Tax Revenue in Emerging Markets and Developing Countries: Does Digital Finance Matter?
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Research in Brief 116
The context of multiple crises in recent times, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and the rising number of severe climate-related events, has once again emphasised the pressing need for emerging markets and developing countries (EMDCs) to expand their fiscal capacities. Identifying new tax revenue drivers is now a key concern for many governments and researchers worldwide.
Digital financial services like mobile money services have emerged as a transformative force shaping the financial inclusion landscape in the developing world, allowing people and firms previously excluded from the traditional banking sector to access basic financial services. From its initial focus on domestic person-to person transfers, the mobile money services industry has diversified its product range considerably. The industry now offers a range of mobile solutions for bill payments, merchant payments, person-to-government transfers or international remittances, thereby facilitating the completion of daily transactions for individuals and businesses.
Given this context, this paper aims to explore the potential impact of the rapid expansion of mobile money services on non-resource tax revenues in EMDCs. Summary of ICTD Working Paper 194.
Tania M. Azoa Balengla is a PhD Student at the University of Yaoundé II
(Cameroon). She is also a researcher at the Center for Studies and Research in
Economics and Management (CEREG) and a member of the ECA Young
Economist Network (ECA-YEN). She holds a master’s degree in Ingeniérie
Économique et Financière from the University of Yaoundé II and another master’s
degree in Monnaie Banque, Finance et Assurance in partnership with the
University of Rennes (France).
Joseph Keneck Massil is currently an Associate Professor in Economics and
Head of the Department of Public Economics at the University of Yaoundé II
(Cameroon). He is also a research associate at the UMI Source research centre
(University of Versailles, France). He holds a PhD in Economics from the
University of Paris Nanterre.
Alphonse Noah is an Associate Professor in Economics at the Faculty of Law
and Economics at the University of Limoges (France), and a member of the
Laboratoire d’Analyse et de Prospective Economiques (LAPE) research centre.
His research interests include development financing issues, digital finance, fiscal
policy, informality, and climate change.
Citation: Azoa Balengla, T.M.; Keneck Massil, J.; Noah, A. and Nomo Belaya, B.C. (2024) Tax Revenue in Emerging Markets and Developing Countries: Does Digital Finance Matter?, ICTD Research in Brief 116, Brighton: Institute of Development Studies, DOI: 10.19088/ICTD.2024.043
