THE ROLE OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS IN ADDRESSING INEQUALITY

Review of the monograph: Y. Shapoval, P. Kerimov, O. Kurbet, O. Shpanel-Yukhta. Economic inequality through the lens of finance in Ukraine

Abstract

The monograph “Economic inequality through the lens of finance in Ukraine”, prepared by research group of young scientists from the State Organization “Institute for Economics and Forecasting of the NAS of Ukraine”, is devoted to a systemic analysis of the mechanisms of the financial sector’s influence on the uneven distribution of economic opportunities in Ukraine. The book is published in English by the publishing house “Akademperiodyka”.

Structurally, the monograph contains eight chapters, which coherently reveal the influence of monetary and fiscal policies on income distribution, as well as the role of the middle class and digitalization in overcoming socio-economic polarization. The methodological framework of the study is a combination of logical-historical and comparative analysis with economic and mathematical tools. Among the results of the study are the decomposition of household incomes by decile groups, the ranking of fiscal policy instruments by their impact on inequality, middle class characterization, as well as the identification of two channels of digitalization’s impact: regional – through the expansion of mobile Internet access, and sectoral – through a technological advancement in industries with active implementation of digital solutions.

The monograph is of interest to researchers in the field of financial mechanisms for reducing inequality, as well as analysts in state socio-economic policy.