The Dean, Makerere University School of Economics, College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS) invites you to a seminar on a paper titled:
"Beyond Informality: The Many Faces of The Unseen Economy"
Presenter: Prof. Gisella Kagy, Faculty Member at the University of Wisconsin Madison
Date and Time: Wednesday 1st November 2023 at 11:00 AM EAT.
Abstract:
This study enhances our understanding of the different types of businesses operating within a local economy. Current research has categorized firms into two groups: visible formal and visible informal enterprises. Our study reveals the existence of a third category – unseen businesses that remain unaccounted for using traditional data collection methods. To shed light on this issue, we conducted a comprehensive data collection effort in Aburi, Ghana. We interviewed every permanent business that was visible and surveyed a random selection of households to identify unseen home-based and mobile businesses. Our findings indicate that 51% of all businesses in the town fall into the category of being both informal and unobserved (either mobile or home-based). Strikingly, 88% of these businesses are owned by women. These unseen enterprises play a significant role in local economies and should be considered in economic analyses.
PhD students are encouraged to attend.