Do Special Economic Zones fostereconomic development?
menos de 1 minuto This paper evaluates the effectiveness of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) as instruments of economic development in South Africa. Drawing on rich administrative tax data and employing a differencein-differences identification strategy, we examine how SEZ participation affects firm-level outcomes, including exports, investment, employment, and productivity. Contrary to the common expectation that SEZ participation boosts firm performance, the results suggest that SEZ firms generally underperform their non SEZ counterparts. In particular, self-reported SEZ firms exhibit significantly lower export performance and reduced productivity. Continue lendo→