Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
7349035 Economics Letters 2018 4 Pages PDF
Abstract
This paper offers new insight into the question of why we have not seen microfinance programs lift beneficiary regions out of poverty. We suggest that the explanation may lie in the industry choice of microfinance participants: if borrowers tend to enter imperfectly competitive sectors, such as retail, there may be a “business-stealing” effect that reduces incomes of existing businesses. Our model shows that microfinance may lower total incomes at the village level. The result is related to the classic Mankiw and Whinston (1986) result on excess entry. The results imply that microfinance organizations may want to steer recipients away from the petty retail sector in some markets.
Related Topics
Social Sciences and Humanities Economics, Econometrics and Finance Economics and Econometrics
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