MICROCRÉDITO: POSSIBILIDADES E LIMITAÇÕES

Abstract

This paper analyses some trends of small production units in the informal sector of Northeast Brazil, using field research data collected in the cities of Recife, Fortaleza, Teresina and São Luís, in order to draw an economic -financial profile of the sector. The theoretical framework used was the one that studies the informal sector from the point of view of small merchant production. The study analyses a group of indicators, obtained through the application of questionnaires to a range of 1324 micro-units, and interviews with sector representatives. The results obtained allow to conclude that there is a large space for the role of micro-credit, identified by the producers’ willingness to pay for financing. However, it should be war[1]ned that the current economic situation is marked by adverse factors, leading to recommend caution in the design of a micro-credit programme, mainly by restricting its size and selection of the units to be contemplated.