Rationale :

* RATIONALE :
The region of Southeastern Anatolia, corresponding to about 10 percent of the total population and surface area of the country, is witnessing rapid rural-to-urban migration mainly driven by employment prospects However, the contribution of the region to the national income of the country is only 4 percent and majority of urban centers in the region are far from industrial capacity required to employ this surplus population
The main characteristic of the new urban settlers is their low level of education and skill These people can find employment only in the informal sector and in low-wage works that require no special skill This situation creates some difficulties in their integration to the process of development
In Diyarbakır, small-scale enterprises mostly concentrate in manufacturing, commerce and services These enterprises, however, are not effectively integrated to the formal economy Nevertheless, such small enterprises still possess an important potential for absorbing workforce despite the fact that no sound information is available about the role of this sector in accelerating local economic growth in the region A comprehensive research on this subject will not only give an idea about the contribution of the sector to the local economy but also help the identification of alternatives in supporting it in institutional, technical and logistics terms
The informal sector has an important place in the "market economy" of many GAP provinces It is interesting that many streets here bear the names of specific lines of activity carried out in the informal sector The entrepreneurs in the sector are engaged in collecting, sifting, storing and packaging and dealing of goods manufactured locally or brought in from other regions Craftsmen dominate the branch of manufacturing
Enterprises employing at most 5 people including the owner and his family members and/or few unskilled workers are common in the region These enterprises where simple methods and technologies dominate may employ part time and child workers as well as family members Industrial relations are of informal character Social security schemes and some rights do not exist Many skills in the sector are obtained by actually doing this or that work Since these enterprises are not officially registered, it is difficult them to have access to credit facilities