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The mitigating role of tax and benefit rescue packages for poverty and inequality in Africa amid the COVID-19 pandemic

Author

Listed:
  • Jesse Lastunen
  • Pia Rattenhuber
  • Kwabena Adu-Ababio
  • Katrin Gasior
  • Xavier Jara
  • Maria Jouste
  • David McLennan
  • Enrico Nichelatti
  • Rodrigo Oliveira
  • Jukka Pirttilä
  • Matteo Richiardi
  • Gemma Wright

Abstract

This paper analyses the distributional effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and related tax-benefit measures in 2020 in a cross-country comparative perspective for five African countries: Ghana, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. We first estimate the impact of the crisis on disposable incomes, how effects vary across the income distribution, and in how far tax-benefit policies stabilized earnings losses. We then evaluate the impact on income-based poverty and inequality and the contribution of discretionary tax-benefit policies in alleviating the shock.

Suggested Citation

  • Jesse Lastunen & Pia Rattenhuber & Kwabena Adu-Ababio & Katrin Gasior & Xavier Jara & Maria Jouste & David McLennan & Enrico Nichelatti & Rodrigo Oliveira & Jukka Pirttilä & Matteo Richiardi & Gemma W, 2021. "The mitigating role of tax and benefit rescue packages for poverty and inequality in Africa amid the COVID-19 pandemic," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2021-148, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    • Handle: RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp-2021-148
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    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. Dolls, Mathias & Fuest, Clemens & Peichl, Andreas, 2012. "Automatic stabilizers and economic crisis: US vs. Europe," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 96(3), pages 279-294.
    3. Michael Christl & Silvia Poli & Tine Hufkens & Andreas Peichl & Mattia Ricci, 2023. "The role of short-time work and discretionary policy measures in mitigating the effects of the COVID-19 crisis in Germany," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 30(4), pages 1107-1136, August.
    4. Mike Brewer & Iva Valentinova Tasseva, 2021. "Did the UK policy response to Covid-19 protect household incomes?," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 19(3), pages 433-458, September.
    5. André Decoster & Jukka Pirttilä & Holly Sutherland & Gemma Wright, 2019. "SOUTHMOD: Modelling Tax-benefit Systems in Developing Countries," International Journal of Microsimulation, International Microsimulation Association, vol. 12(1), pages 1-12.
    6. Alberto Alesina & Francesco Giavazzi, 2013. "Fiscal Policy after the Financial Crisis," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number ales11-1, March.
    7. Alan J. Auerbach & Daniel R. Feenberg, 2000. "The Significance of Federal Taxes as Automatic Stabilizers," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 14(3), pages 37-56, Summer.
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    Cited by:

    1. Adermon, Adrian & Laun, Lisa & Lind, Patrik & Olsson, Martin & Sauermann, Jan & Sjögren , Anna, 2022. "Earnings losses and the role of the welfare state during the COVID-19 pandemic: evidence from Sweden," Working Paper Series 2022:20, IFAU - Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy.
    2. Glenn Abela, 2022. "Assessing the impacts of the COVID-19 wage supplement scheme: A microsimulation study," CBM Working Papers WP/06/2022, Central Bank of Malta.
    3. Ronald Waiswa & Jesse Lastunen & Gemma Wright & Michael Noble & Joseph Okello Ayo & Milly Isingoma Nalukwago & Tina Kaidu Barugahara & Susan Kavuma & Isaac Arinaitwe & Martin Mwesigye & Wilson Asiimwe, 2021. "An assessment of presumptive tax in Uganda: Evaluating the 2020 reform and four alternative reform scenarios using UGAMOD, a tax-benefit microsimulation model for Uganda," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2021-163, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    4. Mahler,Daniel Gerszon & Yonzan,Nishant & Lakner,Christoph, 2022. "The Impact of COVID-19 on Global Inequality and Poverty," Policy Research Working Paper Series 10198, The World Bank.

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    Keywords

    COVID-19; Income distribution; Poverty; Inequality; Africa; Automatic stabilizers;
    All these keywords.

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