Rio - The informal economy has shrunk in Brazil for the eighth year in a row, according to data from the Underground Economy Index in 2011, calculated by the Brazilian Institute of Competition Ethics and the Getúlio Vargas Foundation, released last week. In other words, the number of those who are looking for the advantages of the formal economy has been increasing, such as being able to display proven income for loans, installments and rental properties. Not to mention the fact that it is no longer vulnerable to inspection and assessment by regulatory bodies.

The increase in the supply of credit, whose access induces the search for formalization - both by employees and by entrepreneurs - and government incentive programs for small entrepreneurs, such as Individual Microentrepreneurs and Supersimples, were pointed out by the index researchers as preponderant factors. for this change of scenery.

Another good news, also recently released, gave us an account of the growth of micro and small companies in Brazil. According to recent information, taken from the General Register of Employees and Unemployed of the Ministry of Labor and Employment, micro and small companies with up to 99 employees generated 75,7% of formal jobs in the country in May. In other words, out of every ten vacancies, more than seven were created by small enterprises.

However, if on the one hand the numbers show that small businesses have been shown to be important in generating jobs in the country and for the Brazilian economy, they also indicate that it is essential, in the formulation of public policies, to constantly evaluate the rules that govern this process. market.

Any mistake in these policies may hinder the migration to formality, not to mention the risk of causing small entrepreneurs to return to informality, in addition to favoring illegal trade, thereby stimulating tax evasion.

And that would not be fair because, although there are those who are not interested in leaving informality, as is the case with people who sell pirated products, most seem not to like being in this situation.

Moreira Franco is minister of the Secretariat for Strategic Affairs of the Presidency of the Republic