MindLab Behavioural Insights Unit (BIU)
The Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (GoKP), with support from SEED Program, has set up Pakistan’s first Behavioural Insights Unit within the Finance Department, to use behavioural science for cost-effective, citizen-centred, and easily implementable solutions to complex policy problems. SEED reached out to the B4Development Foundation―Qatar’s ‘Nudge Unit’, ― to develop a comprehensive proposal for the Unit.
SEED and B4D have since been working closely with the Finance Department for setting up the unit. Government officials from the Finance Department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Revenue Authority, and the Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Department, are being trained by world-renowned behavioural science experts engaged with B4Development. The trained officials will soon become part of the Unit and explore which behavioural tools may help improve taxpayer morale and compliance in KP.
The MindLab BIU will initially focus on revenue mobilisation from provincial taxes. The first experiment, in partnership with KPRA, has been running since June 2022. It focuses on gauging the impact of behaviourally informed SMS messages on the filing rates of the sales tax on service. SMS messages - base line and intervention - are being sent to 18087 registered taxpayers and the impact of the messages will be analysed across different sectors, tax payer types and gender. In the future, it may be repurposed to support behavioural adjustments in other policy domains, such as health, sanitation, and traffic rules compliance.
SPACE DESIGN
6.4 WALL DESIGNS - PLACARD NUDGES
ACTUAL SPACE DESIGN - MIND LAB
