Researcher
Viljar Haavik
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Summary
Viljar Haavik is a Research Fellow affiliated with the Research Group on Peace, Conflict and Development. His work focuses on peace and conflict, taxation, and state-building in Africa.
His doctoral research examined the relationships between taxation, state-society relations, and political authority in fragile states, with a particular focus on Mali and Liberia in West-Africa. The PhD was part of the research project Strengthening Fragile States through Taxation (FRAGTAX).
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Clear all filtersTrust and taxation in Zanzibar’s tourism sector
This report examines how trust shapes tax compliance in Zanzibar’s vital tourism sector, based on a survey of 316 tour operators. While most operators demonstrate a strong sense of civic duty and a high willingness to pay taxes, trust in tax authorities remains moderate. The findings highlight that compliance depends not only on enforcement, but also on clarity, fairness, and reciprocity as businesses are more likely to trust tax authorities when rules are easy to understand and when tax payments translate into visible public benefits. At the same time, the report shows that administrative complexity, unclear procedures, and unpredictable fee changes continue to challenge tour operators, with some willing to make use of informal coping strategies despite prevailing norms in favour of compliance. It concludes that improving communication, simplifying the tax system, and strengthening the perceived link between taxes and public services could play a key role in enhancing both trust and revenue collection in Zanzibar’s most important industry.
Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire: Geopolitical upheaval and democracy under strain
The regional neighbourhood of Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, two of West Africa’s most stable democracies, has become increasingly volatile. Drawing on empirical data from fieldwork carried out in Accra and Abidjan in June 2025, this report highlights a set of cross-cutting and interlinked issues that Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire have to navigate. This report is part of a project financed by the Norwegian MFA.
Trump 2.0 og internasjonal politikk
I denne spesialrapporten har Senter for geopolitikk samlet en rekke bidrag fra forskere tilknyttet senteret, fra Fridtjof Nansen Institutt, Institutt for Forsvarsstudier, Universitetet i Oslo, UiT – Norges Arktiske Universitet og Norsk Utenrikspolitisk Institutt. Bidragene setter søkelys på noen konkrete temaer som inntak til å forstå et USA i endring og hva det vil kunne bety for andre stater, og for utviklingen på konkrete politikkfelt. Rapporten har særlig fokus på hva disse endringene, hver for seg og samlet, betyr for Europa og Norge. En oppdatert versjon ble publisert 12.06.25, klokken 12.40.
Lessons from Tanzania’s property tax reform in 2021: Perceptions of fairness and efficiency
This study examines the effectiveness and taxpayer perceptions of Tanzania’s 2021 property tax reform, which introduced the use of electricity tokens for tax payment. The reform aimed to simplify tax collection and improve compliance by linking payments of property tax electricity purchases through the state-owned electricity provider Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited (TANESCO). A survey of 509 property owners in Dar es Salaam and Morogoro reveals high awareness of the reform (81%), but mixed views on its fairness and equity. Many respondents (55%) believe the reform did not achieve equitable distribution of the tax burden. However, the use of electricity tokens was seen as efficient and cost-effective by 57% of respondents. Despite these operational advantages, concerns about fairness and limited reductions in tax burdens for lower-income groups persisted. The findings suggest that while the reform has improved administrative efficiency, more attention is needed to address issues of equity and public trust in the system. Policymakers are encouraged to consider valuation-based tax methods to ensure a fairer distribution of the property tax burden.
Failed International Interventions and the Making of New Social Contracts in Mali
Mali's 2020 coup brought Colonel Assimi Goïta to power. Despite security crises and economic struggles, Goïta enjoys strong public support, substantially exceeding that enjoyed by the ousted, democratically elected leader. In exploring this paradox, this article argues that Goïta has crafted a new social contract based not on public services but on a strongman narrative, portraying himself as Mali's defender. The regime has leveraged dissatisfaction with international interventions to frame Goïta as an `exceptional man' in `exceptional times', in ways that resonate with Malian myths and traditions. This has important ramifications for debates about African agencies and international interventions.
Tax and state-society relations – is there such a thing as a fiscal contract?
Is there truly such a thing as a fiscal contract? Could other factors beyond fiscal exchange play a more important role in shaping social contracts in certain societies? What limitations does the fiscal contract model have, and what implications does this have for development policies in different contexts? This seminar will explore these questions and challenge conventional understandings of the fiscal contract.
Grand Bassa and the 50/50 tax pilot: “A brilliant idea, but…”
This research note examines the implementation of property tax in Liberia. Based on original fieldwork data, the note analyses taxpayers' perceptions of the new tax system in the light of their experiences with public services, development projects and the political system.
Vaksinediplomati
Tidenes største vaksineringskampanje er sett i gong i kampen mot koronaviruset. Mens rike, vestlege land har hamstra vaksinedosar, står dei afrika...
Policy brief summarising the EU and other stakeholder’s prevention strategy towards violent extremism in the region, Middle East
The EU-Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Preventive Violent Extremism (PvE) co-operation is wide-ranging, and has been since a formalized partnership between the EU and MENA countries was outlined in the 1995 Barcelona Declaration. It has nevertheless received added attention following numerous terrorist attacks within the EU during the last decade; and European foreign fighters have been linked to the attacks in Paris in 2015; in Brussels, Berlin, and Nice in 2016; and in Manchester, London, and Barcelona in 2017.