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How Should the Government Bring Small Firms into the Formal System ? Experimental Evidence from Malawi

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  • Campos,Francisco Moraes Leitao
  • Goldstein,Markus P.
  • Mckenzie,David J.

Abstract

Developing country governments seek to reduce the pervasive informality of firms for multiple reasons: increasing the tax base, helping firms access formal markets and grow, increasing the rule of law, and as a means to obtain data that can be used for other government functions. However, there is debate as to the best approach for achieving these goals. This study conducted a randomized experiment in Malawi to test three alternatives: (a) assisting firms to obtain a business registration certificate that offers access to formal markets but imposes no tax obligations; (b) assisting firms to obtain business registration and tax registration; and (c) supplementing the assistance to obtain business registration with a bank information session intended to help firms utilize one of the key potential benefits of formalizing. The study finds incredibly high demand for obtaining a formal status that is separate from tax obligations, and very low take-up of tax registration. Business registration alone has no impact on access to formal markets or firm performance. However, coupling registration assistance with the bank information session increases the use of formal financial services, and results in increases in firm sales by 20 percent and profits by 15 percent. The results highlight the advantages of separating business and tax registration, but also the need to assist firms in benefiting from their new formal status.

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  • Campos,Francisco Moraes Leitao & Goldstein,Markus P. & Mckenzie,David J., 2018. "How Should the Government Bring Small Firms into the Formal System ? Experimental Evidence from Malawi," Policy Research Working Paper Series 8601, The World Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:8601
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    Cited by:

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    3. Blagica Petreski & Marjan Petreski, 2022. "Unregistered micro-performers of business activity in North Macedonia: Analysis with recommendations for a policy action," Finance Think Policy Studies 2022-07/43, Finance Think - Economic Research and Policy Institute.
    4. Emmanuel U. Haruna, 2023. "The multidimensional effect of financial development on the shadow economy in Africa: A dynamic panel analysis approach," International Economics and Economic Policy, Springer, vol. 20(2), pages 327-365, May.
    5. Kose, M. Ayhan & Elgin, Ceyhun & Ohnsorge, Franziska & Yu, Shu, 2021. "Understanding Informality," CEPR Discussion Papers 16497, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    6. Jessen, Jonas & Kluve, Jochen, 2021. "The effectiveness of interventions to reduce informality in low- and middle-income countries," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 138.
    7. Roy, Devesh & Gupta, Manavi & Kishore, Avinash & Saroj, Sunil, 2021. "Analyzing the Most Poverty Sensitive Non-Farm Sector in India: A Case Study of Food Enterprises Using Enterprise and Labor Force Surveys," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315869, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    8. Torm, Nina & Oehme, Marty, 2024. "Social protection and formalization in low- and middle-income countries: A scoping review of the literature," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 181(C).
    9. Alan Finkelstein Shapiro & Victoria Nuguer, 2024. "Climate policies, labour markets and macroeconomic outcomes in emerging economies," BIS Working Papers 1204, Bank for International Settlements.
    10. Floridi, A. & Demena, B.A. & Wagner, N., 2019. "Shedding light on the shadows of informality," ISS Working Papers - General Series 642, International Institute of Social Studies of Erasmus University Rotterdam (ISS), The Hague.
    11. Grover,Arti Goswami & Imbruno,Michele, 2020. "Using Experimental Evidence to Inform Firm Support Programs in Developing Countries," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9461, The World Bank.
    12. Acevedo, Manuela & Angel, Andrés & Acosta, Camilo, 2023. "Access to Formal Financial Markets and Microbusiness Formalization in Colombia," Coyuntura Económica, Fedesarrollo, vol. 53, pages 51-79, December.
    13. Sarah Xue Dong & Dewi Meisari & Banu Rinaldi, 2021. "Out of the shadow: Encouraging online registration of micro and small businesses through a randomized controlled trial," Departmental Working Papers 2021-05, The Australian National University, Arndt-Corden Department of Economics.
    14. Floridi, Andrea & Demena, Binyam Afewerk & Wagner, Natascha, 2020. "Shedding light on the shadows of informality: A meta-analysis of formalization interventions targeted at informal firms," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    15. Mascagni, Giulia & Santoro, Fabrizio & Mukama, Denis & Karangwa, John & Hakizimana, Napthal, 2022. "Active Ghosts: Nil-filing in Rwanda," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 152(C).
    16. Finkelstein-Shapiro, Alan & Nuguer, Victoria, 2023. "Climate Policies, Labor Markets, and Macroeconomic Outcomes in Emerging Economies," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 12813, Inter-American Development Bank.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Business in Development; Gender and Development; Judicial System Reform; Access to Finance; Transport Services;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O17 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Formal and Informal Sectors; Shadow Economy; Institutional Arrangements
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • C93 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Field Experiments
    • D22 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Empirical Analysis
    • H41 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - Public Goods
    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship

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