Things go Ca Ching! in the night

  

                                 The pow man in Tunuapuna with his friend the pudding lady
It came to mind that I had captured the informal sector at other times of day except for the the time when the party bugs come out. Yes that is right the night time. Now i knew of the pow man since i was a kid and upon asking my father as to how long has the pow man been there I found out it was longer than that. Yes this man has been perfecting the succulent art of Chinese cuisine for longer than my existence. The best part about it is that he makes the pows right there on the spot with a homemade steamer. The fact that he uses simple and non modern tools identifies him with the informal sector. He said he gets a lot of sales from students of the UWI as they rent nearby and take a stop by him when going to bars. Now the pow man only comes out at night. This nocturnal pattern has worked very well for him as he says it got his kids through school.

There are some other informal sector activities that I will not go directly into. They however do fit into the informal sector and can be quite profitable for those who work in it. This stems into ethical debates so is shall refrain from saying more.

but if you want to know here is a link to a song that may be applicable to it.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e89RlUL8Ti4

Wait you mean to say that's formal ?

The  picture above shows a coconut vendor in Curepe on left and one In Port-Of-Spain during the day.

When you think of a Coconut vendor you think those skinny guys of East Indian decent at the sides of streets with baseball caps on. They normally chose areas dense with traffic as well as hot areas to set up. For the most part the average coconut vendor is part of the informal sector. Now that is all fair and true for the vendor on the left but for the one on the right it is a different story. At first I thought he was just like any average vendor till i saw the advertisements which I thought was quite strange. After talking to the man and purchasing a coconut i could say it is indeed quite different from the norm.

What he has there is a coconut cart yest cart not stall nor truck. He pays a rent for it and gets paid to advertise Island finance. Now form there you may wonder how he got a spot in my blog since he does not belong to the informal sector? Well he once did and in Mr. Lee Sings revamp of port of spain he took the opportunity to transition form a regular vendor to a more commercialized one. 'I just could not leave it , i know nothing else' is what he told me. There are 2 other carts similar to this around the Savannah with small concert platforms jutting out of the pavement just like he has. He mentioned that he did not being 'forced' to pay rent but he likes that sales still come due to eliminated competition.

This post shows that it is possible to build yourself up into something more out of the informal sector and is a definite positive in my book.

Competition for space 'we go fight boss'

In this picture of vendors in the Bryan Lara promenade withing a small archipelago we see three vendors. That was the most i could capture while taking the picture but there was also another vendor to the left selling his goods on concrete bench structure itself just like the one where the person in green is sitting. This post stems a little for the discussion in the last blog. Which was what are the repercussions on increasing poverty with relation to the informal sector. According the to world fact book Trinidad and Tobago has a 17% of population below the poverty line as of 2007. Now 17 % of our population using census statistics is  approximately 250 000 persons. This behemoth of a number leads to a dependency syndrome on the government for assistance as perpetuated by our culture. Not everyone turns to the informal sector however and crime becomes an easy alternative.

There is a serious problem with space in Port-of-Spain and urban street vending as there is a sort of turf that often ensue disputes, arguments and even fights. From talking to some of the vendors I discovered that to sell in certain areas they need to have permits otherwise they could be kicked out so to speak. He also told me that most vendors just play around it and move to their own beat. A problem that arises is that with the increase of street vendors the public space becomes more crowded. When this happens only a limited amount of vendors can actually fit. Who decides who gets to stay?

This link shows the detrimental effects of competition for space.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/30/nyregion/charges-filed-in-bronx-street-vendor-killing.html?_r=0

Remember there is no firm sense of law and order between these vendors. Even tho more people get involved in the informal sector due to the increase in poverty its a dog eat dog world as every man is for himself. 

References: 

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/td.html

   

Entrepreneurs! High risk

                                                                 Vendor hustles in rush hour

Let us start things off with the picture first this time. While returning to campus from a long trip I was taking pictures of the beautiful pink poui trees in bloom then out popped this guy. I smiled to myself and captured the opportunity. The informal sector is know for its innovation and entrepreneurship skills ( Williams 2006). To me this picture shows the lengths to which people go to in order to get their sale. Take into consideration the amount of road fatalities that occur in Trinidad.

This link show a recent article as to how callous and inconsiderate drivers can be in Trinidad
http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,190484.html

One beings to wonder as to how good the payoff must be? is it really worth the risk? For me personally i don't think so but i have not the slightest idea of the mans reasons for his choice of employment. He does not look like he could afford to take a hit. Don't be fooled by his age either as most of these 'traffic hustlers' as i like to call them are quite nimble and seem t have some deeper relationship with the street lights than most.

