Action for Economic Reforms (AER) is a Philippine

non-government organization A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in ...

engaged in research and advocacy. It was founded in 1996 by a group of progressive scholars and activists as an "independent, reform-oriented and activist policy group". AER works on macroeconomic issues, with an emphasis on

fiscal policy In economics and political science, fiscal policy is the use of government revenue collection ( taxes or tax cuts) and expenditure to influence a country's economy. The use of government revenue expenditures to influence macroeconomic variable ...

and

tax policy Tax policy includes the guidelines developed by a government regarding how taxes are imposed, in what amounts, and on whom. It has both microeconomic and macroeconomic aspects. The macroeconomic aspect concerns the overall quantity of taxes t ...

and administration, and looks at their impact on equity, poverty reduction, and sustainability. As part of its macroeconomic intervention, AER also addresses exchange rate, monetary, and

trade Trade involves the transfer of goods and services from one person or entity to another, often in exchange for money. Economists refer to a system or network that allows trade as a market. An early form of trade, barter, saw the direct exch ...

issues. AER likewise concerns itself with creating the conditions for long-term growth. In this context, AER gives attention to the role of institutions. It has pursued advocacy on building

state capacity State capacity is the ability of a government to accomplish policy goals, either generally or in reference to specific aims. A state that lacks capacity is defined as a fragile state or, in a more extreme case, a failed state. Higher state capaci ...

that will enable markets and correct both market and government failures. A key aspect of the work on institutions is th
promotion of transparency
especially pushing for a

Freedom of Information law Freedom of information laws allow access by the general public to data held by national governments and, where applicable, by state and local governments. The emergence of freedom of information legislation was a response to increasing dissatisfa ...

in the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. AER also forges strong links with civil society organizations
legislators
and other government officials, as well as technocrats and academics towards building alliances to secure progressive reforms. While Philippine concerns occupy an extensive part of its programs, AER is also known for its regional and global work on crucial development issues like

financing for development The Monterrey Consensus was the outcome of the 2002 Monterrey Conference, the United Nations International Conference on Financing for Development. in Monterrey, Mexico. It was adopted by Heads of State and Government on 22 March 2002. Over fifty He ...

, the

Millennium Development Goals The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were eight international development goals for the year 2015 that had been established following the Millennium Summit of the United Nations in 2000, following the adoption of the United Nations Millenn ...

, international trade, capital flows,

regional integration Regional Integration is a process in which neighboring countries enter into an agreement in order to upgrade cooperation through common institutions and rules. The objectives of the agreement could range from economic to political to enviro ...

as well as government transparency and disclosure. Among official multilateral institutions that AER has worked with are United Nations agencies, the

World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Inte ...

, the

International Monetary Fund The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is a major financial agency of the United Nations, and an international financial institution, headquartered in Washington, D.C., consisting of 190 countries. Its stated mission is "working to foster gl ...

, the

Asian Development Bank The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is a regional development bank established on 19 December 1966, which is headquartered in the Ortigas Center located in the city of Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, Philippines. The bank also maintains 31 field offi ...

, and the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been ...

. Among AER's international NGO partners are
Christian AidOxfam

Focus on the Global South Focus, or its plural form foci may refer to: Arts * Focus or Focus Festival, former name of the Adelaide Fringe arts festival in South Australia Film *''Focus'', a 1962 TV film starring James Whitmore * ''Focus'' (2001 film), a 2001 film base ...

, th
Global Transparency Initiative
th
International Development Economic Associates
(IDEAs) and the

Tax Justice Network The Tax Justice Network (or TJN) is an advocacy group consisting of a coalition of researchers and activists with a shared concern about tax avoidance, tax competition, and tax havens. Empirical results The TJN has reported on the OECD Base e ...

. It has also collaborated with renowned economists including Nobel Prize recipient

Joseph Stiglitz Joseph Eugene Stiglitz (; born February 9, 1943) is an American New Keynesian economist, a public policy analyst, and a full professor at Columbia University. He is a recipient of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences (2001) and th ...

and UN Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development Jomo K. Sundaram. AER writes weekly columns in two major Philippine business dailies
''Yellow Pad''
is published in the BusinessWorld and takes on political, social and economic policy issues affecting the

. Manuel Buencamino writes political commentaries for AER in the Business Mirror column, calle
''Dispatches from the Enchanted Kingdom''
These articles, policy papers, and statements can be found on th
AER website
as well as in th
Socioeconomic Research Portal of the Philippines
AER has publications such as The State and the Market : Essays on a Socially Oriented Philippine Economy and The Philippine Electric Power Industry Reform.Malaluan, Nepomuceno.(2003)The Philippine Electric Power Industry Reform: A tragedy of ADB and World Bank Private Sector Fundamentalism and Unaccountable Government. Quezon City: Action for Economic Reforms

References

External links

Action for Economic Reforms website

Rice Watch Action Network (R1)
- a group of organizations working to pursue policy changes in rice particularly in the area of trade and the nature of rice farming systems in the Philippines. Action for Economic Reforms is a member of R1. {{Authority control Research institutes in Metro Manila Think tanks based in the Philippines Political advocacy groups in the Philippines Economic reforms