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Cash transfer programs continue to be implemented and expanded by governments and non-government organizations in many low-income countries as a tool for poverty alleviation. When implemented at scale, such programs may have important short- and long-run implications for firms. However, there are relatively few opportunities to study how an economy responds to an exogenous shock of such a magnitude, and the response of the private sector is critical in determining how these types of shocks will propagate through the economy.

This project aims to rigorously identify what type of market arrangements and infrastructure provide the most sustainable environment for agricultural rental markets of equipment to arise, or how the entry of formal rental opportunities impact informal renting arrangements.

Can firms be encouraged to formalise their hiring process? This project aims to answer this question in the context of Ethiopia, through an RCT that addresses two of the main factors behind the lack of formality.

This project seeks to leverage an existing relationship with a large private utility company in Pakistan to rigorously evaluate the effects of energy quality on small business' outcomes.