HCP Policy Brief No. 7:
Demand: The Forgotten Side of Informal Economy Policy

  • Policymakers who seek to support informal economic activity too often rely on supply-side solutions that fail to address the central needs of the urban poor.
  • Efforts should instead focus on the alleviation of poverty to ensure that potential customers have the economic means to buy sufficient food to meet their needs.
  • Governments must prioritize the promotion of adequate formal employment opportunities to ensure that the urban poor have livelihood options beyond informality.

Graeme Young

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