L'économie informelle

Paragraph 2 : The contribution of the activities of the economy

abstract

Of entry of play, it sied to stress that programs of structural adjustments « NOT » ^(46(*)) imposed by the institutions of bretton woods on the Third World countries in general and the Democratic Republic of Congo in particular several consequences generated : The compression of public expenditure with its corollary, reduction in the welfare benefits, the infernal inflationary cycle. It is estimated that the IMF specialized in the socialization of the losses, with the load of the taxpayers of North, and in the privatization of the profits, distributed to the speculators who remain free to withdraw them countries in crisis and to constitute colossal fortunes thus ^(47(*)).

In the same tread, Lamicq notices in the cities of the countries referred to above the proliferation of economic activities and of forms of occupations that the legislator as the statistical apparatus fail to encircle, to discipline or to even count, regarded as vestiges of the modes of former economic organization, intended quickly to be ruined by the effectiveness of capitalist competition, they show an obstinate permanence.

They reveal an astonishing output of goods and services, are offered to all the consumers, employ a number of credits, generate the incomes of most of the urban population ^(48(*)).

The contribution of the abstract activities although not easily calculable will be analyzed under two angles. On the one hand, we will consider it on the level of the economy (A) and on the other hand, on the social standing (B).

A. The contribution on the level of the economy

As of aucuns know it, the deceleration of the economic growth in the Third World involved a renewed interest d' for the role of the abstract sector as producer of the goods and of services, able to absorb the individuals who, otherwise, would be unemployeds and to contribute to attenuate poverty.

It will be thus a question in this point, to apprehend this contribution as well on the level of the production of the price.

1° On the level of the production

As it is known, the abstract economy constitutes a shock absorber and a regulator of the crisis. Moreover, it testifies to a great capacity of ingeniousness and adaptation increasing the production of the goods and services of generally modest quality on the national market.

Thus, in the majority of case, it constitutes a precondition to the édifficience of the great units ^(49(*)).

Unfortunately, the artisanal character of its productivity lets think that it is not obvious that it can seem an alternative model with the large organizations and the constitution of an industrial system ^(50(*)).

The exercise of the abstract activities allows the population generally stripped to have access to goods and services at a cheap rate.

We think that it is in this concern which the remarks of professor Sameclson must be interpreted who entrusted : those which have small incomes must be helped as well as without employment » ^(51(*)).

Let us appreciate now, the contribution of the abstract activities to the level of the price.

2° On the level of the prices

The abstract economy in Democratic Republic of Congo is prevailed by the small retail trade which becomes more and more a very serious competitor for the formal sector because it is adapted more to the consumption function of the greatest majority of the households, considering the generally low level of the incomes ^(52(*)). Generally fed by the traffic or smuggling, the small abstract trade can offer the same products and services at a price which puts in difficulty the protected formal sector and not accustomed to competition.

We think that exploiting the minimization of benefit, the actors of the abstract activities allow the least affluent to have access to certain products and services of the modern sector whose cost is generally with the height of their assets. Can thus have right to quote : the purchase of goods of occasion, secondhand clotehes shops etc which ensure the survival of gains small.

The price factor is thus an important aspect of the small trade of abstract because it is much more the expression of the human relations between supply and demand, that the expression of work necessary to the production, the price in this small trade is however with double edge. It is at the same time accessible that inflationary.

This double character of the price is remainder the expression or the manifestation of the duality, even of the ambiguity of the statute of the abstract sector in particular in the small trade. It is often supplied by the formal sector ^(53(*)).

Thus, one notes in Kinshasa that the salesmen of the tools of automobile repair or parts of plumbing provided themselves near the department stores which are thus satisfied to have run out their stock. It is the same for the sale of products of food. This small trade thus contributes to the multiplication of the intermediaries, which multiplication becomes necessarily inflationary. This way, one can allot to the small trade of the abstract sector the function of habituation to inflation by economic agents the such households ^(54(*)).

We are of opinion with the author who this function of habituation is more perceptible through the sale with the unit (the package of sold cigarette coin by coin, the sugar sold with the mesurette, oil with amount etc). Nevertheless, this inflation is socialized thanks to the conditions and the types of consumption.

It gets clear by what precedes that the activities of the abstract sector have a considerable impact on the company. Thus let us analyze their contribution on the level of the company.

* ⁽⁴⁶⁾ For more information on the STEPS, lira Jules Fountain SAMBWA, Program of adjustment structural or a new strategy of economic development for Africa, SNEL S.A., Brussels, 2001, pp. 173-289.

* ⁽⁴⁷⁾ GEORGE SUSAN, For a reform of the international system in the diplomatic world, January 199, p.3.

* ⁽⁴⁸⁾ LAMICQ H., commercial Distribution and market of employment  : with the research of ignored in the average cities in Brazil and in India in Third Worlds  : the abstract one in question, ED. Harmattan, Paris, 1991, pp.155-169.

* ⁽⁴⁹⁾ FIELDS GS., art.cit., p. 100.

* ⁽⁵⁰⁾ FIELDS GS., art.cit., p. 100.

* ⁽⁵¹⁾ SAMECLSON quoted by GAUTHIER JF., the abstract one is a tax evasion  ? in  http://www.ilo.org/pbc//french/employment/ent/papers/htm,04-06-2002.

* ⁽⁵²⁾ In the same way, lira MBWINGA BILA, abstract Sector and domestic market of consumption of mass in Zaire, in the books of the CEDAF-ASDOC, n°3-4, Kinshasa, 1992, pp.179-193.

* ⁽⁵³⁾ KIONI KIA BANTU, art.cit., p. 98.

* ⁽⁵⁴⁾ Idem, p.98.