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While cities piloting China's Social Credit System attract attention, rural areas in China are experimenting with reputation-based credit systems called 'banks of virtue'. These local institutions unlock cheap loans and other benefits for citizens who prove virtuous character. Based on empirical data, this article investigates how banks of virtue combine techniques of metrics known from capitalist credit systems with an inherently localized and personal evaluation procedure. As hybrid forms of organizing access to credit, this article argues, banks of virtue offer an alternative, rural answer to the 'right to credit' that emerged in debates concerning capitalist economies. While they combine multiple goals of the national rural revitalization and Social Credit System strategies, such as the creation of a 'civilized' rural society and the allocation of credit to small businesses and households, their reliance on citizen participation casts doubts over their capacity to achieve these goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the effects of the bankruptcy benefit and adverse events on the consumer bankruptcy decision. Employing zero‐inflated ordered probit models and a unique longitudinal survey of approximately 66,000 individuals in Great Britain, we find that consumers are more likely to enter into bankruptcy proceedings when the bankruptcy benefit increases and when they become unemployed. We find that the effects of adverse events differ across bankruptcy types. Individuals who experience the onset of health problems are more likely to choose reorganization of debts (i.e., income gleaning), whereas individuals who get divorced or separated are more likely to prefer the discharge of debts (i.e., fresh start). We also examine access to credit after bankruptcy. We find that individuals are excluded from the credit markets post‐bankruptcy and the impact differs across bankruptcy types. Credit exclusion for fresh starters is dramatic, swift but short‐lived, while for income gleaners, it is gradual, slow but lasts longer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How do changes in inflation and financial market development affect the size of the shadow economy? Previous studies show that lowering the tax rate, coupled with increasing the level of tax enforcement through policing and imposing high penalties for tax evasion may reduce the size of the shadow economy. While increasing the level of enforcement may be a viable strategy, most developing countries are unable to effectively enforce their tax laws. Based on empirical observations, we suggest that monetary authority could play an important role in this regard. Using a two-sector dynamic general equilibrium model of a small open economy, we demonstrate how monetary policy can be used to reduce the size of the shadow economy. The results suggest that, conditional on access to credit, a rise in inflation leads to a reduction in the size of the shadow economy. With little or no access to credit, such a policy will be ineffective. We evaluate alternative policy measures to achieve a targeted size of the informal sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista de Ciencias Sociales (13159518) is the property of Revista de Ciencias Sociales de la Universidad del Zulia Venezuela and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

We examine the effect of regional favoritism on the access of firms to credit. Using firm-level data on a large sample of 29,000 firms covering 47 countries, we investigate the hypothesis that firms in the birth regions of national political leaders have better access to credit. Our evidence suggests that firms located in birth regions of political leaders are less likely to be credit constrained. We further find that firms in leader regions feel less discouraged in applying for loans and also get preferential lending from banks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potential borrowers' demand for credit is restrained by agricultural risk, while microfinance institutions favor male over female farmers because the latter have no collateral. We investigate whether women's membership in cooperatives facilitates access to credit. Primary data from Kenya were used. Descriptive statistics, propensity score matching, and probit regression methods were applied. The results show that 78 % of the respondents did not apply for credit mostly because of high interest rates and being risk-averse; while 60 % of those denied credit were due to lack of collateral. The estimates indicate that joining cooperatives increases the probability of female farmers' access to credit; transparency in cooperatives' financial activities increases the probability of accessing credit by 72 %. Given the core role of cooperatives, there is a need for a favorable environment in which cooperatives can form, develop, and thrive. Cooperatives need support from the government and development agencies to buffer their financial and management capacities and skills training. Subsequently bolstering women farmers' participation in cooperatives.

