Fourth training round on ECUAMOD – a tax-benefit microsimulation model for Ecuador

As part of the SOUTHMOD project, the national team at Instituto de Altos Estudios Naciaonales in collaboration with UNU-WIDER, University of Essex  and FLACSO organizes the fourth training event on the ECUAMOD model, which will provide participants with comprehensive training to use the tax-benefit microsimulation model effectively.

Due to the health emergency situation, this year the training will be carried out virtually.

The purpose of the course is to provide an introduction to potential users of the ECUAMOD simulation tool on its components, potential advantages and possible applications. In this year's training more emphasis will be placed on showing how the model can be used for research purposes.

The training is targeted for existing and potential new users of the model at governmental offices, universities, and research institutes. The training will be for 15 participants.

About ECUAMOD

Tax-benefit microsimulation models — which combine representative household-level data on incomes and expenditures and detailed coding of tax and benefit legislation — have proven to be an extremely useful tool for policy makers and researchers. The models apply user-defined tax and benefit policy rules to microdata on individuals and households and calculate the effects of these rules on household income. The effects of different policy scenarios on poverty, inequality, and government revenues can be analysed and compared.

ECUAMOD model was launched in 2016 and is continuously updated. With ECUAMOD, users can simulate hypothetical reforms of the tax-and-benefit system. They can estimate, for example, the number of beneficiaries and analyse the characteristics of the prospective recipients of a hypothetical benefit. ECUAMOD also allows users to implement hypothetical income tax and social security reforms and calculate their effects on the government budget.