Public-Facing Writing and Media Engagement
In addition to academic publications and policy reports, I write for broader audiences and contribute to policy conversations through op-eds, commentary pieces, and media coverage. These contributions translate research on taxation, informality, supply chains, and public finance into accessible language for policymakers, journalists, and the general public.
Below is a selection of public-facing pieces and media features.
Featured Commentary
Doing Tiny Jobs for Tinier Pay
Reporting on online gig work and micro-tasks, highlighting how digital labor markets structure incentives, pay, and worker protections.
Potential of Behavioral Insights to Improve Tax Compliance
Explores how behavioral tools—social norms, simplification, and citizen engagement—can complement traditional enforcement to strengthen tax compliance in Pakistan.
Essays and Policy Commentary
Role of Supply Chains in Determining Farmers’ Productivity and Consumer Prices
Discusses how intermediaries, infrastructure, and information flows in agricultural supply chains shape farmer productivity and price transmission to consumers.
Electronic Invoice Monitoring Systems to Improve Tax Compliance
Summarizes evidence on how e-invoicing and electronic monitoring can enhance VAT compliance and strengthen enforcement capacity in low- and middle-income settings.
The Dark Side of Real Estate: Uncovering its Malevolent Influence on National Economic Progression
Examines how distortions in real estate markets—speculation, tax treatment, and informality—affect investment, inequality, and long-run growth.
Rationalizing Tax Expenditures
Discusses the scale and structure of tax expenditures and the trade-offs involved in reforming exemptions and special regimes to broaden the tax base.
Media Coverage and Events
Access, Resilience, and Sustainability: Pathways to Food Security in Pakistan
Event exploring the role of supply chains, climate risks, and institutional reforms in shaping Pakistan’s food security, with insights from research and public policy.
CDPR Holds Workshop on “Tax Reforms for Inclusive, Sustainable Growth”
News coverage of a workshop on tax reform and inclusive growth, featuring discussions on how better-designed tax systems can support investment, formalization, and equity.
Connecting Public Writing to Research and Policy
These essays and media pieces draw on my academic work on taxation, informality, supply chains, and state capacity, as well as policy collaborations with governments and international organizations. Together, they aim to make research-based insights accessible to non-technical audiences and to inform ongoing debates on how to design more effective and equitable public policies.
For more on the underlying research, see the Research and Policy Work pages.
Sher Afghan Asad 