EUBFE Conferred with Investment Commissioner on bolstering dialogue with the government

EU Business Forum in Ethiopia together with the EU Delegation in Ethiopia held discussion on March 26, 2019 with the Ethiopian Investment Commission (EIC) on improving the existing platform of dialogue with EU businesses in Ethiopia. EUBFE members were honored with the presence of HE Abebe Abebayehu, Commissioner of Ethiopian Investment Commission and HE Ambassador Johan Borgstam, Head of the EU Delegation to Ethiopia.

In the discussion that ensued, EU business leaders in attendance expressed their appreciation for the commitment shown by the EIC in facilitating dialogue with government agencies in previous instance through the Public-Private-Dialogue (PPD) platform. They further expressed their desire to continue in this vein and contribute in the reformulation of investment code as well as the second version of PPD. The guest of honor at the breakfast meeting, HE Abebe Abebayehu, highlighted previous successes close collaboration between businesses have brought and vowed to improve on disruptions on the regularity of such engagements. The delayed PPD-2, he also indicated, will go through at the earliest opportunity. HE Johan Borgstam, in his concluding remark indicated that it is important for businesses to closely work with regulators while also highlighting EU Delegation's contribution to improving the business environment in Ethiopia, including the automated customs system currently operational.

The meeting cocluded with a joint committment to continue to build on the on-going constructive dialogue.