The Ethiopian Government have been committed to improve “Ease of Doing Business” in the country. One mile stone is making the country more open for business is providing online business licence issuance and renewal services. Well, According to Reporter newspaper, it’s just a months away.
The Ministry of Trade and Industry has announced that it will complete its business license and related services online within a month. State Minister of Trade and Industry, Eshete Asfaw, said one of the measures taken by the government to modernize the business system is to provide trade licenses and renewal services online.
Ethiopia, one of the least developed countries in the world, is lagging behind not only the rest of the world but also Africa. He said preparations are underway to fill the gap and complete the online service next month.He also said that the service is currently being tested before it is officially launched.
“We have reached a point where the service can be provided in any part of the country. The service will be provided by 1,134 commercial licensing bodies,”
State Minister of Trade and Industry, Eshete Asfaw
It is said to modernize the business, especially by creating a conducive environment for the business community, and also to bring not only Ethiopian traders but also international traders to Ethiopia. On the other hand, he said a trade policy is being formulated for Ethiopia, which has not yet had a trade policy.
It is learned that the current industrial policy is not in line with the current situation and is being revised.Another is the quality policy that is being implemented. Although there is a system in place to monitor the quality of Ethiopia’s imports and exports, it is said that the quality policy is being prepared to provide policy-supported services. This will enable the products produced in Ethiopia to be available to the public, creating an environment conducive to increasing the competitiveness of exported products. As with both policies, quality policy preparation is nearing completion.
The state minister said investors in the sector will have a great responsibility to increase their exports by winning this regional and international free market relentless competition.
It was also stated that policies have been formulated and implemented to enable Ethiopia’s domestic economic development, trade facilitation, start-up reform and the role of the private sector in Ethiopia.
He said the trade and industry sector has been playing a significant role in the economy since its inception, adding that the private sector should fulfill its responsibilities.
It is believed that the current policies will make a big difference in the business system. He also said that they are undertaking comprehensive legal reforms to modernize the business system and increase productivity.
It is said that work is being done on this basis as new practices, legal frameworks and arrangements need to be put in place to keep pace with the current situation. To this end, the proclamation establishing chambers of commerce has been amended.