“Shotel” A book written by Tsedeke Yihune was inaugurated last Wednesday at Ghion Hotel in Addis Ababa.
Shotel focuses on the Growth and Transformation plan (GTP).
The author who is an engineer by profession is involved in the construction industry and wrote about his perspective of the political economy.
“GTP as I understand is just a gift for the nation in aiming at transforming for the next generation” Tsedeke said during the book launch.
In the inauguration ceremony a couple of scholars criticized the book. They said that more issues should have been included in the book. For example they said that in the construction industry the purchasing process is prone to corruption. They also said that 
GTP ignored small and medium scale manufactures and focused on large industries. They felt that the GTPs should have better addressed the integration of cities and suburbs.
Then the author answered questions from the audience. Mekonnen Manyazewal, former Plan Commission Commissioner of and one of the architects of the GTP also reflected on the essence of GTP.
Aysha Mohammed, Minister of Housing and Construction, Hirut Zemene, State Minister of Foreign Affairs and other dignitaries attended the ceremony.
A book about the GTP
New Potential
Pietro Panarello is the first Secretary of Trade and Cultural Affairs for the Italian Embassy in Ethiopia. Panerello believes that the relationship between Ethiopia and Italy is in a tremendous stage after the Ethio- Eritrea peace accord and the high level visit of both prime ministers Conte and Abiy. As the two countries marked 130 years of diplomatic ties, they are to make the first ever Italian – Ethiopian business forum in Addis Ababa next week. Capital met Panarello to talk about the forum and the trade between the two countries.
Capital: The Italian-Ethiopian business forum will be held in Addis Ababa for the first time, why now?
Pietro Panarello: Over the last two years Ethiopia and Italy’s relationship has been growing, especially after Prime Minister, Professor Conte’s visit. It was symbolic because it came after, Ethiopia and Eretria signed a peace agreement ending 20 years of war. This was a display of all the ways Italy wants to be close to countries in the horn of Africa in this particular period of political and economic transformation. The economic forum is a result from the visits of Professor Conte and then Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to Italy in January. It is time to bring private companies together in order to introduce them to this important market as Ethiopia is a country of 110 million people, a country that is basically composed of a rural economy but that is struggling to transform to an industrial economy. PM Abiy highlighted during an interview with international media a wish to integrate the region’s economy.
Capital: How many Italian companies are expected to participate in the first Italian Ethiopian Business forum, what is the objective?
Panarello: The forum will bring more than 50 Italian companies to Ethiopia led by Italian Deputy Minster of Foreign Affairs and International cooperation, Prof. Emmanuela del Re to meet 150 local private companies in three sections, including infrastructure, textile, leather and agro processing stakeholders and respective local private sector representatives.
The annual, historic, forum will bring primary influencers of each sector, associations and the policy makers’ together.
Capital: What makes the Business forum Historic?
Panarello: What makes the forum special is that it came to Ethiopia as the two countries were set to celebrate 130 years of diplomatic relationship following up the official visit of Ethiopian Prime Minister and PM Guiseppe Conte visit to Ethiopia at the start of this year.
Capital: What is the aim of the business forum and how important is it?
Panarello: We are aiming at first connection for Italian business presenting themselves to Ethiopia for many years since the 1950’s and some Italian companies coming for the first time to Ethiopia especially in those sectors that are considered top priorities in Ethiopia. We believe that Italian private companies are well known and top ones both in Europe and the world so these are the kind of companies that can benefit a country like Ethiopia. Unlike other countries in African continent there are not many mineral resources. However, there is a very important well trained work force that we can cultivate and introduce new skills particularly in textiles, agro processing leather and other sectors where Ethiopia is unique. and also because we think many big multi-national companies have started to understand the importance of considering the logistical position of Ethiopia and the presence of the young workforce in order to develop a hub to export to Europe and the Middle East it is the position that Ethiopia can develop and it’s time to invest in Ethiopia in infrastructure and logistics because Ethiopia has already began to build agro processing industrial parks and it is time to build skills in these kind of parks. We knew after the peace agreement with Eretria, many importers wanted to be closer Ethiopia to the Red Sea and were developing a new exit strategy for their exports apart from the Djibouti Port. So Italy wants to get behind to historical process to be a vanguard and display to Ethiopian the business community and government that Italian private companies are ready to establish a very effective collaboration.
