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Evaluating The Impacts Of Microsaving: The Case Of Sewa Bank In India

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  • Gunhild Berg

    (KfW Development Bank)

Abstract

This paper estimates the impact of participating in the savings program of SEWA Bank in India on household income and consumption. Contrary to microcredit, microsaving has not received much attention in the empirical literature yet which can be explained by a lack of reliable household data. The paper uses panel data to account for individual unobserved effects that can lead to substantial biases when not being controlled for. I find that when controlling for self-selection, no significant impacts of the program can be observed and that naive estimates, which do not account for selection biases, severely overstate program impacts.

Suggested Citation

  • Gunhild Berg, 2010. "Evaluating The Impacts Of Microsaving: The Case Of Sewa Bank In India," Journal of Economic Development, Chung-Ang Unviersity, Department of Economics, vol. 35(1), pages 75-96, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:jed:journl:v:35:y:2010:i:1:p:75-96
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Mirko Bendig & Thankom Arun, 2011. "Microfinancial Services And Risk Management: Evidences From Sri Lanka," Journal of Economic Development, Chung-Ang Unviersity, Department of Economics, vol. 36(4), pages 97-126, December.
    2. Janina Isabel Steinert & Ani Movsisyan & Juliane Zenker & Ute Filipiak & Yulia Shenderovich, 2016. "Protocol for a Systematic Review: Saving Promotion Interventions for Improving Saving Behaviour and Reducing Poverty in Low‐ and Middle‐Income Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis," Campbell Systematic Reviews, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 12(1), pages 1-58.
    3. Balammal Aruna & Madhumathi R & Ganesh MP, 2019. "Performance Evaluation Frameworks in the Context of Indian Microfinance Institutions," Foundations of Management, Sciendo, vol. 11(1), pages 209-228, January.
    4. Gilbert O. Boateng & Akwasi A. Boateng & Harry S. Bampoe, 2015. "Microfinance And Poverty Reduction In Ghana: Evidence From Policy Beneficiaries," Review of Business and Finance Studies, The Institute for Business and Finance Research, vol. 6(1), pages 99-108.
    5. Brown, Martin & Guin, Benjamin & Kirschenmann, Karolin, 2013. "Microfinance Banks and Household Access to Finance," Working Papers on Finance 1302, University of St. Gallen, School of Finance.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Microfinance; Microsaving; Impact Evaluation; Panel Data; India;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth
    • O16 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Financial Markets; Saving and Capital Investment; Corporate Finance and Governance

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