12.2.2013
at 10:30
Koen Schoors (Bofit research fellow, Universiteit Gent): A “de Soto Effect” in Industry? Evidence from the Russian Federation
Abstract
The empirical literature assessing the connection between land rights, access to finance and investment activity has focused largely on actors that, for multiple reasons, might face difficulties accessing credit. Communities of small-scale farmers or poor urban households in developing countries, that is, may not be the best place to look for evidence as to whether more secure land rights are sufficient to facilitate borrowing by providing borrowers with a collateralizable asset. We explore this relationship in a setting in which financial market frictions are apt to be less severe – i.e., among large, urban, industrial enterprises. Exploiting policy-induced variation across Russian regions, we use recently-collected survey data to show that private rights to land do indeed facilitate access to external financing and promote investment. This finding is supplemented by additional survey evidence that points to private land serving as an important source of collateral.
Keywords: industrial land, property rights, Russia, collateral
The empirical literature assessing the connection between land rights, access to finance and investment activity has focused largely on actors that, for multiple reasons, might face difficulties accessing credit. Communities of small-scale farmers or poor urban households in developing countries, that is, may not be the best place to look for evidence as to whether more secure land rights are sufficient to facilitate borrowing by providing borrowers with a collateralizable asset. We explore this relationship in a setting in which financial market frictions are apt to be less severe – i.e., among large, urban, industrial enterprises. Exploiting policy-induced variation across Russian regions, we use recently-collected survey data to show that private rights to land do indeed facilitate access to external financing and promote investment. This finding is supplemented by additional survey evidence that points to private land serving as an important source of collateral.
Keywords: industrial land, property rights, Russia, collateral
BOFIT seminars
The seminars are open to all economists interested in the subject areas covered.
You need to pre-register for the seminar with
Ms Liisa Mannila (firstname.lastname@bof.fi, phone + 358 10 831 2268).
Seminar will be held at Rauhankatu 19, 3rd floor seminar room (arrive at the Bank's Rauhankatu 19 entrance, from where you will be escorted to the BOFIT seminar room).
The seminars are open to all economists interested in the subject areas covered.
You need to pre-register for the seminar with
Ms Liisa Mannila (firstname.lastname@bof.fi, phone + 358 10 831 2268).
Seminar will be held at Rauhankatu 19, 3rd floor seminar room (arrive at the Bank's Rauhankatu 19 entrance, from where you will be escorted to the BOFIT seminar room).