ADDIS ABABA – Ethiopia Leather Industry Development Institute announced that it has earned 134.77 million USD from the export of processed leather and leather products in the year 2017/18 and is set to maximize the revenue by 2018/19 fiscal year.
Berhanu Serjabo, Institute Communications Directorate Director told The Ethiopian Herald that the sector has also created more than 23,000 jobs opportunities in the four Leather industries(skin processing, shoe, leather attire, and gloves factories), excluding jobs created at micro and small scale enterprises.
Having realized the importance of value-added products in penetrating into the international market, the institute has given due attention to the promotion of value enhancement strategy. This will enable the institute to gain substantial benefits from semiprocessed and processed leather products.
He also added that the country is not gaining the proper benefit and unable to compete in the global market in the leather industry due to weak management, irresponsive employees, technology limitations.
As to him, shortage of foreign currency, power outage, lack of skilled manpower, technological and financial limitations, and lowquality input supply are challenges that the sector is facing. Ethiopia is first in Africa and 9th in the world in cattle resource which is a huge potential for the leather industry development.
The Ethiopian Herald, March 28/2019
BY MULATU BELACHEW
