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Entry regulation and formalization of microenterprises in developing countries

Author

Listed:
  • Bruhn, Miriam
  • McKenzie, David
Abstract
The majority of microenterprises in most developing countries remain informal despite more than a decade of reforms aimed at making it easier and cheaper for them to formalize. This paper summarizes the evidence on the effects of entry reforms and related policy actions to promote firm formalization. Most of these policies result only in a modest increase in the number of formal firms, if at all. Less is known about the impact of other forms of business regulations on the performance of low-scale enterprises. Most informal firms appear not to benefit on net from formalizing, so ease of formalization alone will not lead to most of them formalizing. Increased enforcement of rules can increase formality. Although there is a fiscal benefit of doing this with larger informal firms, it is unclear whether there is a public rationale for trying to formalize subsistence enterprises.

Suggested Citation

  • Bruhn, Miriam & McKenzie, David, 2013. "Entry regulation and formalization of microenterprises in developing countries," Policy Research Working Paper Series 6507, The World Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:6507
    as

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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Junmin Wan, 2010. "The Incentive to Declare Taxes and Tax Revenue: The Lottery Receipt Experiment in China," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 14(3), pages 611-624, August.
    2. Gustavo Henrique de Andrade & Miriam Bruhn & David McKenzie, 2016. "A Helping Hand or the Long Arm of the Law? Experimental Evidence on What Governments Can Do to Formalize Firms," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 30(1), pages 24-54.
    3. McKenzie, David & Seynabou Sakho, Yaye, 2010. "Does it pay firms to register for taxes? The impact of formality on firm profitability," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 91(1), pages 15-24, January.
    4. Kaplan, David S. & Piedra, Eduardo & Seira, Enrique, 2011. "Entry regulation and business start-ups: Evidence from Mexico," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 95(11), pages 1501-1515.
    5. David McKenzie, 2011. "How Can We Learn Whether Firm Policies Are Working in Africa? Challenges (and Solutions?) For Experiments and Structural Models -super-†," Journal of African Economies, Centre for the Study of African Economies, vol. 20(4), pages 600-625, August.
    6. Gustavo Henrique de Andrade & Miriam Bruhn & David McKenzie, 2013. "A Helping Hand or the Long Arm of the Law?," World Bank Publications - Reports 22623, The World Bank Group.
    7. Sendhil Mullainathan & Philipp Schnabl, 2010. "Does Less Market Entry Regulation Generate More Entrepreneurs? Evidence from a Regulatory Reform in Peru," NBER Chapters, in: International Differences in Entrepreneurship, pages 159-177, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    8. Fajnzylber, Pablo & Maloney, William F. & Montes-Rojas, Gabriel V., 2011. "Does formality improve micro-firm performance? Evidence from the Brazilian SIMPLES program," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(2), pages 262-276, March.
    9. Miriam Bruhn, 2011. "License to Sell: The Effect of Business Registration Reform on Entrepreneurial Activity in Mexico," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 93(1), pages 382-386, February.
    10. De Giorgi, Giacomo & Rahman, Aminur, 2013. "SME’s registration: Evidence from an RCT in Bangladesh," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 120(3), pages 573-578.
    11. repec:bla:rdevec:v:14:y:2010:i:s1:p:611-624 is not listed on IDEAS
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    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    Keywords

    Microfinance; Small Scale Enterprise; E-Business; Business in Development; Competitiveness and Competition Policy;
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