Monday, December 28, 2009

Tuition Tax As Diaspora Tax: Tragedy Of The Commons

The mad scramble for money can make government do strange things:

Those who fall sick in the Diaspora don’t fly back to Gomo Hospital for treatment. Our kids don’t commute to Chindunduma High School daily for their education. We don’t drink water from Lake Chivero purified and pumped by ZINWA or the Harare City Council. We don’t use Zimbabwean roads to drive to work. So why pay tax?

Zimbabwe is debating a "Diaspora Tax" to help alleviate the country's crushing debt burden. Contrast that with Ireland and the campaign to encourage Diaspora investment in homeland startups. Of course, budget concerns in Ireland threaten any such initiative with the unintended effect of causing more brain drain.

Out-migration hysteria wins again.

1 comment:

Mark Arsenal said...

As someone contemplating emigration, I have become acutely aware that the US already has a diaspora tax, alas :P