Taxation

Project

Punjab Property Tax Project

Punjab Property Tax Project

CERP collaborated with the Excise, Taxation, and Narcotics Control Department (E&T) Punjab to improve performance of tax collectors by designing and evaluating interventions of performance pay incentives schemes and merit-based transfers and postings.

Project

Social Compact: Urban Services and Taxes

Social Compact: Urban Services and Taxes

Building on the Punjab Property Tax Project, the Social Compact project at CERP is partnering with the Government of Punjab to examine a series of reforms that strengthen the link between the provision of local services and local property tax collection in urban Pakistan.

Punjab Property Tax Project

Principal Investigators:

Asim Khwaja

Research Fellow
Asim Ijaz Khwaja is a Research Fellow, Co-Founder and Board Member of the CERP. He is the Director of the Center for International Development. He is the Sumitomo-Foundation for Advanced Studies on International Development Professor of International Finance and Development at the Harvard Kennedy School and Co-Director of Evidence for Policy Design (EPoD). He previously served as a member of J-PAL’s Board of Directors. Professor Asim also serves as the faculty co-chair of a week-long executive education programme, “Rethinking Financial Inclusion: Smart Design for Policy and Practice,” aimed primarily at professionals involved in the design and regulation of financial products and services for low-income populations. His areas of interest include economic development, finance, education, political economy, institutions, and contract theory/mechanism design. Professor Asim’s research combines extensive fieldwork, rigorous empirical analysis, and microeconomic theory to answer questions that are motivated by and engage with policy. He has been published in the leading economics journals, such as the American Economic Review, and the Quarterly Journal of Economics, and has received coverage in numerous media outlets such as the Economist, NY Times, Washington Post, International Herald Tribune, Al-Jazeera, BBC, and CNN. His recent work ranges from understanding market failures in emerging financial markets to examining the private education market in low-income countries. Professor Asim received his PhD in Economics from Harvard and BS degrees in economics and in mathematics with computer science from MIT. He was selected as a Carnegie Scholar in 2009 to pursue research on how religious institutions impact individual beliefs. He was born in London, U.K., lived for eight years in Kano, Nigeria, the next eight in Lahore, Pakistan, and for the past several years in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He continues to enjoy interacting with people around the globe.

Asim Khwaja

Research Fellow
Asim Ijaz Khwaja is a Research Fellow, Co-Founder and Board Member of the CERP. He is the Director of the Center for International Development. He is the Sumitomo-Foundation for Advanced Studies on International Development Professor of International Finance and Development at the Harvard Kennedy School and Co-Director of Evidence for Policy Design (EPoD). He previously served as a member of J-PAL’s Board of Directors. Professor Asim also serves as the faculty co-chair of a week-long executive education programme, “Rethinking Financial Inclusion: Smart Design for Policy and Practice,” aimed primarily at professionals involved in the design and regulation of financial products and services for low-income populations. His areas of interest include economic development, finance, education, political economy, institutions, and contract theory/mechanism design. Professor Asim’s research combines extensive fieldwork, rigorous empirical analysis, and microeconomic theory to answer questions that are motivated by and engage with policy. He has been published in the leading economics journals, such as the American Economic Review, and the Quarterly Journal of Economics, and has received coverage in numerous media outlets such as the Economist, NY Times, Washington Post, International Herald Tribune, Al-Jazeera, BBC, and CNN. His recent work ranges from understanding market failures in emerging financial markets to examining the private education market in low-income countries. Professor Asim received his PhD in Economics from Harvard and BS degrees in economics and in mathematics with computer science from MIT. He was selected as a Carnegie Scholar in 2009 to pursue research on how religious institutions impact individual beliefs. He was born in London, U.K., lived for eight years in Kano, Nigeria, the next eight in Lahore, Pakistan, and for the past several years in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He continues to enjoy interacting with people around the globe.

Asim Khwaja

Research Fellow
Asim Ijaz Khwaja is a Research Fellow, Co-Founder and Board Member of the CERP. He is the Director of the Center for International Development. He is the Sumitomo-Foundation for Advanced Studies on International Development Professor of International Finance and Development at the Harvard Kennedy School and Co-Director of Evidence for Policy Design (EPoD). He previously served as a member of J-PAL’s Board of Directors. Professor Asim also serves as the faculty co-chair of a week-long executive education programme, “Rethinking Financial Inclusion: Smart Design for Policy and Practice,” aimed primarily at professionals involved in the design and regulation of financial products and services for low-income populations. His areas of interest include economic development, finance, education, political economy, institutions, and contract theory/mechanism design. Professor Asim’s research combines extensive fieldwork, rigorous empirical analysis, and microeconomic theory to answer questions that are motivated by and engage with policy. He has been published in the leading economics journals, such as the American Economic Review, and the Quarterly Journal of Economics, and has received coverage in numerous media outlets such as the Economist, NY Times, Washington Post, International Herald Tribune, Al-Jazeera, BBC, and CNN. His recent work ranges from understanding market failures in emerging financial markets to examining the private education market in low-income countries. Professor Asim received his PhD in Economics from Harvard and BS degrees in economics and in mathematics with computer science from MIT. He was selected as a Carnegie Scholar in 2009 to pursue research on how religious institutions impact individual beliefs. He was born in London, U.K., lived for eight years in Kano, Nigeria, the next eight in Lahore, Pakistan, and for the past several years in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He continues to enjoy interacting with people around the globe.

Asim Khwaja

Research Fellow
Asim Ijaz Khwaja is a Research Fellow, Co-Founder and Board Member of the CERP. He is the Director of the Center for International Development. He is the Sumitomo-Foundation for Advanced Studies on International Development Professor of International Finance and Development at the Harvard Kennedy School and Co-Director of Evidence for Policy Design (EPoD). He previously served as a member of J-PAL’s Board of Directors. Professor Asim also serves as the faculty co-chair of a week-long executive education programme, “Rethinking Financial Inclusion: Smart Design for Policy and Practice,” aimed primarily at professionals involved in the design and regulation of financial products and services for low-income populations. His areas of interest include economic development, finance, education, political economy, institutions, and contract theory/mechanism design. Professor Asim’s research combines extensive fieldwork, rigorous empirical analysis, and microeconomic theory to answer questions that are motivated by and engage with policy. He has been published in the leading economics journals, such as the American Economic Review, and the Quarterly Journal of Economics, and has received coverage in numerous media outlets such as the Economist, NY Times, Washington Post, International Herald Tribune, Al-Jazeera, BBC, and CNN. His recent work ranges from understanding market failures in emerging financial markets to examining the private education market in low-income countries. Professor Asim received his PhD in Economics from Harvard and BS degrees in economics and in mathematics with computer science from MIT. He was selected as a Carnegie Scholar in 2009 to pursue research on how religious institutions impact individual beliefs. He was born in London, U.K., lived for eight years in Kano, Nigeria, the next eight in Lahore, Pakistan, and for the past several years in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He continues to enjoy interacting with people around the globe.

