Launch of the Uganda Revenue Authority secure research lab

This event introduces policy makers, researchers, and practitioners to the URA secure research lab which has been established in collaboration between the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) and UNU-WIDER under the project Building up efficient and fair tax systems – lessons based on administrative tax data.

The URA secure research lab makes the URA administrative tax data available for researchers to investigate policy-relevant research questions. The URA administrative tax data are accessible in a secure environment to ensure the anonymity of Ugandan taxpayers. In the launch, a Request for Research Proposals is published, and the available data is introduced by researchers. The URA Commissioner General opens the event.

The URA secure research lab is one of the few administrative data facilities open for researchers in sub-Saharan Africa. There is a need for research that widens the understanding of how tax policies impact on firms, individuals and the economy in the Global South. Micro-level research utilizing a large amount of administrative tax data can help design efficient and fair tax systems.

This event is part of UNU-WIDER's programme on Domestic Revenue Mobilization (DRM). The DRM programme is financed by the Norwegian development co-operation agency Norad.