CANDIDATE NAME: Ganesh Jagroop

CANDIDATE NUMBER: 0486

SCHOOL: St. Augustine Secondary School

CENTRE NUMBER: 160092

SUBJECT: Geography

DATE: 27th March, 2020

TITLE: To determine the characteristics of the informal sector in the town of

Tunapuna, Trinidad, Trinidad and Tobago.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Statement of Purpose of Investigation

Location of Study Area

Methodology

Presentation and Analysis of Data

Conclusion

Recommendations

Bibliography

Appendix
 STATEMENT OF PURPOSE OF INVESTIGATION

The informal sector involves many people who are self-employed or people
working for someone else and are therefore not working in public or private
sector jobs, for which employees are usually paid a fixed salary. It can be found in
all countries of both MDCs and LDCs, but is more common in developing countries
(LDCs) such as Trinidad and Tobago. The informal sector offers a vast amount of
activities that satisfy the local demands with a broad range of services.
In some countries, the majority of the labour force is employed in the informal
sector. Persons in this sector are neither taxed nor monitored by government
officials. Here, you will find vendors for cooked foods, vegetables, fruits, clothing,
shoe cleaners and others that are involved in other activities. In this section of the
economy, persons also work during irregular hours of the day and the location of
their business is always changing, as compared to people in the formal sector.
In the past few years, a lot of people have become unemployed due to the
economic downslide in Trinidad. As a result, persons had no choice but to seek
employment in the informal sector as it is more apparent. Hence it is vital that the
sector should be analyzed. The ideal place to conduct a study was the town of
Tunapuna (See Map 1). It is large and industrious as it offers a wide range of
economic activities. Thus the aim of this Internal Assessment is to determine the
characteristics of the informal sector in the town of Tunapuna, Trinidad, Trinidad
and Tobago.
 METHODOLOGY

The lower six geography class of St. Augustine Secondary School devised a
questionnaire based on the topic, “The Characteristics of the Informal Sector,”
using open and closed ended questions (Refer to appendix). A questionnaire was
chosen as the medium for which the data will be collected from since it is
inexpensive, can be administered to a large number of participants
simultaneously and they are fairly easier to collect and analyze as compared to
other data collection methods.
On Tuesday 14th January, 2020 a pilot study was conducted to guarantee the
validity of the questionnaire. The class visited the study area and carried out a
sample survey among a small group of participants. This enabled the researcher
to deduce questions that were ambiguous or misleading in any way. The
questions that were confusing were reworded to provide clarity for the
respondents and for the researcher to collect accurate primary information (See
appendix).
On Tuesday 21st January, 2020 the class revisited the study area on the Eastern
Main Road in the town of Tunapuna, Trinidad. The survey, using questionnaires
was conducted from St. Vincent Street in the West to Freeling Street in the East
on both sides of the Eastern Main Road in Tunapuna (Refer to map #2). This area
is known as the Central Business Area of Tunapuna. The survey was orchestrated
using a ‘face-to-face’ method as well as convenience sampling Using this strategy
allows the researcher to remain with the participant to complete the
questionnaire.
On that day a count of the number of vendors was done and a total of 24 were
present and it was decided that all the vendors may participate in the survey.
However only 23 vendors did the survey since 1 vendor refused to participate.
The data was then collected and tallied in class. It is now graphically represented
and analyzed using graphs, maps and tables.
 PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA

Fig. 1: Table showing the percentage of male and female participants:

SEX PERCENTAGE (%)
Male 52
Female 48

The participants interviewed in the study area were comprised of 52% male
vendors and 48% female vendors (Refer to Figure 1). The results from the survey
differ from the usual findings which show that one of the characteristics of the
informal sector is that females are more commonly involved as opposed to the
males. This is supported by Bleasdell (2014) who indicated in his study that “a
large percentage of females are employed in the informal sector” (p.341), as well
as CAPE Geography Unit 2 for Self-Study and Distance Learning (2012) helps
support these finding “A large number of workers in this sector are women
working on the streets or from their homes” (p.116).However, the findings from
the survey show that in the town of Tunapuna, the majority of people employed
in the informal sector are males. Therefore, it differs from the norm.

