A contract for the consultancy work of the Bole Lemi phase two and Kilinto phase one industrial parks, which is worth 139 million birr, has been concluded between the Ministry of Industry (MoI) and DOHWA Engineering Co. Ltd. as a lead firm on April 1, 2015.
The consultancy work will be a joint venture between DOHWA and Junglim Architecture Co. Ltd, both South Korean firms, as well as IPE Global Private Limited, an Indian firm, and Metaferia Consulting Engineers, from Ethiopia. DOHWA Engineering Co. Ltd. is a consulting firm that provides, planning, feasibility studies, design, supervision, and commissioning services in all areas of engineering.
Over 20 consulting firms from both Ethiopia and abroad had taken part in the international competitive bid, which followed World Bank guidelines.
The industrial parks are located in Addis Abeba and consultancy services include preparing topographic maps of the sites and detailed infrastructure designs, cost estimates, specifications, drawings, bid documents and contract documents. The project will also entail on-site and off-site infrastructure work at the implementation stage.
The Bole Lemi phase two site covers 186ha of land and the Kilinto site covers 308ha of land. The Bole Lemi industrial zone is to focus mainly on the textile and leather sectors, whereas, the Kilinto industry zone is a zone targeting agro-processing, beverages, food and pharmaceuticals industries.
Noting that industrial parks are important to accelerate the industrialisation process of the Growth and Transformation Plan, the State Minister for Industry, Mebrahtu Meles (PhD), stated that the government is undertaking various activities to realise the development of industrial zones.
The ratification of the new proclamation on industrial parks and the improvement of the earlier investment law are among the activities taken by the government to develop industrial parks, Mebrahtu said, adding that the government had also attempted to mobilise euro bonds to raise capital for the manufacturing sector, especially for the energy and industry sector.
The World Bank had earmarked a 250 million dollar loan for the projects of the Bole Lemi phase two and Kilinto phase one industrial zones. The support is obtained via a six year competitiveness and job creation project (CJC). The Bole Lemi Industrial Park phase one, constructed at the south of Addis Abeba has already been finalised. It occupies 156ha of land and is expected to create employment for 1,500 people.
The construction contract will be concluded following the completion of the consultancy project after three years, Mickyas Teklegeorges, coordinator at the World Bank’s Competitiveness & Job Creation Project said. International competitive bidding will be called following the accomplishment of this consultancy work, he added.
The proclamation provides for the establishment of industrial parks through private companies and by government. To this effect, a Bangladeshi company has recently taken 80ha of land in Mekelle to build its own industrial park. George Shoe Corporation, a Taiwanese shoemaker company located within the industrial park of Bole Lemi phase one has also taken land at Modjo for a similar purpose. Eastern Industrial Zone is also one of the industrial parks constructed privately.
The Bole Lemi Industrial Park will have high quality infrastructure, which will help to attract investment, explained State Minister Mebrahtu. The consultancy project of Bole Lemi phase two and Kilinto industrial parks are expected to create employment opportunities for 30,000 people and will be finalised in six months, Kim Hyong, vice president of overseas urban development of DOHWA said, adding that implementation of the consultancy project will begin in two weeks.
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