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Commodity price volatility and Tax revenues: Evidence from developing countries

Author

Listed:
  • Hélène Ehrhart

    (CERDI - Centre d'Études et de Recherches sur le Développement International - UdA - Université d'Auvergne - Clermont-Ferrand I - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Samuel Guérineau

    (CERDI - Centre d'Études et de Recherches sur le Développement International - UdA - Université d'Auvergne - Clermont-Ferrand I - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

Abstract
The recent boom and bust in commodity prices has renewed the policymakers' interest in three complementary issues: i) characteristics and determinants of commodity price instability, ii) its macroeconomic effects and, iii) the optimal policy responses to this instability. This work falls within the scope of studies dedicated to the macroeconomic effects of commodity price instability, but focuses on the impact on public finance, while existing works were concentrated on growth. This paper also differs from the few previous studies on two aspects. First, we test the impact of commodity price volatility rather than focusing only on price levels. Second, we use disaggregated data on tax revenues (income tax, consumption tax and international trade tax) and on commodity prices (agricultural products, minerals and energy) in order to identify transmission channels between world prices and public finance variables. Our empirical analysis is carried out on 90 developing countries over 1980-2008. We compute an index which measures the volatility of the international price of 41 commodities in the sectors of agriculture, minerals and energy. We find robust evidence that tax revenues in developing countries increase with the rise of commodity prices but that they are hurt by the volatility of these prices. More specifically, price short-run volatility of imported commodities hurts tax revenues through trade and consumption taxes, while price medium-run volatility of export hurts tax revenues through both indirect and direct taxes. These findings point at the detrimental effect of commodity price volatility on developing countries public finances and highlight further the importance of finding ways to limit this price volatility and to implement policy measures to mitigate its adverse effects.

Suggested Citation

  • Hélène Ehrhart & Samuel Guérineau, 2012. "Commodity price volatility and Tax revenues: Evidence from developing countries," Working Papers halshs-00658210, HAL.
  • Handle: RePEc:hal:wpaper:halshs-00658210
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://shs.hal.science/halshs-00658210v2
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    Cited by:

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    2. Christian von Haldenwang & Maksym Ivanyna, 2017. "Does the political resource curse affect public finance?: The vulnerability of tax revenue in resource-rich countries," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2017-7, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    3. Hatzenbuehler, Patrick L. & Mavrotas, George, 2017. "Macroeconomic Factor Influence on Agricultural Program Sustainability in Kaduna State, Nigeria," Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security Policy Research Papers 265415, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics, Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security (FSP).
    4. Guerguil, Martine & Mandon, Pierre & Tapsoba, René, 2017. "Flexible fiscal rules and countercyclical fiscal policy," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 189-220.
    5. Benoit Beila MALAN, 2013. "Volatility and stabilization of the price of coffee and cocoa in Côte d'Ivoire," Agricultural Economics, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 59(7), pages 333-340.
    6. Júlio Vicente Cateia & Clailton Ataídes de Freitas & Paulo Ricardo Feistel, 2021. "Determinants of Cashew Nut Exports of Guinea-Bissau," International Journal of Economics and Finance, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 13(9), pages 117-117, August.
    7. Dante A. Urbina & Gabriel Rodríguez, 2023. "Evolution of the effects of mineral commodity prices on fiscal fluctuations: empirical evidence from TVP-VAR-SV models for Peru," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 159(1), pages 153-184, February.
    8. Christian von Haldenwang & Maksym Ivanyna, 2017. "Does the political resource curse affect public finance? The vulnerability of tax revenue in resource-rich countries," WIDER Working Paper Series 007, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Price Volatility; Primary Commodities; Tax Revenues; Developing economies.; Developing economies;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy; Modern Monetary Theory
    • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products
    • F10 - International Economics - - Trade - - - General

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