Energy Subsidy Reform (ESRx)
Source details
- Canonical URL
- Energy Subsidy Reform (ESRx)
Other formats
Bibliographic details
- Published: October 1, 2025
Upcoming offerings
| Start date | End date | Location | Delivery Method | Session No. | Primary & (Interpretation) language | Apply |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1, 2026 | April 15, 2027 | Course conducted online | [Online Training](https://www.imf.org/en/capacity-development/training/icdtc/delivery-methods) | OL 26.132 | Arabic | [Apply online](https://www-ins.imf.org/TAS/signon.aspx?pkey=OL26.132A) by April 1, 2027 |
| May 1, 2026 | April 15, 2027 | Course conducted online | [Online Training](https://www.imf.org/en/capacity-development/training/icdtc/delivery-methods) | OL 26.135 | English | [Apply online](https://www-ins.imf.org/TAS/signon.aspx?pkey=OL26.132A) by April 1, 2027 |
Overview
- Course builds on extensive cross-country analysis and hands-on experience in design of technical assistance and subsidy reform to make recommendations on how best to reduce energy subsidies.
- Introduces the concept of energy subsidies, including their definition and measurement.
- Reviews economic, social, and environmental implications of energy subsidies.
- Presents toolkits to assess distributional effects of alternative subsidy reform scenarios and to design a fuel pricing mechanism.
- Reviews empirical evidence on what works best in energy subsidy reform and illustrates successes and failures in particular countries.
Target audience and qualifications
- Target audience:
- Officials in finance, economy, and planning ministries who provide advice on macroeconomic policies or implement policy.
- Qualifications:
- Some knowledge of economics would be helpful.
- Basic Microsoft Excel skills are essential.
Course objectives
- Explain the concept of energy subsidies, estimate pre- and post-tax subsidies, and describe their economic, social and environmental impact.
- Define corrective energy taxes and explain how to calculate them.
- Explain how to design robust subsidy reform strategies, and policies to mitigate the effects of subsidy reform on inflation and on household welfare.
- Use an Excel-based toolkit to assess the effects of alternative energy subsidy reform scenarios on households in different income groups.
- Design effective fuel pricing mechanisms to mitigate fuel price volatility.