Research reveals: worker does not know how to formalize

By ETCO
26/07/2013

A study carried out by SPC Brasil and the National Confederation of Shopkeepers shows that half of Brazilian informal workers do not know what to do to regularize their business.

Applied among informal workers from all Brazilian capitals, the survey, recently published, shows that 49% of the interviewees do not know what to do to regularize their own business. The worrying data reveals that the measures adopted by the government to facilitate the formalization of small entrepreneurs need to have greater dissemination.

Conducted with the aim of observing the behavior of entrepreneurs working in the informal market and identifying the reasons for informality, the study also revealed that 46% of informal workers have never heard, for example, about the Individual Microentrepreneur (MEI). This type of formalization is aimed at people who earn up to R $ 5 per month, exactly the profile of 97% of the traders and service providers interviewed. The survey revealed that informal workers earn, on average, R $ 1.305,00 per month. Altogether, 59% work in commerce and 41% in the service sector.

When asked about the main reasons for staying illegally, the most frequent responses were the high cost and bureaucracy to open a formal business. In the opinion of the President of the National Confederation of Shopkeepers (CNDL), Roque Pellizzaro Junior, this only reinforces the fact that they are really unaware of the regularization tools.

The survey also reveals that three out of five (61%) informal workers intend to make investments in their own business this year. However, 75% say that, for this, they will have to put their hand in their own pocket, while only 14% will resort to banks or finance companies. Most say they want to expand the activity, but do not intend to formalize it because they say they fear bureaucracy, a drop in income and new costs.

The Financial Manager of SPC Brasil, Flávio Borges, explains that, by remaining in hiding, the informal worker cannot obtain credit in financial institutions and misses the opportunity to expand his own business. "In addition, they no longer have access to benefits such as the right to retirement, maternity benefits, issuing invoices or the possibility of having a registered employee", he argues.

With the data in hand, representatives of CNDL and SPC Brasil will present the study to the Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service (Sebrae), to discuss ways to intensify the work of clarifying these informal workers. "The idea is to join forces and assist them in the excellent work they already do for society," said Pellizzaro Junior.

612 informal self-employed entrepreneurs (without registration in the National Register of Legal Entities) from the trade and services sectors in the 27 Brazilian capitals were heard for the survey.

(with information from the Press Office / SPC Brasil)