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Project
Search and matching frictions for day labourers
The majority of households living in extreme poverty receive some income from causal day labour, picking up short jobs, typically 1-5 days, in construction, agriculture or manual labour. In South Asia, this is even starker, with 98% of households living below $1 a day engaging in casual labour. This labour market is characterized by low pay, short contracts, fixed wages...
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Project
Property taxation with flat rate systems in Tanzania
The property tax system that the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) inherited has a low proportion of total properties registered and an even smaller proportion valuated. It uses a valuation method that is regressive, expensive and significantly undervalues properties, and the effective tax rates are minuscule once true property value is taken into account. A flat tax...
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Project
Understanding unplanned settlement dynamics in the city of Kigali
Kigali is Rwanda’s main urban centre and accommodates about half the urban population. Rapid urban growth in Kigali has led to the development of unplanned settlements. Unplanned areas, characterised by inferior living conditions such as limited access to infrastructure, limited plot accessibility, and rudimentary housing construction-materials, pose a long-term risk to...
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Project
Informal taxation and revenue mobilisation in Myanmar
Taxation is essential to provide governments with the funds needed to deliver the public goods and services necessary for the social and economic development of a country. However, in Myanmar, the levels of formal taxation are among the lowest in the world, according to the IMF. These low levels are the subject of regularly commentary in the public sphere, often accompanied...
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Project
For the public good? Regulation, management, and the performance of private healthcare providers in Tanzania
Not only does the health sector account for a significant proportion of the economy in most countries, it helps to build human capital by preventing death and disability. In many low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), the private healthcare sector comprises a major and growing source of treatment. Their rapid growth reflects a confluence of factors including inadequate...
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Project
Reviewing Uganda’s 2017 National Export Action Plan
Uganda’s Export Promotion Action Plan prioritises export-oriented growth to attain middle income status by 2020. In April 2017, the Uganda National Planning Authority (NPA) invited the IGC to review the Export Promotion Action Plan. According to the NPA, the IGC’s recommendations informed not only the Export Action Plan, but a number of other policy papers ...
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Project
Urbanisation in Rwanda: Future driver of growth
Urbanisation affects where individuals live, what firms produce, and the composition of the local economy. Researchers wrote a policy note on key challenges to urbanisation in Rwanda They recommended that the Rwandan government should look at urbanisation beyond the strict definition of investment in structures, and should also focus more broadly at rural-urban...
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Project
Establishing frameworks for municipal finance in Somaliland
A lack of appropriate policies for municipal revenue collection poses a significant fiscal challenge for many low-income country cities. The IGC’s Astrid Haas was invited by the Somaliland Ministry of Interior to co-chair their Municipal Finance Taskforce and to deliver a workshop on municipal finance. The workshop was welcomed by government officials, who...
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Building capacity for the Ghana Commodities Exchange
Formally lauched in November 2018, the Ghana Commodities Exchange (GCX) is set to transform agricultural markets in Ghana. The GCX links farmers with traders more effectively, and provides facilities like grain storage and quality control. To ensure the smooth running of the exchange upon its opening, this project sought to build technical capacity amongst its...
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Project
IGC Public Forum on Galamsey in Ghana
Small-scale illegal mining operations (colloquially known as “galamsey”) are destroying farmlands, forests, and water bodies in Ghana. IGC analysis showis that it would cost approximately $250 million to reclaim lands and water bodies destroyed by galamsey based on its studies in the western region. This event shared findings from IGC Ghana-sponsored work on...
Project
Female politicians and economic growth: Evidence from state elections in India
The project studies close elections between men and women for election to India's state legislative assemblies. It finds significantly higher growth in economic activity in constituencies that elect women. Given average GDP growth in India of about 7% per year (during the study period), the researchers estimate the growth premium for constituencies from having a...