Capital: Ethiopia and Italy have a long term diplomatic relationship what about trade?
Panarello: You know that Ethiopia and Italy during the reign of Emperor Hailessilase had a strong trade relationship. Now PM Abiy wants to use the private sector to bring about economic reform and Ethiopia struggles with a shortage of hard currency. NGO’s have been a prime source of the interaction between Italy and Ethiopia, however we expect that to change and the private sector to take a prime role.
Capital: The Italian Government has been giving training on agro processing skills tell us about that and other areas of cooperation.
Panarello: The Italian company Mezodenia is working in Mekele with more than 2,000 employees. There are projects carried out with Italian cooperation, including TVET training, the agro processing sector as Italy is the leader of packaging in the agro processing industry. We will also share dairy experience with the Ethiopian government.
Capital: What is the trade volume between the two countries?
Panarello: In 2018, the value of the Ethio-Italian trade was about 292 million Euros including 235 million from Italian exports and 57 million from Ethiopian exports to Italy which increased by 15.2 percent compared to the previous year.
Capital: What about the amount of Italian Foreign direct Investment?
Panarello: In 2017; Italian foreign direct investment in Ethiopia amounted to 23 million Euros, which has been growing over the last five years. In 2012 FDI was 20.5 million Euro.
Capital: The Italian Trade Agency was established back in December2014 and officially inaugurated in the same month next year, how has it strengthened trade ties between the two countries?
Panarello: The principal functions of the agency are to foster bilateral trade relations by providing Ethiopian Entrepreneurs and other companies; information about Italian companies and market updates. It also provides assistance in establishing contacts with Italian companies by participating in exhibitions promoting Italian products, organizing training courses technological conferences, workshops, seminars and so on.
In addition we organize a variety of industry specific promotional events such as trade missions of Ethiopian businessman to Italy visiting major exhibition and bringing Italian businessman to Ethiopia and arrange bilateral meetings that benefit both parties.
Allow us to choose our masters
By Haile-Gebriel Endeshaw
One bright morning we were driving out of Addis… three Ethiopian friends and a ferenj acquaintance. He was impressed by the green meadows, mountains and forests of the rural Ethiopia. We heard him appreciating time and again the weather, which was cool and sunny. “Guys, I like this weather! …wow!” …Then, hours later, he happened to see Chinese guys working on a rural road construction. “Why are there so many Chinese guys here? …Africans should not tolerate their presence in mass. … I don’t think they are trustworthy.” The ferenj was not happy to see the Chinese guys. It is common to hear the westerners asking about Chinese guys who are working in rural lands of Africa.
One of our friends who is known to speak his mind cleared his throat and said, “I think Chinese are more interested in the people of Africa than whiteys are.”
“I don’t understand. What’s that?” The foreigner asked.
“We see many Chinese people here. Probably because of the fact that their government gives better support to Africans than other western countries do. …Moreover, Chinese people are welcome here for many reasons… At least we have not heard them insulting us ‘shithole’.” Our Ethiopian friend said smiling.
“By the way, Trump refuted the allegation… He said he did not say that ‘shithole’ thing,” the ferenj said.
“Ok, let’s say he did not say it. But what Africans know is that the guy is harsh towards them. At least I can be sure of this.”
“I don’t think the president is normal. You know he is at loggerhead with North Korea, Iran, Venezuela, Syria, China, Russia,” the foreigner said.
Silence reigned for a couple of minutes. Then, our Ethiopian friend came up with details of his views. Here follows what he said… Once upon a time there was a big man living in Kenya. This man is named Jomo Kenyatta. Yeah, you know him. He was the leader of Kenya. He is one of those big African leaders whom the continent is proud of. Of course, including our emperor Haile-Silassie. Kenyatta is quoted to have said: “When the missionaries arrived, the Africans had the land and the missionaries had the Bible. They taught us how to pray with our eyes closed. When we opened them, they had the land and we had the Bible.”
