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ETHIOPIA
Padiglione italiano alle prossime fiere agrex e hotelshow di Addis Abeba...................................4
Etiopia: Troppe Richieste, Addis Sospende Domande Per Terreni Edificabili ...............................5
China, Ethiopia Pledge Closer Ties...................................................................................................6
Ethiopia: Ambitions To Become A Global Force In Leather Production ........................................7
Ethiopia: Ministry Of Industry Concluded Consultancy Contract For Industrial Parks ................9
House Ratifies Ethio-Turkey Major Military Deal......................................................................... 10
Ethiopia To Be Portrait Country Of Upcoming Global Conference .............................................. 12
Ethiopia: Eca To Host Second Africa Think Tank Summit............................................................ 13
EU Businesses Call For More Reforms In The Bureaucracy......................................................... 14
SOUTH SUDAN
Nearly 4,500 Displaced By Recent Clashes In Upper Nile ........................................................... 16
DJIBOUTI
Le Conseil Des Ministres Reaffirme Sa Solidarite Avec Le Peuple Du Yemen ............................ 17
3
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Per maggiori informazioni sui mercati cliccare su: http://www.infomercatiesteri.it/index.php
5
ETIOPIA: TROPPE RICHIESTE, ADDIS SOSPENDE DOMANDE PER TERRENI
EDIFICABILI
ETIOPIA – L’ufficio
dell’amministrazione
comunale di Addis Abeba
responsabile per la
gestione e lo sviluppo dei
terreni sul territorio
municipale ha reso noto di
aver temporaneamente
sospeso la ricezione delle
domande per
l’assegnazione dei terreni
edificabili, in particolare
quelli da destinare allo
sviluppo di industrie
manifatturiere.
(08.04.2015 – Africa e
Affari)
Lo segnala il settimanale
economico ‘Addis Fortune’,
ricordando che negli ultimi due
anni l’amministrazione
comunale ha ricevuto più di
900 richieste da soggetti
interessati a realizzare nuove
industrie manifatturiere, ma è
riuscita ad assegnare soltanto
60 lotti di terreno.
In base ai dati diffusi dalle
autorità municipali, la città di
Addis Abeba riceve
quotidianamente tra le 30 e le
40 richieste per l’assegnazione
di terreni da destinare alla
costruzione di edifici, industrie
e altri progetti.
Da ottobre dello scorso anno,
in seguito all’alta domanda,
l’amministrazione cittadina ha
deciso di diminuire i lotti di
terreno in assegnazione e
istituire un sistema di aste al
rialzo per la concessione dei siti
da destinare a uso industriale.
In circa sei mesi, sono stati
trasferiti 1402 ettari sui 3000
messi a disposizione attraverso
questo sistema: 723 ettari allo
scopo di costruire nuovi
condomini, 175 ettari a scopo
industriale e 52 ettari per altri
scopi.
6
CHINA, ETHIOPIA PLEDGE CLOSER TIES
China's top political
advisor, Yu Zhengsheng,
met with Speaker of the
Ethiopian House of
Federation Kassa
Tekleberhan in Beijing on
Tuesday, vowing more
effective cooperation
between the two countries.
(08.04.2015 – WIC)
Yu, chairman of the National
Committee of the Chinese
People's Political Consultative
Conference (CPPCC), hailed the
development of China-Ethiopia
ties since they were officially
forged 45 years ago, citing
frequent high-level exchanges,
enhanced political trust and
cooperation in various areas.
The CPPCC values its
exchanges and cooperation
with the Ethiopian House of
Federation, he said, vowing
joint efforts with the country to
cement personnel exchanges
and share experience.
Kassa said he appreciated
China's assistance to Ethiopia
over the years, pledging to
consolidate understanding and
friendship between the two
countries, and facilitate
cooperation in various areas.
