Determinants of Business Formalization in Singida Municipal Council, Tanzania

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Date

2023-06

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Tanzania Institute of Accountancy

Abstract

While Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are recognized to be the engine of growth of the economy, most businesses continue to operate informally. There are competing arguments on prospects of business formalization. This study analysed the attitudes of business owners towards business formalization and determinants of such formalization among SMEs in Singida Municipality. The study adopted a cross-sectional research design, and a mixed-methods approach whreby both quantitative and qualitative data were collected. A sample of 200 SMEs owners were selected using Fisher’s formula. Qualitative data were analysed using thematic content analysis with a constant comparison. Quantitative data were analysed with the aid of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software whereby descriptive statistics were computed to obtain frequencies and percentage distributions of the responses. A five-point Likert scale was used to establish the level of attitude towards business formalization. Binary logistic regression was used to determine effects of predictors on chances of business formalization. It was found that education, age, sex, firm location, firm size, employment and access to credit were important predictors of business formalization (p <0.005). Many respondents (56.6%) had positive attitude on business formalization. Insufficient capital (30.1%) and high tax charges (21.7%) were the most frequently cited factors hindering business formalization.

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DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ajasss.v5i1.18

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