ABSTRACT
This chapter explores one form of informality—informal enterprises. It discusses the issues as a starting point to contribute to the development cooperation theory and programming by identifying if and how particular approaches to informal practices in private sector development projects contribute to or counteract the neoliberal capitalist agenda. The chapter focuses on literature from the fields of political economy, critical development theory, economy and anthropology of development, informality research, as well as on the available information on completed and active economic development cooperation projects in Kyrgyzstan. It attempts to formulate the initial conceptual grounding for the future field research. Neoliberal capitalism as a means to freedom—as an opportunity to receive the freedom to choose, acquire-leads to looking at neoliberal capitalism also as an end in itself. Once capitalist order is established through setting up neoliberal capitalist relations and morals, it brings about also its other components, including, as is suggested by several authors, the inherent inequality.
