Industrial Parks Development Corporation (IPDC) said nation’s industrialization efforts are gaining momentum and underlined the need for bottom- up approach in succeeding the achievements in this regard.
The Corporation CEO with the rank of State Minister Sisay Gemechu told The Ethiopian Herald that IPDC has successfully constructed industrial parks at Bole Lemi,Addis Industrial Village, Kilinto and Hawasa. ” We are also building additional parks in Mekelle, Dire Dawa, Kombolcha, and Adama.”
The industrial parks of Bole Lemi,Addis Industrial Village, Kilinto and Hawasa have already gone operational and Dire Dawa Industrial Park is also in pipeline to begin service ,he noted.
Regarding to the challenges, he said as the nation is in its early stages of industrialization ,it is normal to pass through a lot of challenges related to infrastructural development and recruitment of skilled manpower.
IPDC have been engaged in constructing industrial parks to shorten the time for the investors as such investment take them five to six years on a average, but IPDC has managed to finish a given industrial park within one year and investors would commence production in two or three months as well, he said.
“IPDC holds that the ongoing expansion of the parks helps the country to move towards becoming a middle income country by 2025.”
According to Sisay, Ethiopia has to create more jobs for its over one hundred million people apart from adding values on agricultural products and increasing its quality, quantity of export in international market.
For example,the state owned industrial parks have so far created over 28 ,000 jobs while the private ones created about 20,000. The parks have also generated revenue over 100 million USD so far, he added.