
Episode 48 Raise Revenue Better: What Makes a Tax System Actually Work?
Accelerating Development: Ideas for ImpactShow Notes
đ° Ghana doubled property-tax collections with digital tools, Ethiopia increased VAT revenue by almost 50%, and Sierra Leone raised tax payments by 20% by showing taxpayers what local services their taxes supported. This episode explores *Raising Revenue Right: A Roadmap for Domestic Resource Mobilization* and asks what makes tax systems work better. Through examples from Mexico, Ghana, Ethiopia, Argentina, and Sierra Leone, we examine how better diagnosis, technology, transparency, and trust can help governments raise revenue more efficiently, fairly, and sustainably. Generated with AI using wondercraft.ai and guided by our experts. Read more at https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/raising-revenue-right
More from Accelerating Development: Ideas for Impact
More schools, more healthcare workers, bigger budgetsâbut are public services actually getting better?This episode explores how external assessments reveal hidden gaps in public service quality and citizen trust. Drawing on examples from Peru, Finland, and Norway, we examine how tools such as the Global Education Policy Dashboard, Service Delivery Indicators, and OECD trust surveys help governments measure frontline performance, identify weaknesses, and make evidence-based improvements.Generated with AI using wondercraft.ai and guided by our experts. Read more at https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/government-analytics
Nearly 40% of users report difficulty navigating government websites. So why do well-built digital services still lose users?
Survey participation jumped from 37% to 69% when employees saw that their feedback could lead to real change. But collecting survey data is only the first step. This episode explores how governments can turn public servant surveys into action through better benchmarking, tailored reporting, stronger accountability, and leadership. It also looks at why survey design mattersâand how feedback can become a practical tool for building a more responsive and effective public sector.
Around two-thirds of emerging market and developing economiesâand about 90% of low-income countriesâdepend substantially on commodity exports. This episode explores how resource-rich countries can reduce boom-and-bust cycles, manage windfalls, strengthen fiscal institutions, and invest temporary revenues in lasting growth. It also looks at how the energy transition could reshape risks and opportunities for fossil-fuel and mineral exporters.
40% of Brazilâs federal civil servants were projected to retire by 2030, while tax auditors with similar experience showed a five-fold difference in gross pay. This episode explores how governments can use administrative data they already collectâfrom payroll and procurement to service-delivery recordsâto uncover inefficiencies, improve planning, and measure performance more accurately. It also examines why reliable insights depend on strong, consistent data systems. Generated with AI using wondercraft.ai and guided by our experts. Read more at https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/government-analytics