With the increase in chaos and poverty there is said to be a rise in the amount of people employed in the informal sector (ILO 2002). This correlation is simple to grasp as people need to find alternate means of employment when times get hard and what a better place than the informal sector? The question that arises however is that with this increase is their a decrease in urban space? When people are forced to go on the highway itself and are at risk of being adding to the death statistics I think this is an negative. The con of lost life far outweighs that of the profits that could be gained.

References :

Williams .C Collins. 2007. Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship

Vol. 12, No. 2 239–254

International Labour Organization. 2002. Women and Men in The informal Economy: A statistical picture. Geneva

Who walks the walk ?

Now that our understanding of the informal sector is widening from previous posts we will look into who is actually found in the informal sector and reasons why. Before you read any further I would like you pause and think of the vendors and wares persons that you pass by in urban areas. Try to see if you could come up with any trends or similarities.

THINK TIME.

Now the image you may have conceptualized may be a blurry one and that is the case in reality. Due to the nature of the informal sector it is difficult to get statistics on it. This is because the it is not managed or traced by the government and there is still no global unison as to what exactly compromises it. While taking this into consideration the ILO report on women and men in the informal economy states that informal employment is generally a larger source of employment for women than for men (ILO 2002).  Now look at the picture below

This image depicts an elderly woman selling oranges right outside of HILO supermarket in Curepe. I think that this is a brilliant idea as she could get a potential sale from both the supermarket customers and the general people passing by on the street. Aside from her strategic location another thing that you would notice is that the woman is elderly and could possibly be collecting pension. Another thing to note about the members of the informal sector is that they posses little to no educational qualifications and that they only require simple tools (UN Habitat 2009). Now within Trinidad not all persons in our informal sector confirm to these trends. I remember speaking to some CD vendors who said they had secondary education and could get a 9-5 job but prefer to sell on the streets because they make more money doing so.

Academic findings are one thing but the stores we hear on the actual ground from these vendors truly reveal the reasons why they are in it. Whether it is because they can't find employment elsewhere or they see it as a business to maximize on profit with little cost. There are two sides to the coin in general and sometimes it gets difficult to tell the difference.

check this link for more information on women int the informal sector
http://wiego.org/

Refrences:

International Labour Organization. 2002. Women and Men in The informal Economy: A statistical picture. Geneva

United Nations Settlement Program. 2009.State of the World's Cities 2010/11: Cities for All: Bridging the Urban Divide.Micheal Jones Software. Nairobi 

Now what really is the informal sector?

The term informal sector was first mentioned by Arthur Lewis in a development model in the 1950’s. The view was a purely economic one where it was expected with the right mix of policies and resources traditional poor economies would transform into more dynamic affluent ones. It was used in the development arena from the 1970’s onward. First, in a study on Ghana and then later in a UNDP employment mission report in Kenya.(sethuraman 1976) It was observed that the traditional sector did not fall off but it evolved into profitable and efficient enterprises. It no longer resembled the traditional sector of the 1950’s nor did it resemble the modern economies thus leading to the name informal sector.  Since then the term has gained popularity in increasing reports. Between the 1980’s-1990 there was great confusion between academics however as to what the informal sector really entails as it could be perceived differently. This stems into four different schools of thought, dualist, structuralist, legalist and the voluntarist. These perspectives combined give a holistic view.   A more recent definition is ‘’The informal sector or informal economy is that part of an economy that is not taxed, monitored by any form of government or included in any gross national product(GNP), unlike the formal economy.’’(the informal economy: fact finding study 2011)

I think that peoples’ general conception of the informal sector locally is an academically uneducated one in general. Take into consideration the picture below.

Doubles vendor in Curepe

Most people in Trinidad would think of the informal sector as illegal activity and dirty work. Now if you mention to the average Joe in Trinidad that the vendor in the picture above is actually a member of the informal sector they would think that he somehow smuggles drugs or does some other illegal activity. I think that this is the general misconception when people hear the term locally and I cannot really blame them because I was only aware of the concept at form 6.

you may be wondering what validates the vendor as being a member  the informal sector? Firstly he does not by any means own the space upon which he is using for his stand nor does he pay any sort of rent for that space. Secondly there are no direct taxes on his form of business, no NIS, no deductions. This also ties into the point that governments do not monitor this form of business and it is not taken into consideration when calculating GNP.

The informal sector also provides a means by which persons could try to alleviate themselves from poverty. The entrepreneurial skills that these persons develop are most impressive. Many vendors claim that they are more than able to make ends meet and ask why they should pay tax on their business. On the flip side other vendors cannot boast of this success and say even though there are benefits to the street vending they would much rather have a solid paying job.

