Technical Assistance for Trade Capacity Building Program EuropeAid/122484/D/SER/ET

Description of the project and Services provided:

The programme's purpose is to develop the capacity of Ethiopian public and non state sectors in trade policy formulation, analysis of trade issues, EPA negotiations, WTO accession and implementation of the regional economic integration agenda.

The services provided were:

Recruitment of a Program Manager (senior trade economist), a junior trade economist, an accountant and a statistician to form together with other support staff a Trade Capacity building Unit (TCBU) within the Policy and Planning Department of MoTI, the functions of which will be to carry out a limited amount of trade policy analysis in-house; organize short in-service training courses in trade and trade-related issues; support a post-graduate training program to be run at a local university which has a post-graduate program in international trade; support Ethiopia's accession to the WTO, particularly in implementation of the Memorandum of the Foreign Trade Regime; support the activities of the NDTPF; assist with the implementation of the support program for QSAE and the Competent Authorities dealing with SPS issues; and make recommendations for further improving the current Government structure dealing with the determination and implementation of trade policy.