Export Development Forum Opens in Ethiopia

Nov 23 , 2019


[ssba-buttons]

The World Export Development Forum opened in Addis Abeba today under the theme "Trade and Invest in One Africa." The International Trade Centre and the Ethiopian Ministry of Trade & Industry are jointly hosting the Forum. Present during the opening of the Forum were high ranking government officials such as Sahle-Work Zewde, president of Ethiopia. The forum attracted business leaders, policymakers, entrepreneurs, trade development officials, representatives of international organisations, trade and investment promotion agencies and business associations across the world. The Forum is timed to contribute to Africa Industrialization Week, which is intended to help businesses make the most of the newly ratified African Continental Free Trade Agreement with a special focus on the role of women and youth and to address international business competitiveness issues and profile international investment in Ethiopia and beyond. During the event, a business-to-business matchmaking platform that aims to create new business deals in agribusiness was also organised in partnership with the Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce & Sectoral Associations.


Radar

New Directive Tightens Rules for Foreign Employment Agencies

The Ministry of Labour & Skills has issued a directive under the Ethiopian foreign employment framework, setting clear standards for agency size, capital, and operations. Depending on their level, newly established agencies can serve between 10 and over 100 workers a day. Office space requirements range from 100sqm to 700sqm, tied to operational scale. Level-one agencies must hold a paid-up capital of 20 million Br and place a security deposit of 250,000 dollars or its birr equivalent...


Radar

Audit Findings Expose Deepening Gaps in Accountability

A new study reveals that audit irregularities in Ethiopia have continued to rise year after year, driven by weak enforcement and unresolved legacy problems. The finding, commissioned by the Office of the Federal Auditor General (OFAG) and conducted by independent researchers from Addis Abeba University, examined audit reports covering 2009–2023. The study attributes the persistent irregularities to limited accountability, poor follow-up, and reduced audit coverage during political transitio...


Radar

Africa Maritime Conference Sets Sights on Seafaring Innovation

The Ministry of Transport & Logistics has launched the first-ever Africa Maritime Conference, marking a bold move to position landlocked Ethiopia as a continental hub for seafaring innovation at a time of global talent shortages. At a pre-conference briefing, Frans Joubert, CEO of YCF Manning Ltd, underscored Africa's untapped potential in the maritime sector. Of the 1.9 million seafarers worldwide, only four percent are African—despite the continent hosting around 150 maritime academie...