Invariants and CP violation in the 2HDM

We discuss the importance of basis invariants in the general 2HDM and how these relates to masses and couplings. We also present a simple, yet powerful technique to translate parameters of the potential into combinations of masses and couplings of the theory and apply this to CP odd invariants.Comment: 14 pages. Talk given at Corfu Summer Institute 2017, School and Workshops on Elementary Particle Physics and Gravity, September 2017. To appear in conference proceeding

Economic integration and environmental policy coordination

We analyse the effect of international economic integration on environmental policy incentives when product markets are characterised by imperfect competition and national policy makers act strategically. If traditional trade policy instruments are not available, environmental policies will typically be determined by the interaction of conflicting policy incentives. We find that economic integration — interpreted as a reduction of non-tariff trade costs — will reduce policy distortions in the non-cooperative policy game if the marginal social cost of pollution is increasing at a sufficiently low rate. In this case, it follows that increased integration reduces the need for transnational policy coordination, from an environmentalist perspective.Economic integration; Strategic environmental policy; Policy coordination.

Fighting fiscal corruption: The case of the Tanzania Revenue Authority

Over the last decade several African countries have undertaken comprehensive reforms of their tax administrations, with the aims of increasing revenue and curbing corruption. This paper examines recent experiences in the fight against corruption in the Tanzania Revenue Authority. Two lessons of broader relevance are highlighted. Firstly, even with relatively high wages and good working conditions, corruption may continue to thrive. In a situation where there is high demand for corrupt services, it is unrealistic to provide tax officers with pay rates that can compensate for the amount gained through bribery. Without extensive and effective monitoring wage increases may produce a highly paid but also highly corrupt tax administration. Secondly, hiring and firing procedures may lead to more corruption. Corrupt tax officers often operate in networks, which also include external actors. The manner in which the administrative reform was implemented in Tanzania, where many of those fired were recruited to the private sector as 'tax experts', seems to have strengthened the corruption networks. This partly explains why the positive process experienced in the initial phase of the new revenue authority was later reversed.Corruption Tax evasion Tax administration Incentives

To pay or not to pay? Citizens' views on taxation in local authorities in Tanzania

Widespread tax evasion reflected in persistent public resistance to pay is seen as part of the problem of raising local government revenues in Tanzania. Dealing with the policy problem of revenue enhancement and tax evasion requires some understanding of the factors underlying the individual's decision whether to pay or evade taxes. However, the views of taxpayers are to a large extent ignored in this policy debate. What are the experiences, priorities, and recommendations of Tanzanian citizens with respect to payment of taxes and fees? What do people feel they get in return for taxes paid? And what do they consider to be the major challenges to improving the present system? Based on data from a recently conducted citizen survey, this paper presents the perceptions of ordinary people on local government taxation.Taxation Tax evasion Tax collection Local government Tanzania

What has trust got to do with it? Non-payment of service charges in local authorities in South Africa

A major financial problem in many municipalities in South Africa is the inadequate collection of service charges due to widespread non-payment. The prevailing view is that non-compliance is caused by poverty and the existence of an 'entitlement culture'. However, huge variations in compliance exist both within poor communities and between communities with similar socio-economic characteristics. How can these differences be explained? Moreover, what factors determine citizens' compliance? This paper argues that non-payment is not only related to inability to pay and 'a culture of entitlement', but also to whether citizens perceive the local government to act in their interest. In particular, three dimensions of trust may affect citizens' compliance: (1) trust in the local government to use revenues to provide expected services; (2) trust in the authorities to establish fair procedures for revenue collection and distribution of services; and (3) trust in other citizens to pay their share.Public finance Service charges Trust Local government South Africa

Managerial delegation and merger incentives

We analyse how the internal organisation of firms affects the correspondence between private and social incentives for horizontal merger. Applying a model of endogenous merger formation in a three-firm asymmetric Cournot industry, we contrast the cases of entrepreneurial and managerial firms. The use of strategic delegation increases both the probability that a merger takes place and the likelihood that the ‘wrong’ type of merger is undertaken, from a viewpoint of social welfare. This suggests that managerial delegation increases the scope for antitrust policy.Managerial delegation; Endogenous mergers; Cost asymmetry; Antitrust policy.

Level crossings and excess times due to a super-position of uncorrelated exponential pulses

A well-known stochastic model for intermittent fluctuations in physical systems is investigated. The model is given by a super-position of uncorrelated exponential pulses, and the degree of pulse overlap is interpreted as an intermittency parameter. Expressions for excess time statistics, that is, the rate of level crossings above a given threshold and the average time spent above the threshold, are derived from the joint distribution of the process and its derivative. Limits of both high and low intermittency are investigated and compared to previously known results. In the case of a strongly intermittent process, the distribution of times spent above threshold is obtained analytically. This expression is verified numerically, and the distribution of times above threshold is explored for other intermittency regimes. The numerical results compare favorably to known results for the distribution of times above the mean threshold for an Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process. This contribution generalizes the excess time statistics for the stochastic model which find applications in a wide diversity of natural and technological systems.Comment: 40 pages, 26 figures. Longer version of arXiv:1604.0406

Local Revenue Mobilization in Urban Setttings in Africa

The growth of Africa's towns and cities has outpaced local authority capacity in terms of management, infrastructure, and financing. Many African towns and cities are now facing a governance crisis. Accordingly, the capability and capacity of urban local government to provide basic services to a growing population have entered the core of the development debate. In particular, fiscal decentralization - the devolution of revenue mobilization and spending powers to lower levels of government - has become a main theme of urban governance in recent years. This paper explores the opportunities and constraints facing local revenue mobilization in urban settings in Africa. The study examines various revenue instruments available, including property taxes, business licences, and user fees, and their effect on economic efficiency and income distribution. Moreover, political and administrative constraints facing various revenue instruments and factors impacting on citizens' compliance behaviour are discussed. The analysis is exemplified by cases from across Africa and other regions. Local governments need to be given access to adequate resources to do the job with which they are entrusted. However, a general conclusion emerging from this study is that local revenues mobilized in most urban authorities in Africa are necessary but not sufficient to develop and supply adequate services for the fast-growing urban population.Local government Decentralization Urbanization Taxes Business licenses User fees Africa