Ethiopia Launches Electronic World Trade Platform

November 25/2019 Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Chairman of Alibaba Group, Jack Ma today launched Electronic World Trade Platform in Ethiopia.

During the launching, Ministry of Innovation and Technology and the e-Commerce giant Alibaba Group, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to the establishment of eWTP Hub.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Jack Ma presided over the signing ceremony between the Ministry and Alibaba Group at the launching of eWTP.

Abiy said on the occasion that the launching of Electronic World Trade Platform is an important part of Ethiopia’s digital economy development endeavors.

 “We are already experiencing profound changes that new technologies bring to the way we are living, working, interacting and doing businesses,” he said.

He stated that throughout history, technology has been dominant force in driving an economic growth and has benefited countries in several ways.

“I see great opportunities in Electronic World Trade Platform as it is private sector laid initiative to incubate e-commerce for cross border electronic trade development,” he added.

Electronic World Trade Platform creates conducive ground for small and medium enterprises to enable them to access information about export opportunities, trade, finance and logistics, the Premier explained.  

It will also support Ethiopia’s plan to be one of the five middle economic countries in Africa in the coming ten years, he pointed out.

Chairman of Alibaba Group, Jack Ma, said because of its growing digital economy, Ethiopia has the prospect to be Africa’s gate-way to connect the continent with globalization.

Appreciating Ethiopia’s leadership and its priority for the sector, Jack Ma stated that Ethiopia’s achievement inspires the whole Africa to grasp the opportunity of digital economy.

According to Jack Ma, in the past, the world was divided into developed, developing and underdeveloped countries. But, he said, in the future countries will divide by E- country and not E-country following the digital era.

Ethiopia is at the beginning of digital period, he said adding that “I believe the small business in Ethiopia and its young people will help to flourish the digital market in the country in the near future.”

He pledged a support of 10 to 100 million USD to hold up entrepreneurship in Africa.