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The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) criticizes proposals by South Africa's National Treasury and Presidency to replace the R350 Covid-19 SRD grant. The IEJ argues that Treasury's plan is designed to maximize exclusion through complex categorizations and conditionalities, such as job-seeking requirements, which ignore structural unemployment. The statement warns that these changes could reduce the number of beneficiaries from the current level to approximately 5.5 million, effectively removing support for millions of poor citizens. The IEJ also condemns the government's failure to engage with civil society coalitions in the development of these policies.

The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) argues that proposals by the National Treasury (NT) and the Presidency to replace the R350 SRD grant with targeted grants are regressive, unconstitutional, and administratively unworkable. The IEJ contends that these proposals prioritize cost-cutting and the exclusion of poor citizens over the primary goal of combating hunger and poverty. Specifically, the IEJ critiques the 'jobseekers grant' for relying on the false premise that structural unemployment can be solved through job-search facilitation, and the 'household grant' for potentially deepening gender power imbalances and reducing the number of beneficiaries. The memo further challenges the National Treasury's claims of unaffordability, asserting that NT ignores the net cost of grants, available tax surpluses, and progressive financing options like a wealth tax or Social Security Tax. The IEJ advocates for a universal basic income indexed to the Food Poverty Line, arguing that income support should be a survivalist tool rather than a lever for labor market activation.

The IEJ proposes that the 2023 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework shift from a narrow focus on debt stabilisation toward a human-rights based and feminist budgeting approach. The submission advocates for mobilising maximum resources for rights realisation, introducing a Universal Basic Income Guarantee (UBIG), investing in social infrastructure, and addressing the energy and climate crisis to combat unemployment, poverty, and inequality.

The research employs a fixed-effects model to analyze how mining royalties (CFEM) correlate with socioeconomic indicators (health, education, employment, and income) and homicide rates in Pará. While simple correlations suggest royalties improve socioeconomic variables and increase violence, the application of municipality and year fixed effects removes the statistical significance of these correlations. However, the study finds a strong positive correlation between increased royalties and municipal spending, particularly in public sector salaries and pensions, and suggests that royalties may reduce municipal efforts to collect urban property tax (IPTU).

The document analyzes the impact of the Financial Compensation for Mineral Exploration (CFEM) in Pará, Brazil, between 2007 and 2020. It finds that mining royalties, which are highly concentrated in a few municipalities and subject to commodity price volatility, have not improved local development indices. Instead, a significant portion of these funds is diverted toward salaries and pensions, contrary to regulatory intentions. The authors recommend stricter spending regulations and the creation of financial instruments to smooth revenue volatility.

The report finds that Indonesian government support for fossil fuels significantly outweighs support for renewable energy, with 94% of annual allocations averaging coal, oil, gas, and fossil fuel-based electricity, compared to just 1% for renewables. Between 2016 and 2020, total energy support measures rose by 38% to IDR 279 trillion, while specific support for renewable energy decreased from IDR 3 trillion to IDR 2 trillion. The analysis indicates that 77% of identified measures benefit energy producers, and that fossil fuel subsidies create a lock-in effect that hinders the competitiveness of renewable energy and drains public finances.

The briefing analyzes the impact of the Financial Compensation for the Exploration of Mineral Resources (CFEM) in Pará, Brazil. It finds that mining royalties do not foster economic growth or improve local welfare, as funds are frequently diverted to wages and pensions despite regulations. The authors recommend stricter spending limits and the creation of financial instruments to manage revenue volatility.

The Social Climate Fund is designed to support vulnerable households, micro-enterprises, and transport users during the EU's transition to climate neutrality by 2050. It focuses on building renovations, renewable energy expansion, and low-emission mobility. The document outlines varying financial proposals, including a potential envelope of EUR 23.7 billion for 2025-2027 and EUR 48.5 billion for 2028-2032, while emphasizing the need for national Social Climate Plans and the inclusion of 'mobility poverty' definitions.

The document assesses Tanzania's macroeconomic response to the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the use of accommodative monetary and fiscal policies to avoid recession. It recommends strengthening healthcare, implementing macroprudential policies, and prioritizing climate-resilient economic development and social protection for vulnerable groups.

The Institute for Economic Justice contends that the 2022 South African budget prioritizes 'fiscal consolidation' over fundamental human rights, leading to real-term funding cuts in health and education. The author argues that these 'false economies' increase long-term costs and social volatility, citing the R50-billion damage from the July 2021 riots as a warning of the costs of inequality. The document calls for Parliament to reject the budget and demand a version that does not violate the Constitution.

