EUBFE Comments On New Customs Proclamation
A new Customs Proclamation has recently been drafted, aiming at replacing Customs Proclamation 622/2009. ERCA took the initiative to present the draft new legislation to foreign investors, by organizing a meeting in the EU Delegation on June 1st, 2012. Following the consultation meeting, the EUBFE prepared a detailed commentary paper on the draft law, putting together concerns and recommendations expressed by the EU business community and European Commission experts.
Successful Launch Of The EUBFE
After a one-year gestation period, the European Union Business Forum in Ethiopia (EUBFE) was formally launched on May 7th, 2012, in the presence of more than 100 European companies operating in Ethiopia, representatives of numerous diplomatic representations as well as high-level staff from the Ethiopian Revenue & Customs Authority (ERCA) and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The EUBFE was set-up in response to the need for both a platform for networking and information exchange between EU businesses and a systematic dialogue with the Ethiopian authorities. The EUBFE operated under the umbrella of the EU Delegation to Ethiopia.
DIALOGUE WITH ERCA - MARCH 2013
In the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding between the EUBFE and ERCA, a meeting is scheduled to take place on March 1st, 2013. Main focus of the meeting will be on the application of dividend tax. However, other tax and customs issues can also be discussed during this meeting. Should you wish to raise specific tax and customs issues do not hesitate to contact the EUBFE’s secretariat at contact@eubfe.eu.
Ethiopian Customs Equipped With New Valuation System
On December 1st, 2012, ERCA held a presentation meeting to launch its newly acquired Ethiopian Customs Valuation System which is the result of 3 year of joint work with the Indian Customs Authorities and the Center for Development of Advanced Computing. An ERCA representative introduced the system as “the most advanced system currently used in emerging market” for goods valuation.
Dialogue with H.E. Hailemariam Desalegn, Ethiopian Prime Minister
Minister of Industry, Mr. Mekonnen Manyazewal, invited foreign and local investors to discuss how to improve investment climate in the country in three specific sectors: agricultural, manufacturing and mining. While local investors met on the morning of October 24th, 2012, foreign investors were invited to the meeting held in the afternoon, in a session personally chaired by the Prime Minister, Hailemariam Desalegn. Present were representatives of the international business communities operating in Ethiopia: Europeans, via the EUBFE and the EU Delegation headed by Ambassador Xavier Marchal, Chinese, Turkish, Indian and Korean business communities.
EUBFE’s Input To The Ministry Of Industry’s Study
As part of the strengthened dialogue between the Governement and the private sector, a research team from the Ministry of Industry met with representatives of the EUBFE and the EU Delegation on December 3rd, 2012 to prepare a study on the medium and long-term strategy for Ethiopia’s industrial development. The European business community was asked to comment on Ethiopia’s attractiveness, challenges encountered by the private sector and how to make the country more FDI friendly.