The weak performance is at odds with a two-million-ton surge in industrial input supply recorded over the period. Fluctuations in salt supply continue as the Afar regional administration, the sole provider of industrial salt in the country, raises equitable beneficiary issues over the salt trade. The manufacturing sector is also enjoying increased access to finance, with large-scale manufacturers receiving nearly 17 billion birr in financing over the reporting period, representing a whopping 74 percent increment from last year. Following the delisting from AGOA, exportable commodities are saturated at manufacturing industries in Ethiopia. Lawmakers see limited manpower uptake in the manufacturing sector as a result of the absence of a minimum wage.

Source: Ethiopian News May 25, 2024 14:08 UTC