Asim Khwaja

Research Fellow
Asim Ijaz Khwaja is a Research Fellow, Co-Founder and Board Member of the CERP. He is the Director of the Center for International Development. He is the Sumitomo-Foundation for Advanced Studies on International Development Professor of International Finance and Development at the Harvard Kennedy School and Co-Director of Evidence for Policy Design (EPoD). He previously served as a member of J-PAL’s Board of Directors. Professor Asim also serves as the faculty co-chair of a week-long executive education programme, “Rethinking Financial Inclusion: Smart Design for Policy and Practice,” aimed primarily at professionals involved in the design and regulation of financial products and services for low-income populations. His areas of interest include economic development, finance, education, political economy, institutions, and contract theory/mechanism design. Professor Asim’s research combines extensive fieldwork, rigorous empirical analysis, and microeconomic theory to answer questions that are motivated by and engage with policy. He has been published in the leading economics journals, such as the American Economic Review, and the Quarterly Journal of Economics, and has received coverage in numerous media outlets such as the Economist, NY Times, Washington Post, International Herald Tribune, Al-Jazeera, BBC, and CNN. His recent work ranges from understanding market failures in emerging financial markets to examining the private education market in low-income countries. Professor Asim received his PhD in Economics from Harvard and BS degrees in economics and in mathematics with computer science from MIT. He was selected as a Carnegie Scholar in 2009 to pursue research on how religious institutions impact individual beliefs. He was born in London, U.K., lived for eight years in Kano, Nigeria, the next eight in Lahore, Pakistan, and for the past several years in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He continues to enjoy interacting with people around the globe.

Asim Khwaja

Research Fellow
Asim Ijaz Khwaja is a Research Fellow, Co-Founder and Board Member of the CERP. He is the Director of the Center for International Development. He is the Sumitomo-Foundation for Advanced Studies on International Development Professor of International Finance and Development at the Harvard Kennedy School and Co-Director of Evidence for Policy Design (EPoD). He previously served as a member of J-PAL’s Board of Directors. Professor Asim also serves as the faculty co-chair of a week-long executive education programme, “Rethinking Financial Inclusion: Smart Design for Policy and Practice,” aimed primarily at professionals involved in the design and regulation of financial products and services for low-income populations. His areas of interest include economic development, finance, education, political economy, institutions, and contract theory/mechanism design. Professor Asim’s research combines extensive fieldwork, rigorous empirical analysis, and microeconomic theory to answer questions that are motivated by and engage with policy. He has been published in the leading economics journals, such as the American Economic Review, and the Quarterly Journal of Economics, and has received coverage in numerous media outlets such as the Economist, NY Times, Washington Post, International Herald Tribune, Al-Jazeera, BBC, and CNN. His recent work ranges from understanding market failures in emerging financial markets to examining the private education market in low-income countries. Professor Asim received his PhD in Economics from Harvard and BS degrees in economics and in mathematics with computer science from MIT. He was selected as a Carnegie Scholar in 2009 to pursue research on how religious institutions impact individual beliefs. He was born in London, U.K., lived for eight years in Kano, Nigeria, the next eight in Lahore, Pakistan, and for the past several years in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He continues to enjoy interacting with people around the globe.

,

Adnan Qadir Khan

Research Fellow
Adnan Qadir Khan is Co-Founder and Research Fellow at CERP. He is currently Chief Economist and Director for Economics and Evaluation Directorate in the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). He is also Professor in Practice at the School of Public Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), a joint appointment with Suntory Toyota International Centre for Economics and Related Disciplines (STICERD), LSE. Adnan has been an Affiliate of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) at MIT. He has also been appointed as an Associate with the Building State Capability Program at Harvard’s Center for International Development. Prior to his appointment with Harvard and LSE. Professor Adnan successfully led the International Growth Centre (IGC) as Research and Policy Director and was also a Visiting Lecturer of Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School from 2018-2019. He has been actively involved in the areas of policy, research, and training. He has been a co-leader the of Reducing State Fragilities Initiative at the International Growth Centre, an Affiliated Researcher with the Political Economy group of Yale University’s Research Initiative on Innovation and Scale (Y-RISE), an Affiliated Researcher with Precision Agriculture for Development (PAD) With 15 years of experience in the policy world, Adnan name is synonymous as a practitioner and policymaker where he regularly interacts with policy actors from around the world, with a focus on Asia and Africa, in the areas of state fragility and state capacity building. He holds a multitude of experience in the research realm with a keen interest in the areas of economic development, the political economy of development and state fragility, state capacity, and social protection. He teaches courses on public policy and economic development in order to bridge the gap between academia and practice. He has also served in the government as a member of the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) and is a recipient of the President’s Medal for performance. Professor Adnan has a PhD in Economics from Queen’s University. He completed his Master of Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School and Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from the University of Engineering and Technology.

Adnan Qadir Khan

Research Fellow
Adnan Qadir Khan is Co-Founder and Research Fellow at CERP. He is currently Chief Economist and Director for Economics and Evaluation Directorate in the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). He is also Professor in Practice at the School of Public Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), a joint appointment with Suntory Toyota International Centre for Economics and Related Disciplines (STICERD), LSE. Adnan has been an Affiliate of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) at MIT. He has also been appointed as an Associate with the Building State Capability Program at Harvard’s Center for International Development. Prior to his appointment with Harvard and LSE. Professor Adnan successfully led the International Growth Centre (IGC) as Research and Policy Director and was also a Visiting Lecturer of Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School from 2018-2019. He has been actively involved in the areas of policy, research, and training. He has been a co-leader the of Reducing State Fragilities Initiative at the International Growth Centre, an Affiliated Researcher with the Political Economy group of Yale University’s Research Initiative on Innovation and Scale (Y-RISE), an Affiliated Researcher with Precision Agriculture for Development (PAD) With 15 years of experience in the policy world, Adnan name is synonymous as a practitioner and policymaker where he regularly interacts with policy actors from around the world, with a focus on Asia and Africa, in the areas of state fragility and state capacity building. He holds a multitude of experience in the research realm with a keen interest in the areas of economic development, the political economy of development and state fragility, state capacity, and social protection. He teaches courses on public policy and economic development in order to bridge the gap between academia and practice. He has also served in the government as a member of the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) and is a recipient of the President’s Medal for performance. Professor Adnan has a PhD in Economics from Queen’s University. He completed his Master of Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School and Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from the University of Engineering and Technology.

