Addis chamber embarks on massive restructuring

The Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Association (Addis Chamber), the oldest private sector representative in Ethiopia, embarks massive reforms on the aim to boost its support for the private sector.
The chamber announced that the reform includes changes in the leadership.
On the statement the city chamber sent to Capital a couple weeks ago shows that it has embarked on a holistic reform that shall be take place in the coming few months.
Addis Chamber said that in the reform process, it will strengthen cooperation with the national chamber, Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Association, regional and city private sector representatives.
“In general we are working to change the internal operation of the chamber for the interest of members,” it says, adding “the reform has strongly incorporated the Addis Chamber goodwill ambassadors to realize the required change.”
It added that under the public private partnership principle it is strengthening its relation with the Addis Ababa City Administration in different economic areas.
According to the new reform process, the required support for the diaspora, who are interested to invest to the country, shall be provided at the place they reside in collaboration with peer partners in abroad. Currently, the chamber has a desk at its office to provide relevant information and consultation for those who come back to their country to do business.
Addis Chamber is also crafting the adequate process to establish a satellite TV and FM radio station to promote the country’s potential on trade and investment, and private sector activity. “The station will have international standards and its content will promote export commodities and create linkage with international partners and buyers,” the statement read.
The city chamber said that on the aim to accelerate the private sector as an economic engine of the country it will consult with the national, regional and city chambers.
It called its senior and support staffs besides other partners to work in cooperation to realize the greatest outcome from the reform.
Recently, Addis Chamber Board, chaired by Mesenbet Shenkute, has accepted the resignation of Getachew Regassa, the long serving Secretary General of the chamber.
The chamber office is now led by Shibeshi Bettemariam, Deputy Secretary General, as acting head.
Sources said that the reform process is aggressively put in place since the resignation of Getachew, who led the day to day activity of the chamber for over a decade.
According to sources the reform work shall be finalized before the end of the current budget year.