The hidden opportunities of the informal economy | Niti Bhan

Translator: Nelson Simfukwe Reviewer: Joachim Mangilima

The informal markets of Africa are stereotypically seen

Masoko ya Afrika yasiyo rasmi huwekewa kasumba kwa kuonekana

as chaotic and lackadaisical.

vile yana kasheshe na goigoi.

The downside of hearing the word "informal"

Ubaya wa kusikia neno "yasiyo rasmi"

is this automatic grand association we have,

hutokana na jumuiya inayojiendesha ya misaada tuliyonayo,

which is very negative,

ambayo ina mitazamo hasi sana,

and it's had significant consequences and economic losses,

na ilikuwa na madhara makubwa katika kuanguka kwa uchumi,

easily adding -- or subtracting -- 40 to 60 percent of the profit margin

kuongeza kirahisi -- au kupunguza -- asilimia 40 hadi 60 ya ukomo wa faida

for the informal markets alone.

kwa masoko yasiyo rasmi pekee.

As part of a task of mapping the informal trade ecosystem,

Ikiwa moja ya jukumu la kuweka ramani ya mzunguko wa biashara zisizo rasmi,

we've done an extensive literature review

tumetengeneza machapisho kwa kina

of all the reports and research on cross-border trade in East Africa,

ya ripoti zote na tafiti kwenye biashara za mipakani katika ukanda wa Afrika Mashariki,

going back 20 years.

tukirudi nyuma hadi miaka 20.

This was to prepare us for fieldwork to understand what was the problem,

Hii ilikuwa ni kwa ajili ya kutuandaa kwa ajili ya kazi ya kwenda kutathmini tatizo ni nini,

what was holding back informal trade in the informal sector.

kipi kilichokuwa kinarudisha nyuma biashara isiyo rasmi katika sekta isiyo rasmi.

What we discovered over the last 20 years was,

Tulichogundua katika miaka 20 iliyopita ni kwamba,

nobody had distinguished between illicit --

hakuna aliyeweza kutofautisha kati ya magendo --

which is like smuggling or contraband in the informal sector --

ambayo ni sawa na upenyeshaji mali isiyo halali au iliyopigwa marufuku katika sekta isiyo rasmi --

from the legal but unrecorded,

na mali halali ambayo haikuwekwa katika kumbukumbu

such as tomatoes, oranges, fruit.

kama nyanya, machungwa, matunda.

This criminalization --

Uhalifu huu --

what in Swahili refers to as "biashara," which is the trade or the commerce,

ambao kwa kiswahili unafahamika kama "biashara," ambao ni biashara,

versus "magendo," which is the smuggling or contraband --

ukilinganisha na "magendo", ambayo upenyeshaji bidhaa usio halali --

this criminalization of the informal sector,

uhalifu katika sekta isiyo rasmi,

in English, by not distinguishing between these aspects,

kwa Kiingereza, bila kutofautisha nyanja hizi,

easily can cost each African economy between 60 to 80 percent addition

kwa urahisi inaweza kugharimu kila uchumi wa Afrika kati ya asilimia 60 hadi 80 ukiongezea

on the annual GDP growth rate,

katika ukuaji wa pato la taifa kwa mwaka,

because we are not recognizing the engine

kwa sababu hatujambua injini

of what keeps the economies running.

inayofanya uchumi kuendelea.

The informal sector is growing jobs at four times the rate

Sekta isiyo rasmi inaongeza ajira mara nne katika kiasi

of the traditional formal economy,

cha uchumi ulio rasmi,

or "modern" economy, as many call it.

au uchumi wa "kisasa", kama wengi wauitavyo.

It offers employment and income generation opportunities

Hutoa nafasi za ajira na kuweza kujipatia kipato

to the most "unskilled" in conventional disciplines.

kwa wale wengi ambao hawana "ujuzi wa darasani" katika nyanja mbalimbali za taaluma.

But can you make a french fry machine out of an old car?

Lakini, je unaweza kutengeneza mashine ya kukaanga chipsi kutokana na gari bovu?

So, this, ladies and gentlemen,

Kwa hiyo, hili, mabibi na mabwana,

is what so desperately needs to be recognized.

ni jambo ambalo linatakiwa kutambuliwa kwa shauku kubwa.

As long as the current assumptions hold that this is criminal,

Ambapo mtazamo wa sasa uliopo kuhusu sekta hii ni uhalifu,

this is shadow,

hiki ni kivuli,

this is illegal,

hii si halali,

there will be no attempt at integrating the informal economic ecosystem

hakutakiwa na madhumuni ya kuunganisha mzunguko wa uchumi usio rasmi

with the formal or even the global one.

na ule ulio rasmi au hata ule wa kiulimwengu.

