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Informalidad: teoría e implicaciones de política

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  • Daniel Mejía
  • carlos Esteban Posada

Abstract

En este artículo desarrollamos un modelo de equilibrio general que explica la coexistencia de producciones formal e informal en situaciones de equilibrio estable y de un grado óptimo de imposición estatal (enforcement) de las normas (el pago de un impuesto) que son acatadas por el sector formal y violadas por el informal. La existencia de relaciones no lineales entre la producción y los recursos productivos, las normas públicas de costoso acatamiento y la posibilidad de violarlas (a costa de perder los beneficios que reporta la formalidad) son condiciones de co-existencia de producciones formal e informal en situaciones de equilibrio. Uno de los resultados es éste: si la tarifa efectiva de impuestos se aparta de la óptima las producciones total y formal serán inferiores a las que podría alcanzar la sociedad. Esa pérdida de producción (pérdida de eficiencia estática) es la medida del costo social de la informalidad. Solucionar el problema elevando el grado de enforcement de las normas puede no ser adecuado en vista de que el gasto público en enforcement tiene un costo de oportunidad. Los resultados indican la existencia de un nivel óptimo de enforcement de las normas y de una pena óptima para quien las viole.

Suggested Citation

  • Daniel Mejía & carlos Esteban Posada, 2007. "Informalidad: teoría e implicaciones de política," Borradores de Economia 455, Banco de la Republica de Colombia.
    • Handle: RePEc:bdr:borrec:455
    DOI: 10.32468/be.455
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    Cited by:

    1. Gustavo Adolfo García, 2010. "Evolución de la informalidad laboral en Colombia: determinantes macro y efectos locales," Archivos de Economía 6449, Departamento Nacional de Planeación.
    2. Acosta-Henao, Miguel, 2023. "Law enforcement and the size of the informal sector," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    3. Camilo Mondragón-Vélez & Ximena Peña & Daniel Wills, 2010. "Labor Market Rigidities and Informality in Colombia," Economía Journal, The Latin American and Caribbean Economic Association - LACEA, vol. 0(Fall 2010), pages 65-101, August.
    4. John Ariza & Floro Alexander Retajac, 2021. "Composición y evolución de la informalidad laboral en Colombia durante el período 2009-2019," Apuntes del Cenes, Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia, vol. 40(72), pages 115-148, July.
    5. Luis Armando Galvis A., 2012. "Informalidad laboral en las áreas urbanas de Colombia," Coyuntura Económica, Fedesarrollo, June.
    6. Jesús J. Rodríguez De Luque, 2014. "Efectos de las políticas tributaria y fiscalizadora sobre el tamano del sector informal en Colombia," Revista Cuadernos de Economia, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, FCE, CID, August.
    7. Valeria J. Blanco & A. Daniela Cristina & Iván Iturralde & Alberto J. Figueras, 2021. "Estudio Exploratorio sobre la Informalidad en las Jurisdicciones Provinciales," Working Papers 98, Red Nacional de Investigadores en Economía (RedNIE).
    8. Camilo Andrés Guevara Castaneda, 2020. "¿Cómo narrar la realidad económica? Sobre la importancia de la discusión de los marcos y los encuadramientos cognitivos en economía," Ensayos de Economía 19131, Universidad Nacional de Colombia Sede Medellín.
    9. Mesa Callejas, Ramon Javier & Lopez Gonzalez, Mauricio & Gonzalez Henao, Jenifer, 2009. "Medición y características del mercado laboral del Municipio de Rionegro, Antioquia [Measurement and characteristics of labor market Rionegro, Antioquia]," MPRA Paper 34507, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Producción; normas públicas; informalidad; enforcement; gasto Público.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • K10 - Law and Economics - - Basic Areas of Law - - - General (Constitutional Law)
    • K20 - Law and Economics - - Regulation and Business Law - - - General
    • K42 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law
    • O17 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Formal and Informal Sectors; Shadow Economy; Institutional Arrangements

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