Private sector scheduled to meet PM

The private sector representatives are expected to meet Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed under the Ethiopian Public Private Consultative Forum (EPPCF) for the second time.
The PM once met with the private sector representatives in the same months of his assignment as premier.
However since then the private sector that comprised from different sector does not meet with the PM for the last two years, while he discussed with different sector in separate meetings.
In previous trends the PM met with the private sector every year under the EPPCF.
Melaku Ezezew, President of Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Association, which is the umbrella for the private sector under EPPCF, expressed his hope that the PM will meet with the private sector in this two months.
“We have been trying to meet him in different occasion but due to different current affairs and national situation that makes the PM busy it could not be realized,” he told Capital.
“I have been writing about six letters for the Ministry of Trade and Industry, which is a bridge to connect the private sector with the PM under EPPCF,” Melaku said.
He said that he has got a promise to meet PM Abiy in a couple of months.
The forum is one of the major events for the private sector to express its concern regarding the economic condition of the country and tabled digested points that needs solution from the government side.
At the meeting that was held mid April 2018 at Sheraton Addis the private sector raised several issues including access to finance, foreign currency and good governance issues.
One of the challenges to facilitate such meeting with the PM is the frequent reshuffling of ministers at Ministry of Trade and Industry.