Centre for Global Development – Health Taxes During the Recovery
On 19 April the Centre for Global Development (CGD) held a discussion on how the IMF and World Bank can use their knowledge of health taxes to help lower- and middle-income countries recover more quickly from the pandemic. The panel consisted of
See MoreEU: Public Consultation on Minimum Rates of Alcohol Excise Duty
On 11 April 2022 the European Commission began a consultation on the minimum rates of alcohol excise duty in the EU. The consultation will continue until 4 July 2022. The consultation aims to gather the views of the relevant stakeholders on
See MoreThailand: Amendments to Tobacco Tax and Regulation
It was reported on 17 February 2022 that the Cabinet in Thailand has approved a five-year road map to reduce the level of tobacco consumption and improve overall public health by strategies that combine regulation, information and revised tobacco
See MoreIMF report on Israel’s economy recommends tax changes
On 7 February 2022 the IMF published a report on Israel’s economy following discussions under Article IV of the IMF’s articles of agreement. The IMF notes that Israel managed the pandemic well, providing effective government support to the
See MoreGhana Revenue Authority Proposes Revisions to Tobacco Tax
On 26 January 2022 the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) announced that revisions to the Tobacco Tax will be implemented later this year after consultations with relevant stakeholders are completed. The GRA intends to introduce a combination of
See MoreGhana: Report Recommends Changes to Tobacco Taxation
On 26 January 2022 the Vision for Alternative Development (VALD), a Ghanaian NGO, released a Study Report on Economics of Tobacco in Ghana. The report recommended the re-introduction of a specific tax in addition to the ad-valorem tax system and
See MoreNew Zealand: OECD Economic Survey for 2022 Recommends Tax Adjustments
On 31 January 2022 the OECD published the New Zealand Economic Survey 2022. The report notes that more consolidation measures are necessary to stabilise the fiscal position, and emphasises the need to increase productivity, increase the housing
See MoreIMF: Report on the Economy of Hong Kong SAR
On 20 January 2022 the IMF published a report on the economy of Hong Kong SAR (China) following discussions under Article IV of the IMF’s articles of agreement. Hong Kong SAR's economy has recovered strongly from a number of domestic and
See MoreOECD: Revisiting Alcohol Prices for Healthier Lives
An OECD blog post of 13 January 2022 is entitled Revisiting Alcohol Pricing Policies for Healthier Lives. The blog post notes that decisions on alcohol policy involve a balance between health objectives and broader economic aims, and examines the
See MoreNigeria: President signs Finance Bill 2021 into Law
On 31 December 2021, the President, Muhammadu Buhari, signed the Finance Bill 2021 into Law at an event at the state house. The Act introduces various changes to 12 different laws in Nigeria. On 21 December 2021, Senate passed this Finance Bill
See MoreIMF: Report Looks At Jordan’s Fiscal Position
On 20 December 2021 the IMF released a report following the third review under Jordan’s extended arrangement. The report noted that Jordan has remained on course with the reform program supported by the IMF, with macroeconomic stability
See MoreIMF: Excise Taxes to Fight Obesity
On 10 December 2021 the IMF issued a note entitled How to Apply Excise Taxes to Fight Obesity. Measures to fight obesity have been complex to design owing to the complexity of food supply chains and the difficulty of targeting consumption of
See MoreOECD: Revenue Statistics 2021
On 6 December 2021 the OECD released Revenue Statistics 2021, containing a detailed summary of internationally comparable tax data for the OECD countries. The statistics present the data for the year 2020, a year affected by the pandemic. The
See MoreIreland: Finance Department releases amendments to Finance Bill 2021
On 12 November 2021, the Finance Minister, Paschal Donohoe T.D., appreciated the approval by Government to a number of Government amendments to be put down at Committee Stage of the Finance Bill 2021. The Minster has decided not to proceed with
See MoreItaly: Council of Ministers Approves Budget for FY 2022
28 October 2021, Italian Council of Ministers has issued a release declaring its approval of the Budget for FY 2022. The key tax measures include plastic tax and sugar tax is postponed until 2023, the VAT rate on feminine hygiene products is
See MoreUK: Soft Drinks Industry Levy Statistics
On 30 September 2021 the UK government published the latest statistics on revenue collected from the soft drinks industry levy (SDIL). The UK introduced the SDIL in April 2018 after public consultation with the industry and other interested
See MoreWorld Bank: Taxation of the Digital Sector
On 1 October 2021 the Third World Bank Tax Conference discussed the taxation of the digital sector. Value added tax collection The growth of the digital economy has changed business models and has presented new problems for tax assessment and
See MoreWorld Bank: Conference looks at implementation of new tax instruments
On 1 October 2021 the second day of the Third World Bank Tax Conference looked at the practical implementation of new tax instruments. Sugar tax in South Africa The sugar-sweetened beverage tax in South Africa was first announced in the 2016
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