April 2013 Waterlines Vol. 32 No. 2 The discussion about privatization of urban services often focuses on the involvement of foreign enterprises. This contribution deals with micro-privatization, the partial transfer of government responsibility for solid waste collection (so important for the quality of water) to micro-enterprises. What are some of the factors contributing to its results in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia? Keywords: micro-privatization, solid waste collection, micro enterprises, informality, regulation, Addis Ababa MAny people undertAKe informAl activities to earn a living. these activities take place outside the legal framework and are often driven by the struggle for survival. in many developing countries the role of informal activities has become more important. informality in waste management is a reality and the sector provides jobs and goods and services at affordable prices and in small quantities. it also plays an important role in promoting indigenous entrepreneurship and using indigenous resources. there is a need for a paradigm shift in the way informal sector service providers are viewed. the Addis Ababa city government decided in 2004 that primary solid waste collection should be entrusted to such micro (less than 10 employees and usually informal) enterprises. We studied the results. Informality in solid waste management in Addis Ababa there exists a vibrant informal private economy in almost all cities in the developing world, playing a signiicant role in solid waste management. Integration of the informal activities in the formal sector needs to be facilitated. from the point of view of solid waste modernization, informal activities should be seen as legitimate and useful private actors in the solid waste system; part of the solution, rather than part of the problem. until 2004, solid waste collection in Addis Ababa was a sector open to all who have an interest in engaging in it and often operated by both organized and unorganized groups or individuals, whose main source of income came from other activities: for example daily workers, shoeshine boys, and street children. Collection of waste by the informal sector was carried out in accordance with the needs of households and commercial institutions without any ixed schedule. There was no concern or even awareness from the side of the users about where and how the collected waste was disposed of. this decision was up to the waste collectors. Micro-privatization of solid waste collection in Addis Ababa MEINE PIETER VAN DIJK and MESFIN TILAY Meine Pieter van Dijk (m.vandijk@unesco-ihe.org) is Professor of Water Services Management at UNESCO-IHE in the Netherlands. Mesfin Tilay is a PhD student at Ethiopian Civil Service University. © Practical Action Publishing, 2013, www.practicalactionpublishing.org doi: 10.3362/1756-3488.2013.016, ISSN: 0262-8104 (print) 1756-3488 (online) http://www.developmentbookshelf.com/doi/pdf/10.3362/1756-3488.2013.016 - Meine Pieter van Dijk <mpvandijk@iss.nl> - Tuesday, July 14, 2015 3:06:16 AM - IP Address:217.122.243.23