This study examines regional integration in Africa with a focus on the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, COMESA. COMESA, with roots that go back to the beginning of the 1980?s, is one of the largest and most diverse areas for regional integration in Africa and has currently 19 member countries. The goal of the COMESA co-operation is to become a fully integrated area by the year 2025 that will merge into the African Union (AU). AU will then, in turn, create a fully integrated African continent in a not too far away future.

An LSS officer?s activities are governed by laws and regulations and it has great power in influencing the individual's situation when reweaving its case. Officer?s actions have effects on the applicant and it can use its power and not look after the individual's best. Its interest can lie in community and his own position.

This study examines how farmers certified by KRAV face proposed regulations on organic soils put forward by KRAV economic association among others, and how they are affected economically. These soils are, from an environmental perspective, interesting as a target for production regulations as they cause greenhouse gas emissions through decomposition of organic material when cultivated. The regulations advocate that organic soils should be grown with pasture where soil cultivation is only allowed every fith year which implies that possible adjustments of cultivation have to be made in order to fulfill the regualtions. Collection of data have been made through a questionnaire sent out to 574 farmers certified by KRAV. The answers have been analysed using a decision making model and statistical findings suggest that proportion of organic soils, type of production, economic conditions and farmers? goals and values have an influence on whether the regulations and potential cultivation adjustments have been considered or not.

AbstractToday there is an opportunity to reinforce concrete with steel fiber reinforcement. In some cases, completely replace the conventional reinforcement. Replacing conventional mesh reinforcement with steel fiber reinforcement in slabs on ground has shown economic benefits, less crack width and less reinforcement amount.Today there are no Swedish standard for designing steel fiber reinforced concrete, what is there is different international recommendations.In this work, design methods for steel fiber concrete are used according to RILEM and Bekaer Swedish AB's software DRAPRO. For other design methods Eurokod 2 is followed.In this work, the design of slabs on ground that are not exposed by large tension strength been designed. Design of crack-reinforcement and restrictions of crack width have been conducted in three different slabs on ground.The calculations have been performed using only conventional reinforcement and only steel fiber reinforcement, and the results are then compared.The results of the theoretical analysis are summarized in tables that compare the amount of reinforcement, crack width and economic cost.This work showed that the slabs on the ground reinforced with steel fibers provide less crack width with a minor amount of reinforcement.

Denna uppsats är skriven inom det nationalekonomiska fältet kulturekonomi och behandlar faktorer som påverkar antalet museibesökare och konsekvenserna av införandet av fri entré. År 2005 genomfördes en reform som medförde att ett flertal statliga museer införde fri entré (vissa museer redan våren 2004). Eftersom inträdesavgifter är en faktor som styrande lyfter fram som en viktig förklarande faktor till antalet och sammansättningen av museibesökare har frientréreformen och dess samhällsekonomiska konsekvenser en central roll i uppsatsen. Utifrån ett datamaterial från Kulturrådet och Statistiska Centralbyrån genomförs två multipla linjära regressioner, en per år samt en över tiden. I dessa regressioner testas olika förklarande variabler som kan tänkas ha en påverkan på antalet museibesökare.

During the past year it has been made possible to buy back a company?s outstanding stock. This is done in order to change the capital structure towards a situation with less equity. A change in capital structure means a change in the cost of capital for a company and by that a change in the value for the stockholder. This Master Thesis studies the relation between capital structure and business risk.

Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, China has captivated global attention due to its astonishing economic growth. This development has resulted in an enormous growth in foreign direct investments, as well as the country?s new role aseconomic super power. When joining the World Trade Organization in 2001, China agreed to adhere to the minimum requirements of the organization?s several multilateral agreements.

Denna uppsats undersöker effekterna av första generationens biobränslen, såsom bioetanol och biodiesel, på jordbruksprodukters prisnivåer både inom länder och internationellt ? samt dessa prisers vidare påverkan på svält i utvecklingsländer. En enkel sektormodell för utbud och efterfrågan, uppdelad i tre delmarknader, utnyttjas först för att illustrera och förklara biobränslens grundläggande kvalitativa priseffekter på jordbruksmarknader. Andra forskningsstudiers och modellers kvantitativa uppskattningar av samma skeenden granskas och vidareutvecklas. Den relativa andel hos senare tids prisstegringar (den så kallade ?matkrisen?), vilken kan tillskrivas biobränslens effekter, skattas med försiktighet: min uppskattning blir att i storleksordningen 10 procent av de samtida prisökningarna beror på biobränslen, med viss variation för enskilda produkter.

