Sustainable Finance

The ILP tax team has provided immense support to our work at the South Centre. We have benefited from the team’s rich experience and insights in conducting tax training programs for tax officials from various developing countries.

The ILP team of experts provided valuable training on the taxation of the digitalised economy, summarising highly complex policy proposals in simple to understand terms cross-referenced with practical and real world examples based on the team’s expertise.

They have always been available and forthcoming, and are also always up to date with the latest policy proposals. It is commendable how they manage to stay abreast of these complex discussions and is a testament to the expertise and dedication of the ILP team.

Abdul Muheet Chowdhary

Senior Programme Officer

South Centre Tax Initiative

What We Do

We promote fairer and more effective economic and fiscal policy tools and taxation policies to help states meet development goals, including enhanced rule of law and sustainability.

These tools can help states generate the funds required to finance development projects and provide essential public services.

Why We Do It

Low-income countries need robust revenue streams in order to carry out their development plans and provide essential public services. A well-structured tax system that collects sufficient revenue for public services, redistributes wealth, discourages harmful consumption by repricing goods, and ensures representation of all citizens, is crucial for achieving equitable societies and is integral to sustainable development strategies.

Many developing countries grapple with weak legislation, limited administrative capacity, rampant tax evasion, and poor fiscal management. Governments and civil society need assistance with ensuring that tax legislation is equitable, progressive and constitutional. In addition, the international tax system is in tremendous flux and new international tax rules may not always be beneficial to countries in the Global South.

Increasingly countries in the Global South are turning to capital markets to raise money to fund transitions to greener economies. However, sovereign debt can amount to billions of pounds and needs to be contracted in a manner that allows for transparency and accountability. Fiscal tools, including environmental and health-related levies, can aid countries in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

How We Do It

We guide governments to adopt favourable fiscal frameworks, including incorporating domestic tax issues to bolster environmental governance and sustainable development initiatives.

We empower government officials and civil society organisations by offering comprehensive training on the taxation of natural resources and other international tax issues.

We work with governments and civil society organisations in the Global South to ensure that debt is properly issued and the details of it are fully disclosed, and to ensure that the debt restructuring process is equitable.