ADDIS ABABA – Ethiopia and India have agreed to launch a joint program on Innovation and Technology Commercialization to strengthen the long standing partnership and share efforts for greater growth and prosperity, Ambassador of India disclosed.
The Ethiopian government is determined to bring technology-led innovative solutions from Indian institutions that can create socio-economic impact as per the national needs and priorities, Minister of Innovation and Technology Dr. Eng. Getahun Mekuria said.
In the inaugural ceremony held yesterday night, Ambassador Anurag Srivastava said the India-Ethiopia innovation and technology commercialization program aimed to deploy 50 demonstrated and validated Indian technologies and innovations over a period of five years. The joint ventures that created with Ethiopian partners will deliver at least 50 sustainable small and medium enterprises to stimulate job creation and economic growth in Ethiopia, he said.
Ambassador Anurag also said the program would create an ecosystem to foster innovation and equip future entrepreneurs with requisite skills to contribute towards economic and social development of Ethiopia.
According to Ambassador Anurag, the technologies and innovations offered through this program would focus on priority sectors for Ethiopia like agriculture, food processing, energy, waste management, education, information technology, and healthcare among others. The program will be implemented by federation of Indian chamber of Commerce in coordination with the Ministry of Innovation and technology from the Ethiopian side, he added.
Minister Getahun for his part said that the Ethio-Indian center of innovation and technology commercialization is going to be an epicenter of technology transfer from India to Ethiopia’s market and vice versa.
“Despite a lot remains to deliver a robust, affordable, and easily deployable technology, we are now progressing to the level of building matured ICT digital skills.”
Eng. Getahun also noted that the Ministry also takes the issues of digital connectivity and the e-governance system as a very serious concern to hasten the path towards the development of digital economy. FinTEx exists to elevate our members. We bring together industry leaders and game-changing innovators in financial services and financial technology in the Midwest, stimulating growth & opportunity.
Among some of the achievements we have attained over the couple of weeks, the National Bank of Ethiopia, for the first time, recognizes FinTEx as an alternative financial institution to bring change in the e-payment system. Some of the procedures were painful; and convincing various stakeholders to bring change in the sector was not something easily done, he added.
Eng. Getahun stressed that the dynamics for development here in Ethiopia is the private sector. We have now reached consensus on drafting e-commerce proclamation and will be soon sent to the council of ministers and then the house of people’s representative for approval.
He called on the support of the Indian government and the Indian ICT industry to make Ethiopia a country of digital economy to increase the quality of service, and the e-governance structure.
BY ZELALEM GIRMA