Adnan Qadir Khan

Research Fellow
Adnan Qadir Khan is Co-Founder and Research Fellow at CERP. He is currently Chief Economist and Director for Economics and Evaluation Directorate in the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). He is also Professor in Practice at the School of Public Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), a joint appointment with Suntory Toyota International Centre for Economics and Related Disciplines (STICERD), LSE. Adnan has been an Affiliate of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) at MIT. He has also been appointed as an Associate with the Building State Capability Program at Harvard’s Center for International Development. Prior to his appointment with Harvard and LSE. Professor Adnan successfully led the International Growth Centre (IGC) as Research and Policy Director and was also a Visiting Lecturer of Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School from 2018-2019. He has been actively involved in the areas of policy, research, and training. He has been a co-leader the of Reducing State Fragilities Initiative at the International Growth Centre, an Affiliated Researcher with the Political Economy group of Yale University’s Research Initiative on Innovation and Scale (Y-RISE), an Affiliated Researcher with Precision Agriculture for Development (PAD) With 15 years of experience in the policy world, Adnan name is synonymous as a practitioner and policymaker where he regularly interacts with policy actors from around the world, with a focus on Asia and Africa, in the areas of state fragility and state capacity building. He holds a multitude of experience in the research realm with a keen interest in the areas of economic development, the political economy of development and state fragility, state capacity, and social protection. He teaches courses on public policy and economic development in order to bridge the gap between academia and practice. He has also served in the government as a member of the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) and is a recipient of the President’s Medal for performance. Professor Adnan has a PhD in Economics from Queen’s University. He completed his Master of Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School and Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from the University of Engineering and Technology.

Adnan Qadir Khan

Research Fellow
Adnan Qadir Khan is Co-Founder and Research Fellow at CERP. He is currently Chief Economist and Director for Economics and Evaluation Directorate in the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). He is also Professor in Practice at the School of Public Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), a joint appointment with Suntory Toyota International Centre for Economics and Related Disciplines (STICERD), LSE. Adnan has been an Affiliate of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) at MIT. He has also been appointed as an Associate with the Building State Capability Program at Harvard’s Center for International Development. Prior to his appointment with Harvard and LSE. Professor Adnan successfully led the International Growth Centre (IGC) as Research and Policy Director and was also a Visiting Lecturer of Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School from 2018-2019. He has been actively involved in the areas of policy, research, and training. He has been a co-leader the of Reducing State Fragilities Initiative at the International Growth Centre, an Affiliated Researcher with the Political Economy group of Yale University’s Research Initiative on Innovation and Scale (Y-RISE), an Affiliated Researcher with Precision Agriculture for Development (PAD) With 15 years of experience in the policy world, Adnan name is synonymous as a practitioner and policymaker where he regularly interacts with policy actors from around the world, with a focus on Asia and Africa, in the areas of state fragility and state capacity building. He holds a multitude of experience in the research realm with a keen interest in the areas of economic development, the political economy of development and state fragility, state capacity, and social protection. He teaches courses on public policy and economic development in order to bridge the gap between academia and practice. He has also served in the government as a member of the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) and is a recipient of the President’s Medal for performance. Professor Adnan has a PhD in Economics from Queen’s University. He completed his Master of Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School and Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from the University of Engineering and Technology.

Adnan Qadir Khan

Research Fellow
Adnan Qadir Khan is Co-Founder and Research Fellow at CERP. He is currently Chief Economist and Director for Economics and Evaluation Directorate in the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). He is also Professor in Practice at the School of Public Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), a joint appointment with Suntory Toyota International Centre for Economics and Related Disciplines (STICERD), LSE. Adnan has been an Affiliate of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) at MIT. He has also been appointed as an Associate with the Building State Capability Program at Harvard’s Center for International Development. Prior to his appointment with Harvard and LSE. Professor Adnan successfully led the International Growth Centre (IGC) as Research and Policy Director and was also a Visiting Lecturer of Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School from 2018-2019. He has been actively involved in the areas of policy, research, and training. He has been a co-leader the of Reducing State Fragilities Initiative at the International Growth Centre, an Affiliated Researcher with the Political Economy group of Yale University’s Research Initiative on Innovation and Scale (Y-RISE), an Affiliated Researcher with Precision Agriculture for Development (PAD) With 15 years of experience in the policy world, Adnan name is synonymous as a practitioner and policymaker where he regularly interacts with policy actors from around the world, with a focus on Asia and Africa, in the areas of state fragility and state capacity building. He holds a multitude of experience in the research realm with a keen interest in the areas of economic development, the political economy of development and state fragility, state capacity, and social protection. He teaches courses on public policy and economic development in order to bridge the gap between academia and practice. He has also served in the government as a member of the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) and is a recipient of the President’s Medal for performance. Professor Adnan has a PhD in Economics from Queen’s University. He completed his Master of Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School and Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from the University of Engineering and Technology.

Adnan Qadir Khan

Research Fellow
Adnan Qadir Khan is Co-Founder and Research Fellow at CERP. He is currently Chief Economist and Director for Economics and Evaluation Directorate in the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). He is also Professor in Practice at the School of Public Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), a joint appointment with Suntory Toyota International Centre for Economics and Related Disciplines (STICERD), LSE. Adnan has been an Affiliate of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) at MIT. He has also been appointed as an Associate with the Building State Capability Program at Harvard’s Center for International Development. Prior to his appointment with Harvard and LSE. Professor Adnan successfully led the International Growth Centre (IGC) as Research and Policy Director and was also a Visiting Lecturer of Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School from 2018-2019. He has been actively involved in the areas of policy, research, and training. He has been a co-leader the of Reducing State Fragilities Initiative at the International Growth Centre, an Affiliated Researcher with the Political Economy group of Yale University’s Research Initiative on Innovation and Scale (Y-RISE), an Affiliated Researcher with Precision Agriculture for Development (PAD) With 15 years of experience in the policy world, Adnan name is synonymous as a practitioner and policymaker where he regularly interacts with policy actors from around the world, with a focus on Asia and Africa, in the areas of state fragility and state capacity building. He holds a multitude of experience in the research realm with a keen interest in the areas of economic development, the political economy of development and state fragility, state capacity, and social protection. He teaches courses on public policy and economic development in order to bridge the gap between academia and practice. He has also served in the government as a member of the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) and is a recipient of the President’s Medal for performance. Professor Adnan has a PhD in Economics from Queen’s University. He completed his Master of Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School and Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from the University of Engineering and Technology.

,

Benjamin A. Olken

Research Fellow
Benjamin Olken is a Research Fellow at CERP. He is a Professor in the Department of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). His research focuses on development economics, with a particular interest in improving the performance of the public sector in developing countries, including social protection programs, taxation, and quality of governance, and on environmental challenges in developing countries and his research focuses on the political economy of developing countries with a particular focus on corruption. He is involved in several randomized evaluations in Indonesia that seek to reduce corruption and improve the targeting of programs that provide local public goods to villages He is a Director of J-PAL, Scientific Director of J-PAL Southeast Asia, and Co-Chair of J-PAL’s Political Economy & Governance sector and Co-Chair of the J-PAL’s Social Protection Initiative. He is the Editor of the American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, and co-Director of the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) Development Economics Program. Dr Benjamin received his PhD in Economics from Harvard University in 2004 and his BA summa cum laude as a double major in Mathematics and Ethics, Politics, and Economics from Yale University in 1997. In 1997-1998 he was a Henry Luce Scholar, living in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Benjamin A. Olken

