It’s not all about the money

Domestic revenue mobilization, reducing inequality and building trust with citizens

Publication date: 7 mai 2019
Auteur: Nathan Coplin, Apollos Nwafor

Governments need more domestic revenue to fund their own development goals, but it won’t come from squeezing the poor. It’s not only about collecting more. It’s about how that revenue is collected (i.e. who pays).

The path to successful domestic revenue mobilization (DRM) starts with the political commitment to reducing inequality and building trust with citizens.

This Oxfam briefing paper examines the challenges to the ‘success’ of domestic revenue mobilization efforts, raises some questions about how to measure progress, and urges both governments and donors to shift to a more equity-centred approach to DRM.