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Author - Andrew-Purves

ANDREW PURVES

Andrew Purves was brought up in Hong Kong, Tokyo, New York and Edinburgh finally settling in London from 1981. Educated at Fettes College in Edinburgh, he went on to study Modern History and Politics at the University of London.

Andrew has worked in the retail of high end contemporary furniture and lighting for the last 30 years, with buying roles for Habitat and Liberty of Regent Street. He and his wife established their business, Purves & Purves in 1992, with a shop on Tottenham Court Road from 1992 to 2006, and they continue to supply furniture and lighting to the contract market in London and around the UK.

Andrew lectures in Economics at the School of Economic Science in London. He has a special interest in the concept of Economic Rent, how it arises and how it is currently captured by the landlord, how it could benefit society and how it can be maximised by the property developer. Henry George famously asserted that the collection of Economic Rent through a single tax, the Land Value Tax would bring about a more equitable distribution of wealth, and greater economic justice throughout the world. Since studying Economics Andrew has been looking for a practical application of this theory and believes the tax regime in Hong Kong to be the closest example.

Andrew is the author of our latest Ethical Economics book No Debt, High Growth, Low Tax, which documents the financial success of Hong Kong and Singapore and explains how their public wealth has benefitted from the collection of the Economic Rent of Land.

Read more about the book and order your copy by clicking on the cover image below.

Endorsements:

“This is an excellent book. It brings a highly informed, exterior perspective to the debate on the particulars of the remarkable Hong Kong Revenue Regime.”
Richard Cullen, University of Hong Kong

“Anyone eager to learn how cities with no natural resources can not only dodge urban decay, but actually grow rich and successful, should read this book by Andrew Purves. His description of the Hong Kong’s economic strategy is the best I have read.”
Stefan Fölster, Head of the Reform institute in Stockholm and adj. Professor at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. Author of The Public Wealth of Nations

“There is much recent interest in policies that can address the problem of inequality without at the same time having adverse effects on economic growth. Purves’ book, which focuses on the importance of the land tax system in explaining the economic success of Hong Kong, is a timely and important contribution to the debate.”
Sock-Yong Phang, Professor of Economics, Singapore Management University

“A well researched and easily read case for the merits of a simple and easily understood tax regime.”
Sir William Purves, Former Group Chairman, HSBC Holdings

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