Tax policy reform and universal basic income effectiveness in a currency union: Implications for long-term growth, inequality, and welfare

This paper aims to assess tax policy reforms that can sustain universal basic income programs and foster long-term growth and welfare in a currency union that faces fiscal rule constraints and inequality. To address this ongoing government and economics’ debate, we developed a Dynamic Stochastic Gen...

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Main Author: Thierry U. KAME BABILLA
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2023-01-01
Series:Journal of Government and Economics
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667319323000186
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author Thierry U. KAME BABILLA
author_facet Thierry U. KAME BABILLA
author_sort Thierry U. KAME BABILLA
collection DOAJ
description This paper aims to assess tax policy reforms that can sustain universal basic income programs and foster long-term growth and welfare in a currency union that faces fiscal rule constraints and inequality. To address this ongoing government and economics’ debate, we developed a Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium Model of universal basic income enriched with three fiscal policy strategies. Results demonstrate that the effectiveness of universal basic income on long-term growth, inequality, and welfare depends on the type of fiscal policy adopted by government to fund it, notably the trade-off between increasing the tax base or reducing public spending. First, under normal circumstances, universal basic income funded by completely eliminating oil subsidies appears to be the best policy for reducing inequality while increasing growth and welfare. Second, when the currency union faces a crisis, a universal basic income funded by increases in different taxes is more effective in combating stagflation and inequality than a universal basic income funded by total oil subsidy elimination. The welfare analysis confirms that, universal basic income funded by the increase in tax on capital gains and the increase in tax on corporate income is successful in reducing income inequality and consumption inequality and improving households’ living standards, its effects lead to higher welfare gains when the economy faces a crisis rather than the economy in normal times.
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spelling doaj.art-07dd216e9d884f089a5effb21dd1db3d2023-08-06T04:38:36ZengElsevierJournal of Government and Economics2667-31932023-01-0110100075Tax policy reform and universal basic income effectiveness in a currency union: Implications for long-term growth, inequality, and welfareThierry U. KAME BABILLA0University of Yaounde II and Euro Area Business Cycle Network, 35185, Bastos, Yaounde, CameroonThis paper aims to assess tax policy reforms that can sustain universal basic income programs and foster long-term growth and welfare in a currency union that faces fiscal rule constraints and inequality. To address this ongoing government and economics’ debate, we developed a Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium Model of universal basic income enriched with three fiscal policy strategies. Results demonstrate that the effectiveness of universal basic income on long-term growth, inequality, and welfare depends on the type of fiscal policy adopted by government to fund it, notably the trade-off between increasing the tax base or reducing public spending. First, under normal circumstances, universal basic income funded by completely eliminating oil subsidies appears to be the best policy for reducing inequality while increasing growth and welfare. Second, when the currency union faces a crisis, a universal basic income funded by increases in different taxes is more effective in combating stagflation and inequality than a universal basic income funded by total oil subsidy elimination. The welfare analysis confirms that, universal basic income funded by the increase in tax on capital gains and the increase in tax on corporate income is successful in reducing income inequality and consumption inequality and improving households’ living standards, its effects lead to higher welfare gains when the economy faces a crisis rather than the economy in normal times.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667319323000186D63E12E62E63E64H21
spellingShingle Thierry U. KAME BABILLA
Tax policy reform and universal basic income effectiveness in a currency union: Implications for long-term growth, inequality, and welfare
Journal of Government and Economics
D63
E12
E62
E63
E64
H21
title Tax policy reform and universal basic income effectiveness in a currency union: Implications for long-term growth, inequality, and welfare
title_full Tax policy reform and universal basic income effectiveness in a currency union: Implications for long-term growth, inequality, and welfare
title_fullStr Tax policy reform and universal basic income effectiveness in a currency union: Implications for long-term growth, inequality, and welfare
title_full_unstemmed Tax policy reform and universal basic income effectiveness in a currency union: Implications for long-term growth, inequality, and welfare
title_short Tax policy reform and universal basic income effectiveness in a currency union: Implications for long-term growth, inequality, and welfare
title_sort tax policy reform and universal basic income effectiveness in a currency union implications for long term growth inequality and welfare
topic D63
E12
E62
E63
E64
H21
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667319323000186
work_keys_str_mv AT thierryukamebabilla taxpolicyreformanduniversalbasicincomeeffectivenessinacurrencyunionimplicationsforlongtermgrowthinequalityandwelfare