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Blog post
Todas as Fichas num Único Feijão: Lições da Crise de Feijão Bóer de 2017
Nos últimos anos, a rápida expansão da produção de feijão bóer dinamizou a economia rural na Zona Centro-Norte de Moçambique. Porém, a queda drástica do preço em 2017 gerou uma crise nas zonas de maior produção e chama a atenção para a necessidade de se melhorar o acompanhamento das dinâmicas do mercado e de um esforço conjunto para a...
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Blog post
A socio-economic crisis in rural Mozambique
The districts of Middle and Upper Zambézia, in Central Mozambique, were most affected by the fall of the pigeon pea price in 2017. Most farmers did not have any financial return to their investment in the previous agricultural season, which created multiplier effects in the local economy. Mozambique has been going through difficult economic times since 2015. This has been...
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Blog post
A Crise Socioeconómica no Meio Rural Zambeziano
Os distritos da Média e Alta Zambézia sofreram o maior impacto da queda do preço de feijão bóer em 2017. O grosso dos produtores não teve retorno financeiro do investimento feito na última campanha agrícola, o que provocou efeitos multiplicadores na economia local. Moçambique tem atravessado tempos de crise económica desde 2015, provocada pela descoberta de...
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Blog post
Assessing the economic benefits of transit trade in Tanzania
Tanzania benefits significantly from transit trade, serving as a potential driver of economic growth, welfare and local enterprise development. This highlights the indispensable role of the government in promoting transit trade in the country. The untapped potential of transit trade in Tanzania One of the highlights of the Tanzanian 2017 budget speech was the abolishment...
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Blog post
Identifying realistic export opportunities for Rwanda
Using an innovative approach called the ‘Decision Support Model’ (DSM), a mapping of Rwanda’s export potentials has been produced, revealing its most promising export products, accompanied by an overview of markets that currently demand such goods.
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Blog post
Lessons from Uganda’s tax reform: Improving tax administration in Tanzania
Uganda’s reforms involved increased staff capacity, digitised databases and inhouse revenue collection, requiring knowledge, political will and funding. A government task force, culture of compliance and cost-benefit analysis can support reform in Tanzania. On the 2nd – 4th October 2017, the International Growth Centre (IGC) was invited to participate in the 33rd...
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Blog post
India's commodity tax system leads to low compliance
Data on tax rates in India for the past fifteen years reveals how rates vary by state and product. This heterogeneity and volatility results in high compliance costs, inter-state distortions, and households substituting toward lower-tax products. Tax in India India’s commodity tax system is complex, with large variation across states, products and time. We document the...
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Blog post
Local government corruption in Ghana: Misplaced control and incentives
Bureaucrat corruption corresponds to the control politicians have over their careers. Politicians distort processes to extract funds and garner influence. A more structured bureaucrat transfer process and the monitoring of procurement can curtail corruption. In Ghana in early 2017, a police officer became embroiled in a conflict with a renowned Member of Parliament (MP)....
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Blog post
Clarence Blay: ‘Ghana has 140,000 mobile money agents versus 1,300 bank branches’
The most famous mobile payments system in Africa, MPesa, allows users to make payments by sending text messages from simple mobile phones, not necessarily smart ones. The idea has started a new wave of mobile payments and transfers in the continent, and governments are taking steps to help this ingenious solution usher in a new era of financial inclusion for their...
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Blog post
Overcoming barriers to women’s mobility in Pakistan
Expanding transport networks, scheduling services, providing reliable transport in peri-urban areas, improving the design of women’s-only services, educating drivers and conductors on sexual harassment, and improving public safety improve mobility. Social norms against women coming into close contact with unrelated men, and the discomfort, social stigma, and fear of...
Blog post
Making land administration work for African cities
Rapid urbanisation has created a strong need to improve land administration in many African cities. Emerging research and policy experiences in countries such as Rwanda can guide policymakers across the continent as they seek to do this. Policy debates about land are often highly removed from the practical apparatus that determine how land is actually used – maps,...