Economic report on Africa 2019: fiscal policy for financing sustainable development in Africa

To meet the SDGs Africa will need to raise an estimated 11 per cent of GDP per year for the next 10 years to close the financing gap. Today, Africa’s average tax revenue to GDP is below 16 per cent. Efficient and effective domestic resource mobilization can address a substantial portion of this financing shortfall. The Economic Commission for Africa has consistently highlighted this position culminating in the position paper for the 2015 Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development. The Economic Report on Africa: Fiscal Policy for Financing Sustainable Development in Africa, 2019, examines the institutional and policy reforms required to enable African countries to maximize domestic resource mobilization. The report focuses on the instrumental role of fiscal policy in crowding in investment and creating adequate fiscal space for social policy, including supporting women and youth-led small and medium enterprises.