The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) condemns the 2022/23 South African budget for prioritizing 'fiscal consolidation' and debt reduction over poverty alleviation and public service investment. The IEJ argues that the government is ignoring a revenue windfall of R181 billion to implement austerity measures that result in real spending cuts for healthcare and education, while maintaining an inadequate Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant. The document criticizes the reduction in corporate income tax and the reliance on public-private partnerships (PPPs) for industrial policy, suggesting instead that progressive taxes on wealth and luxury goods should fund a Universal Basic Income Guarantee (UBIG).

The government of Benin and the BCEAO responded to COVID-19 with expansionary monetary and fiscal policies, including cash transfers, subsidies, and increased liquidity for banks and the agricultural sector. While these measures stimulated aggregate demand and supported food security, the expansion of the money supply led to higher consumer price inflation, which threatened real household incomes. The brief recommends transitioning to contractionary monetary policy during periods of economic growth to curb inflation and better targeting future fiscal spending toward vulnerable households and hard-hit sectors like hospitality and industry to maximize the fiscal multiplier effect.

The IEJ calls for the transition of the social relief of distress (SRD) grant into a permanent universal basic income guarantee (Ubig) set at the food poverty line of R624, funded by a R200bn commodity-driven revenue windfall. The organization criticizes the Employment Tax Incentive (ETI) as ineffective and proposes its cancellation to raise R4.9bn for the Ubig. Additionally, the IEJ argues against proposed 3.3% real-term cuts to government programs, citing deteriorating public services in areas such as healthcare and education infrastructure.

The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) calls for the South African government to transition from the temporary Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant to a permanent basic income support system. The author argues that while President Cyril Ramaphosa has committed to this goal, the National Treasury's fiscally conservative approach and 'technocratic machinery' threaten to undermine the policy through restrictive eligibility, low grant levels, and the blocking of social security reforms. The IEJ suggests that increasing the grant to R500 per month for 13.4 million people would be affordable using tax overruns, and proposes alternative financing mechanisms such as a social security tax, financial transactions tax, and resource rent tax to avoid reliance on VAT or personal income tax increases.

The Institute for Economic Justice and partner organisations advocate for transitioning the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant into a permanent universal basic income guarantee (Ubig) in South Africa. They argue that a Ubig is fiscally feasible through progressive taxation and would act as an economic stimulus by boosting local consumption and productivity. The authors call for the grant's value to be increased to at least the Food Poverty Line and eventually the upper bound poverty line (approximately R1,500), urging the presidency to establish a high-level review to implement this transition.

The document examines the 'polycrisis' affecting Europe, where the cost of living crisis is driven by a combination of the pandemic, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and long-term neoliberal policies. It analyzes the disproportionate impact on young people, women, and the elderly, while exploring systemic failures in energy, housing, and food systems. The authors advocate for 'energy sobriety', the re-municipalisation of water, the expansion of social housing, and the revitalization of trade unions as essential steps toward a Green New Deal that ensures social justice and ecological sustainability.

The Ugandan government responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by implementing expansionary fiscal and monetary policies to mitigate the economic contraction caused by aggressive containment measures. While these policies helped maintain financial sector stability and provided temporary liquidity to businesses, the economy experienced a significant slowdown, with real GDP growth dropping from 6.8% in FY 2018/19 to 2.9% in FY 2019/20. The industrial and services sectors were hardest hit, contributing to a projected 34.5% increase in the number of people living below the poverty line. Fiscal strain led to a rise in public debt from $12.55 billion to $15.27 billion in FY 2019/20, while the external sector saw a contraction in foreign direct investment and tourism receipts.

The report finds that France's Plan de relance largely neglects natural capital, with 47% of its budget categorized as neutral or impossible to assess regarding biodiversity. While 28% of the budget is expected to have a positive impact—primarily through climate mitigation—25% is expected to have a negative impact due to support for environmentally damaging industries and company tax reductions. The authors recommend implementing environmental conditionality for funds and adopting nature-based solutions to ensure long-term economic resilience.

The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) argues that South Africa's 2021 Medium Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) prioritizes austerity and a budget surplus over necessary socioeconomic investment. The IEJ highlights significant real-term spending cuts in health, basic education, and social protection, asserting that such a contractionary stance stifles economic recovery and increases unemployment. The document advocates for a shift toward fiscal expansion, a comprehensive stimulus package, and the implementation of a wealth tax to fund a transformative economic agenda.

The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) criticizes the 2021 MTBPS for implementing real-term spending cuts across health, education, and social protection while prioritizing a primary budget surplus over economic stimulus. The IEJ contends that the government is ignoring available fiscal space and recommends a shift toward a comprehensive stimulus package, the implementation of a wealth tax, and the adoption of a Universal Basic Income Grant to foster an equitable recovery.