The more you delve into the matter of the informal sector the more complexities you discover. In the urban setting some see it as a boon and the others a curse, even the vendors themselves. I think it is more than a matter of perspective and opinion. We interact with these persons nearly everyday whether directly or indirectly. That irresistible hot doubles with slight pepper on an early morning and the classic red solo as depicted or a shake of head in dismissal as the vendors haggle us to buy their wares. Even to the fleeting glance that is passed as we rush to the beat of our busy schedules. I think that we as a Caribbean people have just accepted this as a norm and never really thought twice about the informal sector which is a shame. There is a lot to be learnt, so come along with me and let us continue this journey.  

References : 

Hello one and all this is a special blog based on an Urban Geography field trip in my nation’s capital Port-Of-Spain on march the 22^nd . For the first objective of the trip we were split into groups to do place checks. Which is basically a qualitative data collection method that is geared around assessing the qualities of a given place , recommendations to improve it and possibly working with the partners to achieve such changes.

My group’s specific target for the place check was the International waterfront center. We strolled up, down and to an extent around this scenic area gathering information via pictures and notes. In grouping back with the team in the HYATT’s open outdoor lounge area we discussed our thoughts with each other. Perhaps it might have been the persuasion of the soft cushions, gentle breeze and the ambient music that led to the overall acceptance of the area. The majority liked that the area was open, clean and scenic with few issues with the area. One issue that came up was security for we observed what appeared to be a homeless man washing his clothes in the water with the creative use of some shoe laces as a sinker. It was that simple instance that made me dig deeper in thought than the impressive architecture and seemingly rich ambiance. I began to wonder how open this so called open space is. Who is really allowed to come on the waterfront I wondered?

The above picture depicts a no entry zone in an open area.

The more I thought about it the less open the area seemed as the code of conduct is set and in that sense there is a limit to the freedom of expression that should be enjoyed in an open space. The chain link barricade above may be overlooked by many but to me it represented a barrier to a so called open space. The fact that we were told we could not pass in certain areas further dispelled the illusion that I first witlessly accepted. I reevaluated the place mentally from the breakfast shed go back to the restricted area. The shed itself served local food but what is the cost of waterfront rent? The background motif that gave the impression of building a sense of identity and patriotism was under closer inspection constructed with a cheap foam material. It was painted and sculpted in a way to give the impression that it were stone. To me this emphasized the superficiality of the waterfront itself to me for does the public really benefit from this space? Or are they led to believe so and wear fancy clothes they can’t afford and drink cocktails that cost two times more than that of the local bar down by the corner? I view the water front as a privatized public space due to its restrictions and to me this is something that should be improved or worked on if possible. 

The second aspect if our field inquiry was a tour of Belmont with the Freetown Foundation. After hearing what seemed a very passionate dance of words from our tour master Mr. Scantlebury we were off on our way. He informed us that Belmont is the first suburb of P-O-S. and told us about the Freetown Foundation’s goals for Belmont. Which essentially is preserving its heritage and to regain their sense of pride. On observation Belmont has an interesting spatial geography and one could understand why it may be considered as urban sprawl creeping at the foot of the mountain. The architecture within Belmont was a mix of Colonial and current day and there was also an abundance of closed business areas. Belmont had the feeling of a friendly ghost town.

Colonial design of the  Trinidad Theater Workshop 

The problems that Belmont is faced with look quite similar to that of other Caribbean suburbs i.e crime and lack of proper infrastructure. However it was portrayed to us that Belmont is no Picton or Laventille and that crime comes from outside the community to cause trouble within. Belmont is rich with personality and  unique character with significant  contribution to Trinidad Carnival as produced  the fancy sailor and many mass bands. I sense that at one point in time Belmont was once the place to be as I could close my eyes and picture all the colonial buildings new and businesses flourishing adding more presence to its cramped streets. It is because of this I could understand what Mr Scantlebury seek at restoring that price and sense of place in this suburban area.

Unlike the case with the waterfront the Freetown foundation acknowledges what their current situation is and seeks to improve themselves whereas the international waterfront poses a misleading classy image. It is understood that the two are not the same but I would feel a stronger sense of belonging within the Belmont community than that with the more modern waterfront. Both areas are in definite need or work however to become more efficient in there function. The waterfront needs more characteristic life and culture of that of our own Trinidadian society and not fall into a generalized eurocentric styled liming spot at a public space should represent the broader populations over the niche. For Belmont to be a successful residential area there should be more interaction with the older heads ant the younger ones to promote the rebuilding of its community  as it is clear that the elders have a lot to share.