Contribution of Street Hawkers Toward Economy and Problems Faced by Them During Street Vending

Abstract

The informal economy in Pakistan is a part that has been mostly overlooked by researchers, although it is important part of everyday life in provinces like Sindh, Pakistan. This paper seeks to examine how the street entrepreneurs contribute to the economy of country and what type of challenges they face during street vending. By reviewing the extant literature, it appears that there is an acute shortage of empirical evidence on street hawkers in Pakistan, especially in Sindh province. This paper begins to fill this gap by analyzing hawkers' contributions, and the problems they are facing. The qualitative method was followed in this research, study seeks to determine the contribution of street hawkers as well as the issues that street vendors face during vending or conduct their business. There are many hawkers in the heart province of Sindh, hence the researchers used a convenient sampling method to select 30 respondents for the interview, the thematic analysis method was used to analyze data. The study's findings may have a positive impact on street vendors, and the challenges associated with street vending may be reduced.

Legal and Illegal Informal Workers in Pakistan's Sindh Province

“…The issue of legal informal workers, such as street vendors, domestic workers, and construction workers, has been extensively discussed in academic and policy circles, including in Pakistan. Studies indicate that the informal sector constitutes approximately 73% of total employment in Pakistan, presenting various challenges such as low wages, job insecurity, poor working conditions, and limited access to social protection (Dharejo et al, 2022). Research has specifically highlighted the mistreatment and underpayment experienced by domestic workers and the difficulties faced by street vendors, including harassment and restricted market access (Bodla & AFZA, 1997).…”