskepping

Planning future economic development with special reference to capital formation, monetary policy and the creation of job opportunities. Planning is discussed as centralized control of the rate and the direction of economic growth. Although such total central control does not exist, and is not pursued in South Africa, and the role of the free market mechanism is increasingly recognized, a certain degree of government participation in the country's economy is inevitable, particularly to help to realize the evolving national strategy. Short term objectives of economic policy focus on satisfactory growth in gross domestic product, price stability and external balance, while long term objectives aim at maintaining economic growth, employment opportunity, acceptable distribution of income, geographic spread of economic activities, adequate provision of collective goods and services and protection against external economic threat. Due to increasing unemployment creation of jobs is particularly important as a consideration for investment by both the private and public sectors. Three simulations done for the latest economic development programme for South Africa for the period 1978- 1987 and the implications of different outcomes are discussed. Even if the most favourable forecast applies, an unacceptably high unemployment rate can still be expected.Beplanning word bespreek as gesentraliseerde beheer van die koers en die rigting van ekonomiese groei. Alhoewel sodanige volkome sentrale beheer nie in Suid-Afrika bestaan of nagestreef word nie en nuwe klem val op die rol van die vrye markmeganisme, is 'n sekere mate van owerheidsdeelname in die landsekonomie onvermydelik, veral ook om die ontplooiende nasionale strategie te help verwesenlik. Doelwitte in ekonomiese beleid is op die korttermyn gerig op 'n bevredigende groeikoers in die bruto binnelandse produk, prysstabiliteit en eksterne ewewig, terwyl langtermyndoelstellings klem plaas op handhawing van ekonomiese groeikoers, werkvoorsiening, aanvaarbare verdeling van inkome, geografiese verspreiding van ekonomiese bedrywighede, voorsiening van voldoende kollektiewegoedere en dienste en versekering teen eksterne ekonomiese bedreigings. Weens stygende werkloosheid is veral werkvoorsiening van groot belang by investering deur sowel die private as die openbare sektore. Drie simulasies wat vir die jongste ekonomiese ontwikkelingsprogram vir Suid-Afrika oor die tydperk 1978-1987 en die implikasies van verskillende uitkomste gedoen is, word bespreek. Maar selfs as die gunstigste vooruitskatting geld, kan 'n onaanvaarbaar hoe werkloosheidskoers nog verwag word.