The informal sector and quality of services provided to consumer in the Province of Manica

Abstract

The Manica province and the country in general, in recent times, have been victims of dishonest practices perpetrated by the informal sector when selling and providing services to consumers. They are part of dishonest sellers, duly identified, sellers of locally produced fruit (banana, avocado, orange, etc.), sellers of charcoal and producers of furniture made from local wood. Studying the contribution of the informal sector to evaluating the quality of services provided to consumers in the Manica province is, without a doubt, opening a field for more studies on the topic, academically, relevant and current. In view of this problem, AFAMO, as an association linked to scientific research, in defense of the consumer, found it convenient to study the dishonest phenomenon to find the main reason that discomforts consumers in the Province of Manica. The analysis of the research results to be carried out in this work was carried out through the application of the qualitative method, embodied in data collection via semi-structured interviews, selecting interviewees based on convenience. In this study, it was found that the option to practice informal trade in agro-forestry products was influenced by economic and social factors that divide informal sellers who seek survival and those who seek to generate wealth. Social relationships within informal vendors are one of mutual help and reciprocity. The sale of agro-forestry products carried out by informal sellers generates economic, social, cultural, political and environmental benefits that improve their quality of life. Others see their benefits below the survival line, because their economic gains are limited due to dishonesty in the exercise of commercial activity. The preparation of this scientific article, fundamentally, based on the combined effort between academics, local and governmental authorities has as a backdrop, to discourage the proliferation of the phenomenon that extinguishes the concept “quality” in the Republic of Mozambique.