Abstract With increasing human-induced environmental degradation, women's nature-based livelihood activities are threatened. In semi-arid northern Ghana, shea processing (i.e., shea butter, a derivative of shea nut from the shea tree), a vital women-dominated economic activity, is at risk as naturally occurring shea trees continue to decline in numbers and productivity. The decline of the shea tree's number and productivity and the ensuing biodiversity loss have sparked conservation efforts by governments and local communities. This includes community-led conservation models, which have recently gained traction in the Global South. Ghana implemented the Community Resource Management Areas (CREMA)—a community-led conservation model to improve biodiversity and ecosystem services, including shea trees conservation in response to climate change. Research has not explored the impacts of community-led conservation efforts on women’s nature-based livelihoods in Ghana. Using a mixed-methods approach involving surveys (n = 517) and focus group discussions (n = 8), this study explored shea productivity outcomes under CREMAs. Findings show that women residing in CREMAs had significantly better shea harvesting outcomes than those outside CREMAs (α = −53.725; P

With increasing human-induced environmental degradation, women's nature-based livelihood activities are threatened. In semi-arid northern Ghana, shea processing (i.e., shea butter, a derivative of shea nut from the shea tree), a vital women-dominated economic activity, is at risk as naturally occurring shea trees continue to decline in numbers and productivity. The decline of the shea tree's number and productivity and the ensuing biodiversity loss have sparked conservation efforts by governments and local communities. This includes community-led conservation models, which have recently gained traction in the Global South. Ghana implemented the Community Resource Management Areas (CREMA)—a community-led conservation model to improve biodiversity and ecosystem services, including shea trees conservation in response to climate change. Research has not explored the impacts of community-led conservation efforts on women's nature-based livelihoods in Ghana. Using a mixed-methods approach involving surveys (n = 517) and focus group discussions (n = 8), this study explored shea productivity outcomes under CREMAs. Findings show that women residing in CREMAs had significantly better shea harvesting outcomes than those outside CREMAs (α = −53.725; P < 0.01). These findings demonstrate the potential for targeted conservation initiatives that are community-led, such as the CREMAs, to improve the conservation of economically significant naturally occurring trees like Shea. With the increasing impacts of climate change and environmental degradation, such models would be instrumental in achieving sustainable development goals like SDG5-gender equality, SDG10-reduced inequalities, SDG13-Climate action, SDG14-life below water, and SDG14-life on land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite recent efforts in Peru to boost financial inclusion, significant issues of exclusion persist, especially among vulnerable groups. This article aims to identify and analyze areas at risk of financial exclusion using a multifaceted methodology: the Financial Access Survey (FAS) for comparative analysis (Peru versus other countries and regions), geographical-distribution analysis, and the Access to Cash Index (ACI) methodology. Findings reveal that remote rural areas of Peru, particularly those inland, as well as mountainous or jungle regions, face higher risks of financial exclusion due to low digital literacy, limited digital banking usage, sparse branch and ATM networks, and inadequate transportation infrastructure. These insights can inform targeted public policies to enhance financial inclusion in Peru, as well as the development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate patterns of racial bias in small business loans denial rates in the US across different credit risk scores. Using data constructed from the 1998 Survey of Small Business Finances and Kauffman Firm Survey, we find disparities in loan approval ratings between Black and White entrepreneurs in intermediate risk categories, but not for the best and worst categories. We explain these findings with a simple and generalizable statistical discrimination model where banks hold prior beliefs of repayment probability based on the applicant's group and observe noisy signals of creditworthiness. Our model predicts that differences in loan denial rates across groups are more pronounced at middle range values and disappear at very high and very low credit scores. Identifying the likely cause of differential treatment in the market is an important first step in improving representation of minority groups as entrepreneurs. Our findings contribute to this critical effort by delineating the nature of racial bias in the credit market and informing remediation policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) lending among African American and white farmers. Using data from the U.S. Small Business Administration we run fixed effect estimations with a Mills inverse ratio. Our findings suggest discrimination due to limited capital access. We find statistically significant differences between approved loan amounts among African American farmers due to income level and location of their farms. These had minimal effects on white farmers. Our results call for policymakers to carefully monitor the PPP distribution in areas more vulnerable to financial difficulties. We provide policy recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building climate resilience is vital owing to the potentially severe effect of climate change. However, there is limited empirical evidence on the contribution of financial inclusion to climate resilience using household-level data. This paper adds to the literature by examining the potential role of financial inclusion in building farm households' climate resilience. The study uses semi-structured interviews and structured questionnaires to collect relevant data from the Sidama region in southern Ethiopia. Principal component analysis is used to estimate a climate resilience index, and multiple linear regression is used to show the effect of financial inclusion on climate resilience. The results show that financial inclusion significantly and positively affects households' climate resilience