ADDIS ABABA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & SECTORAL ASSOCIATIONS BRIEF PROFILE CONTACT ADDRESS. Member of the Internatonal Chamber of Commerce

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1 ADDIS ABABA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & SECTORAL ASSOCIATIONS BRIEF PROFILE CONTACT ADDRESS ADDIS ABABA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & SECTORAL ASSOCIATIONS Mexico Square P.O.Box Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Phone: September November,

2 ADDIS ABABA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & SECTORAL ASSOCIA- Trade and Investment Promotion Department Phone: /48/ / (ext.203) Fax: or Quality Management Services Phone: (ext.208) Fax: qmsu@addischamber.com Research and Policy Analysis Department Phone: / (ext.219) aachamber1@ethionet.et P.O.Box Merkato Branch Office Merkato Lyila Building, 4th floor and room Office Number: Phone: merkato@addischamber.com AGRI - Business Support Facility Phone: (office) Mob: / / Website: P. O. Box: 2458, Addis Ababa, Kirkos Sub city, Woreda 10, (Mexico) square Empowering non-state Business actors and associations Project Merkato Lyila Building, 4th floor and room Office Number: Phone: merkato@addischamber.com Striving Towards Business Growth and Prosperity!! 16

3 6. Relevant Contacts and Address of Major Work Units Secretary General Phone: / (ext. 214) Deputy Secretary General (Business and Development) Phone: / (ext. 201) Deputy Secretary General (Members Services) Phone: / (ext. 225) Support Service Director Phone: (ext. 204) Membership Affairs Department Phone: / / /518055(ext. 222) Fax: membership@addischamber.com Business Support Department Phone: / (ext.226) Fax: businesssuport@addischamber.com Training Institute: Phone: /528204/ (ext.229) Fax: Arbitration Institute: Phone: /528059/ (ext. 219) Fax: Yohannes.WGebriel@addischamber.com Table of Contents 1. Background Organizational Structure Major Activities Business Development Services Research and Policy Advocacy Membership of AACCSA Major Achievements of AACCSA Relevant Contact & Addresses of Major Work Units External Relations and Media Department Phone: /519713/ (ext 218) Fax media@addischamber.com 15

4 1. Background The Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce & Sectoral Associations (AACCSA) has been established, by the General Notice Number 90/ 1947, in April 1947 as an autonomous, non-governmental, non-political and non-profit organization to act on behalf of its members. The chamber re-establishment with the Proclamation Number 341/2003, further provides the legal framework for the establishment of Chambers of Commerce and Sectoral Associations. AACCSA is a voluntary based member organization with more than 15,000 member business companies. The chamber promotes trade and industry, disseminating business information, consulting government and members on economic development and business issues, establishing friendly relationship with similar chambers in other countries, and exchanging information as well as engaging in arbitration in times of disputes among members. AACCSA is the oldest, largest and strongest Chamber in Ethiopia, which represents a wide spectrum of businesses constituting for more than 60% of businesses operating in the country. Being a member of the World Chambers Federation, AACCSA also has a prominent place in the international network of chambers. Vision Statement To be a world class chamber, enabling the business community to be competitive locally and internationally and contribute to the attainment of the trade and investment goals of the country. Mission Statement To promote trade and investment by providing demand driven services to the best satisfaction of members and stakeholders and others and advocate for favorable business environment based on best practices. Provided vital business information and promoted the profiles of its member business organizations by publishing state of the art Business Directory every two years and through its rich documentation center by collecting different business development resources, Enabled member business companies to be certified in ISO Management System, thereby boosting the international competitiveness of domestic firms, Signed City Level Public Private Consultative Forum with the Addis Ababa City Government with a view to consistently voice and advocate the causes and interests of its members and the private sector Served as a dedicated voice of business through the Addis chamber FM radio, Addis Chamber TV program and Newspaper. Contributed its share in resolving business and trade related disputes through its unique and well recognized arbitration service, Established wider network locally and internationally with peer chambers, government and other stake holders, higher education and research institutions, Diversified its business-centered services by owning, managing and running different projects with the support of various development partners, including the provision of specialized services to the critical segment of the society (women led and small businesses), Pioneered to establish a corporate governance institute, thereby illicit the noble notions of social responsibility, tax compliance, etc to the business community at large, Served as a trustworthy and reliable partner in the decades long model Public Private Partnership by administering the unique Addis Ababa Exhibition Center, and Initiated the first ever state of the art private sector-focused Center for Policy Research and Advocacy and works steadfastly for the establishment of an International Convention Center. 1 14

