Increasing disaster risks in developing countries call for strategic planning and investments in resilient and low-carbon infrastructure. The tsunami that caused extensive destruction and loss of life in Tonga in January 2022 stressed the vulnerability of developing countries, especially small island developing states, to disasters triggered by natural hazards, such as … [Read more...] about Aligning Public Investments with Sustainable and Climate Goals
Gerardo Reyes-Tagle
Gerardo Reyes-Tagle is a Lead Fiscal Economist in the IDB's Fiscal Management Division. He has more than 15 years of experience working on issues related to fiscal policy and tax administration, the quality of spending and debt sustainability. Over the years, Gerardo has led the high-level policy dialogue (for example, fiscal policy reforms, fiscal consolidation programs, debt restructuring, institutional capacity building, etc.), key technical assistance, work in the sector economic and financial operations across the spectrum of public finance in Latin America. He has directed and coordinated programs, analytical studies, and technical assistance with the IMF and the World Bank, among other multilateral organizations. Lately, he has focused on the analysis of fiscal risks that may pose threats to fiscal sustainability in the Latin American region, including those related to macroeconomic fluctuations, natural disasters, public companies, exchange rate fluctuations and interest rates, public-private partnerships, etc. It has provided technical assistance in establishing risk units within ministries of finance to help strengthen the identification and mitigation of fiscal risks. Before joining the IDB, Gerardo worked at the Energy Regulatory Commission and the Ministry of Finance in Mexico. He did his Master in Public Policy and Ph.D. in economics studies at Georgetown University and George Washington University in Washington, DC.
Digital Maturity Index: How to measure digital transformation progress in tax administrations
The development of digital technology has profoundly transformed information processes in all the spectrum of the public and private sectors. For Tax Administrations (TAs), organizations whose business processes (services and audit) are based on data, technology advancements are driving profound changes in the way they carry out their tax collection functions. Digitalization … [Read more...] about Digital Maturity Index: How to measure digital transformation progress in tax administrations
Winds of Change: An Opportunity to Reform Tax Administration in the Caribbean
For many countries in the Caribbean region, tax policy and tax administration reforms have been a long overdue task. Given the current situation worldwide, the Caribbean countries are now more than ever faced with the critical need to improve their capacity to collect and manage revenues. Achieving this will require the adoption of more efficient and modern institutional … [Read more...] about Winds of Change: An Opportunity to Reform Tax Administration in the Caribbean
Tax amnesties in times of COVID: Exceptional measures in exceptional times
Some countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) are exploring a variety of options in their attempt to collect additional tax revenues to confront the COVID-19 emergency. With a somber forecast ahead, the region´s GDP may contract up to 6% while the fiscal deficit can climb up to 8% by the end of 2020. In this scenario, tax amnesties emerge as a way of generating … [Read more...] about Tax amnesties in times of COVID: Exceptional measures in exceptional times
COVID-19 in the Caribbean: The Economic Challenges Ahead
The COVID-19 pandemic caught the world by surprise, causing an unprecedented health emergency. Caribbean countries adopted containment measures to slow the spread of the disease and flatten the curve[1] based on prior experiences and lessons around the world. Actions ranged from limits to social activities and closure of non-essential businesses, to curfew hours and complete … [Read more...] about COVID-19 in the Caribbean: The Economic Challenges Ahead