In-kind transfers in Brazil: household consumption and welfare effects

• Ano de defesa: 2016
• Autor(a) principal: Palialol, Bruno Toni
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Tipo de acesso: Acesso aberto
• Idioma: eng
• Instituição de defesa: Biblioteca Digitais de Teses e Dissertações da USP
• Palavras-chave em Português: Bem-estar; Econometria; Economia de mercado; In-kind transfers; Medidas econômicas; Programa de Alimentação dos Trabalhadores; Programa de Alimentação dos Trabalhadores (PAT); Transferências em produto; Welfare
• Link de acesso: http://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/12/12138/tde-05092016-161730/

Today in Brazil, Programa de Alimentação dos Trabalhadores (PAT) creates incentives for firms to provide 20 million workers with in-kind transfers, typically in voucher form. This work uses a propensity score framework to test whether such benefits distort consumption decisions when compared to cash transfers, considering the latter are subject to payroll taxes. Results suggest poor households consume from 15.7% to 25.0% more food when receiving benefits instead of cash and that deadweight loss associated with distortions reach US$ 63.1 (R$ 150.1) million. Overconsumption, however, may not be increasing worker\'s health and productivity as desired. Although further analysis needs to be made in terms of nutrient intakes, this is a first evidence that PAT may not achieve its main objective