The Minister of Trade and Industry is selecting additional palm oil importers through the respective regional trade and industry office and the two City Administrations.
The new directive has been sent to the respective trade and industry offices to select the potential importers based on strict criteria.
“The Ministry gave the mandate to select capable importers and send them to the Trade Office in the name of transparency,” Wendemu Flate Communication Director of the Ministry told Capital.
Some of Trade and industry offices already began selecting importers based on the given criteria.
Currently five private companies are importing palm oil; AHFA PLC, Biftu Adugna Business S.C., Al-Sam International, Belayneh Kindie Import & Export (BKIE), and Hameressa Edible Oil S.C.
Moreover, the so called endowments such as Wendo Trading & Investment Plc, Guna Trading House Plc and Ambassel Trading House Plc, will also join the business. Alle Bejimla, the state-owned wholesaler, will also take part in the import.
“The assumption behind choosing those importers is on the consensus to build an edible oil factory and substitute imports,” Wemdimu said.
However no effort has been made so far to build factories in any of those endowments even though little progress has been witnessed in some of the private companies.
Ethiopia mainly relies on imported palm oil from countries like Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore in order to satisfy its edible oil consumption.
Palm oil covers 96 percent of the total consumption while only four percent of it is covered by a few domestic manufactures with low level of production capacity and other importers.
Last fiscal year, Ethiopia imported 73,434 liters of palm oil according to the data from Minister of Trade and Industry.
More palm oil importers approved
Export revenue drops
Country earns 1.21bln USD for first half of 2018/19
Revenue from exports have continued to decrease as the country failed to hit its target for the first two quarters of the current fiscal year.
Though the government planned to collect USD 1.96 billion for the period, it has only achieved about 62% of its target.
The Minister of Trade and Industry, Fetlework G. Egziabher told Members of Parliament on Thursday that the country earned export revenue of 1.21 billion USD in the past six months.
The revenue falls short of 750 million USD from government’s target for the period, which was USD 1.96 billion.
The minister, who presented her report to the parliament, indicated that the instability witnessed in some parts of the country has also contributed to the decline of export income.
The other reasons the Minister mentioned is the failure of increasing productivity and reliance of raw agricultural commodities in addition to contraband border trade and lack of meaningful diversification of export items.
Lack of inputs for the manufacturing companies, which often can’t get hard currency on time is also mentioned as are reason for the failure of the emerging manufacturing sector to generate export earnings.
While Ethiopia’s export income has been declining, the country’s spending for imports has been growing, surpassing USD 17 billion last. As a result, of the growing trade deficit, Ethiopia has been facing an acute shortage of foreign currency to import medicines and fuel.
The major export earning commodities of Ethiopia include coffee, oil seeds such as sesame, flower, Khat, fruits, vegetables, minerals and some manufactured goods.
The major hard currency consuming products Ethiopia has been importing include fuel, different machines, medicines, steel, manufactured goods including foods as well as simple products such as, toothpicks, candies and cookies.
She also mentioned under-invoicing and absence of an export strategy as holding up the sector.
“The decrease of the revenue as well as its rate of decline have become very critical and needs careful consideration,” Fetlework added.
Improving agriculture, improving lives
The second national Agricultural Technique and Vocational Education and Trainings (ATVET) conference was held in Adama and consisted of discussions with schools and the Agricultural Transformation through Stronger Vocational Education (ATTSVE) project.
Partners around the world gathered and four colleges presented their progress report. 
Dalhousie University, Jimma University, McGill University and Mennonite Economic Development Associates of Canada (MEDA) are the partners.
In their report, the vocational schools stressed that the project helped them get the chance to improve their education. The gender-sensitive environment in the schools helped women who were students and teachers reach their potential. Strong gender offices have been established and sustainably funded by the project.
During the opening, a representative from the Ministry of Agriculture welcomed the attendants while stressing that improving agriculture is a pillar of economic growth and alleviating poverty.
