An effective and efficient public-sector reform enhances government capability to raise domestic revenue for prioritized spending. It also contributes to strengthening the government capacity to manage public resources more effectively and deliver public services. In pursuing these objectives, fiscal decentralization, the devolution of taxing and spending powers to lower levels of government, has become a key public-sector reform in many countries. Given such high stakes, a growing economic literature is focusing on how to better understand the challenges developing countries face in implementing fiscal decentralization reforms. The present thesis adds to this effort through four contributions shedding light on specific issues related to fiscal decentralization.Chapter 1 analyses whether and how municipal revenue mobilization could enhance citizens' access to public services and reduce poverty. The results indicate that increasing municipal-raised revenues improve access to public services and reduce poverty. This effect works mainly through enhancing access to education than on access to health, especially in less ethnically diverse localities and in urban zones. Chapter 2 investigates the effect of municipal revenue autonomy on inequalities within sub-national governments. We conclude that higher local revenue autonomy reduces income inequalities within localities, which effect differs between the type of revenue and jurisdiction considered. Chapter 3 analyzes the impact of the transfers from central government to municipalities on the revenue mobilization by municipalities. Our results show that increasing central transfers to subnational government boost revenue mobilization by municipalities for both tax revenue and non-tax revenue. The effect of transfers is found to be higher for tax revenue than for non-tax revenue. Finally, we examine whether the effect of government responsiveness on property tax compliance differs between central government and municipalities in chapter 4. The results conclude that ...
An effective and efficient public-sector reform enhances government capability to raise domestic revenue for prioritized spending. It also contributes to strengthening the government capacity to manage public resources more effectively and deliver public services. In pursuing these objectives, fiscal decentralization, the devolution of taxing and spending powers to lower levels of government, has become a key public-sector reform in many countries. Given such high stakes, a growing economic literature is focusing on how to better understand the challenges developing countries face in implementing fiscal decentralization reforms. The present thesis adds to this effort through four contributions shedding light on specific issues related to fiscal decentralization.Chapter 1 analyses whether and how municipal revenue mobilization could enhance citizens' access to public services and reduce poverty. The results indicate that increasing municipal-raised revenues improve access to public services and reduce poverty. This effect works mainly through enhancing access to education than on access to health, especially in less ethnically diverse localities and in urban zones. Chapter 2 investigates the effect of municipal revenue autonomy on inequalities within sub-national governments. We conclude that higher local revenue autonomy reduces income inequalities within localities, which effect differs between the type of revenue and jurisdiction considered. Chapter 3 analyzes the impact of the transfers from central government to municipalities on the revenue mobilization by municipalities. Our results show that increasing central transfers to subnational government boost revenue mobilization by municipalities for both tax revenue and non-tax revenue. The effect of transfers is found to be higher for tax revenue than for non-tax revenue. Finally, we examine whether the effect of government responsiveness on property tax compliance differs between central government and municipalities in chapter 4. The results conclude that responsiveness by municipalities is found to have a greater effect on property tax compliance than those by central governments. The results of our analysis bear important policy implications to strengthen public sector, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. ; Une réforme efficace et efficiente du secteur public constitue un enjeu important pour les gouvernements et les partenaires au développement partout dans le monde. La décentralisation budgétaire ̶ le transfert de compétences en matière de recettes et de dépenses du gouvernement central vers les gouvernements locaux ̶ est souvent considérée comme un moyen d'améliorer l'efficacité de la mobilisation des ressources domestiques et de renforcer l'accès et la qualité des services publics. Dans la poursuite de ces objectifs, la décentralisation budgétaire est devenue un élément essentiel de la politique de réforme du secteur public dans de nombreux pays surtout ceux en développement. Face à l'importance des enjeux liés à cette réforme notamment sur les finances publiques, une importante littérature économique s'est attachée à étudier ses conséquences et les conditions de sa réussite. Cette thèse contribue à cet effort à travers quatre chapitres portant sur les effets de la décentralisation budgétaire dans les pays en développement et plus précisément en Côte d'Ivoire.Le premier chapitre analyse les conséquences de la mobilisation fiscale au niveau municipal sur l'accès aux services publics et sur la réduction de la pauvreté. Les résultats suggèrent que l'augmentation des revenus des municipalités accroît l'accès aux services publics, notamment l'éducation, et, dans une moindre mesure, réduit la pauvreté. Cet effet est accentué dans les régions à faible diversité ethnolinguistique et en milieu urbain. Le second chapitre évalue les effets de l'autonomie fiscale des municipalités sur la distribution de revenus de la population. Empiriquement, les résultats suggèrent qu'une augmentation des revenus prélevés par le gouvernement central (et rétrocédés aux municipalités) réduit les inégalités de revenus, alors qu'une augmentation des revenus directement prélevés par les municipalités augmente les inégalités (taxes locales). Le chapitre trois (3) analyse dans quelle mesure les transferts du gouvernement central aux municipalités affectent la mobilisation des revenus de ces dernières. Les résultats montrent qu'une augmentation des transferts augmente les revenus des municipalités provenant des impôts rétrocédés, et, dans une moindre mesure, les taxes locales. Le quatrième chapitre porte sur les déterminants de la conformité des taxes foncières. Nos résultats concluent que la conformité des taxes foncières est déterminée, entre autres, par les niveaux de services publics du gouvernement central et des municipalités, de la confiance des citoyens envers les municipalités et de la compréhension des citoyens du système de taxation. Les résultats de cette thèse induisent d'importantes implications en termes de politiques de renforcement du secteur public.
