The
Kenyan market will be flooded with goods made in Ethiopia because of lack of a clear industrialisation policy, planning Principal secretary Saitoti
Torome has
warned.
The PS said Kenya must position itself strategically to benefit from a trade deal signed between the two countries.
Ethiopia’s growing manufacturing
sector is increasingly attracting new investors, while in Kenya high production costs have pushed a number of producers to close shop.
Torome said Ethiopia's industrialisation policy has helped grow its manufacturing sector.
“If not careful our market will be flooded with
goods from Ethiopia. Kenya must improve the industrial sector,” Torome said on
Wednesday, during the Kenya Economic Report launch in Nairobi.
The
2016 report by the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis indicates that
while the manufacturing
sector value grew to Sh425.5 billion in 2014-15 compared to Sh417.7 billion in 2013-14, its
contributions to Gross Domestic Product and employment are marginally declining.
“Key
challenges include high production costs and competition from cheap imports
especially from China and India, among other challenges,” the economic
report states.
Kenya
and Ethiopia are putting up infrastructure including a Sh843 million one-stop
border post at Moyale to ease movement of goods and people.
The
OSBP on the Ethiopian side is 42 per cent complete and is expected to be fully
functioning by March 2017, according to the Ethiopia government, which expects
to complete a 500 Kilometers road linking Addis Ababa with Kenya at Moyale by
September 2018.
On
the Kenya side, the 513-kilometre Isiolo-Moyale road is 95 per cent complete, according
to transport Principal secretary Irungu Nyakera.
“This
is the first time a real connection between Kenya and Ethiopia is being realised
for the purpose of trade,” Nyakera said.
Kenya and Ethiopia signed a bilateral
agreement in 2011 to develop the joint corridor and road to enhance
cross-border trade.