“The government has produced more than 85,000 agricultural development agents from its 25 agro TEVTs,” Germame Geruma said.
ATTSVE has helped the schools provide laboratories, demonstration sites, and ICT infrastructure.”
Germame thanked the government of Canada which funded the project.
Representing Dalhousie University, the acting manager of international relations in the agricultural facility, said the exchange of scholars has been helpful.
“Students came here for an internship program this can help bo
th the Canadian and Ethiopian students exchange their experience” he said.
“When we launched the project there were some delays especially due to lack of foreign exchange and extended procurement procedures,” said Paul Kasanga, manager of the project. “I also hope there will be a continuation of the efforts to be sustainable. Woreta, Maichew, Wolaita Soddo and Nejjo are where the project is now.
Djibouti reduces visa fees
Djibouti, which wants to expand its tourism economy, has slashed visa fee for visitors.
The decree of the Ministry of Budget of Djibouti indicated that the revised visa fee was classified into three categories, from about USD 11 to 168 depending on the duration.
The country has stated that it wants to expand its economic sector into different aspects from the current dominant logistics service sector. The tourism sector is stated as one of the pillars in this regard.
Osman Abdi Mohamed, CEO of the National Tourism Office of Djibouti, recently told Ethiopian media visiting Djibouti that the tourism sector contributes three percent to the GDP, which is expected to reach 5 percent in the coming five years. According to the CEO there are now 140 thousand visitors every year and that number is expected to increase to half a million in five years.
He said that his office has highly targeted to expand the number of Ethiopian tourists visiting different seaside towns in other African nations and the Middle East like Dubai.
Currently Ethiopia and Djibouti are re-linked with a modern electric railway that replaces the century old line.
Recently the two countries have reconnected with electric railway besides the road and flight. Experts in the country stated that the railway makes the two nations more connected since it is cheap and fast than air and road transport respectively. 
The Ethiopian side is also massively working on the road development including express road on the corridor to Djibouti. Recently Djibouti has also launched the development of express roads that connect Ethiopia.
“Tourists not only others visiting Ethiopian and continue their visit to Djibouti but Ethiopians shall visit Djibouti and enjoy their weekend at sea sides by coming the modern and fast railway system,” the CEO said.
The two countries have agreed to cooperate more to integrate tourism. “Our office in collaboration with its counterpart in Ethiopia organized the first meeting between Djibouti and Ethiopian private operators here and the second meeting will be held in Addis Ababa in February,” he added.
Osman Abdi said that in the last two years the numbers of tourists coming after visiting Ethiopia is growing. The CEO said that his office branch will open in Addis Ababa this month.
The current visa fee reduction is stated to be a good option for Ethiopian tourists. The decree stated that the short stay from 15 to 90 days has been reduced to USD 22 that was close to USD 90 in the past, while the long stay up to 12 months would be USD 168 and the transit is USD 11.
The country is currently eager to attract tourists from new potentials besides the traditional travelers like from France. The sector has registered a 40 percent increase last year.
The government of Djibouti has decided to put money into tourism so last March the government organized a national forum on tourism which attracted many stakeholders. The forum came up with a strategic national master plan which will be finished by the end of this month.
He said that Ethiopia has several tourist destinations and some even registered by UNESCO. “It is a good opportunity for us also since tourists that visit Ethiopia might come to our beaches or seaside areas,” he added.
“We have beautiful touristic sites for visitors including beautiful beach, whale shark and other sea side and inland destinations,” Osman Abdi said.
Most of the visitors to Djibouti are from France but the country is working to change that. “Now we are also working to attract tourists from China, Ethiopia, and the Gulf States,” the CEO added. He indicated that Ethiopian tourists would enjoy the beach and sea foods that they don’t have in their country. “Ethiopians shall spend their weekend in Djibouti just coming by airplane or cheap transport of train and road,” he added.