I'm going to tell you a story of Teresia,

Nitawaeleza hadithi inayomuhusu Teresia,

a trader who overturned all our assumptions,

mfanyabiashara ambaye anapindua mitazamo yetu yote,

made us question all the stereotypes that we'd gone in on,

anatufanya kuhoji kasumba zetu zote tulizokuwa nazo,

based on 20 years of literature review.

ukihusisha na ripoti ya miaka 20 nyuma.

Teresia sells clothes under a tree in a town called Malaba,

Teresia anauza nguo chini ya mti katika mji unaoitwa Malaba,

on the border of Uganda and Kenya.

katika mpaka wa Uganda na Kenya.

You think it's very simple, don't you?

Unadhani ni rahisi sana, au sivyo?

We'll go hang up new clothes from the branches,

Tutakwenda ning'iniza nguo mpya kwenye matawi,

put out the tarp, settle down, wait for customers,

tutatandika turubai, kisha kuketi chini, kusubiri wateja,

and there we have it.

na hivyo ndivyo inakuwa.

She was everything we were expecting according to the literature,

Alikuwa ni mtu ambaye tuliona anarandana na yale yaliyomo katika ripoti,

to the research,

katika tafiti,

right down to she was a single mom driven to trade,

alikuwa ni mama mjane anayefanya biashara,

supporting her kids.

akilea watoto wake.

So what overturned our assumptions?

Ni kipi kilibadili udhanifu wetu?

What surprised us?

Kipi kilitushangaza?

First, Teresia paid the county government market fees

Kwanza, Teresia analipia kodi ya serikali ya soko la mkoa

every single working day

kila siku anayofanya biashara

for the privilege of setting up shop under her tree.

kutokana na kuweka biashara chini ya mti wake.

She's been doing it for seven years,

Amekuwa akifanya hivi kwa miaka saba,

and she's been getting receipts.

na amekuwa akipewa risiti.

She keeps records.

Anatunza kumbumkumbu.

We're seeing not a marginal,

Tunamuona asiye hafifu,

underprivileged,

masikini,

vulnerable African woman trader by the side of the road -- no.

mwanamke asiye na uwezo anayefanya biashara pembezoni mwa barabara -- hapana.

We were seeing somebody who's keeping sales records for years;

Tunamuona mfanyabiashara ambaye anatunza kumbukumbu za mauzo kwa miaka;

somebody who had an entire ecosystem of retail that comes in from Uganda

mtu ambaye amekuwa na mzunguko wote wa biashara za rejareja zitokazo Uganda

to pick up inventory;

hadi orodha ya uchukuaji;

someone who's got handcarts bringing the goods in,

aliye na mkokoteni unaoleta bidhaa,

or the mobile money agent who comes to collect cash

au wakala wa mfumo wa fedha wa simu anayekuja kuchukua pesa taslimu

at the end of the evening.

kila mwisho wa jioni.

Can you guess how much Teresia spends, on average,

Unaweza kisia ni kiasi gani Teresia hutumia, kwa wastani,

each month on inventory --

kila mwezi katika uorodheshaji bidhaa --

stocks of new clothes that she gets from Nairobi?

shehena ya nguo mpya ambazo anapata kutoka Nairobi?

One thousand five hundred US dollars.

Dola za Kimarekani elfu moja na mia tano.

That's around 20,000 US dollars invested in trade goods and services

Ambayo ni takribani dola za Kimarekani 20,000 zilizowekezwa kwenye katika bidhaa za biashara na huduma

every year.

kila mwaka.

This is Teresia,

Huyu ni Teresia,

the invisible one,

asiyeonekana,

the hidden middle.

aliyefichwa katikati.

And she's only the first rung of the small entrepreneurs,

Na huyu ni mtu wa ngazi ya kwanza ya wajasiriamali wadogo,

the micro-businesses that can be found in these market towns.

biashara ndogo ndogo zinazopatikana katika masoko ya ya miji hii.

At least in the larger Malaba border, she's at the first rung.

Angalau katika mpaka mkubwa wa Malaba, yupo katika ngazi ya kwanza.

The people further up the value chain

Watu wa mbele zaidi wanathamini mlolongo huu

are easily running three lines of business,

na kwa rahisi wanafanya biashara tatu,

investing 2,500 to 3,000 US dollars every month.

wakiwekeza dola za Kimarekani kati ya 2500 hadi 3000 kila mwezi.

