Interview: Chinese companies play pivotal role in transforming Ethiopia's digital economy

ADDIS ABABA, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese companies are playing a pivotal role in realizing Ethiopia's aspiration of building a digital economy, a senior Ethiopian government official has said.

Huria Ali, Ethiopia's State Minister of Innovations and Technology, told Xinhua in a recent interview that Ethiopia and China are enjoying growing cooperation in the digital economy sector as giant Chinese companies are introducing advanced telecom technologies in the East African nation.

"Chinese companies are introducing updated technologies to Ethiopia through partnering with local companies and they are helping the nation realize a digital economy," Ali told Xinhua.

Recalling that Huawei and Ethio-Telecom recently launched a pre-commercial 5G-services trial in Addis Ababa, Ali said Chinese companies are creating an enabling environment for Ethiopia to realize its digital transformation aspirations.

"We have established an amicable relationship with the Chinese companies and work with them in mutual understanding," said the state minister, applauding Chinese companies for their constructive engagements in Ethiopia.

She said Chinese companies have helped Ethiopia consider enacting new laws or revising existing laws when necessary to allow them to introduce new technologies to the country.

"When we say we will build a digital Ethiopia, It does not mean we will do it by ourselves but with the support of our partners," Ali said, appreciating companies such as Huawei for playing a significant role in building telecom infrastructures in Ethiopia.

With over two decades of engagement in Ethiopia's development, Huawei currently created over 300 jobs and benefited over 45 million people with its services and products across the country.

Ethiopia is undertaking extensive telecom modernization services with the help of Chinese firms mainly Huawei and ZTE as part of its ambition of realizing digital inclusion and boosting the size of its digital economy, with the provision of reliable, high band-width and high-speed telecom services.

In May, Ethiopia's state-owned Ethio-Telecom launched a pre-commercial 5G services trial in the capital Addis Ababa in partnership with Huawei.

Ethiopia's first 5G services, which was launched across six mobile stations in Addis Ababa, was said to be part of the Ethiopian government's digital transformation aspirations.