Business Community Participation Crucial To Realize Digital Economy: Addis Ababa Chamber

AddIS Ababa February 12/2013 (ENA) The strong participation of the private sector in Ethiopia is crucial to effectively implement the road to digital economy, General Manager of the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce underscored.

The General Manager, Mesebet Shenkut made the remark today at a policy panel organized to discuss on the promotion of electronic marketing and digital economy in the country.

The half -day policy panel aims at improving the understanding of the business community on the country’s digital strategy and soliciting vital policy suggestions to enrich the strategy.

Speaking at the panel, Mesebet said that it would be difficult to realizing the ambitious national plan of building digital economy in Ethiopia by 2025 without the strong participation of the business community in the country.

The world has been entering to a modern marketing system that fully obliges to operate with a digital system, she pointed out.

In this regard, Mesebet stressed the need for all institutions in the country to be digitized in every aspect of their activities to facilitate business both inside the country and beyond .   

She cited the recently launched African Free Continental Trade Areas initiative which could not be achievable without a digitalized business environment.  

The government should therefore work on strengthening e-buy and electronic transactions in order to effectively participate in the African Free Continental Trade Areas, she added.

“It’s known that African countries are working to build Free Trade Areas; therefore, I urge the policy makers in Ethiopia to strengthen the digital marketing and improve the participation of the private sector in order to adequately compete the free trade transaction”, she said.

Digital Economy Advisor at Office of the Prime Minister, Meriam Said explained about the ongoing preparations carried out by the government to build digital economy.

By understanding the importance of building digital economy for national development, the government of Ethiopia has been taking several measures to create digitalized marketing systems with a view to facilitate modern transactions and efficient services in public institutions.

Ministry of Trade, and Ethio-Telecom, and Ethiopian airlines are among the institutions that have currently been providing services with digital system.