So the problem turned out that it wasn't the criminalization;

Kwa hiyo tatizo lilikuja gundulika kwamba halikuwa uhalifu;

you can't really criminalize someone you're charging receipts from.

huwezi kumtuhumu mtu ambaye unamtoza na kumpa risiti.

It's the lack of recognition of their skilled occupations.

Ni ukosefu wa kutambua ujuzi wa kazi zao.

The bank systems and structures have no means to recognize them

Mifumo ya kibenki haina njia ya kuwatambua

as micro-businesses,

kama wafanyabiashara ndogo ndogo.

much less the fact that, you know,

pasipo kukataa ukweli, unajua,

her tree doesn't have a forwarding address.

mti wake hauna anuani.

So she's trapped in the middle.

Kwa hiyo amebanwa katikati.

She's falling through the cracks of our assumptions.

Anaangukia katika mpasuko wa dhana zetu.

You know all those microloans to help African women traders?

Unaijua ile mikopo midogo midogo ya kusaidia wanawake wa Kiafrika ambao ni wafanyabiashara?

They're going to loan her 50 dollars or 100 dollars.

Watampa mkopo wa dola za Kimarekani 50 au 100.

What's she going to do with it?

Atafanyia nini kiasi hiki?

She spends 10 times that amount every month

Anatumia mara 10 ya kiasi hicho kila mwezi

just on inventory --

katika uorodheshaji tu.

we're not talking about the additional services

hatuongelei huduma nyingine za ziada

or the support ecosystem.

au mzunguko wote.

These are the ones who fit neither the policy stereotype

Hawa ni wale ambao hawastahili kuwepo katika kasumba ya sera

of the low-skilled and the marginalized,

ya walio na ujuzi mdogo au wale duni,

nor the white-collar, salaried office worker

wala si mwajiriwa, ofisa anayelipwa mshahara

or civil servant with a pension

au mtumishi aliye na pensheni

that the middle classes are allegedly composed of.

ambapo ndipo watu wa kipato cha kati walipo.

Instead, what we have here are the proto-SMEs

Badala yake, tulichonacho hapa ni mifano ya viwanda vidogo na vya kati

these are the fertile seeds of businesses and enterprises

hizi ni mbegu zilizo na rutuba za biashara na viwanda

that keep the engines running.

ambazo zinafanya injini iendelee kutembea.

They put food on your table.

Vinaleta chakula mezani.

Even here in this hotel, the invisible ones --

Hata hapa katika hotel hii, wasioonekana --

the butchers, the bakers the candlestick makers --

wachinjaji nyama, watengeneza mikate na watengeneza mishumaa --

they make the machines that make your french fries

wanatengeneza mashine ambazo zinatengeneza chipsi

and they make your beds.

na wanatengeneza vitanda vyako,

These are the invisible businesswomen trading across borders,

Hawa ni wanawake ambao hawaonekani wanaofanya biashara mipakani,

all on the side of the road,

pembezoni mwa barabara,

and so they're invisible to data gatherers.

hawaonekani kwa watu wanaokusanya taarifa.

And they're mashed together with the vast informal sector

Na wanawekwa pamoja katika sekta kubwa isiyo rasmi

that doesn't bother to distinguish between smugglers and tax evaders

ambayo haihangaiki kutofautisha watu wanaopenyesha bidhaa na wakwepa kodi

and those running illegal whatnot,

na wale wanaofanya biashara za magendo,

and the ladies who trade,

na wanawake wanaofanya bashara,

and who put food on the table and send their kids to university.

na wale wanaoleta chakula mezani na kuwasomesha watoto zao hadi chuo kikuu

So that's really what I'm asking here.

Kwa hiyo hili ndilo ninalouliza hapa.

That's all that we need to start by doing.

Hayo ndiyo tunatakiwa kuanza kufanya.

Can we start by recognizing the skills, the occupations?

Je tunaweza kuanza kwa kutambua ujuzi, kazi?

We could transform the informal economy by beginning with this recognition

Tunaweza kubadili uchumi wa sekta isiyo rasmi kwa kuanza na utambuzi huu

and then designing the customized doorways for them to enter

na kisha kutengeneza milango ya wao kupita

or integrate with the formal,

na kushirikiana na sekta iliyo rasmi,

with the global,

na ulimwengu,

with the entire system.

na mfumo mzima.

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.

Asante, mabibi na mabwana.

(Applause)

(Makofi)