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Licensing for investment in the manufacturing sector has shown an increase in Ethiopia. The Ministry of Industry has licensed 56 projects in textiles, chemical, pharmaceutical, leather and agro-processing in just the last two and a half months according to sources.

805 million birr in capital has been invested in Ethiopia between January-March in projects expected to employ more than 3450 permanent and 3850 temporary people when fully operational.

A total of 1043 projects were licensed with a total capital of 31.2 billion birr in the last year.

The industrial sector in Ethiopia is growing by an average of 10.8% in the last few years said the Ministry of Industry.

The sector has grown by 15% in just the last year accounting for 13.4% of the GDP noted Tadesse Haile, Minister of State for Industry.

The manufacturing industry is enhancing its competitive edge on the international market increasing foreign trade he said.

GH Industrial plc, manufacturer of gypsum board and gypsum flour in Ethiopia, is to inaugurate two factories in the Amhara Regional State.

The gypsum board factory has the capacity to produce 4.2 million m2 of gypsum boards, will the gypsum mill is able to produce 50 thousand tons of gypsum flour per annum said Awel Buseri, Vice General Manager with GH.

The factories were turnkey projects with components imported in China and installed by Chinese engineers he said. The project took two years from the initial feasibility study to the final installation according to Awel.

Lifan launched its latest model assembled in Ethiopia, the SUV X-60. The new model will be the seventh to be introduced by the Chinese company in Ethiopia.

Lifan has already sold 60 of the X-60 in the first weeks its been out according to sources within the company.

The X-60 is a sports utility vehicle which is effective on both asphalt and gravel roads, sporting a 1800cc horse power engine designed in cooperation with British Engine manufacturer RICARDO. The external body of the car resembles that of a Toyota RAV 4.

Assela Malt Factory, Ethiopia will inaugurate the 300 million birr expansion project which took 3 years expected to increase the factory’s production potential to 360,000 quintals.  The factory has undergone three expansions since it was first established 28 years with an initial production potential of just 100,000 quintals.

The first expansion effort increased the total production capacity to 150,000 quintals while the first phase of the current expansion increased the capacity to 220,000 quintals.

The second phase, just completed, included the construction of 12 silos, with the potential to hold 10,000-11,000 quintals, making up a total of 28 silos. The addition of elevators and conveyors has increased the carrying capacity every hour to 300-600 quintals.