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on Africa |
| By: | Enrico Nichelatti; Abrams M.E. Tagem |
| Abstract: | Climate-related disasters have increased over recent decades, with severe human and economic consequences. While research has examined their macroeconomic effects and impact on households' income and consumption patterns, little attention has been given to their impact on tax morale—taxpayers' intrinsic motivation to comply with tax obligations. This study fills this gap by estimating the impact of climate-related disasters on tax morale in 26 sub-Saharan African countries using Afrobarometer survey data from 2011 to 2021. |
| Keywords: | Natural disasters, Economic inequality, Tax morale, Regression analysis, Sub-Saharan Africa |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp-2025-30 |
| By: | Daniel Chachu; Michael Danquah; Rachel M. Gisselquist |
| Abstract: | In recent decades, decentralization reforms have surged across the Global South, aiming to bring governance closer to citizens. Despite extensive debate on their effectiveness, systematic methods to assess local government performance remain underexplored, particularly in data-constrained contexts like sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Inspired by Putnam et al. (1994), this paper proposes a conceptual framework to measure local government performance, applying it to Ghana—a stable democracy and a leader in decentralization reforms in SSA. |
| Keywords: | Government performance, Local government, Subnational, Governance, Decentralization, Sub-Saharan Africa |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp-2025-26 |
| By: | Fenton, Annabel; Fitchett, Jennifer |
| Abstract: | While Apartheid legislatively ended in 1994, the legacy of structural discrimination still defines urban realities in South African cities. The historically white ‘old money’ Northern suburbs of Johannesburg remain an enclave of privilege where race, class and gender define the social production of space. Atop the roofs of apartment buildings in the suburbs of Killarney, Illovo and Rosebank lie ‘locations in the sky’: staff accommodation designed during Apartheid for live-in domestic workers. These structures illuminate how Apartheid spatial planning continues to shape the city and its power relations: the colonial legacy of domestic work in South Africa. Using a Lefebvrian lens, this study investigates experiences of ‘locations in the sky’, and how discrimination is enforced and experienced. Through 38 semi-structured interviews and a doctrinal legal analysis of 13 body corporate rules, various forms of discrimination are revealed. Domestic workers and residents of staff accommodation encounter physical and structural discrimination in terms of sub-par living conditions, as well as discriminatory rules. This discrimination is enforced through social power. Finally, an analysis of discrimination scenarios illustrates that discrimination is both written and enforced to varying degrees based on the unique context of each building. The findings contribute a spatial analysis of domestic work in the under-researched space of staff accommodation in apartment buildings. Documenting this discrimination provides a basis upon which to identify injustices, reevaluate rules and address discrimination, which should be of concern to apartment residents, bodies corporate, civil society organisations and urban planners as well as legislators. |
| Keywords: | Apartheid; discrimination; domestic work; spatial justice |
| JEL: | R14 J01 |
| Date: | 2025–04–09 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ehl:lserod:127959 |
| By: | Thibault Vasse, |
| Abstract: | Over the past several years, Benin has demonstrated promising momentum, characterized by strong and resilient economic growth and a drive for structural reforms. The macro-fiscal trajectory appears favorable in the short to medium term, supported by one of the most dynamic growth rates on the continent, enabling the rebuilding of fiscal buffers. However, questions remain regarding the long-term development trajectory. The economic model remains largely informal, with insufficient productivity and a limited supply of quality jobs. Structural transformation has yet to lead to the emergence of high value-added activities, trade openness is stagnating, and human capital remains underutilized. The authorities are implementing a governmental strategy aimed at ushering the country into a new era of prosperity. This strategy focuses on enhancing industrial policies and strengthening social systems. To truly drive this transformation, the government will need to address several structural obstacles, including low mobilization of public revenues, limited access to private financing, and an inefficient and costly energy system. As the end of President Patrice Talon's current term approaches in 2026, this MacroDev report raises the question of whether the ambition of a "Benin Revealed" is within reach. |
| Keywords: | Afrique, Bénin |
| JEL: | E |
| Date: | 2025–04–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:avg:wpaper:en17978 |
| By: | Mbate, Michael; Fall, El Hadji |
| Abstract: | This paper examines the relationship between financial inclusion and energy access, leveraging micro-level survey data from Kenya (2016–2018) and employing propensity score matching to establish causal linkages. The analysis reveals that financial inclusion significantly enhances energy access, with distinct variations across financial institutions and energy types. Financial inclusion operates through three critical mechanisms: increasing households’ willingness to pay for energy, alleviating upfront connection costs via flexible payment schemes, and enabling seamless energy-related transactions through digital platforms. These findings underscore the importance of inclusive financial policies and the role of formal and informal financial institutions as intermediaries in addressing energy poverty. |
| Keywords: | digital platforms; energy access; energy costs; financial inclusion; propensity score matching; willingness to pay |
| JEL: | Q40 O13 G21 N27 |
| Date: | 2025–04 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ehl:lserod:127538 |