6th World Bank/IFS/ODI Public Finance Conference | Driving Progress: Public Finance and Structural Transformation

This conference brought together leading researchers and policymakers to discuss recent research on the political economy of public finances.

As low- and middle-income countries grow, the structure of production, trade and employment changes; it is imperative for public finance policies to evolve in tandem with these changes. Depending on a country’s development model and natural resources, growth takes different forms, but it typically consists of an expansion of manufacturing and tertiary sectors, diversification of trade, and more limited reliance on primary sectors. Growth is also accompanied by increasing formalization of firms and employment, human capital accumulation and demographic shifts. The mix of tax instruments, the structure of unemployment insurance, and the financing of pension systems hence need to adapt in the process of structural change – and might also have an important role in fostering those changes.

The 2024 Public Finance Conference will feature presentations from both micro and macro perspectives, that relate to the conference theme and inform policy design in low and middle-income countries. Topics will include:

• Tax policies suitable for lower-income countries on a growth trajectory;  
• Fiscal policy aimed at promoting structural transformation, including industrial policy; 
• Fiscal and Labor market policies addressing high informality / promoting rapid formalization; 
• Design of government pensions systems in low and middle-income countries; 

Keynote speaker: Chang Tai Hsieh, Phyllis and Irwin Winkelried Distinguished Service Professor of Economics, University of Chicago, Booth School of Business.

Organising Committee:  Jaffar Al Rikabi, Annette Alstadsæter, Pierre Bachas, Anne Brockmeyer, Pablo Garriga, François Gerard, Hazel Granger, Jonas Hjort, Christopher Hoy, Oyebola Okunogbe, David Phillips, Thiago Scot, Mahvish Shaukat, Dario Tortarolo, Yani Tyskerud, Mazhar Waseem.

This event was part of the World Bank's 2024 Tax Data Analytics Week. Visit the week’s website here for the full agenda and details on other events.