ENA

The Ministry of Industry has set a target of generating 1 billion USD in manufacturing export earnings during the 2019 Ethiopian Fiscal Year, following a significant increase in export performance that saw revenues reach 607 million USD in the recently concluded fiscal year.

Speaking at the Manufacturing Export Performance Review and Recognition Program, Industry Minister Melaku Alebel said the government has given special attention to the manufacturing sector as one of the five key pillars identified to transform the country’s economy.

He noted that remarkable efforts have been made over the past five years of reform to expand the sector’s contribution and ensure manufacturing secures a significant share of the national economy.

According to the minister, manufacturing export earnings have increased from 385 million USD before the launch of the “Made in Ethiopia” initiative to 607 million USD in the 2018 Ethiopian Fiscal Year.

He said the growth reflects the impact of government reforms aimed at strengthening the manufacturing sector, improving production capacity, and expanding Ethiopia’s presence in international markets.

The minister added that the government is committed to building on these achievements and reaching the 1 billion USD manufacturing export target under the leadership of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

"The manufacturing sector's export earnings have almost doubled compared to the previous fiscal year. While the results are encouraging, they do not mean all the sector's challenges have been resolved," the minister said.

He also said that these achievements show that the country is moving in the right direction and must sustain the efforts to improve productivity and expand exports.

Melaku said the manufacturing sector has also made significant progress in job creation, with annual employment increasing from about 162,000 at the beginning of the reform program to more than 433,000 currently.

He stressed that expanding exports is critical to Ethiopia's long term economic transformation and competitiveness.

"Export is a matter of our national survival. Ethiopia cannot become competitive through diplomacy or politics alone. We must produce goods that can compete in international markets," he said.

The minister said the government has prepared a new manufacturing export strategy based on Ethiopia's production potential, market opportunities and international best practices to accelerate export growth.

He called on government institutions, manufacturers and other stakeholders to use the strategy as a practical roadmap for expanding exports, attracting investment, creating jobs and improving the competitiveness of Ethiopian products.

According to the minister, the recognition program is intended not only to honor manufacturers with outstanding export performance but also to encourage more industries to strengthen their competitiveness in international markets.

Reaffirming the government's commitment to the sector, Melaku said manufacturers and exporters will continue to get policy and institutional support to increase production and expand access to foreign markets.

"The government's support will continue in all your efforts. I urge you to increase exports and strengthen Ethiopia's competitiveness in the global market," he said.

The minister noted that the government has given manufacturing special priority through the "Made in Ethiopia" initiative and the import substitution program, both of which are designed to strengthen domestic production while boosting export competitiveness.

He added that achieving the 1 billion USD export target will require coordinated efforts by government institutions, manufacturers, exporters and other stakeholders.

The forum reviewed the manufacturing export performance of the 2018 Ethiopian Fiscal Year, discussed the 2019 export plan and the new manufacturing export strategy, identified policy and implementation gaps, explored ways to strengthen public and private sector collaboration, and recognized manufacturers that recorded outstanding export performance.

The export performance review and recognition program brought together state ministers, senior officials from the Ministry of Industry and affiliated institutions, manufacturing exporters, private sector representatives, development partners and other stakeholders attended the event.