It is Kassa's first China v isit
since he took his current post
in October of 2010. Besides
Beijing, he will also v isit South
China's Guangxi Zhuang
Autonomous Region and
Guangdong Province. (Xinhua)
7
ETHIOPIA: AMBITIONS TO BECOME A GLOBAL FORCE IN LEATHER PRODUCTION
Ethiopia is home to the
largest population of cattle
in Africa. In recent years
the country’s leather
industry has attracted
several foreign companies
that have set up factories
here. For instance in 2012,
Chinese footwear
manufacturer Huajian
Group opened a factory at
the industrial zone outside
Addis Ababa where it
manufactures 6,000 pairs
of shoes and boots per day.
(08.04.2015 – WIC)
“The industry has a big future,”
says Yigzaw Assefa, chairman
of the Ethiopian Leather
Industries Association (ELIA)
and CEO of Bahirdar Tannery.
As one of the government’s
priority sectors, investors in
leather enjoy incentives
including duty exemptions on
capital goods and construction
materials, and five-plus years
of an income tax holiday. Other
positives of operating in
Ethiopia are free access to US
and EU markets as well as
cheap labour and electricity.
Transfer of knowledge,
expertise
With more foreign investment
comes competition for local
players, but Assefa says it will
also lead to the transfer of
knowledge and technical
expertise.
For decades Ethiopia has
exported its leather to Europe
and Asia where it is
transformed into fashionable
items. But Assefa believes
investment in Ethiopia-based
factories by foreign companies
will help change this. Local
tanneries too are tapping into
opportunities to produce shoes,
bags and belts for export. One
example is Assefa’s own
tannery which he established in
the 1980s.
Today it mostly processes
animal sk in for export as
leather, but the company is
expanding its production with
the construction of a new plant
that will undertake processing
of leather into bags, wallets,
belts, binders and gloves for
sale abroad.
“We are constructing the
building and training of
workers. In the meantime we
are testing the market with a
small quantity of fashion gloves
and industrial gloves which
have already gotten
acceptance in Italy, Russia and
the US,” says Assefa.
“We have to change the image
we have today, that we only
produce raw materials.”
Potential for manufacturers
The local market is also
opening up for other
manufacturers. In the early
2000s plastic shoes from China
entered the market and were
quite popular, raising concerns
among local shoe
manufacturers. But this is
shifting, with more shoe
companies now selling locally
and proudly displaying their
‘Made in Ethiopia’ tags. There
are also multiple SMEs that
manufacture leather bags for
sale in the country.
8
Although exports dominate,
Assefa believes local
consumption of Ethiopian
leather products will increase
as people’s income levels rise.
Supply of raw materials a
challenge
However, the increasing
investments and activ ity in the
industry has caused a shortage
in the supply of hides. Most
factories source animal sk ins
from suppliers who in turn
source from small-scale
suppliers who collect hides
from different homesteads.
Although most families in rural
Ethiopia are farmers and keep
cattle, Assefa says commercial
farming needs to be developed.
Inefficient farming methods by
small-scale farmers, such as
not properly treating animals
and grazing them on the same
fields year-in year-out, leads to
poor quality sk ins, meat and
milk. Careless handling and
poor sanitation post-slaughter
also leads to damage of the
hides.
“In order to have healthy and
productive sheep, goats and
cattle, more modern farms
should be developed,” Assefa
says.
“Backyard k illing should not be
practiced because people
damage the skin at home when
peeling it off the animal. We
need modern abattoirs so the
collection process will be
easier, centralized and the skin
will be well preserved.”
Encourage local talent
In coming years Assefa expects
to see more investors pump
money into expanding existing
facilities and establishing more
factories.
“The number of shoe and
leather goods factories will
increase,” he predicts. “There
is a conducive and enabling
atmosphere in terms of both
the political and economic
situations.”
To compete with industries in
other parts of the world, Assefa
says investors in Ethiopia
should prioritize local talent
development.
“A cheap and trainable labor
force is available. Our people
are honest, polite, friendly and
co-operative. But they need
training, and this should be
done by the government and
private sector,” he says.
“These factories will only create
value if they have qualified
human power.”
