Merima Ali

• 2025 Spring
  • ECN 101 Introductory Microeconomics
  • ECN 310 Special Topics In Economics - Economic Development of Africa
• 2024 Fall
  • ECN 101 Introductory Microeconomics
  • ECN 310 Special Topics In Economics - Economic Development of Africa
• 2024 Spring
  • ECN 101 Introductory Microeconomics
  • ECN 310 Special Topics In Economics - Economic Development of Africa
• 2023 Fall
  • ECN 101 Introductory Microeconomics
  • ECN 310 Special Topics In Economics - Economic Development of Africa
• 2023 Spring
  • ECN 101 Introductory Microeconomics
  • ECN 310 Special Topics In Economics - Economic Development of Africa

Merima Ali is a senior researcher at Chr. Michelsen Institute in Bergen, Norway, and a teaching assistant professor in the Department of Economics, Syracuse University. Her research focuses on economic development and policy. Her research papers have been published in peer-reviewed journals such as the Economic Journal, Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, Journal of Institutional Economics, and World Development. She teaches courses on economic development and microeconomics.

"Mapping Tax Compliance Costs for Businesses in Africa", Sponsored by International Centre for Taxation and Development.

"Taxing the urban boom in Tanzania: Interests, incentives and real estate in Dar es Salaam", Sponsored by Norwegian Embassy in Dar es Salaam.

"Electronic sales register machines, tax enforcement and tax outcomes", Sponsored by International Centre for Taxation and Development.

"A fair path towards universal coverage: National case study for Ethiopia, Uganda and Zambia", Sponsored by International Development Research Centre.

"Edible oil value-chain enhancement and clustering in Ethiopia", Sponsored by UNIDO.

• Journal Articles
  • Ali, M. A., Fieldstad, O., "Pre-colonial centralization and tax compliance norms in contemporary Uganda." Journal of Institutional Economics, 2023.
  • Fjeldstad, O., Ali, M. A. and Katera, L., "Policy implementation under stress: Central-local government relations in property tax collection in Tanzania." Journal of Financial Management of Property and Construction, 2019.
  • Ali, M. A., Fieldstad, O., Jiang, B. and Shifa, A. B., "Colonial Legacy, State-building and the Salience of Ethnicity in Sub-Saharan Africa." The Economic Journal, 2019.
  • Ali, M. A., "Policy implementation under stress: Central-local government relations in property tax collection in Tanzania." CMI Working Paper WP 1.
  • Villanger, E., Lloyd, R., Poate, D. and Ali, M. A., "Why can we not demonstrate the difference that Norwegian aid makes? An evaluation of the results measurement system and practice." Journal of Development Effectiveness, 2015.
  • Ali, M. A., Fjeldstad, O. and Sjursen, I. H., "To Pay or Not to Pay? Citizens’ Attitudes toward Taxation in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and South Africa." World Development, 2014.
  • Ali, M. A., Zhang, X. and Peerlings, J., "Clustering as an Organizational Response to Capital Market Inefficiency: Evidence from Microenterprises in Ethiopia." Small Business Economics, 2014.
• Article
  • Ali, M. A., Fieldstad, O., "Pre-colonial politics affects tax compliance in modern day Uganda." In LSE Blog at the London School of Economics. , 2023.
• Journal Review
  • Ali, M. A., Peerlings, J., "Value Added of Cluster Membership for Micro Enterprises of the Handloom Sector in Ethiopia." World Development, 2011.
• Policy Briefs
  • Ali, M. A., Government's role in cluster development for MSEs: Lessons from Ethiopia. CMI policy brief.
  • Ali, M. A., Fjeldstad, O. and Ketera, L., Property owners’ knowledge and attitudes towards property taxation in Tanzania. CMI policy insight, 2018.
  • Ali, M. A., Fjeldstad, O. and Ketera, L., Property Taxation in Developing Countries. CMI policy brief, 2017.
  • Ali, M. A., Fjeldstad, O. and Goodfellow, T., Taxing the urban boom: property taxation in Africa. CMI policy insight, 2017.
  • Ali, M. A., Coniglio, N. and Seric, A., Industrial Clusters Promotion as a tool for private sector development: The UNIDO experience in Ethiopia. CMI policy brief, 2013.

TaxCapDev-Network, "Pre-colonial centralization, fragility and state capacity in sub-Saharan Africa" (2018)

ICTD’s Annual Research Conference, "Regulatory Burdens in Tax Administration and Firms’ Compliance Cost in Africa" (2017)

Maxwell African Scholars Union, Syracuse University, "Colonial legacy, state building and the salience of ethnicity in Sub-Saharan Africa" (2015)

The Obama Administration’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), Syracuse University, "Economic Development and Efficient Tax Policy" (2015)

Econometric Society World Congress, "Information technology and fiscal capacity in a developing country: Micro-evidence from Ethiopia" (2015)

Principal Investigator: Mapping Tax Compliance Costs for Businesses in Africa, International Centre for Taxation and Development (2016)

Taxing the urban boom in Tanzania: Interests, incentives and real estate in Dar es Salaam, Norwegian Embassy in Dar es Salaam (2016)

Principal Investigator: Electronic sales register machines, tax enforcement and tax outcomes, International Centre for Taxation and Development (2015)

NORAD (2013)

UNIDO (2013)