Enhancing the Benefits of Formalization: Experimental Evidence from the Introduction of the Entreprenant Status in Benin

Research Note
Published on 11 January 2017

Abstract

Using a randomized experiment, the authors show that enhancing the benefits of formalization through personalized assistance induces more firms to formalize. However, formalization appears to offer limited benefits to the firms, and the costs of assistance are high, suggesting that such enhanced formalization efforts are unlikely to be cost effective.

Authors

Najy Benhassine

World Bank

David McKenzie

World Bank

Victor Pouliquen

University of Oxford