(howwemadeitinafrica)
9
ETHIOPIA: MINISTRY OF INDUSTRY CONCLUDED CONSULTANCY CONTRACT FOR INDUSTRIAL
PARKS
The Ministry of Industry of
Ethiopia (MoI) had
concluded a contract for
the consultancy work of the
Bole Lemi phase two and
phase one industrial parks,
which is worth 139 million
Birr with DOHWA
Engineering Co. Ltd as a
lead firm on Wednesday,
April 1, 2015.
(08.04.2015 – WIC)
The consultancy work will be
jointly carried out by DOHWA
and Junglim Architecture Co.
Ltd, both South Korean firms,
as well as IPE Global Private
Limited, an Indian firm and
Metaferia Consulting Engineers,
from Ethiopia.
DOHWA offers planning,
feasibility studies, design,
supervision and commissioning
services in all areas of
engineering, according to Addis
Forune.
The consultancy includes
preparing topographic maps of
the sites and detailed
infrastructure designs, cost
estimates, specifications,
drawings, bid documents and
contract documents. It will also
involve on-site and off-site
infrastructure work at the
implementation stage.
The industrial parks are located
in Addis Ababa. The Bole Lemi
phase two site covers 186ha of
land mainly reserved for textile
and leather sectors. The Kilinto
site covers 308ha of land and
focuses on agro-processing,
beverages, food and
pharmaceuticals industries.
The World Bank had pledged a
250 million dollar loan for these
two industrial zones and it will
be acquired through a six year
competitiveness and job
creation project (CJC).
10
HOUSE RATIFIES ETHIO-TURKEY MAJOR MILITARY DEAL
Ethiopia and Turkey
relations is best known for
stronger economic and
investment cooperation.
(04.04.2015 – The
Reporter)
In the latest development, the
House of Peoples'
Representatives (HPR) on
Thursday approved a highly
regarded draft proclamation
proposing the cooperation of
Ethiopia and Turkey in the
military sector, which
envisaged the way for Ethiopia
to produce military equipment
and sell them to a third parties.
It was said that new
agreement between Ethiopia
and Turkey in the area of
military marks another
milestone in their cooperation
after the House unanimously
ratified the bill signed back in
May 2013.
As part of the increasing pace
of securing bilateral relations
with various countries in the
area of security and defense,
the Ethiopian government
continues to tighten and
expanding military cooperation
beyond regional and
continental scope.
The agreement proclaims: “The
cooperation will elevate
Ethiopia’s military capability to
one of the top countries in the
world in terms of defense
modernization and logistical
quality.”
The agreement was signed
between the Ministries of
Defense of the two countries in
Istanbul to “provide for
cooperation in the field of
defense industry, improving the
defense industry capabilities of
the countries, production and
procurement of defense goods
and services as well as related
technical and logistic support in
the field.”
The agreement further allows
the sale of co-produced and
developed equipment to a third
party provided there is a prior
written consent of the two
parties.
Recently, the Turkish embassy
in Ethiopia noted that Ethiopia
is turning out to be a strategic
and reliable partner to Turkey
in the economic sector in
particular.
According to the embassy, out
of the 50 top investment
destinations for Turkish
investment around the world,
Ethiopia stood at the fifth
position.
Turkey is also the leading
investor in Ethiopia in terms of
sheer volume of the investment
capital with 148 companies
engaged in various sectors,
according to the embassy’s
report.
As part of the efforts to
strengthen cultural ties and
people-to-people relations of
the two countries, Turkey will
open Turkish language study
center at the Addis Ababa
University, the embassy said.
In the same session, the House
also ratif ied another highly-
regarded multi-lateral
agreement, which is an
agreement to establish the East
African Standby Force-that
further extends the mandate of
Ethiopia’s National Defense
force beyond its territorial
horizon.
11
The ratification will ensure
Ethiopia’s and the region’s
peace and security and reduce
threats, according to a
document attached with the
draft law. After a short
deliberation, the House
endorsed the bill with an
absolute majority vote.
