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The impact of microcredit on small firms in Brazil: A potential to promote investment, growth and inclusion

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  • Bettoni, Luis
  • Santos, Marcelo
  • Filho, Gilberto Oliveira

Abstract

Over the past decades, microfinance has become a pillar of economic development policies. However, despite the great popularity of micro-credit programs, the results of empirical studies are mixed. Thus, more research is needed to help us understand how effective microfinance is in achieving poverty reduction, economic development, and financial inclusion. This paper contributes to the literature by relying on a unique dataset from one of the biggest Fintech companies in Brazil to study the impact of microcredit on small firms’ outcomes. Using a difference-in-difference approach, we find that access to credit increases monthly revenues and profits by nearly 4.5%. We show that the effects are stronger for women-led businesses and less experienced entrepreneurs. In addition, we find that credit renewal strengthens the benefits of credit access. We discuss several policy implications from our results. In particular, the permanent availability of credit – as opposed to one-time/short-term interventions -- has greater potential to generate virtuous cycles of ever more reinvestment and growth, indicating larger gains from relaxing borrowing constraints in the long run.

Suggested Citation

  • Bettoni, Luis & Santos, Marcelo & Filho, Gilberto Oliveira, 2023. "The impact of microcredit on small firms in Brazil: A potential to promote investment, growth and inclusion," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 45(3), pages 592-608.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jpolmo:v:45:y:2023:i:3:p:592-608
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jpolmod.2023.04.005
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Microfinance; Economic development; Impact evaluation; Entrepreneurship;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D14 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Saving; Personal Finance
    • G21 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages
    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being
    • I32 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Measurement and Analysis of Poverty
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • O16 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Financial Markets; Saving and Capital Investment; Corporate Finance and Governance

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