Metals Industry Development Institute and investors discussed Integrated Investment, Manufacturing Technology and Market Support yesterday towards accelerating sector development. Minister of Industry Ahmed Abtew said the discussion aims to evaluate the feasibility sector framework and service which enables the developmental investors to be fruitful in their investment activity in terms of the necessary infrastructure, financial and other supports. Government promotes metals and engineering industries investment by delivering integrated and sustainable support to ensure the growth of investment sustainably, he added.
Following the presentation of the 2007 fiscal year plan which based on the 2006 performance report, participants raised issues on the major bottlenecks of the sector. As they stated, delay in imported capital goods, bureaucratic procedures of logistics, shortage of working capital as well as public’s rudimentary attitude towards utilizing local items are adversely affecting industries’ development and their performances. Apart from insufficient electric power supply & unexpected recurrent interruption. National Metrology Institute Head of Planning and Monitoring Service Hewan Tsegaye said that the sector’s challenges are so broad and cannot be addressed overnight, the consultative forum would provide an opportunity to identify sector’s problems, discuss together about the measures that need to be taken through collaboration and work closely.
Ethiopian Conformity Assessment Enterprise Deputy General Director Gashaw Tesfaye said on his part that the forum can identify the problems easily, address the challenges to concerned bodies, and get solutions in a short time, adding said: “Working together beef up and intensify audibility. Thus, investors in Metals and Engineering Sub-sectors should work collaboratively much closer than ever.’’
He remarked that the Institute has been rendering its support to developmental investors persistently and further strengthens its support and assistance to the sector in every possible ways, rather investors should not hold back their request in the activity of input and output linkages. He also indicated investors to identify technologies that can be developed and help to undertake product development activities to cooperate with stakeholders on product human resource development.
[TheEthiopianHerald]