Think WIDER webinar — How can tax-benefit systems support households through crisis?
Channel: UNU-WIDER
Date: 2022-12-14

Jukka Pirttilä and a panel of experts joined the Think WIDER Webinar Series on 13 December 2022 to offer insights on tax-benefit systems in the Global South, and their ability to support the citizens in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

While the need to build up crisis resistance was already noted after the financial crisis of 2008, many countries, especially in the developing world, had to set up new support systems very swiftly after the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.

How well prepared were the social insurance systems in developing countries to the crisis? To what extent did some of the new COVID-19 related policies, and the existing social protection programmes, cushion households against the poverty and inequality increases associated with the crisis?  How could the tax-benefit arrangements in these countries be further developed towards offering a more comprehensive support for households when shocks occur? And where can one find suitable fiscal space to finance these programmes, especially when public finances have taken a severe hit during the pandemic?

These were some of the questions addressed in this one-hour event, which was chaired by Professor Ravi Kanbur, who is the one of the editors  of an upcoming book volume on tax-benefits systems and crises. The introduction to the topic was given by Professor Jukka Pirttilä. Discussants and panelists included OECD tax economist Gioia De Melo, and University of Cape Town Professor Murray Leibbrandt. The event concludes with a Q&A session where the audience is invited to ask questions.

More information on the event webpage: https://www.wider.unu.edu/node/240719