The Pan African Chamber of Commerce and Industry was given legal recognition from the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs at a signing ceremony celebration on Monday, March 1 at the Hilton Hotel in Addis Ababa.
The purpose of the new body is to promote the continent’s private sector. Pictured left to right are Eyesuswork Zafu, President of Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations; Tadesse Haile, State Minister of Trade and Industry; Tadelle Yimer, President of Employers Association; and Tekeda Alemu (Ph.D) State Minister of Foreign Affairs, who were present at the event. The Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations (ECCSA) is looking for a building for the headquarters of the Pan African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PACCI), after it lobbied for it to be based in Addis Ababa.
The national chamber assumed responsibility to find the office when Ethiopia was elected by 33 African country chamber representatives as the seat for the chamber at the Extraordinary General Assembly of African Chambers of Commerce in early July last year here in Addis Ababa. According to Yayehyrad Abate, deputy secretary general of ECCSA, the national chamber has put in a request for the building with the Agency for Government Houses (AGH).
Yayehyrad told Capital that the chamber is in talks with the agency about the building. “The conclusion signed last Monday between the Pan African Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia has given a legal framework for setting up an office,” the deputy secretary general added.
AGH is the preferred provider, as it offers properties at a cheaper rate than private owners. The agency had a big role in Addis’ development as the unofficial capital of Africa by providing buildings for African embassies and residential houses after the town became a seat for the Organization of African Unity at the end of the colonial period. Most African countries are still using AGH houses for their embassy or residences for a reasonable fee. The city administration has also offered African embassies free land deals in recent years. ECCSA officials expect the state landlord to find an office for PACCI quickly as it is a continental organization established with the aim of promoting the private sector, including creating rapid and sustained economic growth. However, the agency has a shortage of houses and most of its decade-old buildings are occupied by private, governmental and nongovernmental organizations. Foreign Affairs State Minister, Tekeda Alemu (PhD) and Pan African Chamber of Commerce and Industry President, Sipho Meseleku, signed the agreement that enabled it to receive legal recognition from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Currently, 33 African countries chamber are founding members of the continental chamber and they will be represented by their regional chamber presidents that come from five regional economic blocs of the continent. The Addis Ababa’s July 7, 2009 conference passed a resolution that every member chamber is to pay 5,000 dollar duty per year for the existence of the continental chamber, according to Yayehyrad. “But the finalization of the host country agreement has given a recognition to get funds and to find external finical supports for the strength of the Pan Africa Chamber from donors,” he said.
The first president of PACCI, Sipho Meseleku, is also the president of South Africa Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the regional chamber. Four regional chamber presidents were elected as vice presidents by their regional countries. Ethiopia is one of the four vice presidents representing the East African chamber. Five other representatives were elected by their regional chambers to be executive board member of PACCI, which has 10 members, including the president and vice presidents. The regional blocs are northern, eastern, western, southern and central Africa.
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