Doctoral Dissertations

Date of Award

5-1996

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Major

Economics

Major Professor

William E. Cole

Committee Members

Walter C. Neale, David A. Johnson, Hui S. Chang, Hans E. Jensen

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to collect comprehensive, updated Urban Informal Sector data in order to portray and assess the economic and social impact of UIS in Burkina Faso, and to examine its relationships with other institutions. The role of the country's institutional setting and the overall economic situation have been examined from the perspective of their effect on the expansion of the informal sector. To realize this research, a survey was conducted in order to gather micro data from people in the urban informal sector. Agents of the formal sector were also interviewed and their responses used, along with data from censuses and other government statistics to complement the survey. The study confirmed the importance of the informal sector in the socio-economic life of Burkina Faso, and found that the burden of the institutions and the cost of complying with all mandatory regulations are so important that they force a significant number of agents to operate in the informal sector. In light of problems faced by agents in the informal sector, and the different programs initiated in the country in order to promote the informal sector, the study found that it would be appropriate to initiate actions designed to enhance and complement the efforts already underway.

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