Tax Expenditures in Sub-Saharan Africa: An Expensive Practice?
Li Liu,
Todd Schneider,
Can Sever and
Irena Jankulov Suljagic | 27 November 2025
Fiscal,
Blog | Tags:
Domestic Revenue Mobilization,
Sub-Saharan Africa,
Tax Expenditures
Tax expenditures are less well understood in Sub-Saharan Africa than in other regions, and deserve closer attention given the region’s macro-fiscal challenges. A new IMF paper sheds some additional light on TEs in SSA, their potential importance to domestic revenue mobilization, and offers a roadmap for reform.
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How Vietnam Can Ensure Greener Steel
Patrick Lenain and
Deepak Sharma | 21 November 2025
Fiscal,
Blog | Tags:
Decarbonization,
Energy,
Industrial Policy,
Vietnam
The steel industry is an important pillar of Vietnam’s economic development. It provides input for the country’s rapid infrastructure expansion, it supports key manufacturing sectors such as construction and shipbuilding, and it contributes to export revenues and industrial employment.
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Unlocking Doors to Better Homes: Smarter Borrower Limits for Housing Upgrades Across Europe
Reiner Martin and
Pierre Monnin | 15 October 2025
Monetary,
Blog | Tags:
Credit Risk,
Energy,
Financial Stability,
Housing,
Macroprudential Policy
Upgrading the energy efficiency of Europe’s homes is a cornerstone of the European Union’s strategy to achieve climate neutrality. Buildings account for about a third of the EU’s energy-related greenhouse gas emissions, making them one of the largest contributors to climate change.
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Monetary Policy Reloaded. Towards a New Growth Path in China
Isabelle Jiani Zheng | 19 September 2025
Monetary,
Blog | Tags:
Central Banks,
China,
Economic Growth,
Financial Inclusion
In recent months, the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) unveiled a comprehensive series of monetary policy measures and guidance that combines general easing and targeted support mechanisms.
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How to Move Forward with Green Hydrogen
Patrick Lenain and
Magd Shamashan | 28 August 2025
Fiscal,
Blog | Tags:
Energy,
Renewables,
Tax Expenditures,
Vietnam
Green hydrogen is hoped to be a key solution for decarbonising hard-to-abate sectors, notably steel, petrochemicals, and long-haul transport, all large consumers of fossil fuels in Vietnam.
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Bringing Tax Expenditures Into the Debate on Financing for Development
Christian von Haldenwang | 23 July 2025
Fiscal,
Blog | Tags:
Development,
Domestic Revenue Mobilization,
Tax Expenditures
Tax expenditures have traditionally been considered an issue governments are supposed to deal with by themselves. This, however, is changing. The recent Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) FfD4 explicitly refers to tax expenditures in its Outcome Document.
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U.S. Energy Policy at a Crossroads
Luke Hatton and
Patrick Lenain | 28 May 2025
Fiscal,
Blog | Tags:
Energy,
Fossil Fuel Subsidies,
Renewables,
United States
U.S. energy policy is at a crossroads. While both the Biden and Trump Administrations have made energy affordability and security a key priority, their strategies differ drastically.
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Shedding Light on the Use of Tax Expenditures for Social Spending
Flurim Aliu and
Agustin Redonda | 5 May 2025
Fiscal,
Blog | Tags:
Inequality,
Social Protecion,
Tax Expenditures
When we think of government spending on social programmes, we generally picture direct cash transfers, public healthcare, education and subsidized housing. Yet a significant portion of social spending happens outside the traditional budget.
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Hitting the Mark: Design Choices in Targeted Refinancing
Muhammad Qaisar | 17 April 2025
Monetary,
Blog | Tags:
Central Banks,
Targeted Refinancing Lines
To target their objectives, central banks have a broad toolbox. Each of their instruments has impacts on a range of their goals and must be calibrated accordingly. The critical role of design choices in targeted refinancing operations is a case in point.
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