ADDIS ABABA, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- In its drive to realize its ambition of becoming the manufacturing hub of the African continent, Ethiopia will inaugurate four industrial parks during the current Ethiopian 2017/2018 fiscal year.
According to the Ethiopian Investment Commission (EIC), two industrial parks will be inaugurated during the next month, one in Adama city, some 99 km from the capital Addis Ababa, and the other in Dire Dawa city, Ethiopia's second largest city in the eastern part of the country.
Two other industrial parks in Kilinito and Bole Lemi-II, both located at the outskirts of the capital Addis Ababa, are also scheduled to be inaugurated in February 2018.
Except the Kilinto industrial park, which is specialized in pharmaceuticals, the other three are under construction to attract local and foreign investors in Ethiopia's textile and apparel productions sector.
According to Belachew Mekuria, Deputy EIC Commissioner, as the construction of the four industrial parks expected to be finalized in just a one year timeframe, the east African country anticipates the ever growing number of industrial parks would accelerate the country's ambition to become the African continent's powerhouse in the manufacturing sector.
The Ethiopian government has planned to construct some 15 industrial parks during the second five-year Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP-II) period, due effective from 2015 to 2020. The east African country has also budgeted more than 1 billion U.S. dollars for the construction of industrial parks during the reported period.
According to Sisay Gemechu, CEO of the Ethiopian Industrial parks Development Corporation, the east African country, is creating conducive environment for both local and foreign companies and better employment opportunities through its industrial parks development strategy.
"The aim of industrial parks is to create conducive environment for Ethiopian industrial development strategy in GTP-II as well, and the role of particular this corporation is to develop a number of industrial parks in a different part of regions in sector based. As of know we have fifteen plus industrial parks either operational or under construction," Gemechu said.
In addition to the parks that will be inaugurated during the current fiscal year, industrial parks construction projects are underway in Debre Birhan, Ararti and Bahir Dar by the Ethiopian government. The private sector also makes its contribution in the development of industrial parks in Ethiopia, which includes the Chinese Huajian and Eastern industry zones.
The parks, among other things, incorporates physical infrastructures such as roads, electricity, and water provisions as well as facilities that would provide one-stop services so as to ensure provision of multiple government services to companies within the parks' premises.
With regards to the two industrial parks that are scheduled to be functional as of next month, the Ethiopian government expects the 315 million U.S. dollars worth industrial zones in Adama and Dire Dawa cities will contribute to the facilitation of foreign trade for the country due to their relative proximity to the Port of Djibouti, which is Ethiopia's major import and export outlet.
Ethiopia, Africa's second most populous nation with a population stood at 102.4 million in 2016, also considers industrial parks development as its prime target to create job opportunity to its burgeoning younger population.
According to the EIC, around 19 factories that can produce textile products are already constructed inside the Adama industry zone with ambitions to create job opportunities for more than 15,000 Ethiopians directly and for over 15,000 peoples indirectly. The Dire Dawa Industrial Park also aimed at creating job opportunities for over 10,000 people in a single shift.
Built by China Civil Engineering Corporation (CCECC), the Hawassa industrial park, located in Ethiopia's southern city of Hawassa, some 275 km south of the capital Addis Ababa, is Ethiopia's flagship industrial zone that was initially completed in a record time of nine months period.
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