Fig. 2: Table showing the percentages of the age of the respondents:

AGE RANGE PERCENTAGE (%)
16-25 9
26-35 4
36-45 30
46-55 27
56+ 30

The majority of participants were between the age ranges 36-45 (30%) and 56+
(30%) and the minority were between the age ranges 16-25 (9%) and 26-35 (4%).
The remaining age range 46-55 (27%) had a reasonable number of participants
(Refer to Figure 2). The results of the survey show that the majority of the people
involved in the informal sector in the town of Tunapuna are between the age
ranges 36-45 and 56+. This sector is known to be comprised of mainly ‘retirees’
(Refer to Bleasdell 2014) but the data collected differs.

Fig. 3: Pie chart showing the types of trade commonly found in the informal
sector of Tunapuna:

TYPES OF TRADE
4%
4%

14%
39%

22%

17%

Clothing/Footwear Fruits/Vegetables Food/Drinks

Jewellery Repairs Other
 The informal sector includes a wide variety of activities satisfying local demands
for a broad range of goods and services. Some of the services that this sector
offers are; manufacturers, traders, vendors of cooked foods, fruits, vegetables
and clothing (Refer to Bleasdell 2014). The data collected from the survey shows
that the majority of the participants sold Clothing/Footwear which was 39% (see
Fig. 3 above) While the minority of the participants either did shoe repairs or sold
other miscellaneous items such as 1 and incense which were both at 4%. 22% of
the persons involved in this sector sold Food/Drinks while 14% sold jewelry. The
remaining persons sold Fruits/Vegetables which was at 17%. Since there is a high
demand for Clothing/Footwear and Food/Drinks in the informal sector, persons
who choose to become involved in the sector generally focus their attention
towards these types of trade. This is proven to be the case in the informal sector
of the town of Tunapuna.
Fig. 4: Bar chart showing the duration of time the participants’ businesses have
been in production:
50
45 43
40
35
PERCENTAGE (%)

30 26
25
20 17
15 14

10
5
0
<5 5-10 11-20 > 20
YEARS
 The majority of the vendors which is 43%, have been working in the informal
sector for more than 20 years while the minority which is 14% of the vendors
have only been in production for 5-10 years (Refer to Figure 4). 26% of the
participants have only been in production for less than 5 years while the
remaining 17% of the vendors have been involved in this sector for 11-20 years.
The data represented in Figure 4 shows that the majority of persons involved in
the informal sector have been working in it for more than 20 years. It shows that
the majority of the younger generation have aspired to join the formal sector
while only very few that cannot get jobs in the formal sector have no choice but
to become involved the informal sector.

Fig. 5: Pie chart representing the number of participants that are self-employed
or not:
 9

91

YES NO

From the findings of the survey, the majority of the participants that did the
survey are self- employed and are 91% of the vendors. The remaining 9% pf the
participants are working for someone else (Refer to Figure 5 above). Bleasdell,
(2014) specifies that activities that take place in the informal sector “are usually
run by self-employed persons who may be sole proprietors of their business or
may be working for someone else” (P. 340). The data collected shows that this is
the case with most businesses in the informal sector of the town of Tunapuna.

Fig. 6: Bar graph representing showing how many people work in the
respondent’s operation:
 50
45 43
40
35
PERCENTAGE (%)

30 29

25
20
15 14 14

10
5
0
1 2 3 >3
NUMBER OF PERSONS

her
In Figure 6, the graph shows that the majority of the respondents consisted of
46%, only employed 1 person in their business endeavor. While the minority of
the respondents hired 3 and more than 3 more workers into their business, each
were 14%. The remaining 29% of the respondents said that they only hired 2
persons to assist them in their operation. This is due to the fact that hiring more
than one person would mean that the employer would have split the profits from
the business even more to pay the employees their salaries.

