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The Impact of Taxes, Transfers, and Subsidies on Inequality and Poverty in Uganda

Author

Listed:
  • Jon Jellema

    (Commitment to Equity Institute)

  • Nora Lustig

    (Stone Center for Latin American Studies, Department of Economics, Tulane University. Commitment to Equity Institute (CEQI).)

  • Astrid Haas

    (International Global Centre)

  • Sebastian Wolf

    (Overseas Development Institute)

Abstract

This paper uses the 2012/13 Uganda National Household Survey to analyze the redistributive effectiveness and impact on poverty and inequality of Uganda’s revenue collection instruments and social spending programs. Fiscal policy – including many of its constituent tax and spending elements – is inequality-reducing in Uganda, but the reduction of inequality due to fiscal policy in Uganda is lower than other countries with similar levels of initial inequality, a result tied to low levels of spending in Uganda generally. The impact of fiscal policy on poverty is negligible, while the combination of very sparse coverage of direct transfer programs and nearly complete coverage of indirect tax instruments means that many poor households are net payers into, rather than net recipients from, the fiscal system. As Uganda looks ahead to increased revenues from taxation and concurrent investments in productive infrastructure, it should take care to protect the poorest households from further impoverishment from the fiscal system.

Suggested Citation

  • Jon Jellema & Nora Lustig & Astrid Haas & Sebastian Wolf, 2016. "The Impact of Taxes, Transfers, and Subsidies on Inequality and Poverty in Uganda," Commitment to Equity (CEQ) Working Paper Series 53, Tulane University, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:tul:ceqwps:53
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Jose Cuesta & Jon Jellema & Lucia Ferrone, 2021. "Fiscal Policy, Multidimensional Poverty, and Equity in Uganda: A Child-Lens Analysis," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 33(3), pages 427-458, June.
    2. Yaru, Mohammed Aminu & Adisa-Ohiaka, Ubaydah, 2022. "Indirect Taxation and Poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa: An Empirical Evidence from Panel Data Analysis," African Journal of Economic Review, African Journal of Economic Review, vol. 10(5), December.
    3. Jose Cuesta & Jon Jellema & Yekaterina Chzhen & Lucia Ferrone & UNICEF Office of Research - Innocenti, 2018. "Commitment to Equity for Children, CEQ4C: Fiscal Policy, Multidimensional Poverty, and Equity in Uganda," Papers inwopa945, Innocenti Working Papers.
    4. Haydeeliz Carrasco & Hamidou Jawara & Moritz Meyer, 2022. "The Effects Of Fiscal Policy On Inequality And Poverty In The Gambia," Commitment to Equity (CEQ) Working Paper Series 117, Tulane University, Department of Economics.
    5. Damiano Kulundu Manda & Reuben Mutegi & Samuel Kipruto & Moses Muriithi & Paul Samoei & Martine Oleche & Germano Mwabu & Stephen D. Younger & Anda David, 2020. "Fiscal Incidence, Inequality and Poverty in Kenya: A CEQ Assessment," Commitment to Equity (CEQ) Working Paper Series 101, Tulane University, Department of Economics.
    6. Markina Oksana, 2022. "Taxation, Inequality, and Poverty: Evidence from Ukraine," Central European Economic Journal, Sciendo, vol. 9(56), pages 1-18, January.
    7. Jose Cuesta & Jon Jellema & Lucia Ferrone, 0. "Fiscal Policy, Multidimensional Poverty, and Equity in Uganda: A Child-Lens Analysis," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 0, pages 1-32.
    8. Susan Namirembe Kavuma & Christine Byaruhanga & Nicholas Musoke & Patrick Loke & Michael Noble & Gemma Wright, 2020. "An analysis of the distributional impact of excise duty in Uganda using a tax-benefit microsimulation model," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2020-70, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    fiscal incidence; poverty; inequality; fiscal policy; Uganda;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution
    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
    • H22 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Incidence
    • H23 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Externalities; Redistributive Effects; Environmental Taxes and Subsidies
    • I38 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs

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