Research Fellow
Benjamin Olken is a Research Fellow at CERP. He is a Professor in the Department of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). His research focuses on development economics, with a particular interest in improving the performance of the public sector in developing countries, including social protection programs, taxation, and quality of governance, and on environmental challenges in developing countries and his research focuses on the political economy of developing countries with a particular focus on corruption. He is involved in several randomized evaluations in Indonesia that seek to reduce corruption and improve the targeting of programs that provide local public goods to villages He is a Director of J-PAL, Scientific Director of J-PAL Southeast Asia, and Co-Chair of J-PAL’s Political Economy & Governance sector and Co-Chair of the J-PAL’s Social Protection Initiative. He is the Editor of the American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, and co-Director of the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) Development Economics Program. Dr Benjamin received his PhD in Economics from Harvard University in 2004 and his BA summa cum laude as a double major in Mathematics and Ethics, Politics, and Economics from Yale University in 1997. In 1997-1998 he was a Henry Luce Scholar, living in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Benjamin A. Olken

Research Fellow
Benjamin Olken is a Research Fellow at CERP. He is a Professor in the Department of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). His research focuses on development economics, with a particular interest in improving the performance of the public sector in developing countries, including social protection programs, taxation, and quality of governance, and on environmental challenges in developing countries and his research focuses on the political economy of developing countries with a particular focus on corruption. He is involved in several randomized evaluations in Indonesia that seek to reduce corruption and improve the targeting of programs that provide local public goods to villages He is a Director of J-PAL, Scientific Director of J-PAL Southeast Asia, and Co-Chair of J-PAL’s Political Economy & Governance sector and Co-Chair of the J-PAL’s Social Protection Initiative. He is the Editor of the American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, and co-Director of the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) Development Economics Program. Dr Benjamin received his PhD in Economics from Harvard University in 2004 and his BA summa cum laude as a double major in Mathematics and Ethics, Politics, and Economics from Yale University in 1997. In 1997-1998 he was a Henry Luce Scholar, living in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Benjamin A. Olken

Research Fellow
Benjamin Olken is a Research Fellow at CERP. He is a Professor in the Department of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). His research focuses on development economics, with a particular interest in improving the performance of the public sector in developing countries, including social protection programs, taxation, and quality of governance, and on environmental challenges in developing countries and his research focuses on the political economy of developing countries with a particular focus on corruption. He is involved in several randomized evaluations in Indonesia that seek to reduce corruption and improve the targeting of programs that provide local public goods to villages He is a Director of J-PAL, Scientific Director of J-PAL Southeast Asia, and Co-Chair of J-PAL’s Political Economy & Governance sector and Co-Chair of the J-PAL’s Social Protection Initiative. He is the Editor of the American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, and co-Director of the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) Development Economics Program. Dr Benjamin received his PhD in Economics from Harvard University in 2004 and his BA summa cum laude as a double major in Mathematics and Ethics, Politics, and Economics from Yale University in 1997. In 1997-1998 he was a Henry Luce Scholar, living in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Benjamin A. Olken

Research Fellow
Benjamin Olken is a Research Fellow at CERP. He is a Professor in the Department of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). His research focuses on development economics, with a particular interest in improving the performance of the public sector in developing countries, including social protection programs, taxation, and quality of governance, and on environmental challenges in developing countries and his research focuses on the political economy of developing countries with a particular focus on corruption. He is involved in several randomized evaluations in Indonesia that seek to reduce corruption and improve the targeting of programs that provide local public goods to villages He is a Director of J-PAL, Scientific Director of J-PAL Southeast Asia, and Co-Chair of J-PAL’s Political Economy & Governance sector and Co-Chair of the J-PAL’s Social Protection Initiative. He is the Editor of the American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, and co-Director of the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) Development Economics Program. Dr Benjamin received his PhD in Economics from Harvard University in 2004 and his BA summa cum laude as a double major in Mathematics and Ethics, Politics, and Economics from Yale University in 1997. In 1997-1998 he was a Henry Luce Scholar, living in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Benjamin A. Olken

Research Fellow
Benjamin Olken is a Research Fellow at CERP. He is a Professor in the Department of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). His research focuses on development economics, with a particular interest in improving the performance of the public sector in developing countries, including social protection programs, taxation, and quality of governance, and on environmental challenges in developing countries and his research focuses on the political economy of developing countries with a particular focus on corruption. He is involved in several randomized evaluations in Indonesia that seek to reduce corruption and improve the targeting of programs that provide local public goods to villages He is a Director of J-PAL, Scientific Director of J-PAL Southeast Asia, and Co-Chair of J-PAL’s Political Economy & Governance sector and Co-Chair of the J-PAL’s Social Protection Initiative. He is the Editor of the American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, and co-Director of the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) Development Economics Program. Dr Benjamin received his PhD in Economics from Harvard University in 2004 and his BA summa cum laude as a double major in Mathematics and Ethics, Politics, and Economics from Yale University in 1997. In 1997-1998 he was a Henry Luce Scholar, living in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Increasing tax collection is an area of focus globally. In Pakistan, tax collection, and property tax in particular is a substantial issue even relative to other developing countries. Property tax collection in Punjab is roughly a fifth of the level of developing countries (World Bank, 2006). For 5 years Excise and Taxation Department (E&T) Punjab worked with CERP and its team of international researchers from Harvard University, London School of Economics and MIT to improve performance tax collection. The collaboration focused on two distinct projects: Performance Pay Project and Merit-Based Transfers and Posting Project, that were designed to improve tax collector performance by introducing performance based human resource reforms.

Date:

2010 – 2016

Funding & Implementing Partners:

Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Department (E&T) Punjab and Punjab Finance Department

Social Compact: Urban Services and Taxes

Principal Investigators:

Asim Khwaja

Research Fellow
Asim Ijaz Khwaja is a Research Fellow, Co-Founder and Board Member of the CERP. He is the Director of the Center for International Development. He is the Sumitomo-Foundation for Advanced Studies on International Development Professor of International Finance and Development at the Harvard Kennedy School and Co-Director of Evidence for Policy Design (EPoD). He previously served as a member of J-PAL’s Board of Directors. Professor Asim also serves as the faculty co-chair of a week-long executive education programme, “Rethinking Financial Inclusion: Smart Design for Policy and Practice,” aimed primarily at professionals involved in the design and regulation of financial products and services for low-income populations. His areas of interest include economic development, finance, education, political economy, institutions, and contract theory/mechanism design. Professor Asim’s research combines extensive fieldwork, rigorous empirical analysis, and microeconomic theory to answer questions that are motivated by and engage with policy. He has been published in the leading economics journals, such as the American Economic Review, and the Quarterly Journal of Economics, and has received coverage in numerous media outlets such as the Economist, NY Times, Washington Post, International Herald Tribune, Al-Jazeera, BBC, and CNN. His recent work ranges from understanding market failures in emerging financial markets to examining the private education market in low-income countries. Professor Asim received his PhD in Economics from Harvard and BS degrees in economics and in mathematics with computer science from MIT. He was selected as a Carnegie Scholar in 2009 to pursue research on how religious institutions impact individual beliefs. He was born in London, U.K., lived for eight years in Kano, Nigeria, the next eight in Lahore, Pakistan, and for the past several years in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He continues to enjoy interacting with people around the globe.

