All states need to mobilize resources domestically; the question is how this can be achieved effectively and legitimately. This is a challenge for all states but especially pertinent in fragile states that find themselves in precarious and pivotal moments of their state-building processes. Here, the creation of effective tax regimes can play a key part in ensuring peace and strengthening state capacity to deal with underlying societal fissures. Tax regimes and reforms have therefore become a key issue of contemporary state-building initiatives. But fragile states are not a uniform group; they follow different trajectories and face different challenges and levels of administrative capacity to build robust fiscal institutions. Their current tax regimes and effectiveness also greatly vary. The same is true for the level and nature of damage that – their often tumultuous – pasts have put on their fiscal institutions.
Thus, to discuss challenges and opportunities across the variety of states marked as fragile we have assembled a diverse group of scholars to present their findings. Sarajuddin Isar, an Afghan scholar currently based in London, will present his studies on the role of tax regimes and fiscal capacity in Afghanistan’s complicated modern history. This will be complemented and contrasted by James Shilue’s extensive work related to development and peacebuilding in Liberia. Lastly, Dr. Abdoul Wakhab Cissé will present and discuss the role of state fragility, state-building, and tax capacity within the context of the increasingly fragile and violent Sahel region.
Following these presentations, a discussion and reflection – moderated by Research Professor at NUPI, Morten Bøås – this discussion will be kicked off by Dr. Joseph Simon Kiria from Mzumbe University, Tanzania.
source