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in helping the poor create wealth. However, institutionalreform is needed to eradicate poverty, attaindevelopment, and successfully transition to freemarket economies. Reforms that reduce bureaucraticred tape and bring the cost of legal complianceunder that of extra-legality are necessary toformalise those who were previously excluded.Such reforms should also create greater regulatorytransparency, allow for citizen input, and aim atfighting corruption and inefficiency. When tailoredto local circumstances, titling programmes thatturn dead assets of the poor into useable capitalare great tools for poverty reduction, development,and attaining legal inclusion for informals. 68To Sum UpThe constraints and barriers discussed in thischapter clearly establish the reasons why the pooropt to remain in informal businesses. Informalenterprises often have limited access to broadereconomic opportunities and are especiallyvulnerable to uncertainties, corruption and evenviolence which is prevalent outside the rule oflaw. They have few means to settle disputes apartfrom bribery or violence. Without legal rights orprotection, they are in a continual state of legaland political vulnerability. Thus making formalitymore accessible could legally empower the poorto grow their businesses, enjoy the appreciationof their assets in formal property markets, andaccess credit more easily. This is the vision of theCommission as a means to alleviate poverty whichhas been the focus of this as well as the followingsection which highlights the importance of accessto markets, goods and services and infrastructure.4. Empowering InformalEnterprises through accessto markets, goods andservices, and infrastructureImproving the functioning of marketsThe close correlation between being poor andoperating in the informal economy in the ruraland the urban sectors is conspicuous. Also, highbusiness costs and the informal economy movein parallel in response to ill-designed, unstableand non-participatory rules and regulations, lackof secure property rights, inadequate governmentcapacity and resources to enforce laws and regulations,a lack of transparency, accountability andautonomy of judicial process as well as high degreeof macroeconomic instability and corruption.Inadequate access to markets, and poor quality ornon-existent basic public services and infrastructurefurther lead to low productivity, particularlyfor informal businesses.Agriculture accounts for a large share of grossdomestic product (GDP) and employment inSub-Saharan Africa. It is primarily a family activity,a component of the informal economy with themajority of farmers being small holders owningbetween 0.5 and 2.0 hectares. Women providenearly 50 percent of the labour force and producemost of the food crops for the family. The recentreview by the Independent Evaluation Group ofthe World Bank assistance to agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa makes a pressing case for thenecessity of access to credits and markets, roads,fertilisers, seeds, water, etc. by the impoverishedfarmers to sustain their lives and livelihoods.Given that poor households are concentratedin agriculture, any improvement in their livelihoodswould necessitate entail in part in making230