An Ethiopian enterprise engaged in production and export of footwear, owns a five-year strategic plan that enables it move production and capacity forward.
The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) prepared the document, which is the first to be made for the private sector.
According to Executive Director of COMESA Leather and Leather Products Institute (LLPI), Mwinykione Mwinyihija, the Institute has been preparing such documents for government organizations.
COMESA decided to prepare the document for the 345-member enterprise, Ethio International Footwear Cluster Cooperative Society, because of their potential for better performance.
The Director said the strategic document puts a milestone for Ethiopian leather industry and it is the first document made for the private sector.
Such documents were prepared for government institutions in Sudan, Uganda, Burundi, Zimbabwe and Zambia.
The issue of addressing poverty by engaging the youth through micro and small enterprises is key to any development aspiration, he said.
Chairman of the enterprise Kidane Haile said that the document will enable them fill gaps related to skill, equipment and finance.
The enterprise, the first to be organized enterprises engaged in the same cluster, aspires to improve daily production capacity to 12,500 pair of shoes, doubled the current production.
The enterprise exported more than 103,000 pair of shoes to the Africa market within two years, 2004 and 2005 E.C.
State Minister for Industry, Tadesse Haile expressed hope that the enterprise will boost productivity along with quality using the strategic plan.
Tadese said the enterprise will be effective if it implemented the plan properly.
The country’s huge potential for leather sector development and ever-increasing demand for leather products combined with the plan will lead the enterprise to success, he said.
The enterprise has also benefited from a financial assistance from the PTA Bank (Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank).
The Bank provided 25,000 USD to the enterprise buy equipments that will enable it boost production.
[EthiopianNewsAgency]