Tax for Development

We live in an unfair world, and there is an urgent need for wealth and power to be more equitably distributed. The Government’s overriding objective for its development policy is to seek to ensure that poor countries are able to secure greater welfare for their people. Better tax systems are the key to achieving these aims.

Reducing poverty requires economic growth, a large volume of investment and, not least, more jobs in poor countries. Effective and sustainable development also depends on provision of a wide range of welfare services such as education, health care and infrastructure. These cost money, and development aid will never be able to fully meet this need. Better tax systems will provide poor countries with revenues on a permanent basis that are large enough to finance a welfare society. An effective tax system provides a more equitable distribution of wealth and power, which in turn strengthens economic growth over the long term. Thus the programme Tax for Development can be used to drive development in a positive direction.