Son Nghiem

Assessing the Welfare Effects of Microfinance in Vietnam: Empirical Results from a Quasi-Experimental Survey

Abstract This article analyses the effects of NGO microfinance programmes on household welfare in Vietnam. Data on 470 households across 25 villages were collected using a quasi-experimental survey approach to overcome any self-selection bias. The sample was designed so that member households of microfinance programmes were compared with non-member households with similar characteristics. The analysis shows no significant effects of participation in NGO microfinance on household welfare, proxied by income and consumption per adult equivalent.

Family Income and Child Cognitive and Noncognitive Development in Australia: Does Money Matter?

This article investigates whether family income affects children’s cognitive and noncognitive development by exploiting comprehensive information from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. We include variables that represent parental investment, parental stress, and neighborhood characteristics to examine if these factors mediate the effects of income. Using dynamic panel data, we find that family income is significantly associated with children’s cognitive skills but not with noncognitive skills. Mother’s education, parent’s physical and mental health, parenting styles, child’s own health, and presence of both biological parents are the most important factors for children’s noncognitive development. For cognitive development, income as well as parents’ education, child’s birth weight, and number of books that children have at home are highly significant factors. We also find strong evidence to support the skill formation theory that children’s previous cognitive and noncognitive outcomes are significantly related to their current outcomes.

Bank reforms and efficiency in Vietnamese banks: Evidence based on SFA and DEA

ABSTRACT This study examines the cost efficiency of Vietnamese banks from 2000 to 2014 in the first stage, and the selection and dynamic effects of two governance reforms, foreign partial acquisition and listing on the stock exchange, on the efficiency in the second stage. Empirical results from the two-stage Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA) are highly consistent with those from the two-stage Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) . Specifically, the first-stage efficiency estimation indicates that the cost efficiency shows a slightly upward trend over the period 2000–2014, with the cost efficiency score being 0.93 and state-owned banks outperforming joint-stock banks (JSBs). The mixed process seemingly unrelated regression estimator which controls the potential endogeneity of public listing and foreign acquisition in the second stage shows that selection effects occur in the Vietnamese banking system: banks selected by the strategic foreign investors for partial acquisition and banks selected for public listing are more cost-efficient than those not selected. The short-term and long-term dynamic effects of foreign partial acquisition are documented: the cost efficiency of the Vietnamese banks post-partial acquisition is lower than prior-partial acquisition, and it experiences a decreasing trend since partial acquisition. However, the short-term and long-term dynamic effects of public listing are not evidenced: the cost efficiency of the banks after public listing is not statistically different from that before public listing, and it also reveals an unclear trend since public listing.

The interrelationships among default risk, capital ratio and efficiency: evidence from Indian banks

Purpose - – The purpose of this paper is to examine the interrelationships among default risk, capital and efficiency of the Indian banking system over 1990-2011. This study also took into account the impact of ownership on these interrelationships Design/methodology/approach - – This paper employed Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) Windows Analysis to estimate efficiency levels and trends of individual banks. This paper then used a model of seemingly unrelated regression equations (SURE) to examine the interrelationships among default risk, capital and efficiency. Findings - – This study found a two-way negative association between efficiency and default risk, and between capital ratio and default risk. However, this study found a two-way positive relationship between capital ratio and only profit efficiency. Public banks behaved differently from private banks regarding the association between capital and efficiency. Moreover, public banks had greater probability of default risk, lower capital ratio but higher efficiency level than private banks. Further, default risk, capital ratio and efficiency of the Indian banking system increased over time, but the two formers were driven by public banks while the latter was driven by private banks. Practical implications - – The findings of this study appear to favour capital ratio as an efficient tool to improve efficiency and reduce default risk of the Indian banking system. Originality/value - – This paper is the first investigating the interrelationships between bank risk, capital and efficiency of the Indian banking system, where bank risk is measured by

Sources of productivity growth in health services: A case study of Queensland public hospitals

Improving the performance of health sector is one of the most popular issues in Australia. This paper contributes to this important policy debate by examining the efficiency of health facilities in Queensland using the Malmquist Productivity Index (MPI). This method is selected because it is suitable for the multi-input, multi-output, and not-for-profit natures of public health services. In addition, with the availability of panel data we can decompose productivity growth into useful components, including technical efficiency changes, technological changes and scale changes. The results revealed an average of 1.6 per cent of growth in total factor productivity (TFP) among Queensland public hospitals in the study period. The main component contributing to the modest improvement of TFP during the period was catching-up at an average of 1.0 per cent. SFA estimates suggest that the number of nurses is the most influential determinant of output.

