BY MISGANAW ASNAKE
ADDIS ABABA-Giant furniture manufacturers said that they are working to address the local demand and substitute import furniture thereby reducing the country’s expenditure on furniture purchase.
Waryt Furniture Managing Director Tihitina Mulushewa told EPA that the company is manufacturing furniture such as mattress, kitchen cabinet, and office furniture for local market and now focusing on exporting high quality international standard furniture.
The government is taking measures in decreasing the import furniture by encouraging the local companies to produce at full capacity to quench local market demand, she noted.
“We have planned to export, produce export standard furniture and we will achieve it within the shortest time possible. The company has been creating job opportunity for about 500 citizens and the challengeit has faced is foreign currency shortage and skill labor problem,” she added.
Techno-style Corporate Deputy Manager, Dereje Mengesha on his part said that the company is working to substitute imported furniture such as home, office, hospital and hotel furniture and produce in good manner.
He said the government is supporting their company by providing working premises as well as additional expansion areas.
As foreign experts are also engaging in our company’s work activities to share their experience and transfer technology, the company is able to produce high quality standard products.
Previously, the company participated in furniture, interior and finishing expo and got good lesson and shared experience with other counterparts, Dereje said.
He noted the company has right now faced three challenges such as lack of skilled man power, input insufficiency and foreign currency shortage.
He added the company is supplying furniture products to embassy, hospital and construction companies.
The Ethiopian Herald 18 June 2023
