The Privatization and Public Enterprise Supervisory Agency of Ethiopia is to privatize four farms and four factories that are currently publicly owned.
The four farms are Ababo, Bilito, Gojeb and Siraro. Bilito, Gojeb and Siraro farms are divisions of Hawassa Farm Development and Coffee and Tea Development Farm.
The four factories up for privatization are Awash Wine, Ethiopian Marble, Kality Metal and Upper Awash Agro. PPESA is expected to privatize fifty five more government operated enterprises in the future.
The privatization efforts of the agency have earned revenue of 8.7 billion birr since it was established in 1995 according to Wondafrash Assefa, Head of Public Relations with PPESA.Three hundred and ten public enterprises have been privatized including the 21companies transferred to private owners in the last fiscal year.
It is to be remembered that the Agency has sold state owned breweries Meta Abo, Harrar, and Bedele. Harrar and Bedele were purchased by Amstel- Heineken and Meta Abo is in the process of being transferred to Diageo Plc.
It is to be remembered that PPESA offered Awash Winery, Commercial Printing Enterprise, and Hammaressa Edible Oil for privatization. The three companies failed to attract bids at previous auctions and were offered for sale through negotiations.
Parties interested in negotiating for the companies were required to present financial and technical proposals by October of last year according to Wondafrash speaking at the time.
Source: Capital
