Could Resource Rents Finance Universal Access to Infrastructure? A First Exploration of Needs and Rents

43 Pages Posted: 19 Jan 2016

See all articles by Sabine Fuss

Sabine Fuss

Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change (MCC); International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)

Claudine Chen

Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change

Michael Jakob

Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research

Annika Marxen

Technische Universität Berlin (TU Berlin)

Narasimha D. Rao

Yale School of the Environment; IIASA

Ottmar Edenhofer

Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK); Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change (MCC); Technische Universität Berlin (TU Berlin)

Date Written: 2015

Abstract

It is often argued that, ethically, resource rents should accrue to all citizens. Yet in reality the rents from exploiting national resources are often concentrated in the hands of a few. If resource rents were to be taxed, on the other hand, substantial amounts of public money could be raised and used to cover the population’s infrastructure needs, such as access to electricity, water, sanitation, communication technology and roads, which all play important roles in a nation’s economic development process. Here, we examine to what extent existing resource rents could be used to provide universal access to these infrastructures.

Keywords: Resource Rents, Infrastructure, Economic Development

JEL Classification: H54

Suggested Citation

Fuss, Sabine and Chen, Claudine and Jakob, Michael and Marxen, Annika and Rao, Narasimha D. and Edenhofer, Ottmar, Could Resource Rents Finance Universal Access to Infrastructure? A First Exploration of Needs and Rents (2015). FEEM Working Paper No. 93.2015, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2716012 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2716012

Sabine Fuss (Contact Author)

Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change (MCC) ( email )

Torgauer Straße 12-15
Berlin, 10829
Germany
49303385537224 (Phone)
303385537224 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://www.mcc-berlin.net

International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) ( email )

Schlossplatz 1
Laxenburg, 2361
Austria

HOME PAGE: http://www.iiasa.ac.at

Claudine Chen

Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change ( email )

Torgauer Straße 12-15
Berlin, 10829
Germany

Michael Jakob

Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research ( email )

Telegraphenberg
Potsdam, Brandenburg 14412
Germany

Annika Marxen

Technische Universität Berlin (TU Berlin) ( email )

Straße des 17
Juni 135
Berlin, 10623
Germany

Narasimha D. Rao

Yale School of the Environment ( email )

New Haven, CT 06520
United States

HOME PAGE: http://environment.yale.edu/profile/rao

IIASA ( email )

Schlossplatz 1
Laxenburg, A-2361
Austria

Ottmar Edenhofer

Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) ( email )

P.O. Box 601203
14412 Potsdam, Brandenburg
Germany

Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change (MCC)

Torgauer Straße 12-15
Berlin, 10829
Germany

Technische Universität Berlin (TU Berlin)

Straße des 17
Juni 135
Berlin, 10623
Germany

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