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The incidence of local government allocations in Tanzania

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Abstract

Since 1999, Tanzania has been actively pursuing reforms of the way in which the central government finances local government activities. This paper looks at the current incidence of central government allocations to local authorities in Tanzania through: 1) examining of potential problems with the current financing method, 2) showing large variations between local government allocations, and 3) finding that surprisingly what drives t his distribution of resources maybe substantial pro-wealthy and pro-urban tendencies in the way in which central government officials divide public resources across local government units. Members of parliament have expressed concern about the current incidence of local government resources and the discretion that the central government bureaucracy has over local government allocations. In addition, understanding the current incidence of local government finances is crucial as the Government of Tanzania is in the process of considering the introduction of a formula-based system of intergovernmental block grants. A thorough understanding of the current incidence of central-local government allocations will aid in the design of a sound system of formula-based block grants, and will likely also reveal possible political obstacles that the introduction of a new block grant system may face.

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  • Jameson Boex, 2003. "The incidence of local government allocations in Tanzania," International Center for Public Policy Working Paper Series, at AYSPS, GSU paper0311, International Center for Public Policy, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University.
    • Handle: RePEc:ays:ispwps:paper0311
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    Cited by:

    1. Emilie Caldeira & Grégoire Rota-Graziosi, 2015. "La décentralisation dans les pays en développement : une revue de la littérature - Decentralization in developing countries: A literature review," CERDI Working papers halshs-01005204, HAL.
    2. Muinelo-Gallo, Leonel & Rodriguez-Miranda, Adrián & Castro-Scavone, Pablo, 2017. "Intergovernmental transfers and regional income inequalities in Uruguay," MPRA Paper 76983, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Emilie Caldeira, 2012. "Does the System of Allocation of Intergovernmental Transfers in Senegal Eliminate Politically Motivated Targeting?," Journal of African Economies, Centre for the Study of African Economies, vol. 21(2), pages 167-191, March.
    4. Fjeldstad, Odd-Helge & Chambas, Gérard & Brun, Jean-Francois, 2014. "Local Government Taxation in Sub-Saharan Africa," Working Papers 13710, Institute of Development Studies, International Centre for Tax and Development.
    5. Odd-Helge Fjeldstad & Kari Heggstad, 2012. "Local government revenue mobilisation in Anglophone Africa," CMI Working Papers 6, CMI (Chr. Michelsen Institute), Bergen, Norway.
    6. Grégoire ROTA-GRAZIOSI & Emilie CALDEIRA, 2014. "La décentralisation dans les pays en développement : une revue de la littérature - Decentralization in developing countries: A literature review," Working Papers 201411, CERDI.
    7. Languille, Sonia, 2019. "The politics of the education budget: Financing mass secondary education in Tanzania (2004–2012)," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 96-104.
    8. Jameson Boex & Jorge Martinez-Vazquez, 2005. "The Determinants of the Incidence of Intergovernmental Grants: A Survey of the International Experience (2005)," International Center for Public Policy Working Paper Series, at AYSPS, GSU paper0509, International Center for Public Policy, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University.
    9. Maria EL KHDARI, 2015. "Déterminants des transferts intergouvernementaux : le cas des communes Marocaines," Working Papers 201531, CERDI.
    10. Iwona Franczak, 2021. "Creative Accounting in Poland’s Sub-Sector of Local Governments," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(4), pages 997-1017.
    11. Eric Otenyo, 2005. "Local Governments Connecting to the Global Economy: Globalization as Catalyst in Governance of East African Cities," Public Organization Review, Springer, vol. 4(4), pages 339-360, November.

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    local government allocations ; Tanzania;

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