Fig. 7: Pie Chart representing respondents that employ/don’t employ their

family members:
Persons that employ family members Persons that don’t employ family
members
 30% 70%

In the informal sector, it is common for some vendors to employ child labour and
family members. 70% of the respondents responded saying that they do not
employ their family members. This may be due to the fact that the business
owners in this sector don’t want to split the profit they make with anyone as they
would want to keep it for themselves. Another reason for this may be because
when working with family members it may lead to conflicts among family
members in terms of misunderstanding and finances. The remaining 30%
employed their family members (Refer to Figure 7 above).
Fig. 8: Bar Graph representing why participants started their business:
40
35
35
30
30

25
22
20

15

10 9

5 4

0
Income Independence Interest Other Inheritance
 The majority of the participants which was 35%, said they started their business
because they need an income. 30% said that they wanted to be independent.
Some started their business because of inheritance which was 9%. The remaining
4% had other reasons why they started their business. The majority of the
respondents only started their business in order to generate an income which is
common in the informal sector. (Refer to Figure 8). Persons who are employed in
the informal sector are not regulated or involved in the formal economy because
of the failure of the economic system to create productive employment. Refer to
CAPE Geography Unit 2 for Self-Study and Distance Learning (2012).

Fig. 9: Table showing how the vendors that participated in the survey started
their business:
REASON PERCENTAGE (%)
Family 26
Savings 30
Skills 17
Other 10
Friend 17

The majority of the participants which were 30% said they were able to launch
their business the savings they had. 26% of the vendors were able to start their
business venture because of their family. 17% said they had the skills needed to
form their business establishment. Another 17% had friends to aid them. The
remaining 10% had other ways to start their business. The majority if the
participants saved their money and invested it into creating their own business
run by them. The data collected shows that most of the people involved in this
sector wanted to become independent. (Figure 9)
Fig 10: Pie chart representing the question the number of persons that work
every day or not:

35

65

Yes No

The majority of the respondents (65%) answered no when asked if they work
every day. The remaining 35% of the respondents answered yes when asked the
same question (Refer to Figure 10). This may be since it is their only source of
income.
Fig. 11: Bar chart showing the working hours of the respondents:
60

50 48
Number of Persons

40

30 26 26

20

10

0
1-3 4- 6 7-9 >9
Number of hours worked

The majority of the vendors which was 48%, said that they worked for more than
9 hours. 26% said they worked for about 7-9 hours. The remaining 26% of the
vendors worked for about 4-6 hours. According to Waugh (2009), irregular
working hours is very common in the informal sector (Refer to Figure 11). CAPE
Geography Unit 2 for Self-Study and Distance Learning (2012) specifies that
persons employed in this sector work irregular hours as compared to working in
the formal sector, where there are standardized working hours.

Fig. 12: Bar graph showing the days the respondents do the most business:
 30

25 24

20
Number of Persons

20
16
15 14

10
10 8 8

0
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
Days worked

The majority of the respondents which were a total of 24% stated that they do
the most business on Saturday. 20% said they got a lot of business on Sunday
which was the second highest day after Saturday, followed by Friday (16%). While
14% said Monday followed by Wednesday (10%). Tuesday and Thursday were
both at 8% (Refer to Figure 12 above). Saturday is the perfect day to have more
business done since the majority of persons don’t work on the weekends and use
that day as a day to shop and handle any personal business that is needed to be
done.
 Fig. 13: Pie chart representing whether the money earned is adequate enough
to meet the respondent’s needs:

28

72

YES NO

The majority of the respondents which was a total of 72%, stated that the income
they get from the informal sector is enough to meet their living arrangements.
While the remaining 28% of the respondents stated that the money is not
adequate to make ends meet (Refer to Figure 13 above). The data collected
shows that the respondents are living well and comfortably being involved in the
informal sector.

Fig. 14: Pie chart showing if the respondents of the survey are satisfied/ not
satisfied with their current location:
 4

96

Yes No

The majority of the respondents which was a total of 96% stated that they are
satisfied with the current location of their business. While the remaining 4% of
the respondents said they were not happy with their current location (Refer to
Figure 14). The majority of the respondents are satisfied with their location since
having regular customers who would only look toward seeing them in a particular
spot or they were getting much more business where they were. In the informal
sector, it is common for vendors to keep changing their location since most of
them don’t own a place where they can set up their operation.

