nep-mfd New Economics Papers
on Microfinance
Issue of 2022‒03‒07
two papers chosen by
Aastha Pudasainee and Olivier Dagnelie


  1. Subsidies to microfinance institutions: How do they affect cost efficiency and mission drift? By Anastasia Cozarenco; Valentina Hartarska; Ariane Szafarz
  2. E-money, Financial Inclusion and Mobile Money Tax in Sub-Saharan African Mobile Networks By Tarna Silue

  1. By: Anastasia Cozarenco; Valentina Hartarska; Ariane Szafarz
    Abstract: The costs and benefits of subsidized microfinance are still controversial. We utilize a cost-function estimation approach that accounts for the double bottom line (social and financial) of microfinance institutions (MFIs) to evaluate how subsidies affect both cost efficiency and risk of mission drift. We control for endogenous self-selection into the business models of credit-only versus credit-plus-deposit. Our results suggest that MFIs that both supply loans and collect deposits need no subsidies to be cost-efficient. In addition, subsidies to these MFIs are associated with an increase in deposit size, which might hurt the most disadvantaged depositors. In sum, combining subsidized funds from donors with deposits increases the risk of mission drift, and can therefore be socially undesirable.
    Keywords: Finance; Microfinance; Cost Efficiency; Scale Economies; Subsidies
    JEL: O14 D24 G21 O16 F35
    Date: 2022–02–22
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:sol:wpaper:2013/340133&r=
  2. By: Tarna Silue (CERDI - Centre d'Études et de Recherches sur le Développement International - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - UCA - Université Clermont Auvergne)
    Abstract: E-money and financial inclusion are both development challenges for developing countries, the former contributing to improving tax mobilization and the latter to achieving particular sustainable development objectives. However, one of the central financial inclusion and e-money services providers is mobile network operators using mobile money. The latter is subject to numerous taxes that can affect their operations. The paper studies the incidence of the new mobile money excise duty in the mobile networks sector on the adoption of electronic money and the advancement of financial inclusion through digital services in sub-Saharan countries. It appears that the introduction of the tax leads to an increase in user fees, which has a positive impact on demand for cash, and it is only in the presence of the latter that MM reduces the demand for cash for studied countries. In addition, the study assumes that tax administrations in these countries would raise more revenue without this excise because the tax is not conducive to the full adoption of e-money.
    Keywords: Financial inclusion,Mobile money,Tax incidence
    Date: 2021–07
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:cdiwps:hal-03281898&r=

This nep-mfd issue is ©2022 by Aastha Pudasainee and Olivier Dagnelie. It is provided as is without any express or implied warranty. It may be freely redistributed in whole or in part for any purpose. If distributed in part, please include this notice.
General information on the NEP project can be found at https://nep.repec.org. For comments please write to the director of NEP, Marco Novarese at <director@nep.repec.org>. Put “NEP” in the subject, otherwise your mail may be rejected.
NEP’s infrastructure is sponsored by the School of Economics and Finance of Massey University in New Zealand.