Digitalisation

Don’t trust just any statistics!

5 minute read More timely statistics and data allow us to respond swiftly to new developments. More granular data means that we can be more targeted in our policy advice and better account for disparities across gender, regions, industries, firm size or demographics. But statistics and data must be trustworthy and of good quality. In short, they must be fit for purpose.

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Climate Change

Tracking carbon prices

5 minute read To accelerate the transition to net zero greenhouse gas emissions, climate policy needs to become more ambitious. The shift to net zero can be stimulated through many policy instruments including regulations, e.g. banning the use of certain polluting assets or activities, tax incentives and subsidies – and carbon pricing.

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Featured

Paid parental leave: Big differences for mothers and fathers

6 minute read Data on availability and use of paid leave entitlements is crucial for understanding the effectiveness of paid parental leave policies. However, the design of paid leave policy varies markedly across countries.

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Digitalisation, Government, Tax

Tax administration: The ocean liner is changing course

4 minute read It’s easy to imagine tax administrations as big administrative beasts, slow to adapt to the challenges of an increasingly digital world, like cumbersome ocean liners requiring space and time to adjust their heading.

But the reality for a modern tax administration is very different. We saw this front and centre during the COVID-19 pandemic, with tax administrations delivering rapid and complex citizen support policies on an unprecedented scale. Less visible is the pace of digitalisation in tax administrations, which has only accelerated following the pandemic. We are seeing fundamental changes, integrating digital more and more into their core operating models and implementing world-leading practices. The results are lasting benefits for tax administrations and, ultimately, taxpayers.

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Inflation, SMEs, Ukraine

Turbulent times for SMEs 

4 minute read In recent years, the global economy has experienced a number of deep shocks, due to escalating geo-political tensions, global financial risks, tighter monetary and fiscal policy stances, financial-sector stress, labour shortages, trade barriers and slowing integration in global value chains. Drawing on the Timely Indicators of Entrepreneurship and the first chapter of the OECD SME and Entrepreneurship Outlook, this article examines recent developments in business dynamism.

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Government, National Accounts, Tax

A fiscal squeeze may be coming

5 minute read This analysis by John Mitchell highlights shifting government spending patterns over the past 20 years, with rising health and social protection spending, accompanied by decreases for education, defence and public debt transactions. But recent increases in long-term interest rates combined with the higher overall level of government debt will require governments to devote more of their annual budgets to debt service payments in coming years.

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