ADDIS ABABA – Ethiopia will send 50,000 people to work in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the 2019/2020 fiscal year to reduce unemployment, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said.
The workers would receive training in various sectors including driving and nursing to enable earn higher wages and boost their capacity, he said.
“Ethiopia is planning short-term measures to reduce unemployment in Ethiopia and to cope with the increasing job demands of our people,” Abiy told Parliament.
“One of these short-term programs is sending our skilled labor to foreign countries.” Under the deal 50,000 workers would be sent to UAE in the 2019/2020 fiscal year, and discussions
were being held to send 200,000 over the next three years, he said.
Discussions are underway about similar agreements with Japan as well as European nations, Abiy added.
He noted that the country’s fastest-growing economy would be supported by a young skilled workforce that was trained abroad.
Moreover, the government has put aside a budget for labor-intensive agricultural, industry, mining and other related mega projects to create more employment opportunities for the youth.
The government has a plan to create three million jobs in the country, he added. The Prime Minister also underscored the need to use local knowledge and address Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) barriers.
The Ethiopian Herald July 11/2019
BY STAFF REPORTER
