Civil Society Learning Event 2024: Education Financing & Tax Justice

Education can't be transformed without money and in Pakistan, the money starts with a tax system that leaks and under-collects. With the TaxEd Alliance–ActionAid, PCE convened a two-day event to build the capacity of its partners, grassroots members, and fellow civil society organisations on the often-overlooked link between taxation and education financing. The sessions were led by Devendra Pratap Singh (Programme Development Manager, ActionAid International Nepal) and Pravesh Acharya (TaxEd Nepal), and opened by Zehra Arshad (National Coordinator, PCE).

Day one grounded participants in taxation as a political choice rather than a technical one — the difference between individual and corporate tax, the social-equity potential of progressive measures like Nepal's luxury taxes and its incentives for women in property registration, and the revenue quietly lost to weak tobacco and digital taxation. Day two turned to education: how to raise enrolment and retention for marginalised communities, close rural–urban quality gaps, and read a public budget using the "4 S" framework — Size, Share, Sensitivity, and Scrutiny.

A closing brainstorm turned learning into a set of practical asks: broaden the tax base rather than raise rates, separate salary budgets from development budgets, invest in girls' education and school infrastructure, and embed gender and disability sensitivity into how budgets are made. PCE and the TaxEd Alliance committed to keep advocating for them well beyond the training room.

Held alongside the 15th Annual Convention.