Ethiopia Hotels Enterprise is in a bid to be sold to private owners, the Privatization and Public Enterprises Supervising Agency (PPESA) announced recently. Ethiopia Hotels Enterprise will be sold in an open bid. This is the first attempt for the Agency to sell the enterprise through public bidding.
The agency has offered a 100% ownership for the enterprise that includes Harambee Hotel, located in the central part of Addis Ababa.
Wondafrash Assefa, public relation head of PPESA, told Capital that the bid document excluded another property of the enterprise, Sky Restaurant. "The restaurant will continue under the agency's ownership," Wondafrash added.  
Ethiopia Hotels Enterprise had a chain located in Gambela town, that was recently privatized.  Ethiopia Hotels Enterprises” head office is located around the National Theater,  one of the major business and shopping centers of the capital city.  
Harambee Hotel, which is adjacent to the head office at National Theater and Sky Restaurant, located inside Bole International Airport are under the Ethiopia Hotels Enterprise.
Last week the agency invited interested bidders for the total acquisition of ten other public enterprises. Some of the companies on the tender list are Addis Ababa Foam and Plastic Factory, Addis Ababa Bottle and Glass Share Company, Nefas Silk Paint Factory, Kality Food Share Company and Dire Dawa Food Complex Share Company.
Recently, ABC Plc purchased the previously state-owned National Tour Operation and Travel Agency Enterprise (NTO) for 21 million birr with a 100 percent down payment from PPESA. Ayat Share Company also secured Roha Ghion Hotel in Lalibela for 31.64 million birr with a 40 percent down payment. The balance payment will be made over the next four years.
In a related development, PPESA has sold Water Well Drilling Enterprise and Yekatit Paper Works Enterprise for another regionally based governmental organization and a private company respectively.
According to public relations head of the Agency, the board of the agency decided to transfer the two companies.  Hence Oromya Water Works Construction Enterprise secured Water Well Drilling Enterprise for 43.6 million birr and the paper factory was transferred to Great Abyssinia PLC for 47.04 million birr.
Recently, the agency also sold the Jimma branch plywood factory, ECAFCO, for another Oromya government organization, Oromya Forest Supervisory Agency.