12
ETHIOPIA TO BE PORTRAIT COUNTRY OF UPCOMING GLOBAL CONFERENCE
The specialty Coffee
Association of America
(SCAA) has made public
that Ethiopia is to be a
portrait country on its 27th
global conference to be
held next week in Seattle,
Washington.
(08.04.2015 – WIC)
At a press conference held on
Thursday, Peter Vrooman,
deputy mission director of the
USAID, said that Ethiopia is to
be featured as a portrait
country for the specialty
conference where some 10
thousand global industry
players are expected to take
part.
Vrooman was joined by local
officials and coffee business
representatives. Assefa
Mulugeta, director general of
export promotion directorate at
the Ministry of Trade, noted
that the conference means
more networking and
marketing opportunities.
Abdullah Bagerish, chairman of
the African Fine Coffee
Association, also was positive
about taking part in the
upcoming conference. He said
Ethiopian coffee needs to be
well-staged at the global level.
According to Abdullah, who
together with his family runs a
well-established coffee
business, marketing and
promotion, cultural values
attached to the coffee are the
areas where Ethiopia needs to
capitalize on.
The volume of specialty coffee
exported to the global market
is way insignificant compared
to the commercial level.
However, being a birthplace of
coffee, Ethiopia aspires to
become the second largest
producer of coffee Arabica,
Assefa noted. That said, the
current export performance of
the country shows less than
300 thousand tonnes or close
to six million bags a year, while
Brazil, Colombia and new
coffee producers like Vietnam
dominate the global production
totaling some 130 million
bags.
Globally, some 500 billion cups
of coffee are consumed a year
and US coffee fans alone drink
150 million cups. Vrooman
remembered that following the
Second World War, cheap and
poor quality coffees were
rationed among consumers.
That, however, changed in the
1970s when the notion of
specialty coffee houses became
trends in the US. Currently,
SCAA has brought together
some 9,000 members from 40
countries representing every
fragment of specialty coffee
industry.
However, the 15 million
Ethiopians who depend on
coffee related livelihoods have
to wait long to obtain a fair
share from the specialty coffee
business. Assefa argues that
Ethiopia’s coffee is believed to
be “organic” by default yet very
far away to fulfill internationally
set standards. Coffee is still
described as the backbone of
the Ethiopian economy. These
days oilseeds like sesame are
taking over in terms of export
volume and hard currency
generation.
13
ETHIOPIA: ECA TO HOST SECOND AFRICA THINK TA NK SUMMIT
Economic Commission for
Africa announced it will
host the Second Africa
Think Tank Summit, on the
theme, “The Rise of Africa’s
Think Thanks - Practical
Solutions to Practical
Problems”, from April 6-8,
2015 in Addis Ababa, The
Daily Monitor reported.
(03.04.2015 – 2Merkato)
The aim of the summit is to
survey the ways in which
Africa’s Think Tanks are
presently making a difference
in the continent’s
transformation and how they
can become exceedingly
significant and pertinent
contributors as the v ision for
Africa in 2063 rolls out.
The Summit is organized by the
Think Tank and Civ il Society
Programme of Pennsylvania
(TTCSP) in collaboration with
the Harare-based African
Capacity Building Foundation,
according to the Commission.
Series of regional and global
“think tank Summits” had been
organized by the Think Tank
and Civ il Society Programme of
Pennsylvania (TTCSP) ,
convening together
professionals of top-ranked
think tanks to act as a trade
association for networking,
reflection and discussions on
the critical matters of the day.
Nine summits had been held
thus far, together with regional
convocations for Asia, Europe,
Latin America and North
America, the G20 countries,
and most recently a Global
Think Tank Summit in Geneva.
14
EU BUSINESSES CALL FOR MORE REFORMS IN THE BUREAUCRACY
Ask for minimum capital
requirements of USD
150,000 et al to be nullified
Numbering some 300, the
European Union businesses
operating in Ethiopia –
mainly engaged in business
and investment activities –
has asked the government
to make changes in its
public services.
