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Learning from the ʻbestʼ: The impact of tax-benefit systems in Africa

Author

Listed:
  • Olivier Bargain
  • Xavier Jara
  • Prudence Kwenda
  • Miracle Ntuli

Abstract

Redistributive systems in Africa are still in their infancy but are constantly expanding in order to finance increasing public spending. This paper aims at characterizing the redistributive potential of six African countries: Ghana, Zambia, Mozambique, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and South Africa. These countries show contrasted situations in terms of income distribution. We assess the role of tax-benefit systems to explain these differences.

Suggested Citation

  • Olivier Bargain & Xavier Jara & Prudence Kwenda & Miracle Ntuli, 2019. "Learning from the ʻbestʼ: The impact of tax-benefit systems in Africa," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2019-2, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    • Handle: RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp-2019-2
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Olivier Bargain & Tim Callan, 2010. "Analysing the effects of tax-benefit reforms on income distribution: a decomposition approach," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 8(1), pages 1-21, March.
    2. Olivier Bargain, 2012. "The Distributional Effects of Tax-benefit Policies under New Labour: A Decomposition Approach-super-," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 74(6), pages 856-874, December.
    3. Olivier Bargain & H. Xavier Jara & David Rodriguez, 2017. "Learning from your neighbor: tax-benefit systems swaps in Latin America," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 15(4), pages 369-392, December.
    4. World Bank, 2015. "World Development Indicators 2015," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 21634, December.
    5. Herwig Immervoll & Horacio Levy & José Ricardo Nogueira & Cathal O´Donoghue & Rozane Bezerra de Siqueira, 2005. "The Impact of Brazil´s Tax-Benefit System on Inequality and Poverty," Ibero America Institute for Econ. Research (IAI) Discussion Papers 117, Ibero-America Institute for Economic Research.
    6. repec:bla:afrdev:v:29:y:2017:i:s1:p:1-14 is not listed on IDEAS
    7. World Bank, 2017. "World Development Indicators 2017," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 26447, December.
    8. Holly Sutherland & Francesco Figari, 2013. "EUROMOD: the European Union tax-benefit microsimulation model," International Journal of Microsimulation, International Microsimulation Association, vol. 1(6), pages 4-26.
    9. Nora Lustig, 2016. "Fiscal Policy, Inequality and the Poor in the Developing World - Working Paper 441," Working Papers 441, Center for Global Development.
    10. Katrin Gasior & Chrysa Leventi & Michael Noble & Gemma Wright & Helen Barnes, 2018. "The distributional impact of tax and benefit systems in six African countries," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2018-155, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    11. Odusola, Ayodele, 2017. "Fiscal Space, Poverty and Inequality in Africa," UNDP Africa Economists Working Papers 268726, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
    12. Atkinson, A. B. & Bouguignon, F. & Chiappori, P. A., 1988. "What do we learn about tax reform from international comparisons? France and Britain," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(2-3), pages 343-352, March.
    13. McKay Andy & Pirttilä Jukka & Schimanski Caroline, 2018. "The Elasticity of Formal Work in African Countries," Working Papers 1820, Tampere University, Faculty of Management and Business, Economics.
    14. World Bank, 2013. "World Development Indicators 2013," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 13191, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Emelie Rohne Till, 2021. "A green revolution in sub‐Saharan Africa? The transformation of Ethiopia's agricultural sector," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(2), pages 277-315, March.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Tax-benefit microsimulation; Tax-benefit policy; Microsimulation; Inequality; Poverty; SOUTHMOD;
    All these keywords.

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