Category: Interview

Many obstacles challenge foreign trade in Ethiopia- Logistics and transportation being the major bottlenecks. As much the logistics and transportation sector has undergone reforms, the sector continues to pose a critical challenge for the country’s foreign trade. In this exclusive interview, Berihun Mekonnen, Ethiopian Business Review’s senior editor sat down with Kassahun Abberu (PhD), Director of Transit, Shipping and Transport at Akakas Logistics PLC, a company which he cofounded in December 2000, to discuss the challenges and remedies for the complications in the sector, among other issues.Born in Dessie in 1958, Kassahun received his PhD in Transport Economics from Budapest University of Economic Sciences and Public Administration in 1992. His decades of portfolio include responsibilities at technical and managerial levels at the Federal Express, Hungary, Nib Transport Company, Ethiopian Amalgamated Ltd and others.

When the Ethiopian economy was hit by a foreign currency crunch in 2009, the East African Bottling Share Company, which bottles Coca Cola in Ethiopia, was forced to stop production. The Company was unable to import raw materials because opening a letter of credit (LC) was a challenge at the time. This led to the closure of its plant in March 2009. Production resumed when the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia allowed the bottler to open a 1.8 million dollar LC. Four years later, the Ethiopian Economy is experiencing the same bottleneck. However, this time around, the Company seems prepared for the storm. It has received a 25 million dollar transfer from its shareholders abroad so that history will not repeat itself. Mr. Greig Jansen, Managing Director of the Company talks with Amanyehun R. Sisay, Executive Editor of Ethiopian Business Review about the situation and what is in store for Coca Cola, Excerpts:

Last December, Mulu Solomon rose to the helm of the Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Association (ECCSA), becoming the organization’s first female president. During her brief time she has worked to smooth relations with the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Association (AACCSA), facilitate discussions on Ethiopia’s plan to join the World Trade Organization. She has also been working to improve Ethiopia’s business climate. After a recent visit to Handwerkskammer (HWK), a Chamber of Commerce based in Berlin, Germany, she sat down with Amanyehun R. Sisay, Executive Editor of the Ethiopian Business Review (EBR) Magazine, for an exclusive interview to talk about the latest progress of ECCSA.