JICA Senior Vice President Commends Ethiopia’s Progress under its Home-Grown Economic Reform  

Addis Ababa, March 19, 2025 (ENA) – Ethiopia’s Ministry of Finance welcomed a high-level delegation from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) led by Ando Naoki, Senior Vice President of JICA, for discussions on deepening bilateral cooperation in key economic and development sectors.

Ethiopia’s State Minister of Finance, Semereta Sewasew hosted the meeting and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ongoing economic reforms aimed at enhancing productivity, expanding the export sector, and improving tax and customs administration to boost domestic resource mobilization.

She also highlighted Ethiopia’s efforts in job creation, infrastructure development, and digitalization to attract investors and create employment opportunities.

Ando commended Ethiopia’s progress under its Home-Grown Economic Reform program, recognizing the bold steps taken to drive economic transformation.

He underscored JICA’s continued support in priority areas, including industrial development through Kaizen, the MadeInEthiopia initiative, agricultural and food security, social sectors (water, education, and health), and resilience and reconstruction efforts in the northern regions.

Semereta also emphasized Japan’s significant contribution to Ethiopia’s development, particularly in the areas of agriculture, road infrastructure, health, and the reconstruction of conflict-affected regions.

She acknowledged Japan’s role as a key development partner and encouraged further engagement of Japanese investors in various sectors, including manufacturing, technology, and renewable energy.

 

On debt restructuring, she provided updates on Ethiopia’s Common Framework Memorandum of Understanding, stating that negotiations with some bilateral creditors are in their final stages.

She also acknowledged Japan’s critical support in key sectors, including the construction of secondary schools, fertilizer and rice supply, and collaboration with UN agencies on agriculture and peacebuilding efforts. She urged JICA to prioritize submitted projects for further cooperation.

Both sides reiterated their commitment to enhancing Ethiopia-Japan cooperation through non-traditional financing mechanisms and expanded investment opportunities, ensuring mutual benefits for the people of both nations.

The discussions also touched on Ethiopia’s engagement in the upcoming Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9), set to take place in Yokohama, Japan, in August 2025.

Japan expressed its expectations for high-level Ethiopian participation at this crucial summit.

The meeting concluded with a shared vision for a stronger Ethiopia-Japan partnership, built on sustainable economic collaboration and long-term development goals.