It has now been three months since the disappearance of the CEO at the Ethiopian Industrial Input Development Enterprise (EIIDE), Asfawossen Alene and his deputy Abay Kebede.
Sources at EIIDE claimed that the two were involved in unethical and illegal activities and that was their motive for going to the US, where their family is based.
According to sources, the CEO has not been seen at his office since March 14. “Initial reports were that he was on annual leave but as of now he has not returned,” sources said. Despite his absence the company has paid his salary for three months and his mobile phone bill.
Capital has confirmed that currently Idirs Niguss, the other deputy CEO has been assigned as acting director.
EIIDE replaced the former Merchandise Wholesale and Import Trade Enterprise (MEWIT), when it split into two. The organization is one of the biggest public enterprises with a huge sum of procurements from local and overseas markets.
Sources claim that in fact EIIDE was established to support industrialization by supplying industrial inputs that did not meet their target and were mainly engaged in the operation that MEWIT had undertaken in the past.
“About 80 percent of our sales are finished products,” sources said.
Idirs Niguss, who represents the CEO when he leaves the office, confirmed that the CEO left the office three months ago. He argued that Asfawossen had left the office due to family issues.
Idirs added that Asfawossen has submitted his resignation from the US. The other deputy CEO for procurement, Abay has also announced that he resigned from his post due to a health issue.
Sources said that Abay has not been seen since Monday June 18, when he parked the automobile he used at the office compound located at the Vatican Embassy.
Idirs confirmed that the deputy also submitted his resignation a few days after his disappearance.
Sources said that the deputy CEO also traveled to the US. According to sources, there is a police investigation ongoing at the enterprise in relation with the procurement of rebar.
However they claimed that there are several scandals at the enterprise including the head office rent when it has its own facility at Piazza.
Idirs argued that the Enterprise is trying its best to supply inputs like cotton and leather for the manufacturing industries. However he said that the economic situation in the past couple of years has influenced the activity of the enterprise. He has also confirmed that there is an investigation being carried out by police.
Asfawossen served as head of the Large Taxpayers Branch Office of the Ethiopian Revenues and Customs Authority before he came to EIIDE as the first CEO. Abay, had been working at MEWIT for a long period.
Employees at the enterprise insisted that the government has to give adequate attention at the enterprise since there are many illegal activities occurring there. They claimed that there are organized and networked corruption acts going on from top to bottom employees of the organization.
Early last week the new federal government reshuffled the board of the enterprise. According to Idris, Melaku Alebel, the recently appointed Minister of Trade, was assigned to chair the board, while Ahmed Tussa, the recently assigned State Minister of Finance and Economic Cooperation who served on several top positions in the past, was appointed as vice chair of the board.
The former board was chaired by Mebrahtu Melese (PhD), who is now state Minister of Trade.
Development Enterprise head, assistant flee to US
India may stop importing Ethiopia’s pulse product
India, which imports 30 percent of Ethiopia’s pulse products may halt imports because Ethiopia has not fumigated the pulses.
India gave six months for Ethiopia to fumigate its pulses, a deadline which expired yesterday Saturday June 30, and India has stated they will not import any more pulse products until the matter is dealt with.
Ethiopia stands to lose up to USD 80 million a year if India stops importing pulses. Fumigation is a method of pest control that completely fills an area with gaseous pesticides to suffocate or poison the pests. It is used to control pests in soil, grain, and produce, and is also used during processing of goods to be imported or exported to prevent transfer of exotic organisms.
India said it doesn’t want to spend additional money on chemicals and human labor to fumigate the pulses. White and red beans, chick peas, horn beans, green mung beans and soya beans are the major pulse products India imports from Ethiopia.
The Ministry of Trade who had a meeting with pulse and oilseeds exporters last Thursday at Capital Hotel warned the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources to start the fumigation process very soon.
In the last eleven months Ethiopia exported 402,000 tons of pulses and earned USD 402 million, they had plans to export 568,704 tons and earn USD 423 million.
