电子食品券：来自印度尼西亚大规模实验的证据

中文摘要

我们比较了实物食品援助与基于电子券的项目在实践中如何影响援助的发放。印度尼西亚政府在105个地区随机实施了从实物大米援助向价值大致相当的电子券的过渡；这些电子券可通过私营代理商网络兑换大米和鸡蛋。在电子券地区，目标家庭获得的援助增加了46%。对于基线时处于最底层15%的家庭，贫困程度下降了20%。电子券领取者获得了质量更高的大米，并增加了鸡蛋消费。结果表明，从人工操作的实物援助项目转向基于电子券的项目，通过提高对项目设计的遵循程度减少了贫困。

Abstract

We compare how in-kind food assistance and an electronic voucher-based program affect the delivery of aid in practice. The Government of Indonesia randomized across 105 districts the transition from in-kind rice to approximately equivalent electronic vouchers redeemable for rice and eggs at a network of private agents. Targeted households received 46 percent more assistance in voucher areas. For the bottom 15 percent of households at baseline, poverty fell 20 percent. Voucher recipients received higher-quality rice, and increased consumption of eggs. The results suggest moving from a manual in-kind to electronic voucher-based program reduced poverty through increased adherence to program design. (JEL H53, I18, I32, I38, O12)