tax policy for development
Tax policy can affect the pace of economic development and the way the rewards of that development are distributed. This web site collects information that should be useful to countries seeking to implement a development strategy in which taxation plays a prominent role.
The Monterrey Consensus
In 2002, the United Nations convened a meeting of heads of state at Monterrey, Mexico to discuss plans for financing development in the developing world. The resulting document is called the Monterrey Consensus. The United Nations treats it as a foundation document on many matters, including tax policy for development.
Developing countries receive a lot of advice on how to create a tax system that will advance the well-being of their residents. Some commentators stress policies that they believe will promote economic growth without much regard for traditional concepts of tax justice. Other commentators put the emphasis on achieving a fair distribution of economic rewards. Still others believe that the two goals are closely linked. They suggest that the countries most likely to be successful in their development efforts are those that both promote economic growth and promote a fair distribution of the fruits of that growth. Most commentators believe that the advice ought to be tailored to the level of development of the country in question.
Not all of the contributors to this web site are likely to agree on the details of their advice for developing countries. The common thread is that the advice they give is what they believe is right, untainted by the hope of commercial advantage.