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on Informal and Underground Economics |
| By: | Ghorpade, Yashodhan; Franco Restrepo, Camila; Castellanos Rodriguez, Luis Eduardo |
| Abstract: | This paper provides conceptual definitions and distinctions between formalization, worker protection and productivity enhancement, and examines the impact of social protection and labor market policies in achieving these inter-related yet distinct policy goals. Focusing on empirical evidence from low- and middle-income countries collated from over 200 reviewed studies, reports, and documents, the authors find that workforce formalization is best achieved through macroeconomic and firm-level policies and through the extension of social insurance programs to the informally employed. Other social protection and labor market programs may only contribute marginally and indirectly to formalization. Workers’ protection is best enhanced through social insurance, social assistance, economic inclusion, and health benefits programs, and not as much through voluntary savings schemes, microinsurance, or wage subsidies on their own. Finally, the authors find that workers’ productivity can be enhanced through social assistance and economic inclusion programs, and the provision of childcare services. Contrary to expectations, labor market programs such as short-term job search assistance, vocational training, and job search assistance do not appear have a sustained impact on labor productivity among the informally employed. The authors outline guidelines and considerations for adopting the right mix of policies for pursuing formalization, protection, and productivity objectives, depending on the characteristics of workers and the economy, and argue for the prioritization of enhancing worker protection and productivity over pursuing formalization for its own sake. |
| Date: | 2024–03–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:hdnspu:188471 |
| By: | Ronconi, Lucas (University of Buenos Aires); Raphael, Steven (University of California, Berkeley) |
| Abstract: | This paper reviews recent efforts in social science to analyze labor enforcement in low-and-middle income countries (LMIC) and inform policy debates. Despite the existing limitations, the empirical evidence suggests that: 1) Enforcement is quite low in LMIC; there are fewer inspectors and inspections, lower penalties, and less trust in the judiciary compared to developed countries. 2) Increasing enforcement produces more compliance with little job destruction, although there is substantial debate and heterogeneity across countries. 3) Countries with more protective labor codes tend to enforce less. 4) Countries that become more open to trade also tend to enforce less. However, trade agreements with special clauses protecting workers can promote higher labor enforcement. 5) Inspection agencies in LMIC tend to focus their efforts on formal firms, leaving informal firms out of the radar which implies that the most vulnerable workers are usually excluded. 6) The constituency base of the government shapes labor enforcement, wherein labor-based governments devote more resources to inspection, although this is a debated issue. 7) Labor unions help promote enforcement, although in LMIC they can displace public inspections from small informal firms to larger formal firms because there is where labor unions members work. 8) Autonomous and professional bureaucracies do more labor enforcement presumably because they internalize the long-run benefits of enforcing the law and allow inspectors to accumulate experience. |
| Keywords: | labor, inspections, enforcement, informality, development, judiciary |
| JEL: | J88 K42 O43 P48 |
| Date: | 2024–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izapps:pp210 |
| By: | Apeti, Ablam Estel; Edoh, Eyah Denise |
| Abstract: | Digital financial services like mobile money are increasingly prevalent in developing countries as an alternative to traditional financial services. For many governments, they have become critical components of domestic revenue mobilisation, tax administration modernisation, and broader tax reform. However, making tax administration more efficient and maximising voluntary compliance is a very difficult task. The existing literature on the relationship between mobile money and tax performance in developing countries is limited, although it does show the potential of mobile money to improve tax performance. This paper aims to fill the gap by investigating the relationship between mobile money and the quality of tax policy and administration in developing economies and highlighting some mechanisms underlying these findings, including a lower tax compliance burden, a smaller informal sector, and lower corruption. |
| Keywords: | Finance, |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:idq:ictduk:18265 |
| By: | Mariona Mas-Montserrat; Céline Colin; Bert Brys |
| Abstract: | Presumptive tax regimes (also known as simplified tax regimes) intend to reduce tax compliance costs for micro and small businesses (and enforcement costs for the tax administration) while levying a lower tax burden as compared to the standard tax system. This working paper compiles detailed information on the presumptive tax regimes existing in a selection of OECD and non-OECD countries, identifies common practices adopted across the countries examined and provides multiple examples of best practices observed in these regimes. These examples can serve as guidance to policy makers and tax administrations to strengthen particular features of the presumptive tax regimes implemented in their jurisdictions. Lastly, the paper highlights the main challenges generally observed in the presumptive tax regimes under study, which might undermine the role of these regimes in incentivising business formalisation and strengthening tax compliance over time. |
| Keywords: | micro and small business taxation, presumptive tax regimes, simplified tax regimes, tax policy design |
| JEL: | H25 |
| Date: | 2024–03–19 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:oec:ctpaaa:69-en |
| By: | Kang’oro, Dorothy; Ngerero, Fidele; Odongo, Ignatius |
| Abstract: | The increasing digitalisation of African economies over the past decade, and the spread of mobile money and digital financial services (DFS), present opportunities and challenges to tax administrations in Africa. In principle, the use of digital technologies and expanded use of DFS offer access to new digitised data, increased transparency, and an improved taxpayer experience. However, studies show that tax administrations face important challenges in how best to develop their capacity to use digitised data, and to re-align operations and skills to new digitalised operating models. |
| Keywords: | Finance, Technology, |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:idq:ictduk:18263 |
| By: | Jennifer De la Cruz (Departamento de Economía de la Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú.) |
| Abstract: | Empirical studies suggest that credit constraints prevent the development of Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs). This study contributes to the analysis by exploring whether higher regional financial development affects the creation and growth of MSEs in Peru. Based on four cross-sectional databases, mainly the 2018 National Household Survey on Living Conditions and Poverty, this paper finds that there is a positive impact on entrepreneur profits; however, the effect is negative on the likelihood of running a business. Interactions between informality and financial frictions may explain this result. Informal financing emerges as an alternative in this context. This study addresses endogeneity issues by using the number of commercial bank branches per 1, 000 inhabitants in 1995 as an instrument of the degree of regional financial development in 2018. JEL Classification-JE: G20, O16, R11. |
| Keywords: | Financial Development, Micro and Small Enterprises, Informal Finance, Instrumental Variables. |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pcp:pucwps:wp00532 |