Philippine Tariff Reduction Program: Poverty Effect Insights from A CGE Analysis

Type Journal Article
Title Philippine Tariff Reduction Program: Poverty Effect Insights from A CGE Analysis
Author(s)
URL http://economics.ca/2007/papers/0838.pdf
Abstract
A CGE micro-simulation model is employed to assess the economic and poverty impacts of tariff reduction in the Philippines. Tariff reduction induces consumers to substitute cheaper imported agricultural products for domestic goods, thereby resulting in a contraction in agricultural output. In contrast, tariff reduction reduces the domestic cost of production, benefiting the outward-oriented and import-dependent industrial sector. The national poverty headcount decreases marginally as lower consumer prices outweigh the income reduction experienced by the majority of households. However, both the poverty gap and severity of poverty worsens, implying that the poorest of the poor become even poorer.

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