(Photo: Teb/Creative Commons)

Sources: Agenda Global, Tax Justice Network América Latina, Latindadd

In Latin America in the last ten years the tax yield has increased thanks to relative stability and macroeconomic growth driven by demand from emerging countries and rising prices for prime materials, but this has not been enough to overcome the problem of fiscal sustainability. This is because of obstacles like dependence on the international context, debt service payments, ineffective management of government policies, informality and tax evasion. Another aspect is that the tax systems in the region put a disproportionately heavy burden on the poorest and most vulnerable sectors of the population. This situation will be discussed by government officials, experts and activists in Lima this week at a meeting convoked by the Latin American Network on Debt, Development and Rights (Latindadd).

One of the protests last week in Madrid. (Photo: sgcg.es)

Source: Plataforma 2015 y Más

The main union federations in Spain and many civil society organizations including Plataforma 2015 y Más (a member of Social Watch) established last week a programme of demonstrations to express their rejection of the change to the Constitution the governing Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE) and the opposition Popular Party (PP) are contemplating. The change would set a limit to the public deficit, and the people’s organizations are calling for a public referendum to decide this matter.

Gyekye Tanoh, of TWN-A, at the forum. (Photo: MyJoyOnline)

Sources: BusinessGhana, ThinkGhana, Ghana Business News, MyJoyOnline, GhanaWeb, AllAfrica

Several Ghanaian civil society organizations warned that the renewal of the interim Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the country and the European Union (EU) will condemn the Western Africa integration process and the national economy to an irreparable doom. The Third World Network-Africa (TWN-A, focal point of Social Watch), the General Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU), the Integrated Social Development Centre (Isodec) and Abantu for Development, among other groups, said the government must not give in and sign an agreement which will be harmful to the long-term development goals and aspirations of the country.

University of Toronto. (Photo: Crown International Education)

Sources: Market Wire, CCPA

Ontario's system of financing higher education is becoming less equitable and more regressive for families, says a study released this week by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA, one of the focal points of Social Watch in this North American country).

University of Dhaka. (Official photo)

Source: The Daily Star

The South Asian Social Forum 2011 will be held in Dhaka, for the first time in Bangladesh, from November 18-22. University of Dhaka (DU) will co-host the conference.