Ethiopia Sets Foundation for Digital Economy

ENA November 26/2019 Ethiopia has been striving for dynamic and growing digital economy that contributes considerably to the next economic development of the country.

Speaking at a half-day Ethio-Alibaba Group business forum, Minister of Innovation and Technology, Getahun Mekuria said Ethiopia has given a top priority for technology particularly, for digital economy that will take the highest portion in its GDP.

Ethiopia has agreed with Alibaba Group, China’s internet giant and signed a memorandum of understanding on Monday to facilitate Ethiopian ambition to become a digital nation, he said.

Alibaba Group, one of internet giants has already launched its first electronic world trade platform (eWTP) Hub in Ethiopia,This made Ethiopia to be the second African country after Rwanda to establish an eWTP hub.

eWTP hub establishment in Ethiopia will help the country to provide a better logistics and services that could enable to the nation to penetrate the global market for its export products, the Minister pointed out.

Getahun underscored that “for us this is a great move to transform the market especially our cross-border trades targeting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by helping them easily accessing the global markets and serve as a center of excellence in training young entrepreneurs.”

Alibaba Group’s Vice President of Global Initiatives, Brain A. Wong told ENA that eWTP will bring platform to Ethiopia by using e-commerce technology for international trade.

“Our initiative here focuses on things like building logistics and warhorses could help to facilitate the export of local products through this digital platform,” he said

Noting the group will launch a training and capacity building program for Ethiopian entrepreneurs, the first imitative of eWTP, and expected to be operational in early 2020, Wong pointed out.

eWTP is an Alibaba-led multi-stakeholder global initiative promoting public-private dialogue in order to support more inclusive global trade which uses technology and policy innovation to provide greater opportunities for SMEs, women and youth.