tobacco privatization in Ethiopia

[Robert Weissman <rob@essential.org>]

Five Public Enterprises have become Private Share Companies with the
Ministry of Finance 
Source: Addis Tribune, Friday, 9/3/99

The Ministry of Trade and Industry announced that four governmental
alcohol factories, Meta Abo Brewery, Harar Brewery, Bedele Brewery and
Awash Wine Factory, and National Tobacco Enterprise have become private
share companies with the Ministry of Finance (Ethiopia). This was done
according to the commercial code of Ethiopia and privatization of public
enterprise proclamation no. 146/1998.

The Ministry of Trade and Industry also acknowledged that the amount of
shares, which the Ministry of Finance has bought, is at birr. 83,284 from
Meta Abo, birr.114, 659 from Harar Brewery, birr 163,859 from Bedele
Brewery and 30,850 from Awash wine factory and birr.553, 000 from National
Tobacco Enterprise valued birr 1000 for each share companies. In general,
the overall contribution of the Ministry of Finance, to the factories, is
birr 83,284,000,birr.114, and 659,000,000 birr163, 859,000 birr 30,850,000
and birr 553,000,000 respectively.

The head offices of these private share companies will be at Sebeta (Meta
Abo S.C.), Harar, Wereda 3 Kebele 16 (Harar Brawery S.C.), Addis Ababa,
Werada 24, Kebele12 (Awash Wine S.C.) and Bedele, Wereda, Bedele,
Illubabor (Bedele Brewery S.C.), Addis Ababa, Wereda 22 Kebele 07
(National Tobacco Enterprise).

According to the Ministry of Trade and Industry, these share companies
entire activities will be conducted and managed hierarchically by the
Supervising Authority of Public Enterprises, Board of Directors and a
Manager. In addition, these share companies are expected to produce
according to the demand of the local and international markets, and to
improve the qualities and quantities of the products using imported and
domestically raw materials.