Business and Regulation

Evidence on the spillover effects of tax incentives is mixed and ambiguous while evidence on the impact of tax incentives on revenue loss for public services is clear. It is time for voters and politicians to use tax incentives with care, given their high costs and controversial benefits.

Without focused reform, Medicare Part B drug spending will continue to grow at a faster rate than any other section in Medicare.

Young people are especially susceptible to abusing weight loss supplements. Age restrictions will protect them.

As AI continues to reshape our world, forging a comprehensive legal framework becomes crucial to steer AI’s advancement in a globally responsible and ethically sound direction, which ultimately should be supported by customary international law so that the responsibility fall equally on all countries.

Alternative protein sources, such as insects, have emerged as promising solutions that could help reduce the environmental impact of food production while providing a nutritious and accessible protein source.

While artificial intelligence technologies are progressing fast, compliance costs have become a huge financial burden for AI startups, already constrained by tight research & development (R&D) budgets. Complex regulatory processes, that vary across the globe give well-established technology firms an upper-hand over resource-constrained startups.1 If this continues, giant tech firms may monopolize AI technologies, phasing […]

Daniel Agbiboa, an assistant professor of African and African American studies at Harvard University, has called on African policymakers to prioritize people’s voices when enacting policies concerning the informal transport sector in Africa. Speaking during an interactive program hosted by Africa Policy Journal, Professor Agbiboa highlighted the importance of considering the views of ordinary citizens […]

Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), recently spoke in an exclusive interview with Africa Policy Journal, calling on African nations to develop regulations to promote digital trade and e-commerce on the continent. She praised the efforts of young people who are engaging in digital trade and stressed the importance of […]

Zoox CEO Aicha Evans has highlighted the potential benefits of introducing self-driving “robotaxi” services, including reduced fares for passengers.  Speaking at the Harvard Kennedy School as part of the CEO Talks series, Evans explained that passengers spend huge amount on current ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft, adding that  80 cents of every dollar goes to the driver.  […]

Despite the scintillating promises it holds, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is only a necessary, not a sufficient condition for a structural transformation and global convergence of Africa. The substantial efforts to pass the sufficient test rest upon transcending the colonial model of resource extraction economy.  In a blow to the gravity trade […]

One of the debates among economic development experts is whether the African continent can skip manufacturing and move into the service industry to achieve economic development. Africa is blessed with abundant land and other natural resources, yet the continent is still grappling with myriad of challenges such as of food security and lack of sufficient […]

South Africa needs massive social investment in education and basic infrastructure if the country is to address its current development challenges. The Executive Director, Center for Development and Enterprise, South Africa, Ann Bernstein, stated this during the Growth Lab Development Talks at the Harvard Kennedy School. The theme of her talk was “The Role of […]