We know that foreigners are here to rob us of our resources. We read that the continent possesses 120 billion barrels of oil reserves and 600 million hectares of uncultivated arable land which is said to be half of the world total. The westerners are not expected to see these palatable resources with folded hands. They should have it by hook or by crook. To put this into effect, they have done everything to their capacity. They divided us, killed us and did many harmful things against us, poor Africans. They are still doing these same things… First, they gave us the Bible. Now the approach has been changed. Before taking our resources, the colonialists divided us by our ethnic group and religion. Then they prefabricated histories which caused disputes and unrest among us. They used local mercenaries to kill us. While we quarreled, they came up with their guns and drugs. They gave the guns to one group and the drug to the other. This way they put us into big conflicts. We did the fighting that had been created for us, and they took the resources from beneath our feet with broad smile in their faces. Since then Africans have suffered by the legacy of colonial rules and military interventions… Thanks to them we have harvested armed conflicts, mass displacement of people, torture, civil war…
Long years ago, our forefathers were rounded up and shipped to western countries on slave trading. The defenseless Africans did not do the migration by their own. For your information, many of them committed suicide opposing the then forced slave trade. What the whiteys should understand is that Africans prefer to live in their own countries. No other place is better than one’s own home. As the saying indicates, “no one leaves home unless home is the mouth of a shark”. The long story is that during our fighting, which was deliberately made for us, our poor kith and kin have been forced to flee their once peaceful countries. They had no choice but to travel to western nations. What do they do there? They earn their living through bondage or exploitation. Apart from the suffering, segregation and racism, they have not been that much good at their income. Michael Moor said all in his famous book, ‘Stupid White Men’ that “the average income for a black American is 61 percent less per year than the average white income. That is the same percentage difference as it was in 1880! Not a damn thing has changed in more than 120 years”. What is worse is that African immigrants have been called names. They have been called many obscene names like shithole.
The thing is that Africans are forced to travel to western countries because of the problems created directly or indirectly by the whiteys… What surprises us all is that when they are there, their name is migrants. But when the white people flow to Africa, they are named missionaries or gospel preachers. The former president of Zimbabwe said that people “of Africans in Europe are refugees” while “Europeans in Africa are tourists”. According to Mugabe, black people working in a foreign country are foreigners. But the white people working in a foreign country are expatriates.
Now back to my story… It looks that this time China is smartly replacing the westerners in Africa. Colonialists have long been given the opportunity to gobble up as much resources as they can from Africa. But as they have done the robbing wantonly and with bad approach, the sly fox has got the chance to snatch the resources from their big-fat mouth doused in blood.
Bro, mineral resources in China are insufficient to meet an ever-increasing domestic demand and to sustain dramatic growth. That country needs more crude oil production to satisfy the demand of its people. It is Africa that satisfies the need. To implement this, China knows that it should approach the continent in a better way than the westerners. The white guys put conditionalities for the debts they are providing us. They compel us to change our policies, to downsize factory workers, to devaluate our currencies. I am of the opinion such approach is outdated and not favored by Africans. What the Chinese are doing this time is completely different. At least they built us skyscrapers, hospitals, bridges, airports, roads, seaports, railways, sport arenas… The westerners are not that much smart to give us all these things. These are my views which are probably contrary to what others are saying.
We know what the Chinese guys have done to meet their objectives. For instance, between 2000 and 2017 that country pumped into Africa credits worth 143 billion USD. Of course, this has been realized in the form of wide roads, railways, ports, stadiums, factories, industrial parks and mineral developments… My argument does not emanate from affections to China. No! I know all come here for their own benefits. Of course, this may not include very few philanthropists or humanitarian organizations and foundations… We need China not only for its support or generosity… not for the incomparable cost we are being paid in exchange for our precious resources… We are close to China probably for the ‘honor’ or for the slyness or smartness it is showing while gently licking us. Yeah, what we know is that so far China has not come up with leaders that disparage poor Africans. At least we know that Chinese leaders have not called us ‘shithole’. My advice is that the westerners should not feel envy for Chinese guys who are toiling diligently round the clock to amass precious resources from the womb of Africa mama! …Whatever the case is, the whiteys should allow us to choose our masters.
You can contact the writer through gizaw.haile@yahoo.com
