Formalization of the Informal Economy

Professor Colin C. Williams is Professor of Public Policy at the University of Sheffield, UK. For the past 30 years, he has been researching the informal economy and how it can be tackled. Since 2016, he has been the lead expert on the European Platform Tackling Undeclared Work advising 27 European governments and since 2018, chief advisor on the informal economy to the Regional Cooperation Council advising six West Balkans countries on their national strategies. Across the developing economies, he works with the International Labor Organization (ILO) implementing Recommendation 204 on the transition to formality, where he has become increasingly involved in the advocacy of e-formalization as a way forward.

1. Introduction to formalizing the informal economy using an e-government approach.- 2. Theorizing an e-government approach towards formalizing the informal economy.- 3. E-government tools to formalize the informal economy.- 4. Conclusions: a future roadmap for the transition to formality using digital services.