In a statement he sent to a joint Economic Commission for Africa-World Bank Roundtable Workshop on Jobs and Economic Transformation in Addis Ababa on Tuesday, Shide said Ethiopia was also through the same reforms targetin increased competitiveness in the sector as it looks to create decent jobs for citizens.
According to Mr. Shide, unemployment remains a burning issue in Ethiopia despite sustaining rapid economic growth for over a decade.
“A concern for policymakers in Ethiopia continues to be the ability to create adequate quality jobs” he said, quoting a recent survey whiich suggests that while urban unemployment had gone down, overall joblessness had not been dented over the past couple of years, thus informing the need to foster private sector participation in the economy.
“The government has been implementing strategies that focus on job creation, being fully cognizant that to create jobs, there needs to be a structural transformation from low productive sectors to high productive sectors,” the minister said.
Accordingly, the Ethiopian government has deployed several strategies and programs, in parallel, to support micro, small and medium enterprises, industrial parks development and construction of integrated agro-industrial parks.
Ahmed said the service and hospitality sector has so far been the biggest job creator in Ethiopia.
Of the reforms, he said; “While we do not expect these reforms to be easy to transform the economy in the short to medium term, we believe we are moving in the right direction to spur further economic growth, increase the role of private sector in the economy, and harness the talents and skills of our predominantly young population,” he said.
The minister added: “For a country like Ethiopia where two million new jobs need to be created, there is nothing more important than tying the job creation agenda with transformation efforts. I believe this forum will help us to think more clearly on how to go about it.”
Participants agreed that Africa cannot develop and eradicate poverty if it continues to do business as usual, according to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).
There’s need to raise agricultural productivity significantly and creating value chains for decent paying jobs, among other actions,
The roundtable was jointly organized by the ECA and the World Bank.