Miguel Jaramillo

The Impact of Taxes and Social Spending on Inequality and Poverty in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Mexico and Peru: A Synthesis of Results

We apply a standard tax and benefit incidence analysis to estimate the impact on inequality and poverty of direct taxes, indirect taxes and subsidies, and social spending (cash and food transfers and in-kind transfers in education and health). The extent of inequality reduction induced by direct taxes and transfers is rather small (2 percentage points on average) especially when compared with that found in Western Europe (15 percentage points on average). What prevents Argentina, Bolivia and Brazil from achieving similar reductions in inequality is not the lack of revenues but the fact that they spend less on cash transfers –especially transfers that are progressive in absolute terms--as a share of GDP. Indirect taxes result in that net contributors to the fiscal system start at the fourth, third and even second decile on average, depending on the country. When in-kind transfers in education and health are added, however, the bottom six deciles are net recipients. The impact of transfers on inequality and poverty reduction could be higher if spending on direct cash transfers that are progressive in absolute terms is increased, leakages to the nonpoor are reduced and coverage of the extreme poor by direct transfer programs is expanded.

Evaluating interventions to reduce maternal mortality: evidence from Peru's PARSalud programme

This paper evaluates the impact of an intervention oriented to reduce maternal mortality in Peru. The paper takes advantage of both spatial and temporal variation in the implementation of the programme to identify its effects. Results suggest a positive impact of the training provided by the programme on the number of deliveries, deliveries using oxytocin, caesarean deliveries, and complicated deliveries, but ambiguous effects of infrastructure investments. Moreover, different types of training had different impacts, internships on perinatal technologies having larger impacts. No effects are found on obstetric complications, but there are positive effects on the number of complicated deliveries attended. Results also show that the programme reduces the incidence of postpartum haemorrhage, the main cause of maternal mortality. As far as cost-effectiveness is concerned, the cost of averting a case of postpartum haemorrhage is about US

Does Participatory Budgeting have an Effect on the Quality of Public Services? The Case of Peru’s Water and Sanitation Sector

3328, compared with the present discounted value of the per-capita Gross Domestic Product over a lifespan of 45 extra years of life – about US

An Evaluation of the Peruvian "Youth Labor Training Program" - PROJOVEN

36,700.

Severance Payment Programs in Latin America

Since 2004 the government of Peru has implemented a process of participatory budgeting (PB), which is mandatory for every sub-national government. We analyze the link from PB to coverage and water service quality indicators. We find no statistically significant relationship between PB and our measures of coverage and service continuity, regardless of whether the outcome variables are measured in levels or in changes. Qualitative evidence collected in a sample of municipalities is consistent with this result. Further, PB in the water sector may also lead to inequitable outcomes as the poor may confront greater costs of participation. At the root of this lack of connection we find weaknesses both in the PB process itself as well as among the different actors in the process: citizens, municipalities and water service providers.