EFC says informal economy shouldn’t be killed but upgraded

Thursday, 13 March 2014 00:35 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Last week the Employers Federation of Ceylon (EFC) launched its latest publication ‘The Dilemma of the Informal Economy,’ in response to the announcement by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), that the issue of the informal economy will again be discussed at their Geneva conference this year.

Its author, Sriyan de Silva, former CEO of the EFC, having served as Deputy Director for the Bureau of Employers Activities of the ILO (ACT-EMP) and thereafter as a Senior Advisor to the International Organisation of Employers (IOE), Geneva, unleashes a wealth of knowledge and research on the global informal economy in this publication. The book does not deal with the informal economy in Sri Lanka, but instead discusses the topic from a global perspective. It was commissioned by the EFC, following the announcement that the 2014 International Labour Organisation will, for the third time in the last 15 years, be addressing the subject of the informal economy, in their annual conference in Geneva. In his speech at the book launch, de Silva said: “The purpose of the book was for the EFC to do something which no other business organisation from the 185 countries that will be attending the ILO conference in Geneva will do, and that is to provide some sort of input on this topic in the form of a booklet.” The subject of the informal economy is an old one, having been discussed over many years by numerous stakeholders with differing viewpoints. In this latest publication, the author approaches the topic from a very practical standpoint, acknowledging both the obvious realities of this sector as well extrapolating some of the ramifications that arise from looking at the topic from different angles. The overarching message that the book gives, in a series of robust arguments over 13 chapters, is that the informal economy is here to stay, and that countries need to provide an enabling environment to informal businesses, that allows them to choose if they wish to enter the formal sector or not. Speaking about the book, EFC Director General Ravi Peiris acknowledged de Silva’s publication as a comprehensive and valuable piece of literature for all stakeholders in this arena. “This publication could not have come at a more appropriate time’, he said. “The ILO has decided to place a ‘standard-setting’ item on the agenda of the 103rd session of the International Labour Conference in June this year, to facilitate the transition from informal to the formal economies, with a view to making a recommendation. We believe this publication would enable all stakeholders to look at the subject of informality from a broad perspective without destroying an economy which provides sustenance worldwide, to billions of poor who would otherwise not have an alternative means of livelihood.” ‘The Dilemma of the Informal Economy’ is available for purchase from the EFC’s offices in Rajagiriya, priced at Rs. 1,500.