Abstract In my work, I have tried to define and clarify the conception of sustainability seen from my perspective as a landscape architect. With a basis in literature studies, I have analysed and commented on different applications, contents and meanings of sustainability and endurance. This compilation is based on how a number of writers, researchers and authorities consider the importance of integrating ecological, social and economic aspects of sustainability in city planning. My perspective has mainly been founded on the anthologies and compilations from the 80´s and 90´s where Per G. Berg and Björn Malbert acted as editors.

Background:Persons living with a mental illness often have to put up with a financial disadvantage. Their ability to work is often limited and because of that they have to rely on the welfare reform to get an income. This income is often low compared to other citizens which by itself is something strongly associated with mental illness. Purpose: The purpose in this study was to describe how people living with a mental illness experience that their Economic situation has an impact on their daily life. Method: This study is a literature review containing nine scientific articles from previous research.

Because of the increasing numbers of international tourist arrivals each year it is essential that tourist operators are aware of the impacts that tourism generate. Tourism affects the world in an environmental, social and economic way, positive but also in a negative way. To travel responsible and sustainable is therefore important, and operators have a responsibility in this subject.Because of this I wanted to look at how Swedish tourist operators manage responsible tourism, together with what amount of information their customers receive about this. To be able to study how operators work with this I conducted three interviews via email. The tourist operators were of different sizes and specializations to receive a more extensive result.

Utländska direktinvesteringar har ökat markant de senaste 10 åren, en utveckling som påverkar det dagliga livet för allt fler människor då företagens investeringar ger upphov till såväl nya blomstrande orter som nya ödebygder. Denna uppsats syftar till att på företagsnivå undersöka vad som påverkar val av geografisk plats för direktinvesteringar utomlands. I undersökningen har de faktorer som lyfts fram av den nya handelsteorin samt ekonomisk geografi undersökts. Dessa faktorer är tullar och andra handelshinder, transportkostnader, agglomerationseffekter, närhet till och storlek på marknader, positiva externaliteter samt skalfördelar. Hur viktiga dessa anledningar är har i denna uppsats undersökts genom en kvalitativ enkätmetod, där företagen själva har svarat på i vilken grad varje enskild anledning påverkat investeringsbeslutet.

The purpose of this study is to incrementally, through a combination of various methods, examine the assumptions about the working economic outcomes that can be made based on planned ergonomic intervention in a department at Pfizer Health AB in Strängnäs. The study contributes to knowledge about how assumptions on OSH financial results can be made, based on planned ergonomic interventions. These assumptions were based on biomechanical calculations made on the basis of ergonomics measurements with inclinometer. The study is important because previous research has shown that poor work environment have a bad impact on the economy of a company in different ways. It can for example be negative impact on the company's productivity and quality of the units produced or the services provided.

Denna uppsats behandlar utkontrakteringar i offentlig sektor och som praktikfall har utkontrakteringen av äldreboendena Nibblegården och Ärtan i Lunds kommun valts. Själva syftet med uppsatsen är att få en uppfattning om vilka effekter som uppkommer vid utkontrakteringar. I uppsatsen diskuteras även vad som bör beaktas vid utkontrakteringsbeslut (eller återtagande av utkontrakterad verksamhet). Den innehåller också en analys av hur kontrakt mellan det offentliga och privata aktörer är utformade och hur utformningen stämmer överens med den ekonomiska litteraturen. Studien har visat på att det finns vissa skillnader finns mellan teori och empiri vad gäller kontrakts utformning.

The energy that the earth receives from the sun hourly has potential to cover a year?s energy demand in the world. Further, this type of energy is environmentally friendly, natural and free of cost. This report covers solar energy in an urban environment and consists of a case study of installations of photovoltaic cells in a part of the city of Stockholm. It is mainly the economic aspects that are covered but there is also a discussion about the practical consequences and the sustainability as a result of integration of solar energy in an urban environment. The aim of the study is to present results from economic calculations for utilization of solar energy in chosen buildings in Kungsholmen in Stockholm.