(04.04.2015 – The
Reporter)
During the third annual forum
held on Wednesday at Hilton
Addis Ababa, the EU-based
businesses have echoed the
reforms they wanted to see the
government make so that this
would improve the business
climate in Ethiopia.
Among the reforms are tax
administration, customs,
business licensing and
administrative burdens.
According to Ambassador
Chantal Hebbercht, head of the
EU delegation in Ethiopia, a
study document – roadmap –
with details of
recommendations and
suggestions for reforms have
been handed over to Fistum
Arega, commissioner general of
the Ethiopian Investment
Commission (EIC). Through
her technical expert,
Ambassador Hebbercht
described how studies were
conducted to arrive at the
conclusion that the government
should be made aware of the
concerns of European
businesses.
Out of the 300 businesses,
some 80 were approached to
point out the basic
impediments they were faced
with while operating in
Ethiopia. According to the
Ambassador’s assistant, some
ten major impediments were
discovered to be most
challenging. Out of those,
again five demanded
immediate attention from the
government. Availability of
foreign exchange, tax
administration, customs,
licensing and administrative
burden – mostly bureaucratic
red tape – were the major
impediments. That said foreign
exchange issue was left out as
it requires policy interventions
from the government.
Following those impediments,
international experts, who have
been behind conducting the
survey, suggested that
obtaining investment license
should not force investors to
deposit minimum capital at the
central bank. Accordingly,
foreign investors are required
to deposit some 150 thousand
dollars to obtain licenses.
Technical experts at the EU
asked, “What purpose does
such requirement serve?”
urging that this should be
nullified in the foreseeable
future.
Mamo Mihretu, expert at the
World Bank Group financial
arm, the International Finance
Corporation (IFC), told The
Reporter that the minimum
capital requirement had no
purpose in the eyes of
international best practices
agreeing with the complaints
raised by the EUBFE. However,
Mamo testif ied that the
government was busy in taking
measures to improve the
15
investment climate in Ethiopia.
Mamo went on to say that
EUBFE should have
acknowledged some of the
changes introduced.
Some of the changes where
the WB was involved in
assisting the government
included the improvements in
the proclamation of customs
clearance. Risk management of
imported goods has been
improved. Previously, some 60
percent of imported goods
were subject to pass through
red channel customs and
currently that figure has been
reduced by half, Mamo said.
According to Mamo, single
window service is coming into
the system, which is one point
EUBFE failed to recognize.
Yet, according to the WB
expert, business license and
registrations must be further
improved. One such
predicament EUBFE experts are
critical about was the excessive
requirement of certificate of
competence for which some 36
government agencies are
involved in issuing. Certificate
of competence for Mamo and
the like need to be put in place
in much specified business
activ ities which might harm
society and the environment.
The World Bank is assisting the
government to improve trade
license and trade name
practices. The other area
where the government is
required to move boldly on
includes tax administration
procedures. According to the
EU businesses, tax
assessments, tax appeals and
consistency in decision-making
are where the tax authorities
are failing most businesses.
EUBFE urged the tax
authorities to drop the 50
percent payment of disputed
tax amount before appearing
for tax appeals.
On a similar note, Chris de
Muynck, chairman of EUBFE
told The Reporter that Turkish,
Indian and other non EU
businesses have similar
concerns on the table. “It
might be the case that EU
businesses are demanding for
those changes to come in more
formal manners, Muynck said.
“Clear evolution towards
openness and more
collaboration from the
government side is what we
are asking. I think these are
some of the encouraging
outcomes in the past three
years. The follow-up is fast
moving towards the solutions.”
Officials from the Ethiopian
Investment Commission (EIC)
and the Ethiopian Revenues
and Customs Authority (ERCA)
and the Ministry of Trade were
among those who tried to
defend and at some point
promised to take measures to
resolve issues tabled by
EUBFE.
