Ethiopia Vows
Not To Bow To WTO Pressure
Ethiopia
says it is not ready to bow to pressure to liberalise its
telecoms and banking sectors while negotiating terms to join the
World Trade Organisation (WTO).
Trade Minister,
Girma Birru said in an interview on Wednesday that, ’’There
is a demand from some WTO member countries for Ethiopia to
liberalise some of our service sectors and it will be subject to
discussion in future negotiations.’’
Analysts the
country's hopes for WTO membership hinge on calls for the
authorities in Addis Ababa to open some areas to international
competition.
Birru said,
’’From what we see now, we are not convinced it will be
appropriate for our own economic policies to liberalise at this
stage.’’
Girma said his
ministry was answering questions about the Ethiopian economy
from WTO members. U.S. officials have publicly said the nation
should liberalise those sectors.
The country is
one of Africa's largest potential markets, with a population of
about 80 million, and most of its people have no telephones or
bank accounts.
It is attracting
growing interest from foreign investors in agriculture,
hydropower and oil and gas exploration and has recorded growth
of more than 10 percent in the last five years.
Girma said
Ethiopia's economic growth rate was the best argument against
liberalisation.
"The policies
we have in place prove themselves. They mean sustainable growth,
if liberalisation is not done in the right way and at the right
time it will harm us,’’
he said.
Prime Minister
Meles Zenawi had said in an interview in July that he hoped
negotiations to join the WTO will be finished within three years
and admitted that competition may be inevitable.
REUTERS/Yinka
