Abstract: 
This seminar presented research applying the Commitment to Equity (CEQ) analytical framework to Ghana, examining and quantifying the effects of direct and indirect taxes, government subsidies, and social spending on poverty and inequality using the Ghana Living Standards Survey. Dr Kwadwo Danso-Mensah presented findings from a study conducted by ACEIR Ghana researchers at ISSER, University of Ghana, assessing whether fiscal policy interventions in Ghana are not only efficient and effective but also promote equity across different segments of the population. The seminar also featured Dr Angela Azumah Alu from Oxfam in Ghana, who discussed subsequent partnerships with Oxfam and the World Bank to train civil society organisations in the use of the CEQ methodology and a microsimulation tool for evaluating the distributional impact of social policies. 

About the presenters: 
Dr Kwadwo Danso-Mensah is a Development Economist and the Director of Research at the International Centre for Evaluation and Development where he oversees all projects related to evidence generation and applied research. His role is to lead initiatives that involve conceptualisation, designing, and implementation of research for evidence programmes in Africa across various disciplines. Kwadwo’s broad research interests are within poverty and inequality dynamics in developing countries with particular focus on African poverty and inequality trends; food systems; incidence analysis of taxes and social spending; and evidence research relating to developing evidence and gap maps, evidence synthesis, and systematic reviews. Kwadwo is also a monitoring, evaluation and learning expert and an ACEIR affiliate who works with ACEIR ‘s Ghana node at the University of Ghana. 

Dr Angela Azumah Alu is the Fiscal Policy Adviser at Oxfam in Ghana where she leads its tax policy and advocacy work. She co-ordinates key initiatives such as the Fair Finance project, which focuses on improving sustainability and ESG in financial institutions and companies, and the Democratic Dialogues project on strengthening the social contract and democratic dialogue on progressive taxation between citizens and decision-makers at national, regional and global levels. Her work spans fiscal justice, domestic resource mobilisation, and strengthening the social contract through evidence-based policy engagement. Other projects she has previously co-ordinated at Oxfam aimed to strengthen civil society and media for fiscal justice, improve property taxation in Ghana, and incidence analysis of fiscal policy in Ghana. Prior to joining Oxfam in Ghana, she worked as a lecturer and researcher in several institutions in Ghana..