Ethiopia aspires to produce 80 pct of construction materials locally

Addis Ababa, July 23, 2020 (FBC) – Ministry of Urban Development and Construction announced Ethiopia’s aspirations to produce 80 pct of construction materials locally over the next ten years.

Substitution of imported construction materials with local products has a paramount significance in terms of saving foreign currency and expands foster new job opportunities in the industry.

The Urban Development and Construction Minister, Engineer Aysha Mohammed stated that Ethiopia also aims to create 11 Million new jobs in the construction and manufacturing sector in the next decade.

Out of the aggregate jobs to be created in ten years 3.3 Million are up to direct employment and the other 8.3 to indirect engagements, she explained.

In the next decade, the government will give prior attention to enhancement of project management, reduction of maladministration, advancement of technologies and promotion of manpower efficiency, she underline.

The ministry will exert tremendous efforts to capacitate competences of local contractors in order to maintain international standards and execute projects as per time schedules thereby address loss of public resources.

The ministry is planned to reserve 75 percent of building agreements to local contractors and the remaining 25 for foreign companies as per its 10 year master plan, Engineer Aysha indicated.