How can the ‘pavement economy’ contribute to the national economy?
The expansion of the ‘clearing pavement campaign’ in Hanoi and HCMC means fewer vending stalls in the cities. But the informal economy in Vietnam has existed for decades. Van, a girl from Mekong Delta, has been selling grilled corn for the last 10 years in HCMC. Her mobile shop is called ‘Cho’ (Wait), because there are always many buyers waiting for their turn. The sales bring VND800,000-1 million a day, which is a major source of income of Van’s family. Since the municipal authorities have launched the campaign on fighting pavement encroachment, Van’s mobile shop cannot stay on the streets. She had to move the shop to small alleys and now thinks that her income would fall because of fewer buyers.