Asim Khwaja

Research Fellow
Asim Ijaz Khwaja is a Research Fellow, Co-Founder and Board Member of the CERP. He is the Director of the Center for International Development. He is the Sumitomo-Foundation for Advanced Studies on International Development Professor of International Finance and Development at the Harvard Kennedy School and Co-Director of Evidence for Policy Design (EPoD). He previously served as a member of J-PAL’s Board of Directors. Professor Asim also serves as the faculty co-chair of a week-long executive education programme, “Rethinking Financial Inclusion: Smart Design for Policy and Practice,” aimed primarily at professionals involved in the design and regulation of financial products and services for low-income populations. His areas of interest include economic development, finance, education, political economy, institutions, and contract theory/mechanism design. Professor Asim’s research combines extensive fieldwork, rigorous empirical analysis, and microeconomic theory to answer questions that are motivated by and engage with policy. He has been published in the leading economics journals, such as the American Economic Review, and the Quarterly Journal of Economics, and has received coverage in numerous media outlets such as the Economist, NY Times, Washington Post, International Herald Tribune, Al-Jazeera, BBC, and CNN. His recent work ranges from understanding market failures in emerging financial markets to examining the private education market in low-income countries. Professor Asim received his PhD in Economics from Harvard and BS degrees in economics and in mathematics with computer science from MIT. He was selected as a Carnegie Scholar in 2009 to pursue research on how religious institutions impact individual beliefs. He was born in London, U.K., lived for eight years in Kano, Nigeria, the next eight in Lahore, Pakistan, and for the past several years in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He continues to enjoy interacting with people around the globe.

Asim Khwaja

Research Fellow
Asim Ijaz Khwaja is a Research Fellow, Co-Founder and Board Member of the CERP. He is the Director of the Center for International Development. He is the Sumitomo-Foundation for Advanced Studies on International Development Professor of International Finance and Development at the Harvard Kennedy School and Co-Director of Evidence for Policy Design (EPoD). He previously served as a member of J-PAL’s Board of Directors. Professor Asim also serves as the faculty co-chair of a week-long executive education programme, “Rethinking Financial Inclusion: Smart Design for Policy and Practice,” aimed primarily at professionals involved in the design and regulation of financial products and services for low-income populations. His areas of interest include economic development, finance, education, political economy, institutions, and contract theory/mechanism design. Professor Asim’s research combines extensive fieldwork, rigorous empirical analysis, and microeconomic theory to answer questions that are motivated by and engage with policy. He has been published in the leading economics journals, such as the American Economic Review, and the Quarterly Journal of Economics, and has received coverage in numerous media outlets such as the Economist, NY Times, Washington Post, International Herald Tribune, Al-Jazeera, BBC, and CNN. His recent work ranges from understanding market failures in emerging financial markets to examining the private education market in low-income countries. Professor Asim received his PhD in Economics from Harvard and BS degrees in economics and in mathematics with computer science from MIT. He was selected as a Carnegie Scholar in 2009 to pursue research on how religious institutions impact individual beliefs. He was born in London, U.K., lived for eight years in Kano, Nigeria, the next eight in Lahore, Pakistan, and for the past several years in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He continues to enjoy interacting with people around the globe.

Asim Khwaja

Research Fellow
Asim Ijaz Khwaja is a Research Fellow, Co-Founder and Board Member of the CERP. He is the Director of the Center for International Development. He is the Sumitomo-Foundation for Advanced Studies on International Development Professor of International Finance and Development at the Harvard Kennedy School and Co-Director of Evidence for Policy Design (EPoD). He previously served as a member of J-PAL’s Board of Directors. Professor Asim also serves as the faculty co-chair of a week-long executive education programme, “Rethinking Financial Inclusion: Smart Design for Policy and Practice,” aimed primarily at professionals involved in the design and regulation of financial products and services for low-income populations. His areas of interest include economic development, finance, education, political economy, institutions, and contract theory/mechanism design. Professor Asim’s research combines extensive fieldwork, rigorous empirical analysis, and microeconomic theory to answer questions that are motivated by and engage with policy. He has been published in the leading economics journals, such as the American Economic Review, and the Quarterly Journal of Economics, and has received coverage in numerous media outlets such as the Economist, NY Times, Washington Post, International Herald Tribune, Al-Jazeera, BBC, and CNN. His recent work ranges from understanding market failures in emerging financial markets to examining the private education market in low-income countries. Professor Asim received his PhD in Economics from Harvard and BS degrees in economics and in mathematics with computer science from MIT. He was selected as a Carnegie Scholar in 2009 to pursue research on how religious institutions impact individual beliefs. He was born in London, U.K., lived for eight years in Kano, Nigeria, the next eight in Lahore, Pakistan, and for the past several years in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He continues to enjoy interacting with people around the globe.

Asim Khwaja

Research Fellow
Asim Ijaz Khwaja is a Research Fellow, Co-Founder and Board Member of the CERP. He is the Director of the Center for International Development. He is the Sumitomo-Foundation for Advanced Studies on International Development Professor of International Finance and Development at the Harvard Kennedy School and Co-Director of Evidence for Policy Design (EPoD). He previously served as a member of J-PAL’s Board of Directors. Professor Asim also serves as the faculty co-chair of a week-long executive education programme, “Rethinking Financial Inclusion: Smart Design for Policy and Practice,” aimed primarily at professionals involved in the design and regulation of financial products and services for low-income populations. His areas of interest include economic development, finance, education, political economy, institutions, and contract theory/mechanism design. Professor Asim’s research combines extensive fieldwork, rigorous empirical analysis, and microeconomic theory to answer questions that are motivated by and engage with policy. He has been published in the leading economics journals, such as the American Economic Review, and the Quarterly Journal of Economics, and has received coverage in numerous media outlets such as the Economist, NY Times, Washington Post, International Herald Tribune, Al-Jazeera, BBC, and CNN. His recent work ranges from understanding market failures in emerging financial markets to examining the private education market in low-income countries. Professor Asim received his PhD in Economics from Harvard and BS degrees in economics and in mathematics with computer science from MIT. He was selected as a Carnegie Scholar in 2009 to pursue research on how religious institutions impact individual beliefs. He was born in London, U.K., lived for eight years in Kano, Nigeria, the next eight in Lahore, Pakistan, and for the past several years in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He continues to enjoy interacting with people around the globe.

