Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, there has been increased public interest in informal funds transfer (IFT) systems. This paper examines the informal hawala system, an IFT system found predominantly in the Middle East and South Asia. The paper examines the historical and...

Informalität steht in Brasilien für fehlende soziale Absicherung und politische Mitsprache. Die linken Regierungen Brasiliens wollten diese Benachteiligung abbauen. Mit Reformen zur Anerkennung von informeller Hausarbeit und Kleinstunternehmen wie etwa der Straßenhändler zielten sie auf...

The informal economy did not disappear, nor did it decrease. Despite early predictions of its eventual demise, it has not only grown worldwide, but also emerged in new forms and unexpected places. This book presents some in-depth cases regarding specific informal economic activities in Brazil....

This paper estimates the size of the underground economy in Pakistan and analyzes its impact on Government fiscal position and the allocation of economic resources in the national economy. The results suggest that there is a mutual dependency between the size of the underground economy and...

The 'shadow banking system' refers to a system of credit-provision occurring outside of the official regulatory perimeter of commercial banks. Facilitated by securitization vehicles, mutual funds, hedge funds, investment banks and mortgage companies, the function and regulation of these shadow...