THE PROBLEM OF QUANTIFYING THE UNDERGROUND ECONOMY: APPLYING THE METHOD OF METERED RESOURCES

The Underground Economy is a „shadow” of the real economy, endowed with elastic properties: it can be large, small (although not null) based on the specifics of a country, its leaders, economic and legal policies. In relation to the real economy, which is monitored by authorities, the underground economy is usually in a state of growth. In this context, methodologically-practical developments for quantitative estimation of unofficial economic activities are of interest. The problem is generated by a lack of a statistical accounting system, a system of economical indicators in the real economy that would serve as basis for a quantitative estimate of indicators pertaining to the underground economy.