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Afghanistan 2021: A quickly made long tragedy
 

by Lant Pritchett

The tragedy for the Afghan people of the Taliban re-taking control of the country in August 2021 is the denouement of a process 20 years in the making. The sudden collapse of the Afghan government and the national security forces over the course of a few days is not a “surprise” to anyone, but was a widely expected outcome by many observers (including the CIA). Read more

BLOGS
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Unlocking the mystery of domestic savings – What difference do they make?

by Abrams M.E. Tagem and Kunal Sen

The socioeconomic fallout from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has brought to the fore discussions on domestic resource mobilization (hereafter DRM). Read more
Social protection at a crossroad

by Annalena Oppel

How can we ensure a resilient and inclusive recovery from COVID-19? How can we hold on to the target of eradicating poverty and hunger by 2030, with the pandemic still ongoing? Read more
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Co-creation for fair and efficient taxation – research recommendations to improve policies

by Maria Jouste, Tina Kaidu Barugahara, and Nicholas Musoke

How can we determine the taxation of wage earners or multinational corporations in a fair manner? Read more
Helping the poor to survive lockdown

by Risto Rönkkö, Stuart Rutherford, and Kunal Sen

The Hrishipara Daily Diaries Project has been tracking the daily spending of 60 poor households in rural Bangladesh for the last six years. Analysis of the data collected – especially the changes to spending patterns that have occurred during the pandemic – reveals four areas where policymakers should step in. Read more
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Grandads, dads, and sons: Examining multigenerational mobility in India

by Anustup Kundu and Kunal Sen

Analysing data from the India Human Development Survey, this article shows that there is upward mobility in terms of education but not for occupation – with stark differences across social groups. Read more
Stunted growth, orphans, and access to sanitation services in South Africa

by Grace Bridgman

Vulnerability in childhood is highly correlated with stunted growth in many developing countries and is therefore a pressing concern. Read more
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NEWS
New release of the Government Revenue Dataset (GRD) covers up to 40 years of tax and revenue data
 

An updated version of the UNU-WIDER Government Revenue Dataset (GRD) has been released. The update includes the latest available tax and revenue data for 196 countries, providing a complete picture of government revenue and tax trends over time and allowing for analysis at the country, regional, or cross-country level. Read more
Building up fair taxation – New data research collaboration in Tanzania
 

UNU-WIDER has signed a Memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) to support technical analysis on national administrative tax data. With the help of the data, the aim is to find policy solutions to increase tax compliance and domestic revenues in the country. Enhancing tax collection will facilitate the provision of better basic services for the citizens. Read more
OPPORTUNITIES
Request for research proposals | Data for tax revenue mobilization
 

UNU-WIDER is seeking proposals for original research that employs the Government Revenue Dataset (GRD) from researchers working on tax revenue performance and related fields in developing countries and beyond. Submission deadline: 17 October 2021, 23:59 UTC+3. Read more
Request for research proposals | World Income Inequality Database
 

UNU-WIDER is seeking to commission research papers from researchers working in inequality, income distribution, welfare, and related fields who would like to contribute to the World Income Inequality Database project. Submission deadline: 31 October 2021, 23:59 UTC+2. Read more
Vacancy | Project Associate GS-6
 

UNU-WIDER is looking for an outstanding individual with strong commitment and potential to join the Institute’s Projects Support Team in the Partnerships and Programme Support Unit. Closing date: 4 September 2021, 23:59 UTC+3. Read more
Vacancy | 8 Research Fellow positions in African Cities
 

The African Cities Research Consortium (ACRC) is offering up to eight 18 month post-doctoral awards for early career scholars interested in engaging with the Consortium and its research on the political economy of integrated urban development in 13 African cities. Closing date: 1 October 2021. Read more
Vacancy | Senior Systems Analyst P-2
 

UNU-WIDER is looking for an outstanding individual with strong commitment and potential to join the Institute's Operational Support Unit in the ICT Team in a leadership role to strengthen the ICT division at UNU-WIDER. Closing date: 12 October 2021, 23:59 UTC+3. Read more
EVENTS
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Seminar | Extractive industries – Taxation and revenues III

31 August 2021, online, Finland

A third research seminar on extractives and domestic revenue mobilisation titled Extractive Industries: Taxation and Revenues takes place on 31 August 2021 at 4pm Helsinki time (UTC +3). The online event is hosted jointly by UNU-WIDER and the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development (IGF). Read more
Presentation | Miguel Niño-Zarazúa and Rachel Gisselquist presenting to Finland's Development Policy Committee

2 September 2021, online, Finland

The UNU-WIDER research fellows will present recommendations and key findings from a project on the effects of international aid, including how to reduce inequality and promote democracy, to the committee. The Development Policy Committee is an advisory body which monitors and evaluates Finland’s policies regarding developing countries and it assesses the quality and effectiveness of development cooperation. Read more
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WIDER Development Conference | COVID-19 and development – effects and new realities for the Global South

6-8 September 2021, online

The 2021 WIDER Development Conference will take place online during 6-8 September 2021, with the aim of connecting research and policy communities around the world to discuss the effects of COVID-19 on development in the Global South, and how to move forward. Read more
Conference | Achieving Sustainable Development in the Least Developed Countries – LDC Future Forum

