Strengthening public finance in North and Central Asia An overview
Public finance is the financing backbone for sustainable development and infrastructure investment The financing demand for the implementation of the 3 Agenda for Sustainable Development is enormous $1.4 trillion of incremental spending annual would be required for low and lower-middle income countries alone to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 3; The public sector is expected to shoulder half of this financing demand. Public finance still provides the bulk of the infrastructure financing in Asia- Pacific countries In most countries of the region, private investment in infrastructure remain limited; Public sector provides important seed investment, guarantees and grants for PPP projects, and in many cases remains the final payer for private sector services; Strong public credit also lower the borrowing cost for PPP projects;
Tax reform initiatives to strengthen revenue mobilization and improve tax administration A number of Asia-Pacific developing countries have made ambitious reforms to meet the fiscal challenges in the aftermath of the global economic crisis and the financing demand for sustainable development India s reform of Good and Services Tax (GST) Indonesia s tax amnesty campaign Cambodia s elimination of the Estimated Tax Regime to integrate the informal sector into formal tax systems
India s reform of Good and Services Tax (GST) The landmark good and services tax (GST) bill became effective in April 17 Aim to streamline the country s fragmented tax system and contribute to the creation of an unified domestic market; Integrate 17 different central and state taxes in to a streamlined and more transparent GST system and reduce internal frictions caused by fragmented local tax regimes; Introduce the VAT principle to eliminate the cascading impact, reduce the tax burdens of manufacturers, and create incentives for honest reporting through input credit; Reduce tax exemptions at the same time.
Indonesia s tax amnesty campaign Indonesia implemented a 9-month tax amnesty (from July 16 to March 17) program In an effort to increase its tax base Offer incentives and immunity from prosecution to tax evaders who declare and repatriate offshore funds; The incentives were also extended to Indonesians who decide to repatriate their funds and keep their money in the country for at least three years; The Tax Amnesty proved partially successful.
Cambodia s elimination of the Estimated Tax Regime In 16, Cambodia eliminated the Estimated Tax Regime (ETR), one of the country s most significant tax reforms in years ETR was designed to encourage small taxpayers in the informal regime to pay taxes. But in practice, it discouraged firms from entering the real tax system; The reform aims to streamline tax administration and more importantly better integrate the country s large informal sector into the formal tax regime. It established an integrated cooperate tax system with three tiers for small, medium, and large taxpayers; It also introduced a progressive tax rate regime based on profit levels and measures to ease the burden of small and median firms transitioning into the formal tax system;
An overview of public revenue mobilization in Central Asia and how it compares to other Asia-Pacific sub-regions.
Afghanistan (13) Micronesia (central gov) Timor-Leste Bhutan Azerbaijan Uzbekistan Mongolia (13) Marshall Islands (central gov) Cambodia Lao, PDR (central gov) Kyrgyzstan Korea Nepal (central gov) Russia Turkey Thailand Georgia New Zealand (central gov) Singapore Fiji (central gov) Philippines (central gov) Indonesia Maldives (14) Kazakhstan Bangladesh (central gov) Japan Samoa (central gov) Malaysia (central gov) Viet Nam (13, central gov) Australia Armenia PNG (central gov) Pakistan (14, central gov) India (13, central gov) Sri Lanka (central gov) Central Asian countries have relatively healthy fiscal margins despite short-term difficulties and uncertainties 3 25 Gross operating balance (% of GDP) 15 1 5-5 -1
Russia Kyrgyzstan Azerbaijan Uzbekistan Georgia Armenia Kazakhstan A-P average OECD Public revenue levels in Central Asia Composition of public revenues (% of GDP) Central Asian countries have relatively high public revenue levels Overall revenue levels out-perform Asia-Pacific average and are close to OECD levels; 45 4 35 3 Other revenue Grants There is space for tax revenues to further increase; Dependence on volatile resource and other non-tax revenues deserves concern; 25 15 1 Social contributions Taxes 5
Micronesia (central gov) Timor-Leste Azerbaijan Russia Pakistan (14, central gov) Singapore Korea Malaysia (central gov) Maldives (14) Mongolia (13) Marshall Islands (central gov) Kyrgyzstan Australia Kazakhstan Indonesia Bhutan Turkey Thailand China (14) New Zealand (central gov) Bangladesh (central gov) India (13, central gov) Nepal (central gov) Japan Armenia Lao, PDR (central gov) Philippines (central gov) Viet Nam (13, central gov) Cambodia Samoa (central gov) PNG (central gov) Uzbekistan Fiji (central gov) Georgia Sri Lanka (central gov) Afghanistan (13) 7 Dependence on resource revenues is a source of unpredictability Share of resource and other non-tax revenues in total public revenue (%) 6 5 4 3 1
Volatile exchange rates and GDP growth also changes the perception of revenue stability Nominal GDP (USD billion) 24 Russian Federation 8 Azerbaijan 25 Kazakhstan 2 75 7 24 23 2 18 65 6 21 16 14 55 5 19 18 17 1 45 16 1 11 12 13 14 15 Russia 32 217 2231 31 1326 4 11 12 13 14 15 Azerbaijan 66 68.7 73.6 75.2 53.1 15 11 12 13 14 15 Kazakhstan.4 215.9 243.8 227.4 184.4
Australia Japan Georgia Uzbekistan Kazakhstan Korea Vietnam Russia Fiji Bhutan Thailand Singapore Maldives Turkey China Mongolia Azerbaijan Iran Indonesia Armenia India Pakistan Bangladesh Afghanistan Sri Lanka OECD There is space for improved collection of direct taxes 3 Direct taxes (% of GDP) 8 25 15 7 6 5 4 Taxes on property PIT & payroll tax 1 5 3 1 CIT % of total tax revenue
Georgia Turkey Maldives Fiji China Uzbekistan Armenia Mongolia Thailand Australia Korea Japan Russia Azerbaijan Indonesia Sri Lanka Bhutan Pakistan Vietnam Singapore Bangladesh Kazakhstan India Afghanistan Iran OECD Increase use of goods and service taxes in some cases Taxes on goods and services 3 7 25 15 1 6 5 4 3 % of GDP % of total tax revenue 5 1
Russia Fiji Kazakhstan Maldives Bangladesh Uzbekistan Afghanistan Sri Lanka Mongolia Iran India Azerbaijan Armenia Pakistan Thailand Korea Australia China Indonesia Turkey Georgia Bhutan Japan Singapore Vietnam Reduce dependence on trade taxes in some cases Taxes on trade 4 35 15 3 25 % of GDP 1 5 15 1 5 % of total tax revenue
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