Nation has planned to augment its export earnings and buttress the economy through increasing quality and finished products, conducting promotion and creating market linkages in the second GTP, Ministry of Trade (MoT) Public Relations and Communication Affairs Office Head, Wendimu Filate said. The nation is working to ensure import substitution and increase export through implementing the strategic plans outlined under the GTP-II. In 2008 E.C, the nation had earned around 2.86 Billion USD (in the first year of the GTP period). In 2009 the nation has also generated about 3 billion USD from agricultural, manufacturing and mining product export. Compared with the 2008 budget year, the achievement has about three percent earning increment. This year, the country has envisaged to achieve 4.6 billion USD from the aforementioned export products, he said. However, compared to the GTP II, the country has only achieved 60 percent of the plan designed to be attained in the past two years. The shortcomings behind the under achievements are the export of unfinished products, low promotion, market competition and illegal trade, among others. MoT is working with stakeholders to curb the problems through facilitating market linkages and organizing exhibitions and conferences. It always strives to promote products and create opportunities to exporters to draw lessons from the international experiences. The nation embassies and consuls are also playing due role in promoting the country’s products throughout the world and mainly to the country they are settled. On the other hand, the country is also working to increase finished products that could penetrate into foreign market through expanding various industrial parks and agro-processing factories. According to him, the delay to be a member of the World Trade Organization affects the country to compete in the international market and to export its products duty free. He believed that the ongoing progress in promoting product, increasing the volume of finished goods and market chain flickers a bright future to GTP II has in store. In GTP II, there is a plan to generate about 12 billion USD from the export of agricultural, manufacturing and mining products.
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