Publié dans World Development, Volume 113, January 2019, 204-221 - https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1XkiL,6yxD6jzQ ; This paper investigates whether, and how, the devolution of revenue raising responsibilities to municipalities enhances access to public services and contributes to reducing poverty in Côte d'Ivoire. The analysis uses a local government' revenue and expenditure dataset from 2001 to 2011 for 115 municipalities in 35 departments. An adjusted multidimensional poverty index and a headcount poverty index are calculated at the local level using the Household Living Standard Survey. The empirical analysis uses a grouped fixed effect approach, combined with a two-stage least squares methodology with panel corrected standard errors clustered by department, to address both time-varying heterogeneity and local revenue endogeneity.The results suggest that increased local revenue positively affects access to public services and reduces poverty. However, there is evidence that fiscal decentralization has a more robust effect on access to public service, than on poverty. This effect seems to work mainly through enhancing access to education more than access to health, water, and sanitation services. Contrary to existing literature, our results indicate that municipalities are more likely to improve access to public services in less ethnically diverse localities and in rural zones. The study provides evidence that the effect of the conflict experienced by the country has been limited statistically.
Publié dans World Development, Volume 113, January 2019, 204-221 - https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1XkiL,6yxD6jzQ ; This paper investigates whether, and how, the devolution of revenue raising responsibilities to municipalities enhances access to public services and contributes to reducing poverty in Côte d'Ivoire. The analysis uses a local government' revenue and expenditure dataset from 2001 to 2011 for 115 municipalities in 35 departments. An adjusted multidimensional poverty index and a headcount poverty index are calculated at the local level using the Household Living Standard Survey. The empirical analysis uses a grouped fixed effect approach, combined with a two-stage least squares methodology with panel corrected standard errors clustered by department, to address both time-varying heterogeneity and local revenue endogeneity.The results suggest that increased local revenue positively affects access to public services and reduces poverty. However, there is evidence that fiscal decentralization has a more robust effect on access to public service, than on poverty. This effect seems to work mainly through enhancing access to education more than access to health, water, and sanitation services. Contrary to existing literature, our results indicate that municipalities are more likely to improve access to public services in less ethnically diverse localities and in rural zones. The study provides evidence that the effect of the conflict experienced by the country has been limited statistically.
Publié dans World Development, Volume 113, January 2019, 204-221 - https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1XkiL,6yxD6jzQ This paper investigates whether, and how, the devolution of revenue raising responsibilities to municipalities enhances access to public services and contributes to reducing poverty in Côte d'Ivoire. The analysis uses a local government' revenue and expenditure dataset from 2001 to 2011 for 115 municipalities in 35 departments. An adjusted multidimensional poverty index and a headcount poverty index are calculated at the local level using the Household Living Standard Survey. The empirical analysis uses a grouped fixed effect approach, combined with a two-stage least squares methodology with panel corrected standard errors clustered by department, to address both time-varying heterogeneity and local revenue endogeneity.The results suggest that increased local revenue positively affects access to public services and reduces poverty. However, there is evidence that fiscal decentralization has a more robust effect on access to public service, than on poverty. This effect seems to work mainly through enhancing access to education more than access to health, water, and sanitation services. Contrary to existing literature, our results indicate that municipalities are more likely to improve access to public services in less ethnically diverse localities and in rural zones. The study provides evidence that the effect of the conflict experienced by the country has been limited statistically.
This paper analyzes the effect of the transfers from central government to municipalities on the revenue mobilization by municipalities in Côte d'Ivoire over the period 2001-2014. The analysis is based on a new carefully-constructed dataset covering the conflict and post conflict periods for 115 municipalities. A two-stage least squares estimator is combined with the Grouped Fixed Effects estimator to address a potential endogeneity bias and to allow for unobserved heterogeneity varying over time. The results show a statistically significant and positive effect of central transfers on revenue mobilization by municipalities for both tax revenue and non-tax revenue. The effect of transfers is found to be higher for tax revenue than for non-tax revenue. The conflict eroded the capacity of municipalities to raise revenue. During the conflict, a 10 percent increase in transfers is associated with a 3.3 percent increase in revenue mobilized by municipalities, while this increase reaches 5.9 percent after the conflict.
This paper analyzes the effect of the transfers from central government to municipalities on the revenue mobilization by municipalities in Côte d'Ivoire over the period 2001-2014. The analysis is based on a new carefully-constructed dataset covering the conflict and post conflict periods for 115 municipalities. A two-stage least squares estimator is combined with the Grouped Fixed Effects estimator to address a potential endogeneity bias and to allow for unobserved heterogeneity varying over time. The results show a statistically significant and positive effect of central transfers on revenue mobilization by municipalities for both tax revenue and non-tax revenue. The effect of transfers is found to be higher for tax revenue than for non-tax revenue. The conflict eroded the capacity of municipalities to raise revenue. During the conflict, a 10 percent increase in transfers is associated with a 3.3 percent increase in revenue mobilized by municipalities, while this increase reaches 5.9 percent after the conflict.