Property taxes are a form of direct taxation and can be made progressive. They are missing one low-hanging fruit in particular: property taxes. Real-estate taxes can help correct the incentive structure and channel savings to more productive sectors, like manufacturing and high-skill services. That's the lesson from the protests that have broken out in the streets of Lebanon, Iran, Egypt and other MENA countries. Property taxes are a good place to start.

Source: The North Africa Journal January 24, 2020 21:45 UTC