The Ethiopian Shipping and Logistics Services Enterprise (ESLSE), says they are ready to help manufacturers at industrial parks export their products. They have begun handling imported materials for investors at Hawassa Industry Park. “We are the first to get into Hawassa. We assigned 20 staff and equipped them with adequate materials at the park,” Mesfin Tefera, Deputy Head of ESLSE, told Capital. In the past few months ESLSE has imported materials that were transported through multimodal means for clients at Hawassa. Mesfin said that his enterprise is ready to provide service for clients who prefer to use ESLSE for exports. So far ESLSE has not exported products from Hawassa Industry Park. The government has given a lot of attention to the logistics sector in relation to the development of industry parks. Recently the issue was discussed at a meeting led by Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn. The PM invited private logistics operators to expand their operation in relation to the upcoming export growth from industrial parks, according to sources, who attended the meeting at the PM’s office. Private companies are also expected to join the logistics sector at the parks. The state owned logistics operator deputy head said that he expects that in the near future ESLSE will begin exports from the Hawassa Park, 275km south of Addis Ababa. “We have information that most of the manufacturing companies at Hawassa will begin exporting this month or the next,” he explained. “We can handle the stuffing at the warehouse of the manufacturers until the terminal that is under construction by the Industry Parks Development Corporation is finished in September,” he added. ESLSE is also ready to begin operating at the recently inaugurated Komblocha and Mekelle industry parks. ESLSE is a state owned multimodal logistics company that handles most of the country’s freight. Because of the vital role it plays in economic growth the government has conducted studies and taken steps to improve infrastructure.
[capitalethiopia.com]