FAISALABAD: Mr. Jemal Beker Abdula, ambassador of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia,has urged Pakistani banks to open their branches in Addis Ababa to handle business-related transactions.
Addressing the business community at the Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FCCI), he said that the Ethiopian government would facilitate businesses and give a quantum jump to bilateral trade. He said that establishing a banking channel is a challenge for him as this instrument would prove a game changer for the promotion of bilateral trade in addition to helping Pakistani exporters to sneak into virgin African markets.
He said that Karachi and Lahore have been linked with Addis Ababa through Ethiopian Airlines while flights from Faisalabad and Sialkot would also start very soon. He said that Ethiopia is producing 98% green energy which is also being exported to three neighboring countries. He said that the literacy rate in Ethiopia is 75-80% while women are also playing a productive role in almost all segments of life.
He said that special arrangements have been made at the university level to produce educated and skilled human resources. “For engineering, 70% of the syllabus is related to the topic while the remaining 30% covers all other subjects. A separate ministry of labor and skill was created in 2018 and 1500 vocational institutes are also operating to provide sector-specific skills to cater to the immediate needs of the industry,” he added.
He said that the land of Ethiopia is directly linked with humans of prehistoric age while the Nile River also originates from this country. Mr. Jemal appreciated the role of the FCCI in promoting bilateral trade between Pakistan and Ethiopia and said that Ethiopia was never colonized and its economy is most resilient with a growth rate of 10%.
He said that Ethiopia has ten industrial parks where all types of industry could be established. He termed Ethiopia the mother of Africa and said that there was no discrimination between the White and Black. He said that Ethiopia is also a land of quality coffee which is consumed all over the world. He said that Ethiopia is actually a gateway to Africa as all other African countries could be easily accessed through Addis Ababa.
He also mentioned Hazrat Bilal Habshi and said that through Ethiopian Airlines any destination is just at a distance of a few hours. He said that the air flight from Pakistan to Addis Ababa takes only four hours. He particularly mentioned the trade delegation of last year and said that another delegation was in the pipeline in which Faisalabad would have maximum representation.
