BY BETELHEM BEDLU
Emebet Tafesse is the General Manager of Erkab Transit and Consultancy Service Plc.
Born and raised in Addis Ababa, she has earned her first degree in Economics and studied Accounting at certificate diploma level. Growing up, Emebet was very fond of with the idea of business as it allows communicating, and sharing business ideas with people
Her enthusiasm coupled with her love for animals like cattle, made her join organizations working on animal and animal products. She has served in different government institutions on various positions; one of such institutions was the Ethiopian Leather Company where she worked as the Chief Executive Officer for several years. Similarly, Emebet has also been working in Ethiopian Coffee Exporters Association as a Deputy President.
Currently, she is running her private company called Erkab Transit and Consultancy Service Plc, which is engaged in facilitating various services in the export market. Throughout her childhood, Emebet grew up with deep attachment to business as well as animal and animal products to the point where it led her grasp vast knowledge about it through profound reading.
“It gives me a great pleasure whenever I see people wearing and using leather products. What is more, thinking about the entire product development processes still amazes me. This is why I stayed in the leather industry for long.”
Reminding the opportunities that she had to visit different exhibition and expos organized on leather and leather products, Emebet expressed her regret that the nation has not benefitted from the sector meaningfully.
Given the abundant resources that the country is endowed with as well as the fact that most Ethiopian leather especially those found in Gojam, Gondar, Sidama and other areas are highly demanded in the global market, the nation has not benefitted at the desired level, as to her.
“It is sad to see that the market is still not blooming as it could have been. It is with this fear that I tried to warn concerned bodies back in the days through my writings to take some measures before it reached to this level.”
Though she primarily intended to stay in the leather industry, she had to enter the logistics sector due to number of external factors. As it is natural to feel valued when served rightfully, she was delighted that she was destined to engage in the service industry however, it was early that she realized the drawback of the logistic service industry.
“In most of the occasions that I seek service from institutions, I have never felt that I was served right. Thus, I used to put myself in the service givers place and asked myself how I would have treated them.”
She dwelled on this idea for so long given the broad aspect of the challenge regarding the comments raised with provision of quality products timely to the global market. It is essential to have better facilitated logistics to deliver as well as add value to products prior to reaching the customer. Let alone that effective, quality and timely delivery of products allows becoming competitive in the market, but it will also enable both producers and consumers to benefit equally, she stressed.
Though much of her customers are coffee exporters, she is also working with different customers who are engaged in importing various products to the country. While the logistics company imports products from Djibouti, Kenya and other countries, it also exports different products to countries. “The fact that our services are effective and timely, the company has become choice of many peoples”, she underscored.
Logistic remained a challenge when it comes to supplying the coffee collected across the country and reach the Capital. Nonetheless, had not been the problem with logistic addressed, it would have impacted the import export market and nation’s competitiveness in the international market. With the aim of supporting the logistic sector, Emebet is also providing consultancy service to equip new exporters with the necessary information.
Despite the fact that logistic service accounts for 40 percent in the process of production, she said infrastructure is the major bottleneck in the logistic sector, adding that it is exposing customers for additional storage expenses since the transportation is taking too long, according to her.
Besides exerting her corporate responsibilities, she is very friendly with her employees. She has so far secured permanent job for about 26 citizens in the logistic service while she created job for other people (60 people) in coffee sector in which the number varies at pick seasons.
“There is no better person than us to solve our problem. I am more than delighted to share my knowledge to improve the logistic sector better. We have too much resource that can even benefit others. We need to make use of it wisely. ”
Emebet has set a plan to engage in the coffee production as well as horticulture sector through fruit and vegetable production and export to different countries. Currently, she has finalized her pre-preparation activities and she is ready to commence.
The Ethiopian Herald February 16/2023
