Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) suffers from chronically low rates of investment, which hurts economic growth. Since high taxes on corporations disincentivize firms´ investments, an important policy question is whether the region should reduce taxation on corporate profits. A first step in answering this question is to analyze how high the tax burden is on corporate … [Read more...] about Should Latin America and the Caribbean Countries Cut Taxes on Corporate Profits to Stimulate Investment and Growth?
Alejandro Rasteletti
Alejandro Rasteletti is a leading specialist at the IDB and is currently in charge of coordinating the knowledge cluster of the Fiscal Management Division. At the IDB he served as a tax specialist for Mexico and Colombia, countries where he led technical dialogue and various fiscal strengthening programs. He was also a country economist for Uruguay. Prior to joining the IDB, he was a consultant in the research department of the World Bank and a consultant for the International Monetary Fund. Alejandro has a PhD in economics from the University of Maryland and has published several articles in books and specialized magazines.
Can a wealth tax reduce inequality in Latin America and the Caribbean?
The COVID-19 pandemic had strong economic and social impacts that have exacerbated the problems of inequality between rich and poor. While the wealthier classes were able to preserve their jobs and work remotely, many low-income workers lost their sources of income overnight, or saw their incomes shrink dramatically. This increase in inequality, coupled with large fiscal … [Read more...] about Can a wealth tax reduce inequality in Latin America and the Caribbean?
Latin American and Caribbean countries must adopt a pro-growth fiscal strategy to avoid falling into a debt trap
With the outbreak of the pandemic, fiscal balances in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) deteriorated and public debt increased significantly. When combined with the expected slowness of economic recovery, this will put significant pressure on the sustainability of public finances for countries in the region. Given this scenario, these countries urgently need to develop and … [Read more...] about Latin American and Caribbean countries must adopt a pro-growth fiscal strategy to avoid falling into a debt trap
Now it is the time to Foster Labor Formalization in Latin America and the Caribbean
There is an urgent need to reduce labor informality to encourage inclusive growth after the pandemic is over in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Labor formality boosts government revenue and targeting of transfers, increasing productivity and curtailing poverty. Given that the region has one of the highest labor informality levels in the world, targeting informality is … [Read more...] about Now it is the time to Foster Labor Formalization in Latin America and the Caribbean
Policy and fiscal management during the pandemic and post-pandemic in Latin America and the Caribbean
As is well known, COVID-19 is highly contagious and has a higher mortality rate among at-risk groups than other similar viruses. In Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) the first contagion case was registered in late February 2020 and by April 20 the number of people infected was 100,000-plus, with 5,300 dead. Unfortunately, these figures quickly became outdated. The outburst … [Read more...] about Policy and fiscal management during the pandemic and post-pandemic in Latin America and the Caribbean