by increasing their asset ownership and diversification of income. Ownership of bank and microfinance institution accounts, mobile money services, and access to credit are the major financial services that contribute to climate resilience. However, there are certain factors limiting farm households' level of financial inclusion. Thus, if the full potential of financial inclusion in building climate resilience is to be achieved, different strategies should be devised to increase its level and outreach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To analyze whether the occurrence of elections affects access to credit for firms, we perform an investigation using firm‐level data covering 44 developed and developing countries. The results show that elections impair access to credit. Specifically, firms have lower access to credit in election years and pre‐election years as elections exacerbate political uncertainty. While higher borrower discouragement is a tangible negative effect of elections, their occurrence per se does not seem to affect loan acceptance by banks. We also document that the negative relationship between elections and credit access is shaped by country and election characteristics as well as firm characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IntroductionAccess to credit and information and communication technology (ICT) plays a pivotal role in enhancing the practices of small-scale sugarcane farmers, impacting their financial, social, and economic wellbeing. However, many small-scale farmers need help accessing these resources, thereby affecting their ability to generate sustainable income. This study aimed to assess the factors influencing the adoption of ICT and access to credit and their subsequent impact on small-scale farmers' income.MethodsEmploying a multistage sampling technique, 300 small-scale farmers were selected as participants in the study. The recursive bivariate probit regression model was used to assess the factors affecting adoption ICT and a selectivity-corrected ordinary least square regression model was utilized to estimate the synergistic effect of ICT adoption and access to credit on the income of small-scale sugarcane farmers.Results and discussionThe findings revealed that approximately 77% of small-scale farmers had access to credit, while more than 80% had adopted ICT. The results derived from the recursive bivariate probit (RBP) regression model indicated that access to credit, education, and extension support positively and significantly influenced the adoption of ICT. Conversely, marital status and non-farm income exhibited a negative and significant influence on the adoption of ICT. Gender and marital status were positively and significantly associated with access to credit, whereas age, education, and non-farm income showed a negative and significant relationship on access to credit. Subsequently, a selectivity-corrected ordinary least square regression model analysis revealed that factors such as gender, marital status, extension, government support, and transportation costs positively and significantly influenced farmer's income. In contrast, education, employment status, and non-farm income exhibited a negative and significant influence on income.Conclusion and recommendationsThe study concludes that socio-demographic factors, such as gender, marital status, extension support, government support, and transportation costs, positively contribute to farmers' income. Small-scale sugarcane farmer involvement in other non-farm activities is associated with reduced farm income. This implies that farmers' livelihoods options are reduced as they can only focus on sugarcane development as a source of income. There is a pressing need to educate small-scale farmers on ICT and provide them with access to agricultural credit. Additionally, extension workers should offer advisory support to small-scale farmers requiring assistance in accessing agricultural credit. There is a need to train sugarcane farmers on different agricultural income generating activities to reduce their over-reliance on sugarcane development. By addressing the identified socio-demographic factors and implementing targeted policy interventions, stakeholders can foster an enabling environment for small-scale farmers to thrive, ultimately contributing to the sustainable development of the sugarcane sector and the broader agricultural landscape in South Africa.

The growth of financial technology (fintech) brings happiness to micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that banks have denied access to credit. However, this condition has the potential to create a climate of intensified competition in the credit market and threaten banking stability. Therefore, this study examines the impact of banking stability and fintech on credit performance and credit access of MSMEs. This study uses a sample of 46 public commercial banks of the Republic of Indonesia and uses quarterly data from 2010 to 2022. The number of observations used for bank stability variables was 2,392, and for the fintech variables, 921 observations. This research analysis uses the fixed effect model method with robust standard errors. The results show that bank stability and fintech effect MSMEs’ credit performance and their access to credit. This finding encourages the competition-fragility theory. Bank stability reduces nonperforming loans and MSMEs’ access to credit. This indicates that stable banks encourage better MSME loan performance and thus restrict their lending to MSMEs. The existence of fintech is proven to improve MSMEs’ non-performing loans and their access to credit. Fintech that facilitates easy credit causes MSMEs` credit performance at banks to fall, which in turn opens the gate for MSME credit. The implication is that the financial services authority (OJK) needs to tighten further the online lending of fintech companies that have put more burden on MSMEs with high capital costs that can affect the ability of MSMEs to pay bank loan installments. AcknowledgmentsAppreciation is given to the Directorate General of Higher Education, Research and Technology, Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology, which has provided a fundamental research grant with contract number 182/E5/PG.02.00.PL/2023. Thanks are also given to higher education service institutions (LLDIKTI) Region 6 and the Institute of Research and Community Services (LPPM) Unisnu Jepara Indonesia, which has supported this research.

