IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jpolmo/v43y2021i1p56-75.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Public policies promoting the informal sector: Effects on incomes, employment and growth in Burkina Faso

Author

Listed:
  • Traoré, Jean Abel
  • Ouedraogo, Idrissa Mohamed

Abstract

Since the 1990s, Burkina Faso has intensified the implementation of supporting policies to enhance the access to capital and liquidity in the informal sector. This paper analyzes the effects of these public policies on incomes, employment and economic growth by taking into account the interactions between the informal sector, the formal sector and the agricultural sector. For that purpose, policy shocks are simulated through the Partnership for Economic Policy Network's static computable general equilibrium (CGE) model which is adapted to the structure of a 2008-based social accounting matrix developed by the International Food Policy Research Institute. Our results highlight mixed effects including a paradoxical contraction of the informal sector, the formal sector and economic growth as well as an improvement of the informal households and the farmers’ incomes.

Suggested Citation

  • Traoré, Jean Abel & Ouedraogo, Idrissa Mohamed, 2021. "Public policies promoting the informal sector: Effects on incomes, employment and growth in Burkina Faso," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 43(1), pages 56-75.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jpolmo:v:43:y:2021:i:1:p:56-75
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jpolmod.2020.08.002
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0161893820301058
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jpolmod.2020.08.002?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Costas Meghir & Renata Narita & Jean-Marc Robin, 2015. "Wages and Informality in Developing Countries," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 105(4), pages 1509-1546, April.
    2. Grimm, Michael & Knorringa, Peter & Lay, Jann, 2012. "Constrained Gazelles: High Potentials in West Africa’s Informal Economy," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 40(7), pages 1352-1368.
    3. Bosch, Mariano & Esteban-Pretel, Julen, 2015. "The labor market effects of introducing unemployment benefits in an economy with high informality," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 1-17.
    4. Arvin-Rad, Hassan & Basu, Arnab K. & Willumsen, Maria, 2010. "Economic reform, informal-formal sector linkages and intervention in the informal sector in developing countries: A paradox," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 19(4), pages 662-670, October.
    5. Fields, Gary S., 1975. "Rural-urban migration, urban unemployment and underemployment, and job-search activity in LDCs," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 2(2), pages 165-187, June.
    6. Nancy Benjamin & Ahmadou Aly Mbaye, 2012. "The Informal Sector in Francophone Africa : Firm Size, Productivity, and Institutions [Les entreprises informelles de l'Afrique de l'ouest francophone : Taille, productivité et institutions]," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 9364, December.
    7. Chaudhuri, Tamal Datta, 1989. "A theoretical analysis of the informal sector," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 17(3), pages 351-355, March.
    8. Jean Luc Erero & Lumengo Bonga-Bonga, 2018. "Effects of Reducing Tariffs in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) A CGE Analysis," Journal of Developing Areas, Tennessee State University, College of Business, vol. 52(3), pages 55-72, July-Sept.
    9. Dominik H. Enste & Friedrich Schneider, 2000. "Shadow Economies: Size, Causes, and Consequences," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 38(1), pages 77-114, March.
    10. Mano, Yukichi & Iddrisu, Alhassan & Yoshino, Yutaka & Sonobe, Tetsushi, 2012. "How Can Micro and Small Enterprises in Sub-Saharan Africa Become More Productive? The Impacts of Experimental Basic Managerial Training," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 40(3), pages 458-468.
    11. Roy, Malabika, 2006. "Effect of subsidy and entry into the informal sector with interlinkage," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 15(3), pages 383-397.
    12. Marcus H Böhme & Rainer Thiele, 2014. "Informal–Formal Linkages and Informal Enterprise Performance in Urban West Africa," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 26(4), pages 473-489, September.
    13. Friedrich Schneider & Dominik Enste, 1999. "Shadow Economies Around the World - Size, Causes, and Consequences," CESifo Working Paper Series 196, CESifo.
    14. Kelley, Bruce, 1994. "The informal sector and the macroeconomy: A computable general equilibrium approach for Peru," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 22(9), pages 1393-1411, September.
    15. Kuepie, Mathias & Nordman, Christophe J. & Roubaud, François, 2009. "Education and earnings in urban West Africa," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 37(3), pages 491-515, September.
    16. Charlot, Olivier & Malherbet, Franck & Terra, Cristina, 2015. "Informality in developing economies: Regulation and fiscal policies," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 1-27.
