IDinsight’s Post

The #RoadToUSP requires reducing the financing gap for social protection. Please join the #UNGlobalAccelerator to increase #fiscalspace for #UniversalSocialProtection and support the #formalization of the economy! https://lnkd.in/d3tfbePQ

💡 Strong #socialprotection systems need adequate #financing! #DidYouKnow some key measures countries are taking to increase fiscal space for SP? ⬇ Mozambique is utilising statistical bulletins to provide evidence on financing gaps and support advocacy for social protection investments: https://bit.ly/43UBg1C Argentina’s Monotributo is a unified tax scheme fostering contributions from workers in the #informal economy, paving the way for more #sustainablefinancing of SP: https://bit.ly/3JiKOtO Egypt’s #SocialInsurance and #Pension law increased the financial sustainability of SP systems: it reduced #fragmentation and extended #coverage and #contributions: https://bit.ly/3UffzpW ▶ The #RoadToUSP requires reducing the financing gap for social protection. Let’s work together to make this a reality! 🤝   #UniversalSocialProtection #SDGs #GlobalAccelerator #Financing

10 African Countries converge in Arusha: To boost region’s access to REDD+ finance and knowledge on social inclusion and benefit sharing. Read more: https://lnkd.in/dHK2Wtax #SaveForestsNow

If governments can prioritize well-being in public policy, then we shall enhance the living standards of people, social inclusion, environmental conservation, health outcomes, economic productivity and sustainable development. For example, the Government of Bhutan in South Asia is doing it. They adopted Gross National Happiness (GNH) rather than Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as their measure of progress. United Kingdom is equally embracing the philosophy. The Government of Kenya needs to embrace the same to stop tormenting its citizens with some of its current policies especially the tax regime. I believe we can do better if we focus on people-centric policies. For instance, they should adopt a fair all inclusive tax regime, address wastage and corruption in government, moderate expenditure, promote manufacturing and exports to attain favourable terms of trade, attract and promote investment to enhance employment and adopt effective social protection programmes to ultimately assure all citizens reliable services and healthy living standards for their well-being.

Incorporating gender perspectives into tax policy is not only a matter of social justice and human rights but also an economic imperative for sustainable development. By addressing gender disparities in taxation, governments can promote equity, empower women, enhance tax compliance and revenue collection, promote inclusive economic growth, and advance sustainable development for all. It is time for Nigeria to recognize the importance of gender-responsive tax policies and take concrete actions to create a more equitable and prosperous future for all its citizens.

Thanks Tatler Asia for carrying a feature on my opinion on Malaysia's budget 2024 entitled "How effective is Budget 2024 for the average Malaysian woman?" Here's a snipped of what I said in the feature "Budgetary measures must be designed with a gender-responsive lens. If we want to encourage women’s economic participation, we must first understand the myriad challenges and the importance of crosscutting focus on gender, across the board". #genderequality #budget2024 Full article is available below.

NGOs MUST LEAD IN ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY TO IMPACT COMMUNITIES POSITIVELY By Dr.Oliver Bulaya NGOs are more of service to the people above self-aggrandisement. There are some people who have found an opportunity in this sector driven by wealth creation other than service for the people. These are the people that are messing up the sector. Zambia has laws that govern the NGO sector which include: The Non-Governmental Organisations Act (2009): This is the primary law regulating NGOs in Zambia. It outlines the registration and operating requirements for NGOs, including the need to register with the NGO Registration Board. The Act gives the government significant oversight and control over NGO activities. The Income Tax Act - provides for tax exemptions and incentives for NGOs, such as exemption from corporate income tax. NGOs need to meet certain criteria to qualify for these tax benefits. The Societies Act governs the registration and operations of voluntary associations, which include some NGOs. It requires these organisations to register and submit annual reports. The Public Finance Act imposes financial management and reporting requirements on NGOs that receive public funds. NGOs must comply with accounting standards and submit audited financial statements. The Anti-Corruption Act - prohibits corrupt practices and requires NGOs to have anti-corruption measures in place. The Employment Act and other labour laws, which regulate the employment practices of NGOs in areas like minimum wage, work hours, and employee benefits. The regulatory environment for NGOs in Zambia has been criticized by some as overly restrictive, giving the government excessive control. However, the government argues that these laws are necessary to ensure NGO accountability and alignment with national development priorities. Therefore, NGOs in Zambia must navigate this complex legal and regulatory framework to operate effectively in the country. In this case, simply put NGOs must be good examples of accountability and transparency in the management of public resources. Ethical collaboration and accountability must govern the NGO sector in Zambia, as the NGO sector in Zambia plays a vital role in driving development and supporting marginalized communities. Stop deforestation and forest degradation. Act against climate change. Together we can. Arise Zambia Agriculture a Sleeping Economic Giant. Credit: The Mast Newspaper