The development of access to credit in various developing countries has increased. Some of these studies show a positive and significant impact on the productivity of rural communities. Although several previous studies have proven the importance of credit in increasing the productivity of rural communities. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of access to credit on the food security of small fishermen in East Java. Yet, the data was analysis using an ordinary least square (OLS) and an ordered probit model. The results of this study show that fishermen's food security is included in the borderline category. In this sense, the majority of small-scale fishing communities are classified as having moderate food security but cannot be said to be safe. Therefore efforts are still needed to improve the food security of small-scale fishing communities in East Java. Other findings show that credit, education, ship size, Fisherman groups and the number of fishing gears have a significant influence on the food expenditure of small-scale fishing communities in East Java. Meanwhile credit, education, multigear adoption and trip length have a significant effect on fishermen's food security. Therefore, to support food security, it is necessary to increase access to credit, increase education levels, ship size, join fishermen groups, so that the number of catches and the length of fishing trips will increase which will have an impact on increasing income, in the end food security will be achieved.

This research work examines the role Bank of Agriculture Limited plays in fostering agricultural development in Nigeria. Primary data was obtained by distributing 120 questionnaires to farmers who benefitted from the Bank’s credit facility, linear regression analysis was employed and the result reveals that credit advance contributes 24.13% in increasing farmers’ output which translates to agricultural development. It was therefore recommended that the government should firstly invest in the agricultural sector by making provisional allocations in the annual budget for the Bank; secondly, the Bank should streamline the loan application, processing and approval procedure to ease access to credit; thirdly, enact policy that will mandate civil servants to have personal account with the Bank to help raise the liquidity position of the Bank; and lastly, direct the Central Bank to issue all financial transaction licenses to the Bank including such that would enable the Bank deal in foreign exchange transactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite recent efforts in Peru to boost financial inclusion, significant issues of exclusion persist, especially among vulnerable groups. This article aims to identify and analyze areas at risk of financial exclusion using a multifaceted methodology: the Financial Access Survey (FAS) for comparative analysis (Peru versus other countries and regions), geographical-distribution analysis, and the Access to Cash Index (ACI) methodology. Findings reveal that remote rural areas of Peru, particularly those inland, as well as mountainous or jungle regions, face higher risks of financial exclusion due to low digital literacy, limited digital banking usage, sparse branch and ATM networks, and inadequate transportation infrastructure. These insights can inform targeted public policies to enhance financial inclusion in Peru, as well as the development.

AbstractAccess to agricultural credit is still a challenge in developing countries. The weakness of agricultural financing prevents producers from acquiring the modern technologies that are essential for the development of their activity. This paper aims to determine the impact of access to credit on agricultural productivity in Benin using alternative measures of productivity. To do this, we use the endogenous switching regression model to control for potential selection and unobserved heterogeneity issues associated with this impact analysis. The data used comes from the statistical databases of the National Agricultural Research Institute of Benin. The results show that the adoption of improved seeds, the geographic location, the area sown and member of peasant organization determine producers’ access to credit are factors that determine producers’ access to credit. Farmers’ access to credit generates an estimated gain of 40.07% and 31.97% respectively for production per hectare and production per FCFA invested. These results require a comprehensive and coherent public action.

AbstractThis study explores to answer the question: does the introduction of a moveable collateral registry lead to significant increase in access to credit to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises? We examine this question through a unique dataset collected from the moveable collateral registry and commercial banks in Malawi. The findings indicate that the introduction of the registry in Malawi has led to marginal increase in MSME’s access to bank credit. Real property, however, remains the preferred collateral and ability to repay the loan is the most important consideration amongst banks in assessing whether to lend to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. We recommend the registry to integrate into its programs financial literacy training for MSMEs, and credit guarantee schemes to mitigate the perceived high risk associated with small enterprises. This will equip the MSMEs to keep proper accounts and enhance their access to the registry and bank credit.

