A Guide To Track The Impact of CoVID-19 On Informal Economy of Gilgit-Baltistan
By Faheem Baig
The covid-19 pandemic has the potential to infect 40 to 70 % of world’s population. Till today, around 15,00000 people have been confirmed infected and 100,000 deaths in 211 countries. Similarly, 5000 people have been infected in Pakistan, resulting in 82 deaths. In Gilgit Baltistan 215 have been infected and 4 cases of deaths including 2 medical professional recorded.
This pandemic brought every single country close to a global recession. Which means every country man will face the negative consequences of low economic growth. Government of Gilgit Baltistan should initiate serious steps to assess the impact COVID-19 on informal sector. The segment dependant on daily wage.
There is lot we don’t know about the COVID-19, but one thing is clear that poor will suffer more. Because they have no backup plan for any economic decline. Poor workers especially those working in private schools, hotels, restaurants, retail shops, transportation, carpenters etc.
In this regard, number of civil society organization and NGO’s are playing a key role by advocating community institutions, volunteers and business community to stay home and follow the directions of medical professional. In addition, number of community organizations and volunteers have initiated a social responsibility task to provide locally made low cost face masks in coordination with local administration. This will help local government to meet the shortage of face masks.
Despite of everything, I have tried to formulate a viable guide for tracking the post covid-19 crisis in informal sector of Gilgit Baltistan. We have few months to plan and act before it gets too late.
The Guide
The below guide classifies the primary informal sectors that could easily be affected:
| Sector | Process/Method | Indicator/ Measurement Tool |
| Education and Training centres | · Closure of educational institutions and other related vocational and training centres | · Number of public and private schools, colleges, and university campus in each district of G-B
· Number of individuals working on daily basis · Number of vocational centres |
| Tourism | · Reduction in foreign tourists
· Reduction in domestic tourists |
· Number of hotels providing accommodation in each district
· Average spending per tourist · Number of individuals directly working in hotels etc. |
| Retail | · Reduction in supply and demand of products
· Reduction in demand due to decrease in income |
· Number of retailer in each district and income difference monthly |
| Agriculture | · Reduction in demand for local agricultural items
· Loss of agriculture items due to low demand |
· Data of annual sale of agriculture items in district
· Data of loss occurred due to absence of transportation |
| Transportation | · Reduction in road traffic | · Number of vehicles in each district
· Average loss to each transporter and group |
| Manufacturing/repairing sector | · Reduction in supply of raw material
· Reduction demand |
· Number of local informal manufacturers in each districts
· Number of people engaged and average loss of income |
The contributor is a Hunza based development practitioner.
