Sudanese firms particpate in Ethiopia’s exhibition & bazaar

By Tesfa-Alem Tekle

April 10, 2011(MEKELLE) – A number of Sudanese firms and businessmen took part in a mobile exhibition and bazaar in Ethiopia’s Tigray region.

The Bazzar is part of the wide platform aimed at strengthening bilateral ties between Sudan and Ethiopia based on mutual and common interest.

Mustofa El-Sayed , head of Gadarif state chamber of commerce mission to Tigray, says the bazaar was “fruitful”.

‘‘The philosophy of the bazzar is achieved” he said. “The two neighbors are doing very well” he told Sudan Tribune on Sunday.

However he complained about high amount of charges by the customs office in Ethiopia.

“The main objectives of such Bazaars is to provide the poor and lower-class community with a relatively low price; however this latest bazaar didn’t achieve this target due a higher charges at customs office which forced us to sell our products at higher price” El-Sayed said.

“When we think about scaling-up bilateral ties to a higher level, profit doesn’t count” he said adding “authorities from the two sides need to review this issue’’

The latest exhibition and bazaar comes few weeks after Tigray region chamber of commerce invited businessmen in Sudan’s Gadarif and Kassala states to participate.

Ali Ahmed Osman, Kassala state chamber of commerce chair person echoed on the bazzar’s role in connecting peoples of the two countries via trade.

He said “such a bazaar is a good means of consolidating bilateral links between adjacent regions of Sudan and Ethiopia”

“The bazzar is playing an important role in forging trade ties beyond creating market opportunities’’

Osman said business communities of both sides have held discussions on ways they could cooperate on trade and investment.

Organizers said that the month-long exhibition and bazaar has attracted tens of thousands of people in different towns of Tigray region.

“It was held in Shire, Humera and Mekelle towns for the past four weeks and the bazaar in Mekelle is a week more extension to allow the Sudanese business men sell-out their left Commodities’’ Teshale Fissehatsion, head of Mekelle chamber of commerce told Sudan Tribune.

Some 80 businessmen, firms and government representatives have took part at this latest Bazzar which will be concluded next week.

Kali Abdel-Latif Al-Badawi is one of the participants. This is the third time for him to take part in such a bazaar organized in Ethiopia.

Al-Badawi has brought products ranging from ceramics to plastic furniture. He underscored such bazaars have crucial input beyond just making business.

“Such bazaars are not only just for the sake of business but also important ways of keeping the two people live side to side in harmony” he said.

“Strong bonds between custom offices and chamber of commerce of the two countries will easily settle interferences or minor problems at borders before leads to bigger tension’’ Al-Badawi added.

Ethiopia and Sudan have past agreements to work together on social, economic, political, cultural areas among others. In the past years there were conflicts along the common border over grazing lands, robbery and others.

The two neighbors have also a monitoring task force to solve problems or conflicts that could arise along the border.

According to Ali Farah Ali Ahmed, chairperson of the general union of Sudanese business men in Kassala, a delegation led by deputy governor of Kassala state will arrive in Meleke next week to advise with counterparts here on ways of further bolstering relations between the two countries and in particular the adjacent regions.

(ST)