This file is part of IDEAS, which uses RePEc data


[ Papers | Articles | Software | Books | Chapters | Authors | Institutions | JEL Classification | NEP reports | Search | New papers by email | Author registration | Rankings | Volunteers | FAQ | Blog | Help! ]

What has trust got to do with it? Non-payment of service charges in local authorities in South Africa

Author info | Abstract | Publisher info | Download info | Related research | Statistics
Author Info
Odd-Helge Fjeldstad

Additional information is available for the following registered author(s):

Abstract

A major financial problem in many municipalities in South Africa is the inadequate collection of service charges due to widespread non-payment. The prevailing view is that non-compliance is caused by poverty and the existence of an 'entitlement culture'. However, huge variations in compliance exist both within poor communities and between communities with similar socio-economic characteristics. How can these differences be explained? Moreover, what factors determine citizens' compliance? This paper argues that non-payment is not only related to inability to pay and 'a culture of entitlement', but also to whether citizens perceive the local government to act in their interest. In particular, three dimensions of trust may affect citizens' compliance: (1) trust in the local government to use revenues to provide expected services; (2) trust in the authorities to establish fair procedures for revenue collection and distribution of services; and (3) trust in other citizens to pay their share.

Download Info
To download:

If you experience problems downloading a file, check if you have the proper application to view it first. Information about this may be contained in the File-Format links below. In case of further problems read the IDEAS help page. Note that these files are not on the IDEAS site. Please be patient as the files may be large.

File URL: http://www.cmi.no/publications/file/1686-what-has-trust-got-to-do-with-it.pdf
File Format: application/pdf
File Function:
Download Restriction: no

Publisher Info
Paper provided by CMI (Chr. Michelsen Institute), Bergen, Norway in its series CMI Working Papers with number WP 2003:12.

Download reference. The following formats are available: HTML (with abstract), plain text (with abstract), BibTeX, RIS (EndNote, RefMan, ProCite), ReDIF
Length: 26 pages
Date of creation: 2003
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:chm:wpaper:wp2003-12

Contact details of provider:
Postal: P.O. Box 6033, N-5020 Bergen
Phone: +47 55 57 40 00
Fax: +47 55 57 41 66
Email:
Web page: http://www.cmi.no
More information through EDIRC

For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its listing, contact: (Robert Sjursen).

Related research
Keywords: Public finance Service charges Trust Local government South Africa;

Other versions of this item:

Find related papers by JEL classification:
D73 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Bureaucracy; Administrative Processes in Public Organizations; Corruption
D74 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Conflict; Conflict Resolution; Alliances
H31 - Public Economics - - Fiscal Policies and Behavior of Economic Agents - - - Household
O18 - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Regional, Urban, and Rural Analyses
R51 - Urban, Rural, and Regional Economics - - Regional Government Analysis - - - Finance in Urban and Rural Economies
Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Social Norms and Social Capital; Social Networks Economic Anthropology

References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:

  1. Cowell,Frank & Gordon,James, 1987. "Unwillingness to pay: Tax evasion and public good provision," Discussion Paper Serie A 142, University of Bonn, Germany.
    Other versions:
  2. Grasmick, Harold G. & Scott, Wilbur J., 1982. "Tax evasion and mechanisms of social control: A comparison with grand and petty theft," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 2(3), pages 213-230, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Pranab Bardhan, 1997. "Corruption and Development: A Review of Issues," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 35(3), pages 1320-1346, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  4. Tina Søreide & Kjetil Bjorvatn, 2003. "Corruption and market reform," CMI Working Papers WP 2003:7, CMI (Chr. Michelsen Institute), Bergen, Norway. [Downloadable!]
  5. Douglass C. North, 1996. "Where Have We Been And Where Are We Going?," Economic History 9612001, EconWPA. [Downloadable!]
  6. Espen Villanger, 2003. "Company interests and foreign aid policy: Playing donors out against each other," CMI Working Papers WP 2003:5, CMI (Chr. Michelsen Institute), Bergen, Norway. [Downloadable!]
  7. Fjeldstad, Odd-helge & Semboja, Joseph, 2001. "Why People Pay Taxes: The Case of the Development Levy in Tanzania," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 29(12), pages 2059-2074, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  8. Odd-Helge Fjeldstad, 2000. "Taxation, coercion and donors. Local government tax enforcement in Tanzania," CMI Working Papers 7, CMI (Chr. Michelsen Institute), Bergen, Norway.
  9. Espen Villanger, 2003. "Company influence on foreign aid disbursement: Is conditionality credible when donors have mixed motives?," CMI Working Papers WP 2003:4, CMI (Chr. Michelsen Institute), Bergen, Norway. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  10. James Andreoni & Brian Erard & Jonathan Feinstein, 1998. "Tax Compliance," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 36(2), pages 818-860, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  11. Sugden, Robert, 1984. "Reciprocity: The Supply of Public Goods through Voluntary Contributions," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 94(376), pages 772-87, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  12. Espen Villanger, 2003. "The effects of disasters on income mobility: Bootstrap inference and measurement error simulations," CMI Working Papers WP 2003:6, CMI (Chr. Michelsen Institute), Bergen, Norway. [Downloadable!]
  13. Wiig, Arne & Kolstad, Ivar, 2005. "Lowering barriers to agricultural exports through technical assistance," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 30(2), pages 185-204, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  14. Kjetil Bjorvatn & Carsten Eckel, 2003. "Winners and losers from an international investment agreement," CMI Working Papers WP 2003:11, CMI (Chr. Michelsen Institute), Bergen, Norway. [Downloadable!]
  15. Evan Lieberman, 2002. "How South African citizens evaluate their economic obligations to the state," The Journal of Development Studies, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 38(3), pages 37-62, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  16. Allingham, Michael G. & Sandmo, Agnar, 1972. "Income tax evasion: a theoretical analysis," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 1(3-4), pages 323-338, November. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  17. Joel Slemrod, 2002. "Trust in Public Finance," NBER Working Papers 9187, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  18. Sah, Raaj K, 1991. "Social Osmosis and Patterns of Crime," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 99(6), pages 1272-95, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
Full references

Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Espen Villanger, 2004. "Powerful donors and foreign policy: The role of multilateral financial institutions," CMI Working Papers WP 2004: 12, CMI (Chr. Michelsen Institute), Bergen, Norway. [Downloadable!]
  2. Christian von Soest, 2006. "Measuring the Capability to Raise Revenue Process and Output Dimensions and Their Application to the Zambia Revenue Authority," GIGA Working Paper Series 35, GIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies. [Downloadable!]
  3. Susan Steiner, 2005. "Decentralisation and Poverty Reduction: A Conceptual Framework for the Economic Impact," GIGA Working Paper Series 03, GIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  4. Odd-Helge Fjeldstad & Florida Henjewele & Geoffrey Mwambe & Erasto Ngalewa & Knut Nygaard, 2004. "Local government finances and financial management in Tanzania," CMI Working Papers WP 2004: 7, CMI (Chr. Michelsen Institute), Bergen, Norway. [Downloadable!]
Statistics
Access and download statistics

Did you know? No RePEc service, like IDEAS, charges for the use or the display of bibliographic data.

This page was last updated on 2009-11-26.

This information is provided to you by IDEAS at the Department of Economics, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Connecticut using RePEc data on a server sponsored by the Society for Economic Dynamics.