A study commissioned by the Maritime Affairs Authority (MAA) has recommended the construction of 12 additional dry ports. The number of ports recommended may vary when the final study is completed in two weeks and submitted to the Ministry of Transport.

Construction of additional dry port is in line with the Ethiopian  government’s target to build 35 ports by the end of the Growth & Transformation Plan (GTP) period in 2014/15, according to Ahmed Tussa, chief executive officer of the Ethiopian Shipping & Logistics Services Enterprise (ESLSE).

Construction of the new dry ports could begin as early as next year, if the MoT approves the proposal, according to Ahmed, who spoke to journalists during a press conference on port expansion activities on Tuesday, March 12, 2013.

Four of the 12 suggested dry ports will be located in Amhara region,  Oromia, Somalia, Gambella and Southern regions.

Ethiopia started developing dry ports following a 2007 study by the then Ministry of Transport & Communication (MoTC), which suggested that the country could save foreign currency from seaport expenses at Djibouti, by building an in-land port within the country. Such ports handle the customs inspections, documentation of cargo and packaging for import and export. The saving, according to the study, could be seven to eight dollars for every container that’s transported through Djibouti.

Source: Fortune