Issue #4 (Volume 19 2024)

Understanding the impact of economic factors on bank lending is crucial in Kazakhstan’s modern economy, characterized by volatile inflation and fluctuations in real wages. This paper aims to investigate the link between bank lending and economic factors such as inflation, real wages, and consumer expenditure in a regional context. Data from the Bureau of National Statistics and the National Bank, covering the period from 2012 to 2022, were used to uncover how economic factors influence bank lending. For the analysis, various economic indicators were integrated through normalization and averaging. Analysis reveals significant regional disparities in real wages and consumer expenditures, which impact the demand for bank credit. The results of the correlation matrix showed that both real wages (P-value < 0.001) and inflation (P-value < 0.001) significantly impact bank lending, with an R² value of 0.998, indicating that the model explains 99.8% of the variation in bank lending. The regression analysis highlights that regions with higher real wages, such as Astana, Almaty, and Atyrau, provide the most favorable conditions for banking sector growth, demonstrated by a strong relationship between wages and bank lending. In contrast, regions with lower wage levels, such as Turkestan and Zhambyl, show a significantly weaker connection (around 0.65), reflecting their lower attractiveness for banking investment and emphasizing the need for policies to address social inequality. The Durbin-Watson test confirmed no autocorrelation in residuals (DW = 1.89), although heteroscedasticity was detected, suggesting the need for further model adjustments. The study emphasizes the importance of developing economic policies that can balance regional development and improve financial stability.

Acknowledgments
This research has been funded by the Science Committee of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Grant “Development of mechanisms for reducing social inequality and improving the welfare of the population of Kazakhstan” AP19174744).

Digital financial services are crucial in boosting the competitive edge of businesses and economies in numerous developing nations. This study aims to explore the factors that affect consumers’ perceptions of the implementation of consumer protection laws and their willingness to continue using digital financial services. Data were collected through interviews with 689 Gen Z consumers (born after 1996) who have used digital financial services in Vietnamese commercial banks. The results of the partial least square – structural equation modeling indicate that six factors influence attitudes toward the enforcement of consumer protection laws, in descending order: perceived benefits, understanding of legal regulations, perceived asymmetry, perceived risk, understanding of technology and digital finance, and understanding of dispute resolution. Additionally, attitudes toward law enforcement, as well as understanding of technology and digital finance, positively impact consumers’ intention to reuse digital financial services, while perceived risk has the opposite effect. Furthermore, all six independent factors impact the intention to reuse digital financial services through the mediating role of attitudes toward the enforcement of consumer protection laws. The study’s findings also lay the groundwork for policy recommendations for legislative authorities and strategic guidance for service providers and consumers in emerging markets in the future.

Acknowledgment
This study is the result of collaboration between researchers from the University of Law, Hue University, and School of Business and Economics, Duy Tan University. The authors would like to thank both institutions for their support and facilitation in the publication of this research. This study was conducted under project code DHH2024-12-85, Decision No. 298/QĐ-ĐHH dated March 27, 2024, issued by the Director of Hue University.