    17. Sen, Amartya, 1974. "Informational bases of alternative welfare approaches : Aggregation and income distribution," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 3(4), pages 387-403, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Traoré, Jean Abel & Ouedraogo, Idrissa Mohamed, 2015. "Public policies promoting the informal economy: effects on incomes, employment and growth in Burkina Faso," MPRA Paper 74760, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Albertini, Julien & Terriau, Anthony, 2019. "Informality over the life-cycle," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 182-202.
    3. Andres García-Suaza & Fernando Jaramillo & Marlon Salazar, 2023. "Tax policies, informality, and real wage rigidities," Borradores de Economia 1245, Banco de la Republica de Colombia.
    4. Floridi, A. & Wagner, N. & Cameron, J., 2016. "A study of Egyptian and Palestine trans-formal firms – A neglected category operating in the borderland between formality and informality," ISS Working Papers - General Series 619, International Institute of Social Studies of Erasmus University Rotterdam (ISS), The Hague.
    5. François Langot & Rossana Merola & Samil Oh, 2022. "Can taxes help ensure a fair globalization?," International Economics, CEPII research center, issue 171, pages 191-213.
    6. Traore, Abel & Ouedraogo, Idrissa, 2016. "Public policies promoting the informal economy: effects on incomes, employment and growth in Burkina Faso," Conference papers 332690, Purdue University, Center for Global Trade Analysis, Global Trade Analysis Project.
    7. Albertini Julien & Poirier Arthur & Sopraseuth Thepthida, 2020. "Informal work along the business cycle: evidence from Argentina," IZA Journal of Development and Migration, Sciendo & Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 11(1), pages 1-16, January.
    8. Norman V. Loayza, 2016. "Informality in the Process of Development and Growth," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(12), pages 1856-1916, December.
    9. Julia Friesen & Konstantin M. Wacker, 2019. "Who is Afraid of Informal Competition? The Role of Finance for Firms in Developing and Emerging Economies," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 31(4), pages 1126-1146, September.
    10. Vial, Virginie & Hanoteau, Julien, 2015. "Returns to Micro-Entrepreneurship in an Emerging Economy: A Quantile Study of Entrepreneurial Indonesian Households’ Welfare," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 142-157.
    11. Bachas, Pierre & Gadenne, Lucie & Jensen, Anders, 2020. "Informality, Consumption Taxes and Redistribution," The Warwick Economics Research Paper Series (TWERPS) 1277, University of Warwick, Department of Economics.
    12. Mohamed Amara, 2016. "The linkages between formal and informal employment growth in Tunisia: a spatial simultaneous equations approach," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 56(1), pages 203-227, January.
    13. Yépez, Carlos A., 2019. "Informality and international business cycles," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 252-263.
    14. Busato, Francesco & Chiarini, Bruno & Rey, Guido M., 2012. "Equilibrium implications of fiscal policy with tax evasion: A long run perspective," International Review of Law and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(2), pages 197-214.
    15. Kose, M. Ayhan & Elgin, Ceyhun & Ohnsorge, Franziska & Yu, Shu, 2021. "Understanding Informality," CEPR Discussion Papers 16497, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    16. Zenou, Yves, 2008. "Job search and mobility in developing countries. Theory and policy implications," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 86(2), pages 336-355, June.
    17. Becker, Dennis, 2014. "Informality among multi-product firms," Working Papers 250009, Cornell University, Department of Applied Economics and Management.
    18. Jean-Philippe Berrou & François Combarnous, 2018. "Beyond Solidarity and Accumulation Networks in Urban Informal African Economies," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 30(4), pages 652-675, September.
    19. Nahid Sultana & Mohammad Mafizur Rahman & Rasheda Khanam, 2022. "Informal Sector Employment and Economic Growth: Evidence from Developing Countries in SDG Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-19, September.
    20. Mahamoud, Ismael & Adair, Philippe, 2006. "Les enquêtes sur le secteur informel à Djibouti : une analyse comparative 1980-2001 [The surveys on the informal sector in Djibouti: A Comparative Analysis 1980-2001]," MPRA Paper 59136, University Library of Munich, Germany.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Informal sector; Public Policies; CGE model;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E26 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Informal Economy; Underground Economy
    • E16 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General Aggregative Models - - - Social Accounting Matrix
    • H81 - Public Economics - - Miscellaneous Issues - - - Governmental Loans; Loan Guarantees; Credits; Grants; Bailouts
    • O17 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Formal and Informal Sectors; Shadow Economy; Institutional Arrangements

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jpolmo:v:43:y:2021:i:1:p:56-75. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/inca/505735 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.