Information and communication technology (ICT) plays an important role in rural livelihoods and household well‐being. Therefore, this study examines the impact of ICT adoption on farmers' decisions to access credit and the joint effects of ICT adoption and access to credit on household income using 2016 China Labour‐force Dynamics Survey data. Both recursive bivariate probit model and a selectivity‐corrected ordinary least square regression model are employed for the analysis. The results show that ICT adoption increases the probability of access to credit by 12.8% in rural China and empowers rural women and farm households in relatively less‐developed regions to access credit. ICT adoption and access to credit affect household income differently. ICT adoption significantly increases household income, while access to credit significantly reduces it, primarily because farmers do not use the acquired credit to invest in income‐generating farm and off‐farm business activities. ICT adoption has the largest positive impact on household income at the highest 90th quantile. Our findings suggest that improving rural ICT infrastructure to enhance farmers' ICT adoption and developing ICT‐based financial products to enable households to access sufficient funds can improve rural household welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We examine whether individualism influences the discouragement of borrowers with firm-level data from 57 countries. • Individualism reduces borrower discouragement, thereby improving access to credit of firms. • Individualistic norms reduce borrower discouragement through their impact on lower corruption in lending and weak informal support networks. Borrower discouragement contributes to reducing access to credit worldwide. In this study, we examine whether individualism influences the discouragement of borrowers. We used data on borrower discouragement and individualism at the firm level for a large dataset of 31,000 firms from 57 countries. We find that firms in individualistic countries are less likely to be discouraged from applying for loans. Furthermore, individualistic norms reduce borrower discouragement through their impact on lower corruption in lending and weak informal support networks. Our results hold after controlling for other cultural dimensions, addressing potential endogeneity and sample selection issues. Thus, our findings indicate that individualism reduces borrower discouragement, thereby improving access to credit of firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Boğaziçi Journal: Review of Social, Economic & Administrative Studies is the property of Bogazici University, Faculty of Economics & Administrative Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The study examined the moderating role of loan size on the relationship between collateral characteristics and access to credit by micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in the agricultural sector of the Ashanti Region of Ghana. In the agricultural sector, MSMEs engaged in crop, livestock, and fish farming constituted the population for the study. The study employed a quantitative research method alongside a causal research design. The Pearson multiple regression was employed to analyze the relationships among the study variables. The study found that collateral costs, registration, and insurance positively and significantly contribute to MSMEs' credit access. Whereas loan size does not moderate the effect of collateral cost on farmers' credit access, it negatively and significantly moderates the effect of collateral registration and insurance on credit access. Furthermore, loan size positively and significantly moderates the effect of collateral age on farmers' access to credit. The study was restricted to MSMEs in crop, livestock, and fish farming in the Ashanti Region of Ghana, thus making generalization to the country and beyond difficult. This study is important for decision-making concerning how farmers could take advantage of their collateral to secure appreciable loans in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. No empirical study has examined the moderating role of loan size on the relationship between collateral characteristics and credit access, aside from the fact that empirical studies dominate other sectors other than the agricultural sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poverty is a critical factor affecting subsistence of farmers in Nigeria, especially in rural areas. The study examined determinants of poverty among rural farming households in Adamawa State, Nigeria. Specifically, the research objectives were to: describe the socio-economic characteristics of the respondents, determine the poverty status of the respondents, and examine the determinants of poverty among the respondents. Primary data used for the studies were generated from 255 respondents, who were selected using a multi-stage random sampling technique. The analytical tools used were descriptive, Foster-Greer-Thorbecke (FGT), and Logit regression models. The findings of the study revealed that the majority (90.98 %) of rural farming household heads were men, married (90.20 %) with a mean age of 38.42 years, educated (76.48 %), with a mean farm size of 2.65 ha and mean household size of 5 people. The majority (85.88 %) of the respondents had no access to credit. The study further revealed that respondents’ distributions by poverty status were 0.42, 0.23, and 0.16 for poverty incidence (Po), poverty depth (P1), and poverty severity (P2), respectively. The result of the Logit regression model revealed that sex, formal education, primary occupation, access to credit, total income, and annual remittances had a positive influence on poverty status, while age, marital status, and household size had a negative influence on poverty status among farming households and were statistically significant at various levels. Hence the study recommends need for the farming households to have access to credit schemes. This could increase the off-farm activities that could generate more income for the household and thereby reduce their poverty.

