The Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations (AACCSA) conducted a design study seven years ago to reconstruct the Addis Ababa Exhibition Center, a facility with a history of over 40 years. However, due to a lack of attention from the government, the project has not yet commenced. The AACCSA has recently announced that none of the proposed projects for the exhibition center have been included by the government, despite its many years of service.
The Chamber of Commerce attributes the delay and bureaucratic issues to government fluctuations and problems. They have called for attention to be given to this matter and have expressed frustration with the system. Addis Chamber told capital that the reason for taking the previous debatable case to court trials.
Furthermore, the AACCSA has announced the termination of the exhibition center’s contract, which had been in effect for the past 18 years. The city administration has revoked the Addis Chamber’s control over the center, which they had been managing since 2008. The Chamber had sent multiple letters during the fiscal year regarding delayed dividend payments, but received no response. Consequently, they decided to take the matter to court.
Shibeshi Bettemariam, the Secretary-General of the Chamber, stated in an interview with Capital that the council was responsible for elevating the exhibition center to its current status. However, one year ago, the city administration appointed its own board, allowing for the existence of two boards for a single exhibition center, which is an illegal practice.
Bettemariam explained that the delay in dividend payment was the primary reason for taking the case to court. They had been requesting a response in writing for the past eight months, but had not received any. The contract between the Addis Ababa City Administration and the Addis Ababa Chamber had been renewed for either five or ten years, but the city administration terminated it through a letter.
Although the current administration had previously expressed verbal agreement to develop the exhibition center, no concrete action has been taken. Despite its long history of over 40 years, the Addis Ababa Exhibition Center has not undergone renovation and is considered inadequate to meet international standards for visitors.
Meanwhile, the government is undertaking a major project to construct the New Africa Trade and Fair Convention Center, which is estimated to cost over 4 billion birr. This center aims to provide comprehensive trade fair and related services in Ethiopia. The initial phase involves the construction of two multipurpose trade fair halls, each spanning an area of six thousand square meters, to accommodate various activities.
