A general equilibrium analysis of alternative scenarios for food subsidy reform in Egypt

This paper uses a Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model to simulate the short-run effects of alternative food- subsidy scenarios. Savings from reduced subsidy spending are used to reduce direct taxes uniformly for all household types. The model uses a 1996/97 database with detailed household in...

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Autores principales: Lofgren, Hans, El-Said, Moataz
Formato: Artículo preliminar
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: International Food Policy Research Institute 1999
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/161261
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author Lofgren, Hans
El-Said, Moataz
author_browse El-Said, Moataz
Lofgren, Hans
author_facet Lofgren, Hans
El-Said, Moataz
author_sort Lofgren, Hans
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description This paper uses a Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model to simulate the short-run effects of alternative food- subsidy scenarios. Savings from reduced subsidy spending are used to reduce direct taxes uniformly for all household types. The model uses a 1996/97 database with detailed household information. The simulated impact of targeting or eliminating oil and sugar subsidies is small: disaggregated real household consumption changes by ±0.3 percent. It is progressive if the subsidy is targeted to the needy (the bottom two quintiles in rural and urban areas) and regressive if it is eliminated. The targeting of all food subsidies is pro-needy, in part due to important indirect effects. It raises the consumption of the needy by 0.5 percent with, on average, little change for the nonneedy. The strongest gains are recorded for the rural needy (consumption increase by 1.0 percent). Food subsidy elimination is regressive: the needy suffer a consumption loss of 1.1 percent. If the government savings instead are transferred to the needy, the impact is reversed: consumption increases by 4.2 percent for needy households while the nonneedy register a small loss. The overall policy implication of the paper is that there is scope for reducing food subsidy spending without hurting the low-income groups.
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spelling CGSpace1612612025-11-06T07:16:58Z A general equilibrium analysis of alternative scenarios for food subsidy reform in Egypt Lofgren, Hans El-Said, Moataz food policies subsidies equilibrium theory models consumption This paper uses a Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model to simulate the short-run effects of alternative food- subsidy scenarios. Savings from reduced subsidy spending are used to reduce direct taxes uniformly for all household types. The model uses a 1996/97 database with detailed household information. The simulated impact of targeting or eliminating oil and sugar subsidies is small: disaggregated real household consumption changes by ±0.3 percent. It is progressive if the subsidy is targeted to the needy (the bottom two quintiles in rural and urban areas) and regressive if it is eliminated. The targeting of all food subsidies is pro-needy, in part due to important indirect effects. It raises the consumption of the needy by 0.5 percent with, on average, little change for the nonneedy. The strongest gains are recorded for the rural needy (consumption increase by 1.0 percent). Food subsidy elimination is regressive: the needy suffer a consumption loss of 1.1 percent. If the government savings instead are transferred to the needy, the impact is reversed: consumption increases by 4.2 percent for needy households while the nonneedy register a small loss. The overall policy implication of the paper is that there is scope for reducing food subsidy spending without hurting the low-income groups. 1999 2024-11-21T09:54:30Z 2024-11-21T09:54:30Z Working Paper https://hdl.handle.net/10568/161261 en Open Access application/pdf International Food Policy Research Institute Lofgren, Hans; El-Said, Moataz. 1999. A general equilibrium analysis of alternative scenarios for food subsidy reform in Egypt. TMD Discussion Paper 48. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/161261
spellingShingle food policies
subsidies
equilibrium theory
models
consumption
Lofgren, Hans
El-Said, Moataz
A general equilibrium analysis of alternative scenarios for food subsidy reform in Egypt
title A general equilibrium analysis of alternative scenarios for food subsidy reform in Egypt
title_full A general equilibrium analysis of alternative scenarios for food subsidy reform in Egypt
title_fullStr A general equilibrium analysis of alternative scenarios for food subsidy reform in Egypt
title_full_unstemmed A general equilibrium analysis of alternative scenarios for food subsidy reform in Egypt
title_short A general equilibrium analysis of alternative scenarios for food subsidy reform in Egypt
title_sort general equilibrium analysis of alternative scenarios for food subsidy reform in egypt
topic food policies
subsidies
equilibrium theory
models
consumption
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/161261
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