This study investigates the relation between the types of collateral offered in rural loans in Brazil and the access to credit, loan conditions and default rates. We use a proprietary database of rural loans from one of the largest private banks in Brazil containing more than 110 thousand loan observations. Our results show that the use of fiduciary lien improves the access to loans for more opaque borrowers (i.e., those with shorter relationship with the bank). This type of collateral gives the bank the ability to seize collateral quicker, reducing loss given default, even if these borrowers are riskier, given that they present higher default rates on average. Our results also show that loan conditions are less restrictive as relationship length increases, and that this effect is more intense among loans collateralized by fiduciary lien. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Village savings and loans has become a prominent financing option for micro and small enterprises in the Lilongwe District, Malawi. Despite this, its impact on the performances of micro and small enterprises (MSEs) are yet to be ascertained. Hence, this study aimed at assessing the effect of VSLAs on the performance of MSEs in Lilongwe, Malawi. The study used a comparative study by comparing VSLA member enterprises with non-VSLA member firms using with and without approach. Test of mean difference and multiple regression analysis was performed on the data obtained. The findings of the study indicated MSEs with access to VSLA services performed better than non-VSLA enterprises. It is, therefore, recommended that owners of micro enterprises join VSLAs to boost their performance through readily available loans and savings and capacity building through training and education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the growing insolvency phenomenon among Canadian seniors. It aims at situating the rise of insolvencies among seniors in the context of the demographic transition to understand the cause of their indebtedness. Furthermore, it feeds the scientific voice in the current debate to explain the rise of insolvencies among seniors. Our study is based on data of 1,285,000 insolvent debtors collected by the Canadian Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy (OSB) from 2008 to 2018. We observed that the rise in the share of insolvencies filed by seniors is consistent with the progression of their share in the total population. Therefore, the relative increase observe in seniors' insolvencies is attributable to their growing share in the total population, and not necessarily to an increase in seniors' insolvencies. Given the aging of the Canadian population and its impact on the labour market, policy makers should adjust the insolvency system to be more responsive to seniors’ needs and align with other public policies.

We examine the effect of regional favoritism on the access of firms to credit. Using firm-level data on a large sample of 29,000 firms covering 47 countries, we investigate the hypothesis that firms in the birth regions of national political leaders have better access to credit. Our evidence suggests that firms located in birth regions of political leaders are less likely to be credit constrained. The effect takes place through the demand channel: firms in leader regions face fewer hurdles in applying for loans. We find no evidence, however, of preferential lending from banks to firms in leader regions. Thus, regional favoritism affects access to credit through differences in perceptions of firm managers, not deliberate changes in the allocation of resources by political leaders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a global effort toward reducing or eliminating dirty fuels and technologies for cooking due to their severe health, environmental and economic implications. Reducing dirty energy usage requires an effective transition toward clean fuels and technologies for cooking. Effective governance and financial systems are needed to hasten the transition toward clean fuels and technologies for cooking. However, not much is known empirically about the role of access to credit and governance in the transition towards clean cooking technologies, especially in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This study, therefore, utilizes the two-step-dynamic system generalized method of moment estimator to investigate the effect of access to credit and governance on the adoption of clean cooking technologies in SSA. The findings indicate that access to credit and governance variables do not facilitate clean cooking technologies usage. The conditional analysis also reveals that the governance variables moderate the effect of access to credit to impede the adoption of clean fuels and technologies for cooking. The findings indicate that economic growth, education, and rural population drive the adoption of clean cooking technologies. Sensitivity checks show that the effect of access to credit and governance on clean fuels and cooking technologies usage differs among income and regional groups within SSA. We, therefore, argue that better financial and governance systems are required to hasten the transition toward clean fuels and technologies for cooking in SSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is evidence of a gender gap in access to finance. In this paper, we test the hypothesis that corruption discourages more female than male entrepreneurs from applying for credit. We use data on access to credit and corruption at the firm level for a large dataset of firms from 68 countries worldwide. We demonstrate that female entrepreneurs are more discouraged by corruption to ask for credit than male borrowers. We find evidence for two explanations for the gendered impact of corruption on borrower discouragement: women have less experience in management than men and as such can have less experience to deal with corruption, and gender inequality in society enhances the discouragement of female borrowers. Thus, our findings provide evidence that corruption enhances the gender gap in access to finance, enhancing gender inequality in participation in economic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quest for status is a powerful motivator, but does it affect inequality? This paper presents a novel lab experiment that was designed and conducted to identify the relationship between conspicuous consumption, access to credit, and inequality. We report four main findings: First, consumption increases when it is "conspicuous" (i.e., is both observable and signaling ability). Second, costly borrowing increases when consumption is conspicuous. Third, the increase in costly borrowing is driven by those at lower income levels. Finally, in the presence of conspicuous consumption, access to credit exacerbates inequality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Access to agricultural credit is still a challenge in developing countries. The weakness of agricultural financing prevents producers from acquiring the modern technologies that are essential for the development of their activity. This paper aims