Enterprise to snatch ‘Arqebe’ Kiosks from illegal owners

A new regulation framework has already been prepared by the Addis Ababa Job Creation and Development Bureau to confiscate the kiosk dubbed ‘Arqebe shops’ that are illegally acquired from the original holders.
Currently, over 9,000 metal shops, nicknamed after former Mayor, Arkebe Oqubay, are working as mini business under the title of a small and micro-enterprise.
The new regulation which is being sent to the city’s Justice Bureau should be implemented by the end of this month.
According to information that Capital obtained from the enterprise, of the currently operating 9,000 Arqebe’ Kiosks 30% of them have been sold and transferred to third parties, with the approval of the city administration.
The kiosks which have been built since 2005 were given initially to the startup entrepreneurs for five years but according to the bureau a majority of the kiosks were not taken back from them though they have ended their contractual agreements more than nine years ago.
Food, soft and alcohol drinks, electronics, construction materials, boutiques, barber and printing services are majorly operated in the kiosks.
Sources in the bureau told Capital that the kiosks will be given to the people who haven’t had an opportunity to start a new business.
“Now the bureau is fully eligible to own the kiosks. We will decide who can work on them based on our research. In some cases up to five kiosks are owned by a single person and some of the kiosks were sold for up to half a million birr, even though they are owned by the government. We will clear out all these issues and we will do a fair job by giving the kiosks to the right person.’’
According to sources, the bureau will also administer the kiosks in the city which were built by different NGO’s as part of social responsibility.
Currently The Addis Ababa Small and Micro Enterprise is planning to construct a total of 2,000 solar kiosks in the ten sub cities of the city.
The kiosk which will be administered by the Enterprise’s Work Place Development and Administration Agency is expected to create job opportunities for 4,000 people and Kiosk operators will able to use the power during the day and continue operating late into the night. The construction of the kiosks will begin this fiscal year though the cost of the construction has not been revealed yet.
Side roads, bus and train station, junctures, areas near schools and colleges, private and government companies are the locations selected to construct the kiosks.
They will be on four square meters of land and then given to the entrepreneurs who will submit their business proposal to the agency. Then the agency will select the best proposal. The winners will be able to use the mini-shops.