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Coffee exporters found in breach of the hoarding directive have been banned by the Ministry of Trade. Exporters found with stored Coffee in excess of the levels established in the directive will be severely punished according to Yacob Yala State Minister of Trade.

The Ministry of Trade has decided to place a ban on an estimated 50-55 exporters for failing to comply with the directive or for forging contractual agreement according to sources. This list includes many significant coffee exporters said the sources.

Thirty two of the forty five International companies expected to participate in the  Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Association (ECCSA) trade fair are Egyptian according to Gashaw Debebe, Secretary General of ECCSA.

Companies from across the globe had been invited to take part in the trade fair through Ethiopian embassies and national chambers Gashaw said.

The significant representation of Egyptian companies suggests that the Business Council of Egypt was effective in promoting the opportunities available in Ethiopia to the Egyptian business community he noted.

The international financial institutions claim that the Growth and Transformation Plan adopted by Ethiopia is over ambitious. The Ethiopian government counters the allegations by pointing to the 11.4% growth recorded in the last fiscal year.  

The plan leans too heavily on output by public companies such as Sugar Corp. and Metal and Engineering Corp. and may put the whole macro economic stability at risk according to a World Bank official.

The success of the plan is attested by the impressive 11.4% growth recorded argues Meles Zenawi Prime Minister of Ethiopia. The 15% annual growth set in the growth plan is a marker to urge progress and all financial planning is figured according to the more realistic 11% mark explained the Prime Minister.

African countries need to concentrate on building a green economy, said Meles Zenaw,i Prime Minister of Ethiopia, speaking at the annual Conference of African Ministers held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Alternative development paradigms are necessary because of the failure of neo-liberal paradigms in African development Meles said.

The economies of African countries are largely based agricultural activities and therefore any efforts toward green development need to take in account the agrarian sectors the Prime Minister explained.