Hon. Betty Amongi: Now, why is this important? A country’s biggest asset is its people. And a country with a young population is in a position of privilege. How best does a country leverage its Human Capital? a) First, you educate, train, and keep re-skilling them. b) Secondly, you use their labour (physical and intellectual), financial capital, and enterprise to grow the economy. When the economy grows, more people benefit. But a country with a large and young population needs to plan for a time when the majority of these youth become old and are unable to work. With 10% social security coverage, if we fail to plan for these youth, we are actually planning to fail them in their old age. So, we need to be deliberate to ensure we do not postpone a problem for a Government that is in power in 2063 – 40 years from now. I have so far talked about the “What we need to change”. I have also talked about “why we need to change”. Now, let me focus on the “how we need to change” – which is the focus of this conference. In all the previous stakeholder engagements that we have had – the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) conference, and the 4 Labour Inspector conferences in Central, North, East, and Western Uganda – I kept emphasizing the “Whole-of-Government” approach. Why should we divide our efforts to achieve the same goals? This is simply inefficient, wasteful, and even confusing to the public. We now have a deliberate policy to collaborate with each other across the different arms of Government to implement the National Development Plan. When it comes to the issue of compliance, our strategy is simple: • Take advantage of existing Government structures at the levels of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies to: a. Bring large numbers of employers into our sight b. Compare this data against databases of URA & NSSF c. Determine who is not complying with the law (to pay tax and make NSSF contributions) d. Give them a chance to “mend” their ways e. For those who are determined to break the law, bring the arms of enforcement to bear So, we started first with the roads sector, where through the regulator, UNRA, we were able to identify about 9,000 contractors in the sector. But only 48% were compliant. We now know that in Energy, Oil & Gas and Minerals, the number of employers is even bigger - AND THE COMPLIANCE RATE IS PROBABLY WORSE. #NowYouCan

A quantum leap in public sector reforms in Tanzania. The Government has merged 16 public institutions and abolished 4 of them with the view of enhancing efficiency and productivity. This is a significant advancement in Tanzania's efforts to combat red tape and duplicate business processes while bolstering the country's Business-Enabling Environment (BEE). To prevent several forms of identification for different objectives, such as taxation, I think the merging of NIDA and RITA to create an organisation in charge of the Single Identification Number (SIN) is a noble move. #publicpolicy #law #tax #tanzania #businessanalytics

Here is what LCCI had to say on the key Challenges/opportunities facing Business Associations in Lesotho. And the top priority reforms needed to enhance the Public Private Collaboration in Lesotho. 1. Political dominance/influence and lack of understanding between business associations and political organization, as to how they are organized and managed.   2.  Inability of business association members to also understand that difference.   Associations should be motivated by their desire to behave and be seen as neutral and prepared to work and engage any government in power and support good policies that work for business. Political leaders must respect business associations and encourage them to unite effectively to promote economic growth for the benefits of all citizens. Opportunities are enormous where business collaborates effectively with any government, corruption both in the Private Sector as well as in government has proved dangerously for growth of any country. Associations must try to operate above party politics by remaining and being professional at all times in dealing with officials of government. It is imperative that we establish robust public-private working groups between government ministries and business associations. Through these working groups, we can address critical issues such as legislation, service delivery, infrastructure gaps and trade barriers. Regular meetings will ensure that solutions are found collectively. We must also strive for increased efficiency in public spending on infrastructure, which is vital for private sector development. This includes prioritizing investments in energy, digital connectivity, road network and border posts. Establishing an infrastructure fund financed through public-private partnerships with clear oversight mechanism will allow us to bridge financing gaps. We must continue pursuing reforms in tax administration processes to improve Lesotho’s overall ease of doing business which will incentivize new investments and promote conducive business environment. In conclusion, strengthening public-private dialogue and fostering purposeful collaboration and essential steps towards addressing our binding constraints enticing competitiveness, and private sector led economic growth. #ppd #voiceofbusiness   Mr. F.D Hakane – LCCI Secretary General