AERC to host Bi-annual Plenary on the COVID-19 Pandemic and Public Finance in Africa

On behalf of African Economic Research Consortium (AERC), we would like to invite you to participate in a digital press conference around the topic “Covid-19 Pandemic and Public Finance in Africa – Challenges and Opportunities” with AERC’s Executive Director Prof. Njuguna Ndung’u, alongside Dr. Abebe Shimeles, Director of Research, AERC and Dr. Innocent Matshe, Director of Training, AERC, taking place on Monday, 7th December 2020.
AERC will shine a spotlight on the COVID-19 pandemic’s effect on: public finance on the continent, examining the consequences of African countries having low levels of economic diversification, discussing factors such as political economy of mobilizing taxes in Africa in times of COVID-19, an agenda for action in state building and taxation; and highlighting the overall challenges and opportunities for African countries.

The biannual plenary will see AERC’s Executive Director Prof. Njuguna Ndung’u deliver a welcome address, and Dr Rabah Arezki, (Chief Economist and Vice President for African Development Bank) offer the keynote speech on COVID-19 and Public Finance in Africa. Prof. Leonce Ndikumana (University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA) will be chairing the session; and the official opening will be done by Hon. Dr. Thapelo C. Matsheka (Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Botswana). Join us at this pertinent biannual plenary, which will showcase the following presentations:

• The Political Economy of State Capacity to Mobilize Taxes in Africa by Prof. James Robinson, University of Chicago
• Taxation and State Building in Africa: Agenda for Action by Dr. Catherine Pattillo, Assistant Director, IMF
• Information Technology and Tax Mobilization in Times of Covid-19 by Dr. Oyebola Okunogbe, World Bank
• Fiscal Sustainability in Africa: Accelerating the Post-COVID-19 Recovery through Improved Public Finances by Dr Edward Sennoga, African Development Bank

Biannual Plenary Press Conference details are as follows: Date: Monday, 7th December 2020Time: 10:00 am GMT (1:00pm Nairobi)Link:
Plenary session details are as follows:
Date: Monday, 7th December 2020
Time: 12pm GMT (3pm Nairobi time)Link :   

NB: Please confirm your attendance no later than Friday, 4th December 2020 Learn more at  www.aercafrica.org and follow us on Twitter  @aercafrica.

Distributed by  African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of AERC.