Webinar on the role of subnational DRM for public service delivery

Raising awareness for the role of local governments for raising revenues to finance essential public goods and services

Flyer & registration

The Addis Tax Initiative (ATI), the Development Partners Network on Decentralisation & Local Governance (DeLoG) and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) are hosting a webinar on the role of subnational domestic revenue mobilisation (DRM) for public service delivery on 15 April 2021 from 14:00h to 15:15h (Central European Summer Time).

The objective of the webinar is to raise awareness and advocate for the role of local governments in raising revenues to finance the delivery of public goods and services. With inputs by representatives from the Christian Michelsen Institute, the Ministry of Finance in Ghana, the Freetown City Council (Sierra Leone), Norad and the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), it will serve as a forum to identify common ground to build on this debate and enhance development cooperation. 

The benefits of DRM reforms at the subnational level are increasingly gaining the attention of the international development cooperation community. Subnational governments play a keyrole for the provision of public goods and services that are essential to advance the progress of the Sustainable Development Goals. Research has demonstrated the significant potential for raising revenue at the subnational level to fund these services. This is also reflected in the ATI Declaration 2025, in which members agree to strengthen development cooperation on tax and revenue matters in an inclusive, participatory and meaningful manner at subnational, national, regional and international levels.

However, it can be observed that ongoing interventions on subnational DRM are not being linked up to national or international tax programmes. This challenges the strengthening of multi-level governance (political economy of taxing rights) and hampers efficiency of development cooperation in the area of DRM. Development partners widely support the decentralisation of service delivery but often end up facing high barriers when these efforts are not supported by stable public financing mechanisms, like intergovernmental fiscal transfers or own resource revenue. A coherent approach by all stakeholders involved is
needed.

To register to the event, please click here. The webinar will be held via the platform “Microsoft Teams”. In case of questions, please contact secretariat@taxcompact.net.