Can Enhancing the Benefits of Formalization Induce Informal Firms to Become Formal? Experimental Evidence from Benin

David McKenzie, Najy Benhassine, Victor Pouliquen and Massimiliano Santini

No 11764, CEPR Discussion Papers from C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers

Abstract: A randomized experiment based around the introduction of the entreprenant legal status in Benin is used to test the effectiveness of supplementary efforts to enhance the presumed benefits of formalization by facilitating its links to government training programs, support to open bank accounts, and tax mediation services. Few firms register when just given information about the new regime, but the full package of supplementary efforts boosts formalization by 16.3 percentage points. Firms that are larger, and that look more like formal firms to begin with, are more likely to formalize, providing guidance for better targeting of such policies

Keywords: Informality; Small enterprises; Regulatory simplification (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D21 H25 L26 O12 O17 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-exp and nep-iue
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Working Paper: Can enhancing the benefits of formalization induce informal firms to become formal ? experimental evidence from Benin (2016)
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