India imported about 6 million tons of pulses last year from different countries.
In other news 8,730 tons of sesame were exported illegally over the last eleven years which caused the country to lose over two billion birr. The Ministry of Trade also announced that it has received over 63,403 tons of sesame in stores where the exporters, suppliers and producers had horded the product to get a better price in the future. It stated also that some exporters sold the product below the international market price to get dollars quickly.
Melaku Alebel, Minister of Trade said exporters should work harder to bring more quality products to the market.
“The reason we are failing to fill the gap of hard currency demand is our weak performance in export and if we do not export more we cannot get dollars which ultimately causes trouble for out investments.’’
However, exporters said the government should make it easier to get loans.
Ethiopian Steel’s cutting edge product
Ethiopian Steel plc, one of the old established foreign direct investments (FDI) since the free economy was endorsed, launched the latest steel roofing sheet product which is coated with aluminum zinc, to the Ethiopian market.
The company which is known for making roofing sheet under the brand name Anbessa has been engaged in the steel manufacturing industry for the last 23 years.
At the launching event held on June 21 at Getfam Hotel it introduced the roofing sheet called Dumuzas.
Pankaj Gupta, Ethiopian Steel Business Head, said that the product is the latest technology in the global steel roofing market.
“So far we understand that we are the pioneer and the only one producing this kind of roofing sheet that is coated with aluminum zinc,” he told Capital.
According the explanation at the launching event, Dumuzas is better in many ways when compared with the traditional galvanized roofing sheet. According to experts at Ethiopian Steel, which is a company under Safal Group, the product has a long life span which is superior in corrosion resistance, heat reflectivity and head resistance over galvanized sheet, which makes the product preferable for weather like Ethiopia.
The company that has four manufacturing industries in Addis Ababa, Gonder, Hawassa and Mekele, also features several showrooms throughout the country.
Ethiopian Steel reported that their factories have a production capacity of over 30,000 metric tons per annum.
Besides roofing sheet the company also produces and delivers to site offices, warehouses, and guard houses. It has also been engaged in several public projects including housing schemes refugee camp development and other governmental and nongovernmental endeavors.
The mother company of Ethiopian Steel, Safal Group which has operated for over six decades is based in Mauritius and Nairobi and invests in 12 African countries, including Ethiopia.
Anti-terrorism Proclamation could be rescinded
Federal Attorney-General Birhanu Tsegaye, deflected questions about possibly removing the Anti-Terrorism Law from the books during a press conference held at his office on Friday.
According to an office publication removing the nation’s most controversial proclamation, placing a more watered down version in the regular Criminal Code and amending the law are all under consideration. During an event publicizing the new legal advisory council, the Attorney General made it clear that the legal and institutional frameworks of the nation will be subject to the recently announced justice reform by the Prime minister.
The status of the current legal system has caused dissatisfaction with many, because they say it gives the nation a bad image and conflicts with the constitution, these were listed by Birhanu as factors leading to reformation of the justice system. “Laws should no more be the weapon of the rulers,” said the Attorney General. “The Anti-Terrorism Law, Nongovernmental Organizations Establishment Law and Media Law are among the priorities”.
The newly organized team, which consists of 13 legal professionals, will recommend the best legal solutions to the government, for the next three years.
Prof. Tilahun Teshome, the renowned professor of laws, and Meaza Ashenafi, a prominent women rights activist and lawyer, were appointed members of the council. In addition, Liqu Worqu, a former government legal research post holder and founder of the Abyssinian Law website is among the younger members of the council.
The council’s role is extended to policy issues and the law school’s curriculum content improvement according to Birhanu.
“The recursion of the members was made considering the educational background, experience, and their public acceptance,” Birhanu said. “They will consult the government without payment but the government will cover their expenses”.
The council’s independence and implementation of its recommendations were said to be complete. The participation of the council is said not to be limited to the Office of the Attorney general but the nation’s entire legal system. In its coming meeting, the council is expected to choose its chairperson.
