Economie informelle en RDC

The video above explains how our Research and Expertise Program (PEE) supports Professor Shomba in his research on the informal sector by establishing a quantitative and qualitative database. Indeed, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the importance of the informal sector, especially in the form of small-scale trade, is undeniable. In Kinshasa, for example, approximately 75% of economic activity is informal. Undoubtedly, statistics are somewhat inaccurate since, by its very nature, this sector escapes all oversight. It appears that nearly 90% of the working population in Kisangani (the third largest city in Congo) holds informal jobs. Thus, from politicians to ordinary citizens, from intellectuals to illiterate individuals, from the state to the private citizen, from city dwellers to farmers, everyone is either a provider or a beneficiary of the goods and services provided by this sector. The informal sector thus acts as both a safety valve and a buffer against social shocks. This sector of small trades and services is primarily composed of hairdressers, shoemakers, tire repairers, car washers, car loaders, street vendors, tailors, mechanics, petroleum product sellers, shoe shiners, shopkeepers, vendors of traditional medicines, rickshaw drivers, etc. The project aims to establish a body of knowledge, skills, and capacities related to the informal economy in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This body of knowledge will result in a reliable and representative database and a methodology for its updating, publications and workshops, specialized human resources in the form of a team of researchers working continuously on the subject, and a network of users including managers, politicians, scientific research centers, civil society representatives, and international cooperation agencies. More information about our work in Congo: http://bit.ly/2po5uKF