ABSTRACT
Like other coastal towns in the Moluccan province of Indonesia, Tuiehu has resources that guarantee most inhabitants a minimum living standard. The extent and make up of informal financial arrangements is strongly influenced by overall economic conditions. Many of the people in Tulehu realize substantial but unpredictable cash incomes from the clove business: every several years, clove trees yield a crop that is sold for a considerable amount of money. A relatively large number of government employees, including teachers, live in arid around Tulehu since it is the administrative capital of a subdistrict. The extensive amount of street vending activities by women in Tulehu indicate the need for extra income among government employees as well as other people laboring in the private sector. Three of the most impressive features of informal finance in Tulehu are its flexibility, its proximity, and the fact that it is entirely designed to meet needs of its users.