Asim Khwaja

Research Fellow
Asim Ijaz Khwaja is a Research Fellow, Co-Founder and Board Member of the CERP. He is the Director of the Center for International Development. He is the Sumitomo-Foundation for Advanced Studies on International Development Professor of International Finance and Development at the Harvard Kennedy School and Co-Director of Evidence for Policy Design (EPoD). He previously served as a member of J-PAL’s Board of Directors. Professor Asim also serves as the faculty co-chair of a week-long executive education programme, “Rethinking Financial Inclusion: Smart Design for Policy and Practice,” aimed primarily at professionals involved in the design and regulation of financial products and services for low-income populations. His areas of interest include economic development, finance, education, political economy, institutions, and contract theory/mechanism design. Professor Asim’s research combines extensive fieldwork, rigorous empirical analysis, and microeconomic theory to answer questions that are motivated by and engage with policy. He has been published in the leading economics journals, such as the American Economic Review, and the Quarterly Journal of Economics, and has received coverage in numerous media outlets such as the Economist, NY Times, Washington Post, International Herald Tribune, Al-Jazeera, BBC, and CNN. His recent work ranges from understanding market failures in emerging financial markets to examining the private education market in low-income countries. Professor Asim received his PhD in Economics from Harvard and BS degrees in economics and in mathematics with computer science from MIT. He was selected as a Carnegie Scholar in 2009 to pursue research on how religious institutions impact individual beliefs. He was born in London, U.K., lived for eight years in Kano, Nigeria, the next eight in Lahore, Pakistan, and for the past several years in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He continues to enjoy interacting with people around the globe.

,

Adnan Qadir Khan

Research Fellow
Adnan Qadir Khan is Co-Founder and Research Fellow at CERP. He is currently Chief Economist and Director for Economics and Evaluation Directorate in the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). He is also Professor in Practice at the School of Public Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), a joint appointment with Suntory Toyota International Centre for Economics and Related Disciplines (STICERD), LSE. Adnan has been an Affiliate of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) at MIT. He has also been appointed as an Associate with the Building State Capability Program at Harvard’s Center for International Development. Prior to his appointment with Harvard and LSE. Professor Adnan successfully led the International Growth Centre (IGC) as Research and Policy Director and was also a Visiting Lecturer of Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School from 2018-2019. He has been actively involved in the areas of policy, research, and training. He has been a co-leader the of Reducing State Fragilities Initiative at the International Growth Centre, an Affiliated Researcher with the Political Economy group of Yale University’s Research Initiative on Innovation and Scale (Y-RISE), an Affiliated Researcher with Precision Agriculture for Development (PAD) With 15 years of experience in the policy world, Adnan name is synonymous as a practitioner and policymaker where he regularly interacts with policy actors from around the world, with a focus on Asia and Africa, in the areas of state fragility and state capacity building. He holds a multitude of experience in the research realm with a keen interest in the areas of economic development, the political economy of development and state fragility, state capacity, and social protection. He teaches courses on public policy and economic development in order to bridge the gap between academia and practice. He has also served in the government as a member of the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) and is a recipient of the President’s Medal for performance. Professor Adnan has a PhD in Economics from Queen’s University. He completed his Master of Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School and Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from the University of Engineering and Technology.

Adnan Qadir Khan

Research Fellow
Adnan Qadir Khan is Co-Founder and Research Fellow at CERP. He is currently Chief Economist and Director for Economics and Evaluation Directorate in the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). He is also Professor in Practice at the School of Public Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), a joint appointment with Suntory Toyota International Centre for Economics and Related Disciplines (STICERD), LSE. Adnan has been an Affiliate of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) at MIT. He has also been appointed as an Associate with the Building State Capability Program at Harvard’s Center for International Development. Prior to his appointment with Harvard and LSE. Professor Adnan successfully led the International Growth Centre (IGC) as Research and Policy Director and was also a Visiting Lecturer of Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School from 2018-2019. He has been actively involved in the areas of policy, research, and training. He has been a co-leader the of Reducing State Fragilities Initiative at the International Growth Centre, an Affiliated Researcher with the Political Economy group of Yale University’s Research Initiative on Innovation and Scale (Y-RISE), an Affiliated Researcher with Precision Agriculture for Development (PAD) With 15 years of experience in the policy world, Adnan name is synonymous as a practitioner and policymaker where he regularly interacts with policy actors from around the world, with a focus on Asia and Africa, in the areas of state fragility and state capacity building. He holds a multitude of experience in the research realm with a keen interest in the areas of economic development, the political economy of development and state fragility, state capacity, and social protection. He teaches courses on public policy and economic development in order to bridge the gap between academia and practice. He has also served in the government as a member of the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) and is a recipient of the President’s Medal for performance. Professor Adnan has a PhD in Economics from Queen’s University. He completed his Master of Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School and Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from the University of Engineering and Technology.

Adnan Qadir Khan

Research Fellow
Adnan Qadir Khan is Co-Founder and Research Fellow at CERP. He is currently Chief Economist and Director for Economics and Evaluation Directorate in the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). He is also Professor in Practice at the School of Public Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), a joint appointment with Suntory Toyota International Centre for Economics and Related Disciplines (STICERD), LSE. Adnan has been an Affiliate of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) at MIT. He has also been appointed as an Associate with the Building State Capability Program at Harvard’s Center for International Development. Prior to his appointment with Harvard and LSE. Professor Adnan successfully led the International Growth Centre (IGC) as Research and Policy Director and was also a Visiting Lecturer of Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School from 2018-2019. He has been actively involved in the areas of policy, research, and training. He has been a co-leader the of Reducing State Fragilities Initiative at the International Growth Centre, an Affiliated Researcher with the Political Economy group of Yale University’s Research Initiative on Innovation and Scale (Y-RISE), an Affiliated Researcher with Precision Agriculture for Development (PAD) With 15 years of experience in the policy world, Adnan name is synonymous as a practitioner and policymaker where he regularly interacts with policy actors from around the world, with a focus on Asia and Africa, in the areas of state fragility and state capacity building. He holds a multitude of experience in the research realm with a keen interest in the areas of economic development, the political economy of development and state fragility, state capacity, and social protection. He teaches courses on public policy and economic development in order to bridge the gap between academia and practice. He has also served in the government as a member of the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) and is a recipient of the President’s Medal for performance. Professor Adnan has a PhD in Economics from Queen’s University. He completed his Master of Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School and Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from the University of Engineering and Technology.

Adnan Qadir Khan

Research Fellow
Adnan Qadir Khan is Co-Founder and Research Fellow at CERP. He is currently Chief Economist and Director for Economics and Evaluation Directorate in the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). He is also Professor in Practice at the School of Public Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), a joint appointment with Suntory Toyota International Centre for Economics and Related Disciplines (STICERD), LSE. Adnan has been an Affiliate of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) at MIT. He has also been appointed as an Associate with the Building State Capability Program at Harvard’s Center for International Development. Prior to his appointment with Harvard and LSE. Professor Adnan successfully led the International Growth Centre (IGC) as Research and Policy Director and was also a Visiting Lecturer of Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School from 2018-2019. He has been actively involved in the areas of policy, research, and training. He has been a co-leader the of Reducing State Fragilities Initiative at the International Growth Centre, an Affiliated Researcher with the Political Economy group of Yale University’s Research Initiative on Innovation and Scale (Y-RISE), an Affiliated Researcher with Precision Agriculture for Development (PAD) With 15 years of experience in the policy world, Adnan name is synonymous as a practitioner and policymaker where he regularly interacts with policy actors from around the world, with a focus on Asia and Africa, in the areas of state fragility and state capacity building. He holds a multitude of experience in the research realm with a keen interest in the areas of economic development, the political economy of development and state fragility, state capacity, and social protection. He teaches courses on public policy and economic development in order to bridge the gap between academia and practice. He has also served in the government as a member of the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) and is a recipient of the President’s Medal for performance. Professor Adnan has a PhD in Economics from Queen’s University. He completed his Master of Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School and Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from the University of Engineering and Technology.