Cost-effectiveness of a text message programme for the prevention of recurrent cardiovascular events.

Objective To estimate the cost-effectiveness of Tobacco, Exercise and Diet Messages (TEXT ME), a text message-based intervention that provides advice, motivation, information and support to improve health-related behaviours. Methods A lifetime Markov model was used to estimate major vascular events (myocardial infarctions and strokes) avoided, quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) gained, costs to the health system and the incremental cost per QALY gained. The model was informed by data from a randomised controlled trial of TEXT ME, with evidence from systematic reviews and meta-analyses used to estimate the effects of changes in risk factors on the risk of major vascular events. Expected costs and health outcomes were estimated with uncertainty surrounding these characterised using probabilistic sensitivity analysis and a number of scenario analyses. Results For a target population of 50 000 patients with documented coronary heart disease, the intervention is expected to lead to 563 fewer myocardial infarctions, 361 fewer strokes and 1143 additional QALYs. TEXT ME is expected to lead to an overall saving of

The determinants of Chinese visitors to Australia: A dynamic demand analysis

10.56 million for the health system over the patients’ lifetimes. The intervention can therefore be considered cost-saving and health-improving. Neither parameter nor structural uncertainty had a significant impact on the conclusion that TEXT ME is cost-effective. Conclusions The provision of TEXT ME is predicted to lead to better health outcomes and an overall saving in costs for the health system. Trial registration number anzctr.org.au identifier: ACTRN12611000161921.

Behavioural and Emotional Problems in Children and Educational Outcomes: A Dynamic Panel Data Analysis

Abstract Although China has progressively become an important inbound tourism market for Australia, its demand elasticities have been little studied to date. This study examines the determinants of Chinese visitors to Australia using a dynamic time-series estimator. Interesting findings include a high income elasticity as a source of the continuous doubledigit growth rates in Chinese arrivals that Australia has experienced over the past two decades, together with relatively high total trip price elasticities for both short run and long run. A trend of Chinese outbound to Australia is also identified. From a policy perspective, the results confirm that keeping a low cost of visiting Australia, both ground and travel costs, is a good strategy to secure greater numbers of Chinese tourists.

Convergence and determinants of health expenditures in OECD countries

This study investigates the effects of behavioural and emotional problems in children on their educational outcomes using data from the Longitudinal Survey of Australian Children (LSAC). We contribute to the extant literature using a dynamic specification to test the hypothesis of knowledge accumulation. Further, we apply the system generalised method of moments (GMM) estimator to minimise biases due to unobserved factors. We find that mental disorders in children has a negative effect on the National Assessment Program—Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) test scores. Among all mental disorders, having emotional problems is found to be the most influential with one standard deviation (SD) increase in emotional problems being associated with 0.05 SD reduction in NAPLAN reading, writing and spelling; 0.04 SD reduction in matrix reasoning and grammar; and 0.03 SD reduction in NAPLAN numeracy.

The economic impacts of a changing visa fee for Chinese tourists to Australia

This study examines the trend and determinants of health expenditures in OECD countries over the 1975-2004 period. Based on recent developments in the economic growth literature we propose and test the hypothesis that health care expenditures in countries of similar economic development level may converge. We hypothesise that the main drivers for growth in health care costs include: aging population, technological progress and health insurance. The results reveal no evidence that health expenditures among OECD countries converge. Nevertheless, there is evidence of convergence among three sub-groups of countries. We found that the main driver of health expenditure is technological progress. Our results also suggest that health care is a (national) necessity, not a luxury good as some other studies in this field have found.