Here are some vital lessons to learn from other African countries The Conversation Many African tax authorities have weak capacity to raise revenue. From 1990 to 2020, sub-Saharan African countries on average collected only about 12%-15% of GDP as taxes, a much lower share than the 33.5% in OECD economies. For countries that have limited information about taxpayers, constrained resources and informal economies, it can be difficult to collect revenue. What’s more, African tax administrations tend to rely on manual filing and payment of taxes. In-person interactions between taxpayers and tax officials are common, creating opportunities for collusion when paying taxes. African taxpayers also…
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The Conversation The notion of “degrowth” is gaining traction among some politicians in Europe. It was given a platform recently at the European Parliament’s “Beyond Growth” conference. Jason Hickel, an economic anthropologist and one of the main advocates of degrowth, defines it as a planned reduction of energy and resource use designed to bring the economy back into balance with the living world in a way that reduces inequality and improves human wellbeing. The degrowth movement’s belief is that other approaches to the ecological crisis, such as green growth and the sustainable development goals, are futile. That’s because these approaches are rooted in democratic capitalism, which is obsessed with economic…
Skills for hire As AI shakes up the world of work, here’s where workers and companies should focus Quartz AI is predicted to disrupt the world of work, and for many, it already has. It’s not only the prompt engineers who will possess the skills needed; the average employee must have a basic knowledge to stay relevant in their role. To help us make sense of what companies and workers can do, Quartz turned to Dr. Sameer Maskey, professor at Columbia University and CEO of Fusemachines. How will AI impact workers and the work they do daily? Dr. Maskey: Hybrid work models have magnified the…
The Conversation All eyes are on Faith Kipyegon at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary. That’s because the Kenyan 1,500 metre and 5,000 metre star broke three world records in less than two months on her way to Hungary. As expected, Ethiopia, Uganda and Kenya are spearheading Africa’s hopes for medals, continuing their dominance in middle and distance running events. At the 2022 champs, Ethiopia finished second and Kenya fourth in the medal table. Between them they won 20 of the 28 medals lifted by African athletes. Over time, Africa is earning fewer gold medals at the event, even from Kenya’s famous male distance athletes. Kipyegon, however,…
By AFP Brics leaders meet in South Africa on Tuesday as the loose association of major emerging economies seeks to assert its voice as a counterweight to Western dominance in global affairs. The so-called Brics nations — Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — represent a quarter of the global economy, and interest in joining the club has surged ahead of its three-day summit in Johannesburg. Security has been bolstered across the city where South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa will host China’s President Xi Jinping, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and some 50…
Neil Wigan, the British High Commissioner-designate to Kenya, has not even presented his credentials yet, but he may already be thinking of how to deal with an old problem: An inquiry into alleged atrocities inflicted on Kenyans by his country’s soldiers at their training unit in northern Kenya. This and another tussle involving the Malindi Space Centre, a collaboration project between Kenya and Italy, could test the mettle of Kenyan legislators investigating matters that test the country’s foreign relations. The lawmakers said Luigi Broglio-Malindi Space Centre, the only space facility in the country, is only benefiting Italy and not the…
Rising indebtedness has hampered the ability of African countries to full economic potential, including strengthening their participation in global supply chains The East African African countries are paying eight times more in interest on loans than their European counterparts and four times more than the US on account of distorted assessments by global credit rating agencies, the United Nations has said. The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) says the high cost of credit has resulted in countries in the continent, including Kenya, spending more to service the debts from rich countries than investing in key economic sectors. The UNCTAD…
The Conversation In the 2023 American post-apocalyptic drama television series The Last of Us, humans are plunged towards extinction as a fungal infection of the brain zombie-fies most of the species. This may seem far-fetched but fungi can, and do, infect human brains. Fungi are present everywhere in our environment: in the air, in the soil, in decaying plant material, on our skin, and even in the gut as part of our natural flora. Microscopic, disease-causing fungi can invade various parts of the body, leading to a range of symptoms and health problems. In fact, fungal infections contribute to about 1.5 million…
By Andrew Maloney In an era marked by large group moves in Big Law and widespread mobility, integrating laterals has become a larger responsibility for law firms, and firms are leaning more on professional staff to help laterals adjust to their new offices. But how well law firms integrate their laterals still varies widely, consultants and recruiters say, and as firms continue to grow, so does the challenge of onboarding, getting new lawyers acclimated and supporting business professionals in the task. Changes in leadership and law firms’ frenetic hiring can complicate things. when exiting, employees say consolidated decisions and the faster pace…