Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration (MoTRI) repossess the authority of the issuance of license for international trade, following a four year gap that saw the issue being handled by the regional bureaus.
According to the announcement made open by MoTRI, as from July 8, the beginning of the 2023/24 budget year, the issuing of a license for import export trade is now in the hand of the central government as opposed to the prior four year experience of going about license issuance.
As Belaynesh Regassa, Public Relation Head at MoTRI, points out, for the last four years a number of regional trade bureaus had been allowed to carry out the scheme, “While some other regions have been requesting MoTRI to start its operation.”
The PR head signaled that this new move comes in accordance to the development of a new system that allows customers to get services online.
The regions that were issuing an international trade license were; Amhara, SNNP, Oromia and Tigray back when the central government decided to loosen its operations four years ago.
The main motive of the scheme was to disperse the sector in regions as opposed to concentrating it at the capital city. It was also stated at the time that the system would improve the availability of goods in major market areas trough traders who were based in different regional cities.
Belaynesh said that the only difference that led to this transition is the trend of going digital which has led the system going online through a center.
As experts opine, this means that businesses that are based in regional towns or cities will continue acquiring the license from MoTRI rather than regional bureaus.
In an announcement issued early this week by MoTRI prior to the introduction of trade registration and license via its online service, the ministry had stated, “There was administrational gaps, engulfing contraband issues and other regions who did not start the scheme were claiming to start the operation, which pushed the Ministry to repossess the operation again.”
It added that customers shall get the service online without visiting offices.
In his address to parliament a week ago, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed stated that the commencement of online services will ease the ways of doing business for Ethiopia’s future.