As a result, the Ethiopian Shipping and Logistics Services Enterprise (ESLSE) has come to being as a lone organization entrusted with the provision of sea transport and logistics services to importers, exporters and investors.
The Enterprise is, therefore, leapfrogging towards efficient service provision cutting transit time and cost, said Roba Megerssa Enterprise CEO as he recently signed MoU with Ethiopian Freight Forwarding and Shipping Agents Association.
The partnership is meant to modernize the sector by addressing the long-prevailing problem pertaining to lack of skilled personnel.
Indeed, the vast responsibility of the Enterprise demands workforce that conforms to the dictates of the time. As it was highlighted at the event, the human capital deficit has been an impediment to its performances.
“Logistics should be operated by skilled human power. And any activity that goes with traditional knowledge and skill is a pretext that critically harms the import and export facilitation,” Roba said.
To narrow the gap and foster the service provision, the Enterprise has been working in concert with Addis Ababa University, and the new partnership with the Association is a further step towards this end, he added.
The Enterprises has also opened Babogaya Maritime and Logistics Academy at Bishoftu town in Oromia state. This institute would have Deck, Engine, Engine Service, Freight Forwarding, Port and Terminal departments. It has also scheduled to offer 1st-5th level technical and vocational trainings as of next year.
The move would help both public and private import and export firms to equip themselves with skilled human capital rather than bogging down with traditional approaches, the CEO highlighted, adding the scope of the agreement has been to layout framework for seamless shipping and logistics service through partnership with key institutions.
He also expressed hope that the Enterprise would keep the modernizing momentum to render international standard services.
Association Vice President Salahadin Khalifa for his part expressed conviction that the Association is capable of addressing the human capital rift surfaced in the industry, mentioning that its membership to International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA).
Indicating the Association’s two decades of experience in the sector, he went on saying that preparation has been finalized to offer Training of Trainers course for Babogaya Maritime and Logistics Academy.
The trainees would be offered with standard courses and awarded with FIATA Diploma. “I hope it is a great opportunity to modernize the national logistics industry.”
The enterprise has taken its shipment handling capacity to 165,517 TEUs ( Twenty-Foot Equivalent Unit, standard capacity measurement) in the ending fiscal year while significantly shortening shipping time and reduces losses and damages, it was learnt.
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