Journal of Economics and Trade

The paper applies basic and augmented gravity model to estimate India’s trade potential with different African countries. Panel data for the period 2010-2017 is employed in the analysis. The results obtained from the model are then used to predict trade potential between India and African Countries. Results reveal that India's trade potential is tremendous in these countries. However, some important obstacles account for the low level of trade between India and African countries which specifically include negligible market access, trade facilitation issues and asymmetric information. To reap the trade potential and to enhance trade between India and African countries, India should put effort.

The ways a country funds its health care delivery system could be an indicator of how much importance is placed on the commodity and its consumers. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the efficacy or otherwise of healthcare financing in Nigeria. To achieve the objective of the study, different questionnaires were designed and administered to the patients and health practitioners of a public hospital in Ogun State. The total number of questionnaire administered was 50 copies (25 copies for the patients; 25 copies for the health practitioners) and all the questionnaires were returned. A multiple regression analysis was adopted to justify the effectiveness of healthcare financing options on health services in Nigeria. The findings revealed that tax –based healthcare financing is effective inthe purchase of health services in Nigeria. Also, the result indicated that out-of-pocket healthcare financing has significant effect on health services in Nigeria. It is therefore recommended that while out –of-pocket may be necessary as means of purchasing health services, the government should intensify the use of tax-based healthcare financing to facilitate the provision of sustainable healthcare service in Nigeria.

The importance of social capital is another new stylized fact in promoting agriculture. The study has as objective to examine the impact of social capital in the enhancement of cocoa production and to determine the challenges faced by cocoa producers in Santchou. Methodologically, we have constructed a social capital index through the application of Multiple Correspondence Analyses using primary data collected within the Santchou cocoa zone and the probit model is used for regression estimates. The result revealed a strong correlation between social capital and cocoa production, while the level of education, sex, marital status, financial status, experience in faming, household size and agricultural training are strongly corroborating with the determinants of social capital. In addition, farm size, level of education, application of farm inputs (pesticides and fertilizers), modern equipment, climate change, access to credit and land tenure system were observed to be the major challenges faced by cocoa farmers in Santchou. We suggest that cocoa farmer’s social network should be improved to enable them easily get assistant when necessary.

The study was to establish the contribution of public transport services to the development of Kigali city. Glossily, the transport sector plays an important role in the economic development of a country, the transport network drives other sectors such as agriculture, trade or business sector and all other service sector. Though research transport services has been found to create employment, income, revenue, increase tax and infrastructure development as well as improve wellbeing of the people. The problem was that transport services does not offer the expected services and benefits in Kigali city and its economic contribution is not recognized by the local community. The specific objectives included to find out transport services contribution to economic development, to find out the factors that limit the contribution and the solution to the problems. Pearson correlations test indicates a positive and very high relationship between variables of this study. The researcher concluded that transport is an important element of economic development and several factors influence transport which also affects economic development. It was recommended that RFTC should bring modern busses for better transport and satisfaction of passengers. RFTC should also train drivers and conductors to improve professionalism service to passengers.