| Studies of street vending and informal markets in the "developing world" point out various reasons why individuals decide to engage in street vending. These include lack of employment, the need for a survival strategy or for a second income, and the effort to fight inflation. Street vending as presented in the urban sociology literature is portrayed as a problem in a number of ways. It violates regulations that govern cities, rivals the formal sector businesses and hence denies local government tax revenues, and strains municipal infrastructures. This perspective raises a number of questions. For example: What are the specific factors that explain the rise of street vending? To what extent is street vending a problem rather than an opportunity? Using the case of Dar es Salaam city, my study explores these questions in an attempt to gain a better understanding of the rise of street vending in Tanzania. My research documents a number of factors that explain the rise of street vending in Tanzania. They include the taxation system, past economic policies, and the nature of the local government. I found that the formal business sector sponsors some street vendors as a way of increasing leverage, competition, and profits. The study also finds that attempts to curb the growth of street vending through new programs, legislation, and coercion have in fact helped to promote and legitimize the sector. Rather than looking at street vending as a problem, I propose that street vending should be treated as a resource, because there are benefits that accrue to the local government, formal sector traders, city residents, and participants in the production, distribution, and consumption chains. I conclude that the business vitality that street vendors bring to the city is an important asset that needs to be analyzed and fostered rather than frustrated. |
