Ethiopia is asking for China’s support in three areas of the second Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP II), Capital learnt.
China who is a major partner of Ethiopia has also played a vital role in helping the government to realize its development strategies in the first GTP which was endorsed in 2010.
Most of the mega infrastructure projects are either being financed or constructed by China and companies from the second largest economy in the world.
Diplomatic sources at the Chinese Embassy in Ethiopia recently told Capital that in the coming GTP II the Ethiopian government requested the support of China on establishing and enhancing the transportation sector in regional states.
China has been one of the major allies in the construction of road infrastructure in the country and they have provided money and human resources in large numbers.
According to diplomatic sources, the Ethiopian government officially expressed its desire to work with China in manufacturing during the GTP II, which will be endorsed this July.
In the current GTP that will end this budget year China’s investment in manufacturing dramatically increased.
For instance the major footwear manufacturer Huajian, one of the top three shoe companies in the world, established its factory during the current GTP.
Even though in the beginning of the GTP the government disclosed that manufacturing would be the leading economic sector by the end of the five year plan, the number of local and foreign investments and developments in the sector are below expectations.
Poverty reduction, which has been a priority for the Ethiopian government and the ruling party since it became the leader of the country about two decades ago, is the third major area that China has been asked to assist in.
On several dimensions the government has been attempting to eradicate poverty from the country. According to the information from Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, the country has registered significant achievement on poverty eradication in the past year. The per capita GDP (USD nominal) has increased to USD 632 in the 2013/14 fiscal year, which was USD 558 a year ago. By the end of the GTP the government planned to raise the per capita income to USD 700.
[Capital]