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The Samsung conglomerate announced plans, on Thursday, to collaborate with the Ethiopian Revenue and Customs Authority (ERCA) to halt the import of counterfeit products into the country. The South Korean Corporation is particularly interested in eliminating counterfeit products in the mobile phones sector.

Samsung plans to address the problem of counterfeit products gaining access to the African market according to Jong Oh Lee, Samsung East Africa Regional Market Director. The ‘gray’ or counterfeit products are particularly a problem in the mobile phone sector he said at a press conference at the opening of the Samsung Ethiopia Week.

Elsewedy Cables Ethiopia will begin producing transformer and power saving bulbs next year. This will be part of the 20 million US dollars investment the Egyptian company is expected to make in the coming year according to Ibrahim Qamar, Elsewedy General Manger.

Elsewedy is responding to the increased preference of power saving bulbs over conventional ones by the Ethiopian government which has led to more demand said Ibrahim.

The importance of standards to Ethiopian business was underscored at the celebration of the the World Standards 2011. Standards play a very important role in technology transfer according to the Ethiopian Standards Agency (ESA). The role standards play is especially important to enable developing countries like Ethiopia to benefit from new technologies said Almaz Kahsay ESA, Director General.

Standards will also help promote trust between clients and the business community while reinforcing national and international regulations to establish a fair trade system according to Almaz. Standards also help to ensure fair and convenient circulation of products and services internationally, she said at a press conference to mark the Work Standards Day 2011.

The Indian agribusiness, Karuturi Global, is to outsource 20,000 hectares of land it had leased in Gambella Regional State to Indian farmers. The farmers are to cultivate the land on a profit sharing basis at a ratio of 65:35.   

The company plans to sub contract the land and necessary infrastructure to farmers who specialize in the cultivation of specific crops according to a senior Karuturi official. Karuturi has already had discussions with Punjabi farmers interested in this venture earlier this year, as part of its plans for expansion.