Even it up campaign

Catherine Olier

Nairobi- 2nd December 2014

INEQUALITY IN AFRICA
Growth but for whom?

High level of inequality

WAF fastest pace of growth expansion in

the continent, above 7%.
Sierra Leone: 16.3 % growth rate in 2013

Africa: 2nd most unequal region after LAC

16 billionaires in sub-Saharan Africa - 358
million people living in extreme poverty

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WHY DO WE CARE?

It affects efforts on
poverty reduction
It reinforces other
types of inequality
It affects peoples lives

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WHAT CAUSES INEQUALITY?

Market fundamentalism
Political capture

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WHAT SOLUTIONS?
Public services
Fair taxation
Minimum wages and
decent work
Active citizenship
Social protection
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EVENT IT UP CAMPAIGN
OBJECTIVES
Help to mobilise millions of people across the world to create a
movement for change
Shift the terms of the debate to end market fundamentalism (public
services, gender, political capture)
Obtain policy changes (taxation)

5 years
About 25 countries and growing

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GETTING TAX RULES THAT REDUCE

INEQUALITY
Ensure progressive taxation reforms are introduced so that
everyone pays according to its means and no one is allowed to
escape taxation &
essential services are prioritised when allocating resources.

FISCAL JUSTICE

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CONCRETE ACTIVITIES
1. Studies to show the scale of the inequality problem and its
drivers

2. Advocacy towards key decision-makers at local, national,

regional and international levels
3. Raising awareness and mobilising people for active
citizenship
4. Media to put taxation in the public debate and change
perception
5. Offline and online products (for social media, petitions,
videos etc)

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AT GLOBAL LEVEL:
A WORLD TAX SUMMIT
NOW: Base Erosion and Profit Shifting
reform (OECD/G20)
34 to 44 countries only including tax havens
Strong influence by the business
No equal representation for developing
countries
versus
JULY 2015: World Tax Summit (in margin of
the FFD conference in Addis) to
o acknowledge tax dodging by MNCs not
entirely solved with BEPS
o re-open the tax debate for a more
visionary and fair design;
o create in the future a global tax body to
negotiate global tax rules in an
inclusive and transparent way.
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AT REGIONAL LEVEL: MORE COORDINATION

TO AVOID RACE TO THE BOTTOM
1. Tax harmonisation
and race to the
bottom (UEMOA,
ECOWAS, SADC,
EAC)
2. Illicit Financial
Flows (AU,
NEPAD)

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AT NATIONAL LEVEL:
PROGRESSIVE TAXATION
Promote redistributive policies and
practices that redistribute
revenues (tackling inequality once)
and increase funding for essential,
free public services (tackling
inequality twice)
Examples: progressive fiscal reforms,
streamlining tax exemptions,
especially in the extractive industries
sector, combat harmful practices, look
at IMF tax advises in countries

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AT NATIONAL LEVEL:
PROGRESSIVE TAXATION
NIGER
follow-up of
Areva case
+ study on
drivers of
inequality

BRAZIL
Campaign for political and
tax reforms and look at
Brazils role in international
context (G20, BRICS, post2015

NIGERIA
Platform of NGOs on
fair taxation, reducing
tax burden of women
in informal economy,
study on drivers of
inequality

KENYA
Citizens
awareness
raising and
training on
governance
and budget

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 The people have been left behind for too long, a fact that has
already sparked popular protests and outrage around the world.
Outrage that elected governments are representing the interests of
the powerful few, and neglecting their responsibility to ensure a
decent future for everyone.
Outrage that corporate giants are able to dodge their taxes and get
away with paying poverty wages.
Many of you will wonder whether there is anything we can do to
change this? The answer is very firmly yes...
WINNIE BYANYIMA
Executive Director, Oxfam

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THANK YOU

Catherine Olier

Mai / Juin 2014