to determine the impact of access to credit on agricultural productivity in Benin using alternative measures of productivity. To do this, we use the endogenous switching regression model to control for potential selection and unobserved heterogeneity issues associated with this impact analysis. The data used comes from the statistical databases of the National Agricultural Research Institute of Benin. The results show that the adoption of improved seeds, the geographic location, the area sown and member of peasant organization determine producers' access to credit are factors that determine producers' access to credit. Farmers' access to credit generates an estimated gain of 40.07% and 31.97% respectively for production per hectare and production per FCFA invested. These results require a comprehensive and coherent public action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores to answer the question: does the introduction of a moveable collateral registry lead to significant increase in access to credit to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises? We examine this question through a unique dataset collected from the moveable collateral registry and commercial banks in Malawi. The findings indicate that the introduction of the registry in Malawi has led to marginal increase in MSME's access to bank credit. Real property, however, remains the preferred collateral and ability to repay the loan is the most important consideration amongst banks in assessing whether to lend to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. We recommend the registry to integrate into its programs financial literacy training for MSMEs, and credit guarantee schemes to mitigate the perceived high risk associated with small enterprises. This will equip the MSMEs to keep proper accounts and enhance their access to the registry and bank credit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Novedades en Población is the property of Universidad de La Habana, Centro de Estudios Demograficos and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Encouraging farmers to increase the use of organic fertilizer will be conducive to promoting the green transformation of farmers' production and realize sustainable agricultural development. As a long-term investment, the accuracy of farmers' access to organic fertilizer information and the supporting role of credit are important factors that affect their organic fertilizer application decisions. However, the existence of information asymmetry in the organic fertilizer market and the credit constraints in the financial market, which restricts the enthusiasm of farmers to apply organic fertilizer. In recent years, the rapid development of the Internet in China's rural areas has effectively alleviated the degree of information asymmetry in rural areas, and improved farmers' access to credit, which provides a new opportunity for farmers to increase the application rate of organic fertilizer. This study takes 1030 apple growers in the main apple production areas of China as the research object, and employs Tobit model, IV-Tobit model and mediation effect model to explore the impact of internet use on farmers' organic fertilizer investment. The results show that internet use can promote farmers' organic fertilizer investment. After addressing the endogeneity issue and the robustness test, the conclusion is still robust. Heterogeneity analysis shows that internet use has a more significant impact on organic fertilizer investment in the older generation and the large-scale group of farmers. The mechanism analysis shows that internet use affects farmers' organic fertilizer investment through improving access to credit. Therefore, it is necessary to continuously improve the construction of rural digital infrastructure, accelerate the development of the Internet in rural areas, and actively guide financial resources to agriculture, so as to effectively promote the green transformation of agricultural production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Clever integration of macro level and micro level data, macro and micro connection. • Draw a chart of the development of bank branches in China. • Multi-method analysis of the influence mechanism between causal variables. This paper studies the impact of rural financial institutions on farmers' production input from the perspective of rural bank branch adjustment and rural household credit access. Based on the data of rural bank outlets and China Household Income Survey (CHIP) in 293 prefecture-level cities in China from 2013 to 2018, the results show that rural financial outlets have a significant positive impact on farmers' production input, and each unit increase in the number of bank outlets will increase farmers' production input by 0.24 units, and the proportion of consumer expenditure will decrease by 0.071 units. The number of bank outlets has significant heterogeneity of household head and region on the production input of farmers, and the bank outlets have a greater impact on the production input of farmers with high education level. The increase in the number of bank outlets in the eastern region can significantly increase the production input of farmers, but the increase in the number of bank outlets in the central and western regions will reduce the production input of farmers. The mechanism analysis shows that the increase of branches of rural financial institutions improves farmers' access to credit, which is an important channel affecting farmers' production input. This study provides a reference for the reform of rural financial institutions and the revitalization of rural industries in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land transfer is a favorable tool to solve the low land utilization rate caused by population aging and migration. Most previous studies on land transfer behavior focused on the participation and area of transfer, while little attention was paid to farmers’ future land transfer intentions. Hence, by building an analysis framework of land transfer-in “participation-area-future willingness,” this study uses the recent farm-level data from China to systematically examine the relationship between access to credit and land transfer-in decisions. To address the potential endogeneity and selection bias from the observable and unobservable factors, we employ the endogenous switching regression (ESR) model and endogenous switching probit (ESP) model for the analysis. The empirical results show that access to credit increases the expected probability of land transfer-in participation and futural intention, as well as helps to expand the land transfer-in area. Specifically, access to credit contributes to increasing the participation, area, and futural willingness of farmers’ land transfer-in by 62.6%, 126%, and 74.9%, respectively. The positive role of access to credit is confirmed by the estimates of the propensity score matching (PSM) approach. Our findings highlight that financial support through access to credit can encourage farmers’ land transfer-in decisions and further protect the limited arable land source.