Adnan Qadir Khan

Research Fellow
Adnan Qadir Khan is Co-Founder and Research Fellow at CERP. He is currently Chief Economist and Director for Economics and Evaluation Directorate in the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). He is also Professor in Practice at the School of Public Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), a joint appointment with Suntory Toyota International Centre for Economics and Related Disciplines (STICERD), LSE. Adnan has been an Affiliate of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) at MIT. He has also been appointed as an Associate with the Building State Capability Program at Harvard’s Center for International Development. Prior to his appointment with Harvard and LSE. Professor Adnan successfully led the International Growth Centre (IGC) as Research and Policy Director and was also a Visiting Lecturer of Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School from 2018-2019. He has been actively involved in the areas of policy, research, and training. He has been a co-leader the of Reducing State Fragilities Initiative at the International Growth Centre, an Affiliated Researcher with the Political Economy group of Yale University’s Research Initiative on Innovation and Scale (Y-RISE), an Affiliated Researcher with Precision Agriculture for Development (PAD) With 15 years of experience in the policy world, Adnan name is synonymous as a practitioner and policymaker where he regularly interacts with policy actors from around the world, with a focus on Asia and Africa, in the areas of state fragility and state capacity building. He holds a multitude of experience in the research realm with a keen interest in the areas of economic development, the political economy of development and state fragility, state capacity, and social protection. He teaches courses on public policy and economic development in order to bridge the gap between academia and practice. He has also served in the government as a member of the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) and is a recipient of the President’s Medal for performance. Professor Adnan has a PhD in Economics from Queen’s University. He completed his Master of Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School and Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from the University of Engineering and Technology.

Adnan Qadir Khan

Research Fellow
Adnan Qadir Khan is Co-Founder and Research Fellow at CERP. He is currently Chief Economist and Director for Economics and Evaluation Directorate in the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). He is also Professor in Practice at the School of Public Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), a joint appointment with Suntory Toyota International Centre for Economics and Related Disciplines (STICERD), LSE. Adnan has been an Affiliate of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) at MIT. He has also been appointed as an Associate with the Building State Capability Program at Harvard’s Center for International Development. Prior to his appointment with Harvard and LSE. Professor Adnan successfully led the International Growth Centre (IGC) as Research and Policy Director and was also a Visiting Lecturer of Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School from 2018-2019. He has been actively involved in the areas of policy, research, and training. He has been a co-leader the of Reducing State Fragilities Initiative at the International Growth Centre, an Affiliated Researcher with the Political Economy group of Yale University’s Research Initiative on Innovation and Scale (Y-RISE), an Affiliated Researcher with Precision Agriculture for Development (PAD) With 15 years of experience in the policy world, Adnan name is synonymous as a practitioner and policymaker where he regularly interacts with policy actors from around the world, with a focus on Asia and Africa, in the areas of state fragility and state capacity building. He holds a multitude of experience in the research realm with a keen interest in the areas of economic development, the political economy of development and state fragility, state capacity, and social protection. He teaches courses on public policy and economic development in order to bridge the gap between academia and practice. He has also served in the government as a member of the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) and is a recipient of the President’s Medal for performance. Professor Adnan has a PhD in Economics from Queen’s University. He completed his Master of Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School and Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from the University of Engineering and Technology.

,

Benjamin A. Olken

Research Fellow
Benjamin Olken is a Research Fellow at CERP. He is a Professor in the Department of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). His research focuses on development economics, with a particular interest in improving the performance of the public sector in developing countries, including social protection programs, taxation, and quality of governance, and on environmental challenges in developing countries and his research focuses on the political economy of developing countries with a particular focus on corruption. He is involved in several randomized evaluations in Indonesia that seek to reduce corruption and improve the targeting of programs that provide local public goods to villages He is a Director of J-PAL, Scientific Director of J-PAL Southeast Asia, and Co-Chair of J-PAL’s Political Economy & Governance sector and Co-Chair of the J-PAL’s Social Protection Initiative. He is the Editor of the American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, and co-Director of the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) Development Economics Program. Dr Benjamin received his PhD in Economics from Harvard University in 2004 and his BA summa cum laude as a double major in Mathematics and Ethics, Politics, and Economics from Yale University in 1997. In 1997-1998 he was a Henry Luce Scholar, living in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Benjamin A. Olken

Research Fellow
Benjamin Olken is a Research Fellow at CERP. He is a Professor in the Department of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). His research focuses on development economics, with a particular interest in improving the performance of the public sector in developing countries, including social protection programs, taxation, and quality of governance, and on environmental challenges in developing countries and his research focuses on the political economy of developing countries with a particular focus on corruption. He is involved in several randomized evaluations in Indonesia that seek to reduce corruption and improve the targeting of programs that provide local public goods to villages He is a Director of J-PAL, Scientific Director of J-PAL Southeast Asia, and Co-Chair of J-PAL’s Political Economy & Governance sector and Co-Chair of the J-PAL’s Social Protection Initiative. He is the Editor of the American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, and co-Director of the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) Development Economics Program. Dr Benjamin received his PhD in Economics from Harvard University in 2004 and his BA summa cum laude as a double major in Mathematics and Ethics, Politics, and Economics from Yale University in 1997. In 1997-1998 he was a Henry Luce Scholar, living in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Benjamin A. Olken

Research Fellow
Benjamin Olken is a Research Fellow at CERP. He is a Professor in the Department of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). His research focuses on development economics, with a particular interest in improving the performance of the public sector in developing countries, including social protection programs, taxation, and quality of governance, and on environmental challenges in developing countries and his research focuses on the political economy of developing countries with a particular focus on corruption. He is involved in several randomized evaluations in Indonesia that seek to reduce corruption and improve the targeting of programs that provide local public goods to villages He is a Director of J-PAL, Scientific Director of J-PAL Southeast Asia, and Co-Chair of J-PAL’s Political Economy & Governance sector and Co-Chair of the J-PAL’s Social Protection Initiative. He is the Editor of the American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, and co-Director of the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) Development Economics Program. Dr Benjamin received his PhD in Economics from Harvard University in 2004 and his BA summa cum laude as a double major in Mathematics and Ethics, Politics, and Economics from Yale University in 1997. In 1997-1998 he was a Henry Luce Scholar, living in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Benjamin A. Olken

