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Redistributive Impact of GST Tax Reform: Pakistan, 1990-2001

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  • Saadia Refaqat

    (Department of Economics and International Development, University of Bath, UK.)

Abstract

This paper assesses the welfare impact of GST reform on Pakistani households between 1990 and 2001, a period that coincides with major GST reforms that have increased GST contribution to total tax revenue from 15 percent to 42 percent. As well as the tax burden having increased, we find that the distributional incidence has worsened; GST after-reform impact on welfare is proportional as compared to slight progressivity in the before-reform period. Our results, based on distributional characteristics developed by Feldstein (1972) and recently used by Newbery (1995), show that the welfare of the poor households has been reduced due to taxation of items such as sugar, vegetable ghee, and basic fuels, whereas rich households remain comparatively better off because most of the services remain out of GST tax net.

Suggested Citation

  • Saadia Refaqat, 2005. "Redistributive Impact of GST Tax Reform: Pakistan, 1990-2001," The Pakistan Development Review, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, vol. 44(4), pages 841-862.
    • Handle: RePEc:pid:journl:v:44:y:2005:i:4:p:841-862
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    File URL: http://www.pide.org.pk/pdf/PDR/2005/Volume4/841-862.pdf
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    Cited by:

    1. Mukherjee, Sacchidananda, 2023. "Distributional Impact of Indian GST," Working Papers 23/403, National Institute of Public Finance and Policy.
    2. Faiz Ur Rehman & Muhammad Nasir, 2018. "In the Same Boat, but not Equals: The Heterogeneous Effects of Indirect Taxation on Child Health in Punjab-Pakistan," PIDE-Working Papers 2018:158, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics.
    3. Mohsin, Asma & Zaman, Khalid, 2012. "Distributional effects of rising food prices in Pakistan: Evidence from HIES 2001–02 and 2005–06 survey," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 29(5), pages 1986-1995.
    4. Khalid Mahmood Lodhi, 2013. "Impact of Capital Gains Tax on Stock Investment in Pakistan," Information Management and Business Review, AMH International, vol. 5(7), pages 360-368.

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