During National Logistics Strategy Study workshop Mekonnen Abera, Ethiopian Maritime Affairs Director, urged for a comprehensive national logistics strategy for Ethiopia to achieve the aim of becoming a middle income country.

Mekonnen during the workshop noted Ethiopia is still highly inefficient despite making remarkable efforts to alleviate challenges in the logistics system. He continued and said the sectors underperformance is holding back the nation’s competitiveness.

According to the Director, the study is aimed at reviewing the overall logistics system, developing blue print for a more efficient and effective system, identifying required for transformation and desgining the implementation approach.

The workshop focused on reaching consensus among key players in the sector on the major bottlenecks identified in the first phase of the study.

The study was sponsored by the United Nations Development Programme and conducted by NATHAN Associates Inc. the firm presented its findings in the transport and road operation, port and corridor performance, railway operations and terminals and air cargo operations.

The findings revealed truck fleet in Ethiopia is old, inadequate by modern standards, slow and expensive to operate. It added for the new standard gauge Addis Ababa-Djibouti railway succeed, there must be convenient and cost effective connections for the shippers.

The study also indicated the general air cargo terminal at the Bole International Airport suffers from delay in removing goods.

Source: The Ethiopian Herald