Fig. 15: Bar chart representing the problems faced by the participants of the
survey:
 45
40 39

35
Number of Persons

30
25 22
20 17 17
15
10
6
5
0
Weather Competition Theft Other Low Demand
Problems Faced

The majority of persons in the survey (39%) said that one of the problems they
faced was the weather. Competition and theft were both at a total of 17%. Some
of the vendors said one of the problems they faced was low demand for their
product (6%). The remaining 22% of the vendors said that it was other problems.
The biggest problem that vendors seem to face is the weather. The weather is
unpredictable at times, the sun could be shining through the day with warm
weather and all of a sudden it starts to rain. The rain damages the vendors’
products and they have to find another place to put their produce that rain is not
falling. (See Figure 15)
Fig. 16: Table representing if participants of the survey would like to expand
their business in the future:
YES NO
48% 52%

The majority of the participants which was a total of 48% said that they would
like to expand their business. The remaining 52% answered no when asked if
they wanted to expand their operation (Refer to Figure 16 above). Many people
who become involved in the informal sector uses it as a stepping stone to get to
where they want to be with their business. While the minority choose to stay with
what they have since it is not a permanent job or a job to pass time.

Fig. 17: Pie Chart representing what vendors would believe can be done to help
improve their business:

16

32

16

8
16
12

Better Facilities Location Government Assistance

Reduction in Crime Reduced Price of Raw Materials Other
 The majority of the vendors which was a total of 32% said that with better
facilities, their business would thrive more. Location, Reduced Price of Raw
Materials and Other were all a total of 16%. Some of the vendors said that
government assistance is needed in order for their business to improve and
thrive. The remaining 8% said that a reduction in crime would greatly improve
their business operation. (Refer to Figure 17 above). The majority of the vendors
agreed that having better facilities to use would enhance their business. It would
enhance the ability to bring more customers to them and have the necessary
requirements their business needs to function.
 CONCLUSION

The research that was done on the informal sector in the town of Tunapuna
indicates that it possesses many of the characteristics of the informal sector.
Although there are a few differences in the characteristics of the informal sector
in the town of Tunapuna in contrast to the characteristics found in the literature.
The results from the survey showed that the majority of vendors engage in the
sales of clothing and footwear. Despite the fact that there are a vast number of
activities in this sector, many of the persons involved in this sector are self-
employed. Some vendors started their business in the informal sector simply
because they needed to get an income. The characteristics found in this sector
share similarities with the informal sectors of other countries.
The majority of the vendors work for more than 8 hours which are standard
working hours but are not typically found in the informal sector. Many of the
vendors have been involved in the informal sector for a long period of time and
are comfortable with their current location. The data collected from the survey
shows that the majority of the vendors in the informal sector in Tunapuna are
men. This is very uncommon since the informal sector is typically dominated by
women.
Many of them also in the informal sector in Tunapuna are active or fairly active in
the economy whereas it is common that in the informal sector it is mainly
consisted of “retirees."
Based on this study it can be determined that the informal sector in the town of
Tunapuna has distinctive characteristics which are not typical but also have some
that match the studied characteristics of this sector.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Based on the study conducted, the following can be recommended:

The study area could be wider to have a larger sample area. The town of
Tunapuna is growing economically and there are many vendors that can be seen
selling their goods outside the chosen study area. If this is done, it will therefore
give a larger sample area as well as a more accurate analysis of the characteristics
of the informal sector in the town of Tunapuna.
Given that these vendors have presented an interest in expanding their business
operation, the Tunapuna Regional Corporation can locate any available spaces
within Tunapuna which these vendors can occupy. This will ensure that the
vendors’ business stays in Tunapuna which will aid in generating income and
employment for the residents.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

 Bastick, T., and Matalon. Research: New and Practical Approaches. Jamaica:
Chalkboard Press, 2007.

 Bleasdell, S. CAPE Unit 2 New Integrated Geography. Trinidad: Caribbean

Educational Publishers, 2014.

 CAPE Geography Unit 2 For Self-Study and Distance Learning. UK: Nelson
Thornes Ltd., 2012.

 Phillips Certificate Atlas for the Caribbean. London: George Phillip & Son
Ltd., 2004.

 Waugh, D. Geography-An Integrated Approach. UK: Nelson Thomas, 2009.