Future Possibilities Discussed for Export Promotion Project at the 2nd JCC Meeting

On April 13th, the 2nd Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) for the Export Promotion Project was held. The chief advisor explained the progress of the project activities and the activity plan for the remaining period of the project. Afterward, the participants exchanged opinions and had a question-and-answer session. The participants actively discussed the sustainability of the project after its completion, specific plans for promotional activities, the leather duty-free shop at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, the e-commerce site, and other matters.

Mr. Mohamed, the Deputy Director of LLPIRDC (Leather and Leather Product Industry Research and Development Center), who chaired the JCC, mentioned that looking ahead to the end of the project, all Ethiopian counterparts should fulfill their responsibilities without any delays.

Ms. Megumi Hirose, Senior Representative of JICA Ethiopia, stated that producing quality products is not enough; support from the government to tackle the challenges such as access to foreign currency and policy issues are important. To penetrate the African market, an initiative from the Ethiopian government is also essential in order to benefit from the effectuation of AfCFTA (African Continental Free Trade Area). We need to consider an exit strategy, together with our counterparts, that will ensure the sustainability of sheep leather exports towards the end of the project in January 2023.

Source: JICA Ethiopia