|
 The
Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia is strategically
located in the Horn of Africa. Its proximity to the
Middle East and Europe, together with its easy access to
one the major ports of the region, Djibouti, puts the
country in an ideal position to trade with Africa and
the rest of the world. Nonetheless, the Ethiopian
economy remains heavily dependent on agriculture, which
accounts for about 50 percent of GDP. Coffee exports
accounts for more than 65 percent of foreign exchange
earnings, while processed and semi-processed hides and
skins are the second most important foreign exchange
earner. The industrial sector is heavily dependent on
imports of semi-processed goods, raw materials,
spare–parts, and fuel. In this sense, it is worth
mentioning that it is only fourteen years since Ethiopia
began moving from a self-defined centrally-planned
economy to a market one. Major industries include food
processing and beverages, automotive industries which
include production of components and parts, textile
products and clothing, leather and leather products,
fertilizers (mini-plant), and chemicals. Ethiopia has a
large population and thus potentially one of the largest
domestic markets in Africa, although the purchasing
power of the population is still limited due to modest
per capita incomes.
In 2008,
ITPO Italy decided to use the UNIDO Delegates Program in
cooperation with the Ethiopian Ministry of Industry and
Trade, with some help from the UNIDO Representative
Office. This enabled Ms. Birkinesh Gonfa, an Official
from the Ministry, to directly participate in UNIDO
activities in order to foster direct contacts with
industrialists and financing institutions to attract
foreign investments and technology transfers. She had
the chance to meet representatives of prominent Italian
industrial associations and companies in order to
promote a selected project portfolio of business
opportunities. Main industries involved in the
promotional campaign were: agribusiness and leather and
footwear.
During her
mission, Ms. Gonfa had the opportunity to meet, among
others, several important entrepreneurial Associations
and institutions such as CONFAPI, Toscana Promozione,
ANCI, Associazione Calzaturieri del Brenta, Assolombarda
and Promos Milano, and took the opportunity to spread
information on the investment climate and to offer
concrete business opportunities in Ethiopia as well as
putting the basis for renewed cooperation with public
bodies and Italian companies.
Further,
Ms. Gonfa got acquainted with the Italian production
system and participated in many important international
fairs, such as LineaPelle, in Bologna and
TriesteEspresso Expò. In this regard, her commitment was
intense in promoting the project portfolio selected
jointly with ITPO staff that supported her in several
missions and company visits all along the Italian
peninsula. |