5-7 October 2021, Helsinki, Finland

The LDC Future Forum tackles the unprecedented confluence of the COVID-19, climate, and economic crises, innovative thinking and new solutions based in research are desperately needed. Read more
WIDER WORKING PAPER SERIES
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Clientelistic politics and pro-poor targeting – rules versus discretionary budgets

by Dilip Mookherjee and Anusha Nath

Read more
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The impact of centralized bargaining on spillovers and the wage structure in monopsonistic labour markets

by Ihsaan Bassier

Read more
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The saga and limits of public financial management – the Mozambican case

by António S. Cruz, Ines A. Ferreira, Johnny Flentø, Finn Tarp, and Mariam Umarji

Read more
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Do disadvantaged students benefit from attending classes with more skilled colleagues? Evidence from a top university in Brazil

by Henrique Z. Motte and Rodrigo C. Oliveira

Read more
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Gender disparities in financial inclusion in Tanzania

by Maureen Were, Maureen Odongo, and Caroline Israel

Read more
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Gender differences in formal wage employment in urban Tanzania

by Kwadwo Opoku, Francisco M.P. Mugizi, and Emmanuel Adu Boahen

Read more
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Promoting environmental sustainability in the artisanal and small-scale mining sector in Tanzania

by Abel Kinyondo and Chris Huggins

Read more
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Do gifts buy votes? Evidence from sub-Saharan Africa

by Jenny Guardado and Leonard Wantchekon

Read more
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Informal freelancers in the time of COVID-19 –Insights from a digital matching platform in Mozambique

by Sam Jones and Ivan Manhique

Read more
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Exploring economic support networks amidst racial inequality in Namibia

by Annalena Oppel

Read more
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Cyclone impacts on manufacturing firms in Mozambique

by Hanna Berkel, Peter Fisker, and Finn Tarp

Read more
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The macroeconomic impact of COVID-19 in Mozambique – a social accounting matrix approach

by Rosário Betho, Marcia Chelengo, Sam Jones, Michael Keller, Ibraimo Hassane Mussagy, Dirk van Seventer and Finn Tarp

Read more
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Firm and product survival analysis – evidence from South African tax administrative and products data

by Syden Mishi, Weliswa Matekenya, Leward Jeke, Ronney M. Ncwadi, and Roseline T. Karambakuwa

Read more
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The legacy of conflict: aggregate evidence from Sierra Leonee

by Tillman Hönig

Read more
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Exploring the quality of income data in two African household surveys for the purpose of tax-benefit microsimulation modelling – imputing employment income in Tanzania and Zambia

by David McLennan, Michael Noble, Gemma Wright, Helen Barnes, and Faith Masekesa

Read more
PUBLICATIONS
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Journal Special Issue | Involuntary Migration, Inequality, and Integration – Vietnamese and Afghan migrants in Canada, Germany, the UK, and the US

edited by Rachel M. Gisselquist

OPEN ACCESS ON EARLY VIEW | Migration is an inherent feature of human history. A rich literature considers the experiences of global migrants across diverse environments. This special issue explores such experiences with a focus on inequality between migrants and host populations in countries of settlement. Read more
Journal Article | Normalizing necessity? Support networks and racial inequality in Namibia 

by Annalena Oppel

OPEN ACCESS | This article explores how support practices might be shaped by or respond to structurally inherited inequalities in the Namibian context. Read more
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Journal Article | The political economy of the resource curse – a development perspective

by Antonio Savoia and Kunal Sen

OPEN ACCESS | This article reviews the recent literature on the developmental effects of resource abundance, assessing likely effects and channels with respect to key development outcomes. To date, this area has received less analysis, although it is relevant to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals agenda, as a significant number of the world's poor live in African resource-rich economies. Read more
Book | Social mobility in developing countries – concepts, methods, and determinants

edited by Vegard Iversen, Anirudh Krishna, and Kunal Sen

BOOK IN PRODUCTION — SCHEDULED FOR OCTOBER 2021 | Social mobility — defined as the ability to move from a lower to a higher level of education or occupational status, or from a lower to a higher social class or income group — is the hope of economic development and the mantra of a good society. Read more
Book: Social mobility in developing countries – concepts, methods, and determinants
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Technical Note | Government Revenue Dataset (2021): variable description

by Annalena Oppel, Kyle McNabb, and Daniel Chachu

This technical note is part of a series of technical notes describing the construction of the Government Revenue Dataset (GRD). This document specifically focuses on the composition of variables in the GRD (version August 2021) and across the underlying sources, namely the OECD Revenue Statistics, the IMF Government Finance Statistics, and the IMF Article IV Staff Reports. Read more
Technical Note | Government Revenue Dataset (2021): source selection

by Kyle McNabb, Annalena Oppel, and Daniel Chachu

This technical note is part of a series of technical notes describing the construction of the Government Revenue Dataset (GRD). We provide an overview of the underlying sources in the GRD and the criteria used in order to select data from them. Read more
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Technical Note | Integration of indirect taxation to GHAMOD

by Kwabena Adu-Ababio, Jukka Pirttilä, Pia Rattenhuber, and Toon Vanheukelom

This note, with emphasis on VAT and excise taxes, illustrates how indirect taxes are modelled in the context of GHAMOD, a tax-benefit microsimulation model for Ghana. Read more

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