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Public Finance

Piles of silver coins acting as stepping stones

Three reasons universal basic income pilots haven’t led to policy change – despite their success

Universal basic income – a tax-free, unconditional sum of money regularly given to everyone in a society – has repeatedly been shown to help the most vulnerable groups in society. […]

Finance minister Chrystia Freeland, at the National Press Theatre last December with Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem

Canadian federal Budget announces strategic policy review amid spending restraint

Canada’s finance minister Chrystia Freeland has announced a “strategic policy review” in the 2022 federal Budget to ensure that spending matches government’s priorities, while also setting out plans to rein […]

President Joe Biden signing legislation

US federal agencies get 6.7% budget increase in $1.5 trillion spending bill

President Joe Biden is expected to today sign a US$1.5 trillion spending bill that will fund the government through to the end of September, averting a partial government shutdown. The […]

Calculated risks: the pathfinding role of government finance chiefs

Finance staff are playing an ever bigger role in strategic decision-making – helping to spot the financial risks in new policies or reforms. At the Global Government Finance Summit, Natalie […]

Always in the front line: the impossible demands of crisis response

Since 2008, governments have protected businesses through crisis after crisis, stepping in to safeguard people’s livelihoods and national economies. At the Global Government Finance Summit, Adam Branson heard finance leaders […]

OECD tax deal set to hike receipts from digital giants and corporations

Some 131 OECD member countries have agreed a landmark deal to reform international taxation, which includes setting a minimum global corporation tax. The agreement, which was signed last week, aims […]

New Zealand sets out 2021 budget with new inclusive wellbeing framework

New Zealand has published its annual Budget, setting out an updated approach to wellbeing, explaining how it plans to rebuild the country’s economy after the COVID-19 pandemic, and allocating funds […]

How to raise taxes without unleashing a firestorm: lessons from former UK chancellors

The question of how to raise taxes without prompting public anger and media criticism will be on the minds of policymakers around the world as they begin to consider the […]

Opinion: the public sector will bear the brunt of Sunak’s push to balance the books

The budget suggests that this government believes it is business who will power the UK’s recovery from COVID-19. But it’s a fair bet that departments will end up feeling the […]

Taxing times: SMEs cautious about open banking

The UK government is exploring how technology can streamline tax administration. But HMRC must not add more burden to a community that is already being battered by COVID-19 and Brexit. […]