Tangible Information and Citizen Empowerment: Identification Cards and Food Subsidy Programs in Indonesia

Policy Research

Redistribution program in developing countries often "leak" because local officials do not implement programs as the central government intends. We study one approach to reducing leakage. In an experiment in over 550 villages, we test whether mailing cards with program information to targeted beneficiaries increase the subsidy they receive from a subsidized rice program. On net, beneficiaries received 26 percent more subsidy in card villages. Ineligible household received no less, so this represents substantially lower leakage.

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Author 
Sudarno Sumarto
Benjamin A Olken
Abhijit Banerjee
Rema Hanna
Jordan Kyle
Author(s)
Benjamin A Olken
Abhijit Banerjee
Rema Hanna
Jordan Kyle
Research Area 
National
Keywords 
Cards and food subsidy programs
reducing leakage
Publication Type 
Journal Article