This paper analyzes the situation following the closure of a commercial establishment, ordered by the Public Administration, and the procedure that applicants must follow, in order to be able to open the establishment again for business and continue with their trading activities. The existence of incentives that influence people's decision-making in these situations and thus regulate their behavior –sometimes to follow the regulatory administrative provisions, and at others to simply meet their needs–, will be analyzed. We identify that the procedure after the temporary closure order means a long and dark path that the inspected applicant is obliged to follow. This often constitutes a perverse incentive that motivates the applicant to disobey. Likewise, the offense detection factor can be seen as an indicator of the deficiency of the State to identify the offenders and to require the...

This paper analyzes the situation following the closure of a commercial establishment, ordered by the Public Administration, and the procedure that applicants must follow, in order to be able to open the establishment again for business and continue with their trading activities. The existence of incentives that influence people's decision-making in these situations and thus regulate their behavior –sometimes to follow the regulatory administrative provisions, and at others to simply meet their needs–, will be analyzed. We identify that the procedure after the temporary closure order means a long and dark path that the inspected applicant is obliged to follow. This often constitutes a perverse incentive that motivates the applicant to disobey. Likewise, the offense detection factor can be seen as an indicator of the deficiency of the State to identify the offenders and to require the...