The Importance Of Informality In Jamaica

Chapter one
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Background of the study
Jamaica is among the three largest islands in the Caribbean with an area of 11,420 square kilometers. Its population size is estimated at 2.6 million but the demographic rate has shown a decline for the past decade and was at 0.6% in 2001. More than 40% of the island’s populations live in rural areas, which might decrease in time, if the present rate of urbanization continues. The majority (90%) of Jamaicans is of African descent with the remaining 10% spread unevenly across ethnic groups such as Indian, Chinese, Syrian and Caucasian.
Having once been a colony of Britain Jamaica’s political and constitutional forms show much affinity to Westminster-Whitehall model of government

There are several reasons for this, including low economic growth with low employment generation, tax incentives that give priority to capital intensive projects, sustained public spending adjustment policies, and low institutional capacity to promote and monitor compliance with labor standards or promote formality. Informality in Jamaica will only fall formally sustained in future if there is a strategy for growth that removes the obstacles identified (Elizabeth Tinoco, 2014).
There is also extensive labor legislation - documented by O. Taylor, 2001 and confirmed in an interview with a former senior officer of the National Workers’ Union and now Head of the Trade Union Education Institute at the University of the West Indies (O. Taylor, 2001). Taylor noted that: “The present legal and operational framework in Jamaica has significant shortcomings as regards to the protection of workers, whose contracts of employment are disguised under the title of contractor. However, Jamaican workers, who have verified contracts of employment, by and large, do have protection under the various statutes. Workers who are unionized have even greater protection and overall higher standards of terms and conditions of

• To suggest approaches to be used in eliminating the informality and demolition of Downtown, Kingston in Jamaica.
1.4 Research questions
The study aimed to answering the following research questions:
• Does informality exist in Kingston, Jamaica?
• What are the factors determining informality and demolition of Downtown, Kingston in Jamaica?
• What are the impacts/effects of elimination informality in Downtown, Kingston, Jamaica?
• What approaches that can be used in eliminating informality and demolition of Downtown, Kingston, Jamaica?
• Is demolishing informality in Kingston, Jamaica worthy both socially and economically?
1.5 Research methodology
This study was a literature-based research. Using a mixed methods approach, different policies and reports were reviewed about informality in Kingston, Jamaica by the researcher. The collected information was thereafter analyzed and interpreted using where necessary qualitative or quantitative methods. The researcher then synthesized the information obtained from secondary sources purposely to provide a balanced opinion. From the comparison of these sources, the researcher made recommendations, as per the objectives, which are aimed at eliminating the informality and demolition of Downtown, Kingston,