Micro and Small Enterprises in the Ethiopian capital have created 71,088 jobs in the last six months alone according to the Addis Ababa City Administration Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) Development Bureau.

This number is just 81 percent of the target 88102 jobs that the bureau had set for the period according to Leulseged Yefru Head  of the Bureau.

The construction sector alone was responsible for creating more than 43 thousand jobs accounting for a significant portion of the total said Leulseged. The manufacturing sector was able to employ almost 12 thousand people, urban agriculture created an estimated 3 thousand and the trade and service sectors together created more than 13 thousand jobs he explained.

The micro and small enterprises in the municipality were provided with a total of 342 million birr in loans to enable the current level of employment creation said Leulseged. Significant efforts have also been taken to encourage saving leading to the enterprises to save 308 million birr from the income they earned he noted.

Opportunities for networking and creating market links were provided to the MSE through various means including bazaars and exhibitions at the different levels of the city sector with the aim to strengthen the enterprises according to Leulseged.

Source: Walta