The president of the Guadalajara chapter of the National Chamber of Commerce (Canaco) has called on Governor Aristoteles Sandoval to crack down on informal labor in Jalisco.
Arguing that all commercial activity must be regulated, and that the undergound or “black market” economy is fueled by theft and piracy, Canaco’s Francisco Beckmann Gonzalez recently implored Sandoval to create a metropolitan council to regulate trade practices and combat the illegal economy.
In December, the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) revealed that Mexico’s informal sector now comprises 29.3 million workers, 60.1 percent of the total 48.7 million laborers in the country. In addition to Beckmann’s concerns, this also means the Mexican government collects far less tax revenue than it should.In response to Beckmann’s comments, Sandoval pledged to boost development, competivity and infrastructure in Jalisco in order to fortify the formal economy. He also cited government incentives for formal labor, such as the creation of the Jalisco Institute of Entrepreneurship, which will make it quicker and easier to create and register companies, and the foundation of the body Invierte Jalisco, which will maker it easier to attract private investment.