Blog
The economic ripples of rising government debtIn recent years, governments worldwide witnessed a surge in debt levels. According to the Institute of International Finance, global debt reached a...
Blog
The Demand for a Fair International Financial ArchitectureCritically examining the Global South’s proposals for international financial architecture reformsThis working paper offers a critical examination of...
Blog
Owning our destiny: economic prospects for AfricaYemi Kale is the Group Chief Economist of the African Export-Import Bank. In this editorial, he reflects on the prospects for Africa’s future...
Working Paper
Income inequality in South AfricaWe use individual-level tax administrative data to estimate personal income inequality among the tax-compliant population in South Africa over the period 2011–21. Our results indicate that inequality of this population rose slightly over the period...
Working Paper
Tax financing options for new social protection instrumentsIn this paper, we use a static fiscal incidence analysis model to evaluate the poverty and inequality impacts of using fiscal policy to finance expanded social spending in South Africa. We assess three methods to enhance the social protection system...
Journal Article
The effects of a risk-based approach to tax examinations: evidence from a tax pilot programme in TanzaniaTechnical assistance and increased use of ICT in tax administrations hold promise for greater revenue collection. Yet, the evidence on how these activities work in the real-world circumstances of developing countries is scant. The paper attempts to...
Working Paper
Legal identity and access to the state in South AfricaLegal identity is an important aspect of securing access to public services, such as education, healthcare, and social protection services, including child support grants. In the South African context, in the post-apartheid period, many poor South...
Blog
Strategic philanthropy: A guide for billionaires seeking impactWhere should billionaires spend their money if they want to make a positive difference? I spoke to the experts in our network and took a look at...
Blog
From billions to trillions – can the international financing for development system deliver this?It is surreal, sitting on this side of history. Many who were involved in shaping the 2030 global development agenda recall the intense process and...
Journal Article
Politicians, institutional incentives, and citizen welfare: evidence from a lab-in-the-field experiment in IndiaWe examine how politicians and non-politicians in rural India respond to behavioural incentives. Using a modified dictator game, we vary treatments (and incentives) across the nature of interactions, the visibility of actions, and an upfront promise...
Working Paper
Affirmative action around the world: insights from a new dataset (update)Affirmative action, or positive discrimination favouring the members of marginalized populations, is a key policy approach to addressing group-based inequalities. It is adopted in dozens of countries around the world in the areas of, for instance...
Blog
Bolstering the skills of young people – the key to South Africa's economic growthAs a young data developer responsible for mining and analysing the administrative tax data provided to researchers through the SA-TIED programme, I am...
Blog
Why clientelistic politics matter for development prospectsDr Miguel Niño-Zarazúa explores the complex effects of clientelism on economic development, state capacity, and governance, emphasising the need for...
Working Paper
Statebuilding in fragile countriesSupporting state capacity is a priority for the international community, yet the record of internationally supported statebuilding to date has been mixed at best. A key question for continuing research concerns the factors influencing more versus...
Working Paper
From empire to aidFor decades now, Western development agencies and donors have been castigated for their colonial biases in providing aid to Africa. It is well established that donors provide considerably more foreign aid to their former colonies relative to other...
Blog
New estimates of the cost of ending poverty: What does it mean and how much would it cost?In a new UNU-WIDER paper, which provides background for this year’s OECD Development Cooperation Report, we take a closer look at the end of poverty...
Working Paper
New estimates of the cost of ending poverty and its global distributionThis paper makes new estimates of the cost of ending poverty and the global distribution of both the cost and poverty itself. First, the paper discusses definitions of ‘ending’ poverty, arguing that there is an overemphasis (e.g. SDG 1) on the...