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28 February - Inequalities and the Essential Role of Fair Taxation

Monday, 03 March 2014 00:00

Africa risingChristian Aid and Tax Justice Network Africa have released “Africa Rising? Inequalities and the essential role of fair taxation”, a report which explores the link between tax policy and inequality. Focusing on 8 African countries (Kenya, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe and South Africa), the report reveals that despite a robust growth rate and some positive progress in essential services such as health and education in recent years, income inequality in sub-Saharan Africa is set to worsen without a strong set of tax policy reforms at national and global level. To address this issue, the paper makes four recommendations: (i) at a national level, sub-Saharan African Governments should focus on raising tax revenues; (ii) a pan-African coordination of tax policies among sub-Saharan Governments and enhanced regional cooperation and information sharing; (iii) global reforms where the international community tackles financial secrecy and tax havens; and (iv) optimise the opportunity of the new post-2015 framework replacing the MDGs by ensuring that fairer taxation is at the core of the new forthcoming system of targets and indicators.