Abstract:
Traditionally, private entities were dichotomized as for-profit and NPOs with the purpose of
profit and social maximization respectively. Recently, however, both social and profit
maximizations begin to be done in a single entity. Investors undertake a business with the
primary goal of solving the social, environmental, economic and cultural (SEEC) problems of
the community by receiving a limited amount of profit. Such type of investors are called social
entrepreneurs and their business is named as social enterprise. Social enterprise blends the
profit and social mission in a single entity. Though they principally drive their income from
their business, they also receive donor-funded grants and government subsidies. This type of
businesses are operating in Ethiopia currently. Investors are undertaking a commercial activity
primarily to address SEEC problems of the community and, incidentally, to receive some profit.
To this end, they collect their funds from equity investments, contributions, business profits and
donations. Though the sector is flourishing, there is no a special policy and regulatory
framework in Ethiopia designed for social enterprise. They are, rather, treated and regulated
as an ordinary for-profit business through the existing business legal regimes of Ethiopia. The
purpose of this study is, therefore, to examine whether Ethiopia needs to come up with a special
policy and regulatory framework for social enterprise. In doing so, the researcher, first,
identifies factors necessitate to frame special policy support for social enterprise in Ethiopia.
The researcher argued that there is a need to give special policy support for social enterprises.
Specifically, it is argued that the existence of sever SEEC problems in the country and
potentiality of social enterprise to address them, and the practical challenges that social
enterprises face due to the absence of special policy supports necessitate to frame special
policy framework for social enterprise in Ethiopia. The researcher also identifies the unique
regulatory concerns of social enterprises that a social enterprise regulation needs to address.
Following that, a detail assessment is made whether the existing business laws of Ethiopia fit
to address the unique concerns of social enterprise. The researcher argued that the existing
legal regimes of for-profit business is not suitable to regulate the concern of social enterprise.
Finally, the researcher recommends for the government to come up with a special policy and
regulatory framework for social enterprise.