Policy Work and Applied Economic Engagements
I collaborate with governments, international organizations, and economic policy groups on tax reform, local public finance, fiscal incidence, and trade. My work integrates empirical analysis with direct engagement with policymakers to support evidence-based decision-making.
Featured Policy Projects
Examples of engagements where empirical work and policy dialogue jointly informed reform efforts.
Transition to Market-Value Property Taxation
Partners: German Development Cooperation (GIZ) & provincial tax authority
- Advising on the shift from rental-value assessments to a modern market-value system.
- Facilitating technical sessions with senior officials and field staff to support implementation.
- Emphasis on transparency, improved valuation practices, and stronger local revenue performance.
Tax Policy and Inland Port Performance
Partner: Provincial revenue authority
- Analyzed how tax rules influence firms’ import declarations and clearance-port choices.
- Mapped the interaction between fiscal incentives and port-level capacity.
- Provided recommendations for reducing distortions in logistics and trade facilitation.
Public Finance Review & Equity Analysis
Collaborator: World Bank – Poverty & Equity GP
- Used the CEQ framework to assess the distributional effects of taxes and transfers.
- Evaluated progressivity amid fiscal consolidation following Sri Lanka’s debt crisis.
- Identified reform options to strengthen equity and revenue sustainability.
Interagency Working Group on Property Tax
Lead Partner: German Development Cooperation (GIZ)
- Chairing a working group spanning tax authorities, municipalities, and planning agencies.
- Supporting integration of land, cadastral, and taxpayer data to improve valuation.
- Exploring tax–service linkages to strengthen accountability and local revenue performance.
Informality in Wholesale, Retail & Real Estate
Commissioned by: Pakistan Business Council & a policy research consortium
- Examined the incentives and bottlenecks that keep major sectors outside the formal tax net.
- Connected documentation practices to regulatory and tax system design.
- Informed policy dialogue on strategies for improving formality and compliance.
Climate Change and Distributional Risk in Sri Lanka
Collaborator: World Bank – Poverty & Equity GP
- Estimated exposure to climate-related risks across households and regions.
- Linked vulnerability to labor income, employment, and poverty transitions.
- Contributed to the World Bank’s forthcoming Country Climate and Development Report.
High-Value Agricultural Exports & Market Access
Commissioned by: UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) & Ministry of Commerce
- Assessed the export potential of high-value food products using product- and destination-level data.
- Identified quality, standards, and compliance constraints that limit market access.
- Outlined actionable steps to deepen participation in regional and global value chains.
Additional Engagement
- Designing workshops on tax reform, valuation, and evidence-based policymaking.
- Supporting integration of administrative data for compliance monitoring and policy evaluation.
- Advising on how microdata can inform macro-fiscal analysis and public finance decisions.
- Working with business groups on regulatory modernization and formalization strategies.
Connecting Policy and Research
These engagements complement my academic work on:
- State capacity, informality, and tax compliance.
- The distributional effects of fiscal and climate policies.
- The interaction between regulation, enforcement, and market structure.
More details are available on my Research page.
Sher Afghan Asad 