Sixth training on TAZMOD - a tax-benefit microsimulation model for Tanzania

As part of the SOUTHMOD project, the national team at University of Dar es Salaam in collaboration with UNU-WIDER, and Southern African Social Policy Research Insights (SASPRI) organizes a training event on TAZMOD, the tax-benefit microsimulation model for Tanzania.

This sixth training event is designed to be both a refresher course for the previous attendees as well as an introduction of the model to a new cohort of participants. The event provides an opportunity to introduce recent updates to TAZMOD, and time for practice using the model. The training is attended by 21 participants from universities and government organisations.

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. Through the models it is possible to analyse and compare the effects of different policy scenarios on poverty, inequality, and government revenues.

TAZMOD model was launched in 2017, and is continuously updated. Possible policy reform simulations in TAZMOD include for example:

• a universal child benefit, 
• a universal pension payment to the elderly
• a youth unemployment benefit

In addition to these the model allows the simulation of multitude of other policy reforms as well.

This event is part of the SOUTHMOD - simulating tax and benefit policies for development  project. SOUTHMOD project is part of UNU-WIDER's research and capacity building programme on domestic revenue mobilization (DRM), funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Co-operation (Norad).