Dominance Testing of Social Sector Expenditures and Taxes in Africa /

This paper examines the progressivity of social sector expenditures and taxes in eight sub-Saharan African countries. It uses dominance tests to determine whether health and education expenditures redistribute resources to the poor. The paper finds that social services are poorly targeted. Among the...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Sahn, David
Other Authors: Younger, Stephen
Format: Journal
Language:English
Published: Washington, D.C. : International Monetary Fund, 1999.
Series:IMF Working Papers; Working Paper ; No. 1999/172
Online Access:Full text available on IMF
Description
Summary:This paper examines the progressivity of social sector expenditures and taxes in eight sub-Saharan African countries. It uses dominance tests to determine whether health and education expenditures redistribute resources to the poor. The paper finds that social services are poorly targeted. Among the services examined, primary education tends to be most progressive, and university education is least progressive. The paper finds that many taxes are progressive as well as efficient, including some broad-based taxes such as the VAT and wage taxation. Taxes on kerosene and exports appear to be the only examples of regressive taxes.
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Physical Description:1 online resource (44 pages)
Format:Mode of access: Internet
ISSN:1018-5941
Access:Electronic access restricted to authorized BRAC University faculty, staff and students