Research Fellow
Benjamin Olken is a Research Fellow at CERP. He is a Professor in the Department of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). His research focuses on development economics, with a particular interest in improving the performance of the public sector in developing countries, including social protection programs, taxation, and quality of governance, and on environmental challenges in developing countries and his research focuses on the political economy of developing countries with a particular focus on corruption. He is involved in several randomized evaluations in Indonesia that seek to reduce corruption and improve the targeting of programs that provide local public goods to villages He is a Director of J-PAL, Scientific Director of J-PAL Southeast Asia, and Co-Chair of J-PAL’s Political Economy & Governance sector and Co-Chair of the J-PAL’s Social Protection Initiative. He is the Editor of the American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, and co-Director of the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) Development Economics Program. Dr Benjamin received his PhD in Economics from Harvard University in 2004 and his BA summa cum laude as a double major in Mathematics and Ethics, Politics, and Economics from Yale University in 1997. In 1997-1998 he was a Henry Luce Scholar, living in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Benjamin A. Olken

Research Fellow
Benjamin Olken is a Research Fellow at CERP. He is a Professor in the Department of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). His research focuses on development economics, with a particular interest in improving the performance of the public sector in developing countries, including social protection programs, taxation, and quality of governance, and on environmental challenges in developing countries and his research focuses on the political economy of developing countries with a particular focus on corruption. He is involved in several randomized evaluations in Indonesia that seek to reduce corruption and improve the targeting of programs that provide local public goods to villages He is a Director of J-PAL, Scientific Director of J-PAL Southeast Asia, and Co-Chair of J-PAL’s Political Economy & Governance sector and Co-Chair of the J-PAL’s Social Protection Initiative. He is the Editor of the American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, and co-Director of the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) Development Economics Program. Dr Benjamin received his PhD in Economics from Harvard University in 2004 and his BA summa cum laude as a double major in Mathematics and Ethics, Politics, and Economics from Yale University in 1997. In 1997-1998 he was a Henry Luce Scholar, living in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Benjamin A. Olken

Research Fellow
Benjamin Olken is a Research Fellow at CERP. He is a Professor in the Department of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). His research focuses on development economics, with a particular interest in improving the performance of the public sector in developing countries, including social protection programs, taxation, and quality of governance, and on environmental challenges in developing countries and his research focuses on the political economy of developing countries with a particular focus on corruption. He is involved in several randomized evaluations in Indonesia that seek to reduce corruption and improve the targeting of programs that provide local public goods to villages He is a Director of J-PAL, Scientific Director of J-PAL Southeast Asia, and Co-Chair of J-PAL’s Political Economy & Governance sector and Co-Chair of the J-PAL’s Social Protection Initiative. He is the Editor of the American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, and co-Director of the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) Development Economics Program. Dr Benjamin received his PhD in Economics from Harvard University in 2004 and his BA summa cum laude as a double major in Mathematics and Ethics, Politics, and Economics from Yale University in 1997. In 1997-1998 he was a Henry Luce Scholar, living in Jakarta, Indonesia.

,

Mahvish Shaukat

Principal Investigator
Mahvish Shaukat is a Principal Investigator on Social Compact: Urban Services and Taxes at CERP. Dr Mahvish is an Economist in the Macroeconomics and Growth Team in the Development Research Group. Her research studies issues in Governance, Political Economy, and Public Finance, with the goal of understanding how institutions and incentives shape state efficacy and citizen welfare. Dr Mahvish received her PhD in Economics from MIT in 2019.

Mahvish Shaukat

Principal Investigator
Mahvish Shaukat is a Principal Investigator on Social Compact: Urban Services and Taxes at CERP. Dr Mahvish is an Economist in the Macroeconomics and Growth Team in the Development Research Group. Her research studies issues in Governance, Political Economy, and Public Finance, with the goal of understanding how institutions and incentives shape state efficacy and citizen welfare. Dr Mahvish received her PhD in Economics from MIT in 2019.

Mahvish Shaukat

Principal Investigator
Mahvish Shaukat is a Principal Investigator on Social Compact: Urban Services and Taxes at CERP. Dr Mahvish is an Economist in the Macroeconomics and Growth Team in the Development Research Group. Her research studies issues in Governance, Political Economy, and Public Finance, with the goal of understanding how institutions and incentives shape state efficacy and citizen welfare. Dr Mahvish received her PhD in Economics from MIT in 2019.

Mahvish Shaukat

Principal Investigator
Mahvish Shaukat is a Principal Investigator on Social Compact: Urban Services and Taxes at CERP. Dr Mahvish is an Economist in the Macroeconomics and Growth Team in the Development Research Group. Her research studies issues in Governance, Political Economy, and Public Finance, with the goal of understanding how institutions and incentives shape state efficacy and citizen welfare. Dr Mahvish received her PhD in Economics from MIT in 2019.

Mahvish Shaukat

Principal Investigator
Mahvish Shaukat is a Principal Investigator on Social Compact: Urban Services and Taxes at CERP. Dr Mahvish is an Economist in the Macroeconomics and Growth Team in the Development Research Group. Her research studies issues in Governance, Political Economy, and Public Finance, with the goal of understanding how institutions and incentives shape state efficacy and citizen welfare. Dr Mahvish received her PhD in Economics from MIT in 2019.

Mahvish Shaukat

Principal Investigator
Mahvish Shaukat is a Principal Investigator on Social Compact: Urban Services and Taxes at CERP. Dr Mahvish is an Economist in the Macroeconomics and Growth Team in the Development Research Group. Her research studies issues in Governance, Political Economy, and Public Finance, with the goal of understanding how institutions and incentives shape state efficacy and citizen welfare. Dr Mahvish received her PhD in Economics from MIT in 2019.

The social compact between citizen and state – whereby a citizen pays taxes and receives (public) goods and services – is a critical link in the development process. This link is especially salient in the context of local governments and a significant metric on which they are judged. However, if citizens perceive little benefit from their tax payments, or local services are disconnected from local decision-making, this link can be broken. This can create a vicious cycle where citizens do not receive high quality services because resources are limited by low levels of local tax revenue, and the low quality of services leads to a low willingness to pay taxes, as well as a broader lack of trust in the state. This study seeks to examine how to break this cycle through a series of reforms that strengthen the link between the provision of local services and local property tax collection in urban Pakistan. We aim to increase the link between taxes paid and local services received by enhancing the linkages between a) local preferences and the types of local urban services provided, and b) the amount of local tax revenue and amount of local services provided. The goal is to reduce evasion of local property taxes, increase the quality of local services, make local urban services more responsive to local needs and ultimately to help repair the social compact between citizenry and the state. Building on the Punjab Property Tax Project, the Social Compact project at CERP is partnering with the Government of Punjab to examine a series of reforms that strengthen the link between the provision of local services and local property tax collection in urban Pakistan.

Date:

2016 – ongoing

Funding & Implementing Partners:

Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Department (E&T) Punjab, Red Buffer Pakistan, Sub-National Governance Programme’s Innovation Challenge Fund on Public Financial Management and Fiscal Space

Tags

Local Services, Service Delivery, Preferences