According to EUBFE, the 300
companies have invested some
23.6 billion birr and any
positioned to be among the
major job creating firms. So far
EU businesses are associated
with securing jobs for 450
thousands in Ethiopia.
16
SOUTH SUDA N
NEARLY 4,500 DISPLACED BY RECENT CLASHES IN UPPER NILE
Recent skirmishes in South
Sudan’s Upper Nile state
have forced nearly 4,500
people to seek shelter at
the United Nations mission
in the capital, Malakal, an
official said on Tuesday.
(08.04.2015 – Sudan
Tribune)
Stephane Dujarric, the
spokesperson for the UN
secretary-general said the
recent displacement brings the
total number of civ ilians in that
protection of civ ilian sites in
Malakal to an estimated
26,000.
Over 115,000 are reportedly
being sheltered at various UN
compounds countrywide.
“And that is the highest
number of displaced that the
Mission is protecting since the
start of the present conflict in
December 2013,” Dujarric said
in a statement.
The world body also expressed
concerns over new
displacements of the
population reported by its
humanitarian partners in parts
of South Sudan, including
31,000 in Jonglei state.
Tens of thousands of people
have been killed and millions
displaced as a result of
misunderstandings in South
Sudan’s ruling Sudan Peoples
Liberation Movement (SPLM).
The wrangles, involv ing South
Sudanese president, Salva Kiir
and his former v ice-president,
Riek Machar has placed over
three million people at risk of
starvation, with the UN World
Food Programme recently
launching an appeal for at least
$260 million.
17
DJIBOUTI.
LE CONSEIL DES MINISTRES REAFFIRME SA SOLIDARITE AVEC LE PEUPLE DU
YEMEN
La séance d’hier a été
marquée par une analyse
de la situation engendrée
par la crise au Yémen. Le
conseil a réaffirmé sa
solidarité avec le peuple
yéménite confronté à une
dure épreuve et appelé les
autorités compétentes à
redoubler d’efforts pour
que notre pays reste à la
hauteur de la tâche. En
outre, un projet de Loi
d’amnistie a été approuvé
par l’Exécutif,
conformément à l’esprit et
à la lettre de l’accord-cadre
du 30 décembre 2014.
(08.04.2015 – La Nation)
Hier en conseil des ministres, le
chef de l’Etat et les membres
du Gouvernement ont d’abord
évoqué la crise au Yémen et
ses conséquences. En effet, la
République de Djibouti, terre
d’accueil et d’hospitalité pour
tous ceux que les conflits
régionaux jettent sur les routes
de l’exode, fait face à un afflux
massif des populations civ iles.
Le Conseil a souligné les graves
menaces que la crise au Yémen
fait peser sur la sécurité et la
stabilité de la région et a
rappelé les mesures prises en
vue d’assurer le rapatriement
de nos ressortissants bloqués
au Yémen.
En outre, face à l’afflux des
populations qui fuient les
combats, le Conseil a indiqué
que sur les plans sanitaire et
sécuritaire, toutes les
dispositions nécessaires avaient
été prises pour aider et
accueillir les populations
réfugiées.
Ainsi, des sites ont été
aménagés pour prendre en
charge ces familles et faire en
sorte qu’elles puissent
bénéficier de prise en charge
médicale. Le Conseil réaffirme
sa solidarité avec le peuple
yéménite et demande aux
autorités compétentes de
redoubler d’efforts pour que
notre pays soit à la hauteur de
la tâche car la République de
Djibouti a toujours été une
terre d’accueil et d’hospitalité
pour les populations fuyant les
conflits armés. Parmi les
projets de Loi adoptés hier lors
de cette séance, figure celui
portant amnistie, un texte qui
s’inscrit, bien sûr, dans le cadre
de l’accord signé fin décembre
avec l’opposition. Il s’agit là
d’un projet de loi allant dans le
sens de l’apaisement.
Le chef de l’Etat, qui a pesé de
tout son poids pour que cet
accord-cadre soit signé, entend
par cette mesure de clémence,
envoyer un signal fort en
direction de la coalition de
l’opposition.