Under Secretary of Commerce Gilbert Kaplan met with Ethiopian Minister of Finance & Economic Cooperation Dr. Abraham Tekeste in Addis Ababa today, engaging in discussion on a range of economic topics. The Under Secretary raised the importance of a fair and transparent public procurement system and access to foreign exchange for U.S. companies seeking to do business in Ethiopia, noting that such practices will also support the growth of Ethiopia’s private sector. The U.S. government has been working closely with the Ministry of Finance & Economic Cooperation on public procurement, focusing on the importance of life cycle cost and best value procurement. The Under Secretary and Minister of Finance & Economic Cooperation also met with members of the President’s Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa (PAC-DBIA) – U.S. company executives from a wide range of industries visiting Ethiopia with the Under Secretary – to discuss opportunities for greater cooperation between American and Ethiopian businesses.
###