Purpose -- This paper re-examined financial accessibility for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria by considering the times we live occasioned by the pandemic. Method -- The study adopts the cross-sectional survey research design. The primary data in this study were obtained via a questionnaire administered to 270 SMEs in Abia State, Nigeria, who had applied for credit from a bank within the last two years. The data were collected using a selfadministered survey. Result -- The study showed that collateral is still a significant determinant of access to credit, as an increase in the ability of SMEs to provide collateral will significantly impact their access to credit. SME size (SSIZE) was found to have a positive and significant effect on credit access, implying that large SMEs are better able to access credit. Though SME age (SAGE) had an insignificant effect on access to credit and Cost of Credit (CCR) was found to impair access to credit which is significant at 5%. This is in line with expectation as a high-interest rate will discourage SMEs from seeking credit from banks. Contribution -- This study contributes to the emerging discourse on financial accessibility in Nigeria post COVID-19. It presented a useful insight into how the government, through its fiscal, monetary policy and direct intervention, could play a more active role in helping SMEs bounce back from the challenges brought in by the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inadequate access to credit remains a major constraint to agricultural production in Africa. However, not all farmers face this difficulty. This article assesses the determinants of agricultural credit access among rice farmers who are members of the Ngoketunjia Cooperative Credit Union in the Northwest Region of Cameroon. A structured pretested questionnaire was administered to 126 randomly selected credit beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries, all of whom are members of the study credit union. Binary logistic regression was performed, with the dependent variable (access to microcredit) being 1 (yes) if the respondent received a loan during the 2018/2019 farming season, and 0 (no) otherwise. 12 explanatory variables were used in the analysis, which adopted a 10% level of significance. Statistically significant relationships were observed between farm size, inputs, farm output, and access to loans, suggesting that access to microcredit has a positive impact on agricultural production. The three key factors facilitating access to microcredit were farming experience (B = 0.38, p = 0.06), the educational level of the farmer (B = 0.81, p = 0.06), and the diversion of loans to solve other problems (B = 1.64, p = 0.06). Based on these results, we recommend better financial inclusion of rice farmers in microcredit schemes to increase local rice production and reduce imports in Cameroon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A major challenge to SME growth has been access to credit meanwhile literature exploring the effects of lending methodologies on credit access has paid little attention to how credit referencing information can influence the relationship. The study assessed the mediating influence of credit reference information on the interaction between bank lending methodologies and SMEs access to credit in Ghana. Ordinary least square regression analysis was used to analyse 1061 questionnaires collected from businesses in the Accra, Ghana. Results show that two lending methodologies exist both of which impact access to finance with the interaction of credit referencing information enhancing the explanatory power. We concluded that credit referencing plays a role in ensuring that lending methodologies for SMEs access to finance in Ghana is enriched to increase access to credit. The study has implications for policymakers to bring financial technology that ensures financial information can be easily captured from SMEs. This then enhances their creditworthiness for integration into the formal banking system to improve access to credit.

Purpose — This paper re-examined financial accessibility for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria by considering the times we live occasioned by the pandemic. Method — The study adopts the cross-sectional survey research design. The primary data in this study were obtained via a questionnaire administered to 270 SMEs in Abia State, Nigeria, who had applied for credit from a bank within the last two years. The data were collected using a self-administered survey. Result — The study showed that collateral is still a significant determinant of access to credit, as an increase in the ability of SMEs to provide collateral will significantly impact their access to credit. SME size (SSIZE) was found to have a positive and significant effect on credit access, implying that large SMEs are better able to access credit. Though SME age (SAGE) had an insignificant effect on access to credit and Cost of Credit (CCR) was found to impair access to credit which is significant at 5%. This is in line with expectation as a high-interest rate will discourage SMEs from seeking credit from banks. Contribution — This study contributes to the emerging discourse on financial accessibility in Nigeria post COVID-19. It presented a useful insight into how the government, through its fiscal, monetary policy and direct intervention, could play a more active role in helping SMEs bounce back from the challenges brought in by the pandemic.