difference-in-differences

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• Published Subscription Original Research 21 Sep 2026

  Digital Governance and SME Growth: Quasi-Experimental Evidence from the "Maximum One-Time Visit” Reform in China

  By Tian Qiong, Rev. W. Wimalaratana

  Abstract: Does digital administrative reform boost the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)? This paper exploits the staggered rollout of the "Maximum One-Time Visit" (MTV) reform across counties in Zhejiang Province, China, to provide causal evidence. Using a county-by-year panel dataset constructed entirely from publicly available statistical yearbooks for the period 2016–2018, we find that the reform significantly increased private-sector employment—a key proxy for SME expansion—by approximately 4.8% within the …

  Published in Recent Trends in Social Studies · Vol. 3, Issue 2, 2026 · pp. 49–57 Read article →