Energy Subsidy Reform in Sub-Saharan Africa: Experiences and Lessons

By Trevor Serge Coleridge Alleyne, Mumtaz Hussain

August 12, 2013

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Format: Chicago

Trevor Serge Coleridge Alleyne, and Mumtaz Hussain. Energy Subsidy Reform in Sub-Saharan Africa: Experiences and Lessons, (USA: International Monetary Fund, 2013) accessed April 9, 2025

Also available in: français

Disclaimer: The views expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF, its Executive Board, or IMF management.

Summary

The reform of energy subsidies is an important but challenging issue for sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. There is a relatively large theoretical and empirical literature on this issue. While this paper relies on that literature, too, it tailors its discussion to SSA countries to respond to the following questions: Why it is important to reduce energy subsidies? What are the difficulties involved in energy subsidy reform? How best can a subsidy reform be implemented? This paper uses various sources of information on SSA countries: quantitative assessments, surveys, and individual (but standardized) case studies.

Subject: Commodities, Electricity, Energy subsidies, Expenditure, Fuel prices, Inflation, Prices, Tariffs, Taxes

Keywords: Africa, Average cost, DP, DPPP, Electricity, Energy subsidies, Energy subsidy, Federal government, Fixed charge, Fuel prices, Fuel subsidy, Global, Inflation, Middle East and Central Asia, Opportunity cost, Retail price, SSA country, Sub-Saharan Africa, Subsidy reform, Tariffs, Unit price, West Africa

Publication Details

Pages:

125
Volume:

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DOI:

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Issue:

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Series:

Departmental Paper No. 2013/002
Stock No:

ESRSSAEA
ISBN:

9781484366547
ISSN:

2616-5333

Notes

Also available in French

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