Botswana, Ethiopia to sign Joint Ministerial Commission

Botswana and Ethiopia can learn a few economic lessons from each other, envoys representing the two countries have said.

Giving separate interviews to Botswana Guardian in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Botswana’s Ambassador to Ethiopia, Mmamosadinyana Molefe and Ethiopia’s Ambassador to Botswana and other Southern African countries Ambassador Plenipotentiary, Mulugeta Kelil were of the view that the two countries, with a combined Growth Domestic Product (GDP) of US $75.93 billion have a lot to do together and learn from each other. Ethiopia’s economy has grown at a rate of 8 percent and 11 percent annually in the past decade and records show that the country is the fifth fastest growing economy among the 188 IMF member countries.

Botswana on the other side, an upper-middle income country, sustained economic growth averaging 5 percent per annum and has been the fastest in the world. Molefe said in Ethiopia most of the industries which are small scale are grouped together and coordinated so that they can move forward as small scale and not get overwhelmed by the market.

“Small businessmen starting their business in Botswana can come and benchmark here because they will be looking at a business which is developing and how it moves to the next stage, whereas when you benchmark in developed countries you find fully-fledged industries operating and these industries are not experiencing the same challenges as industries that are still developing,” said Molefe this week at her office in Addis Ababa.

She added that it will be very beneficial for Botswana to benchmark in Ethiopia. Currently there is no trade between the two nations; however, Molefe believes that once Trade Agreements are signed between Ethiopia and Botswana trade between the two will improve. Botswana and Ethiopia currently have a General Cooperation Agreement which allows both nations to benchmark on each other.

Ambassador Kelil who invited journalists from South Africa, Botswana and Mozambique to Ethiopia through his country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, says his country is interested in learning packaging and processing of meat from Botswana Meat Commission. “Botswana specialises in packaging and processing of meat products, we want to get some lessons in this area,” said Kelil. The Ambassador further noted that Botswana and Ethiopia are in the process of signing a Joint Ministerial Commission which once signed will allow the two countries to cooperate in several sectors.

Kelil said that a meeting between Botswana’s Foreign Affairs Minister and her Ethiopian counterpart will be held either in April or May this year to finalise and sign the Joint Ministerial Commission.