We address the potential for the “informal sector” to have a positive role in development, in contrast to portrayals of the sector as marginal, transient, exploitative, and predicated on institutional failings. Our study presents a social practice analysis of the informal printing hub in Accra, Ghana, which operates in this sector characterised by various degrees of non-compliance with business registration, tax and employment legislation. We profile the operations and strategic practices of its small informal businesses and show how informal sector actors, regulatory institutions and formal business customers navigate the ambiguous terrain that informality brings by co-constructing informality as a pervasive, near-legitimate phenomenon. From the case, we argue that the informal economy can achieve not only resilient operational and competitive performance but also a set of positive socio-economic outcomes. We explore policy responses capable of nurturing its immersive networks by emphasising pragmatic accommodation and flexible dispensation.

中文翻译：

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非正规经济活动的积极发展作用：以加纳非正规印刷公司为例

我们讨论了“非正规部门”在发展中发挥积极作用的潜力，这与将该部门描述为边缘的、短暂的、剥削性的和以制度失败为基础的情况形成鲜明对比。我们的研究对加纳阿克拉的非正式印刷中心进行了社会实践分析，该中心在该部门的运营中存在不同程度的不遵守商业登记、税​​收和就业立法的情况。我们描述了其小型非正规企业的运营和战略实践，并展示了非正规部门参与者、监管机构和正规企业客户如何通过将非正规性共同构建为一种普遍的、近乎合法的现象来驾驭非正规性带来的模棱两可的领域。从案例来看，我们认为，非正规经济不仅可以实现有弹性的运营和竞争绩效，还可以实现一系列积极的社会经济成果。我们通过强调务实的适应和灵活的分配来探索能够培育其沉浸式网络的政策反应。