Corruption in the public sector remains a major obstacle to regional development, threatening the effectiveness of financial management and public services. Gaps in financial supervision and management that are not transparent are the cause of fraud in the use of the budget. The agency theory states that corruption is caused by a conflict of interest between the community as the principal and the government as an agent, with the external auditor as a supervisor to prevent irregularities. The focus of this research is to find out the relationship between corruption in local governments and capital expenditure, local own revenue, audit opinions, and audit findings. This study uses quantitative methods and uses secondary data. The sample consistSed of 250 local governments (districts/cities/provinces) in Indonesia during 2020-2022. The analyst method uses SPSS 27 with multiple linear regression method. The test results showed that capital expenditure had no effect on corruption, local own revenue and audit findings had a positive effect on corruption, and audit opinions had nothing to do with corruption in local governments.

This research aims to investigate the multifaceted components influencing the competitive edge of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). The research model integrates financial knowledge, AI integration, human capital, and digital marketing to explore their collective impact on SME competitiveness. Through purposive sampling, SMEs across diverse sectors will be selected for in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. Data analysis will employ thematic analysis techniques to derive rich insights from qualitative data. The study anticipates uncovering nuanced relationships between the aforementioned variables and SME competitiveness. Findings will contribute to enhancing understanding of the intricate dynamics shaping SME competitiveness and inform strategic interventions to bolster their competitive edge in the market landscape.