COVID 19 CRISIS: WHAT LESSONS ON THE ROLE OF THE INFORMAL ECONOMY IN THE TUNISIAN DATE VALUE CHAIN?

Abstract

The objective of this article is to revisit the debates around the role of the informal economy in the structuring of agricultural value chains. We are learning lessons from the Covid-19 crisis and the role played by the informal sector during this crisis in the Tunisian date sector. The crisis has revealed its fundamental role, particularly in commercial intermediation activities, which requires a rethinking of public policies aimed at eradicating the informal economy. We highlight the dilemmas that public authorities may face in their strategy for regulating informality. Radical strategies to
eliminate this phenomenon would have the effect of paralyzing a certain number of transactions in the supply chain and increasing the vulnerability of formal actors. Conversely, a tolerant policy towards the informal economy could be risky in the long term and could compromise the sustainability of the sector. The paper gives recommendations for the gradual integration of the informal economy into the formal system based on both reducing incentives for the informal sector and strengthening the capacities of formal stakeholders to reduce their dependence on the informal sector.