At the forum recently held in Dire Dawa City in the Eastern part of Ethiopia, a study presented on the state of small and medium manufacturing industries stressed the favorable conditions to make Dire Dawa Eastern Ethiopia industrial corridor.
Dire Dawa Administration Deputy Mayor and Head of the Trade, Industry and Investment Bureau, Harbi Buh, said Dire Dawa is a pioneer in the industrial sector. Harbi said the industrial sector is growing and production volume and type are increasing due to the favorable conditions created by the Administration and the Federal Government.
The Administration has set up an industrial village with the infrastructure set up years ago to enable the manufacturing industries to enter the country and make use of the Opportunities, according to the Deputy Mayor.
Harbi explained that Dire Dawa is close to the port of Djibouti, almost complete with air and land transport and the availability of other infrastructures will make it more suitable for the sector.
The small and medium enterprises in Ethiopia are expected to play a significant role in job creation, technology transfer, foreign exchange elimination and overall economic transformation, according to Shisemah Gebreselassie, State Minister of Industry of Ethiopia.
He said efforts are underway to alleviate the problems in the sector and bring about the desired change, according to the report of Dire Dawa Communications Affairs Office. The State Minister also said that support will be provided to identify the financial, market and capacity building gaps that are being faced by focusing on the process of industrialization at the national level.
He said Dire Dawa is witnessing better results in the sector, adding that the Administration should continue to consolidate its achievements and make further changes.