Urban public finances in developing countries : a case study of metropolitan Ahahmedabad

A case study of the public finances of the urban government Ahmedabad, India is presented as part of an analytic and informational base that will increase consistency and confidence levels in decison making. The study provides: 1) an understanding of the operation of the fianance system in Ahmedabad; 2) a format for describing and analyzing this system; 3) a menu of the major problems facing the government of Ahmedabad; and 4) data that may be used to establish comparative norms against which aspects of performance or problem severity may be evaluated. There are three areas of the metropolitan financial system in Ahmedabad that need reform: budget structure and administration, expenditure planning, and tax structure. The objectives of these reforms would be to improve overall efficiency, to distribute tax burdens according to ability to pay, and to raise the level of resources available for financing public programs. Fiscal data are included.