Rethinking economies: the Tax Justice Network podcast, October 2021

Welcome to the latest episode of the Tax Justice Network’s monthly podcast, the Taxcast. You can subscribe either by emailing naomi [at] taxjustice.net or find us on your podcast app.

• In this episode, Naomi Fowler discusses degrowth, rethinking economies and value in part 2 of her conversation with economic anthropologist Jason Hickel. Part 1 is available here.
• Plus: the Pandora Papers – 3 things the latest offshore leak is showing us.
• Why some countries rejected the OECD’s 15% minimum global corporate tax deal
• And, as COP26 begins in Scotland, it’s the ‘last chance saloon’ to take meaningful action to minimise ecological disaster. Can politicians learn from nations leading the way with good policies on energy?

Featuring:

• Nick Shaxson of the Tax Justice Network
• Greta Thunberg, climate and environmental activist
• Mustapha Ndajiwo of the African Centre for Tax and Governance
• John Christensen, economist and tax justice campaigner
• Jason Hickel, economic anthropologist and author of Less Is More and The Divide
• Produced and presented by Naomi Fowler of the Tax Justice Network

Transcript available here. (Some is automated and may not be 100% accurate)

This is a global ecological crisis, and it has to do with the way the global economy works. And this requires mobilisation on the scale of the anti-colonial movement.”

~ Jason Hickel

The cutting of resources for the tax authorities and forces of law and order is a major problem and if there’s one thing above all that needs doing and that’s to start giving the tax authorities and international criminal authorities proper resources to start chasing this stuff“

~ Nick Shaxson

There are many reasons why Nigeria refused to endorse and sign the OECD deal [15% minimum corporate tax rate] Countries like Nigeria already have a company income tax rate of 30%…you have countries like Ireland, Switzerland and other countries who are already close to that 15%, so it doesn’t look like it’s going to be any significant change for them. So for countries like Nigeria, there isn’t real incentive to sign up to this deal as it doesn’t offer much for them.”

~ Mustapha Ndajiwo

The debate around how to structure the political economy for renewable energy markets hasn’t even reached its infancy. There’s very little progress towards that kind of really progressive thinking that’s needed if we’re going to make the energy markets actually work for ordinary people. Denmark, Germany and other countries are signalling how this could be done so differently.”

~ John Christensen

Further reading:

• Watch the full interview with Nick Shaxson on SABC News here.
• Find out more about Jason Hickel’s work here.
• Read more from Mustapha Ndajiwo and Learnmore Nyamudzanga on why Nigeria rejected the OECD minimum global corporate tax deal here: What Does the G7 Proposal on Taxation of the Digitalised Economy Mean for African countries?
• Can the Most Powerful Global Tax Organization Shed Its Racist Ways? The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development insists it’s “inclusive,” but it’s still strong-arming countries in the Global South. Article here by Professor Steven Dean.
• Here’s an interesting chart showing emissions per person of the world’s biggest countries, worth a look.

Image: “hope” by @polsifter is licensed under CC BY 2.0