5 Membership Requirements The membership eligibility/registration criteria are: Business license(s), Registration Certificate and taxpayer registration certificate Pictures of the owner or manager of the business. Payment of registration and annual membership fee as per the Chamber s rate Membership Benefits Business information and advice Business match making Market Access Networking Opportunities Business Promotion Training Arbitration Service Accreditation Improved Management System 5. Major Achievements of AACCSA In the course of the past seven decades, AACCSA has: Broadened its membership base, Become one of the first Association in the country to be, Provided a wide spectrum of modern business management and capacity developing training and courses to the business community at large, Consistently promoted trade and investment potential of the country by organizing a number of high quality and international standard trade fairs, Business to Business matchmaking missions and platforms, AACCSA believes that this is its essence to be the driving force behind unifying businesses in Addis Ababa, ultimately leading to economic growth and vitality throughout the county. Values AACCSA s Core Values are the heart of all that it does to the business community. They are reflected in the works that AACCSA does and will be promoted consistently by the Board and staff. Accountable, credible and transparent ; Business-oriented; Customer-focused; Innovative through creativity; Quality and improvement driven; Socially responsible; Team oriented; Guiding Principles of Service Delivery & Implementation Aligned to the strategy; Demand-driven; Evidence and research based; Partnership-focused; Results-oriented; Cost-effectiveness; Institutional capacity-centered; Addis Member Ababa Chamber of the of Internatonal Commerce and Chamber Sectoral Associations of Commerce 13 2

6 2. Organizational Structure THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY Composed of the general membership, The supreme organ of AACCSA THE BOARD Elected by the General assembly for a two year period, The board:- Sets policies, approves the programme & budget of the Secretariat, forms sectoral committees Appoints the Secretary General THE PRESIDENT Is elected by the General Assembly for a period of two years, and Chairs the board meetings and the annual General Assembly THE SECRETARIAT Being led by the Secretary General, with two Deputy Secretary Generals and one Support Service Director, the Secretariat is responsible for the day to day running of AACCSA AACCSA consists of 3 institutes, 7 departments and 5 service units, with branch office, Merkato and Sholla THE STAFF A team of highly trained & dedicated staff, consisting of 82 permanent and 12 temporary staff members, out of which 45 % are female. Conducts a Manufacturing Sector Survey and a Consumer Confidence Survey, with an emphasis on SMEs, women entrepreneurs and environmental sustainability issues, Presents the results of researches, policy analysis, surveys and forecasts including the results of gender and environmental analysis at various forums, seminars, symposia and Ministerial technical committees to government ministries, the Addis Ababa city government, businesses and other key stakeholder groups, including academia. Trains AACCSA staff on effective advocacy techniques, Organizes and facilitates public-private consultation/dialogue forums, and Promotes private sector interest through policy research and evidence based advocacy. 4. Membership of AACCSA AACCSA members are business companies engaged in diffrent business sectors, having valid license and are working in Addis Ababa. AACCSA currently has more than 15,000 registered member companies in which membership is growing at an average rate of 12 % annually. Business sector categories Member business companies are categorized under the following 10 major sectors and sub sectors: Agriculture, hunting, forestry and fishing Mining and quarrying Manufacturing Electricity, gas and water supply Construction Wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles, motor cycles and personal and household goods, hotels and restaurant, import & export Transport, storage and communication Financial intermediation, insurance, real estate and business services community, social and personal services Organizations, representatives of foreign governments and other activities not adequately defined 3 12

7 The Ethiopian Institute of Corporate Governance 3. Major Activities The Ethiopian Institute of Corporate Governance (EICG) aims to contribute its share towards the evolution of a dynamic, ethical and responsible business community which compiles to both local and international Corporate Governance standards. The Institute provides information and conduct awareness creation and trainings on Corporate Governance issues. It also provides membership development services, and periodic publishing of the Ethiopian Corporate Governance Code and related governance subjects Research and Policy Advocacy AACCSA is mandated to protect and promote the interest of its members and the business community. It advocates on behalf of the private sector to improve the doing business environment in the country. To this end, the Chamber: Undertakes policy research to be utilized as input for policy advocacy, Establishes strong network and promotes synergetic relationship with various stake holders, Establishes the Center for Policy Research and Advocacy (CPRA) within AACCSA, Produces an annual economic forecast of the Ethiopian economy, Publishes various research outputs, policy analysis, surveys and forecasts, Publishes the Socio-Economic Profile of Addis Ababa and Trade & Business Journals on annual basis, Trains staff in econometric model based forecasting and policy impact analysis, as well as evidence based research, with an emphasis on SMEs, women entrepreneurs and environmental sustainability issues, Undertakes policy impact assessment studies of specific government policies and research studies on important industrial issues, including issues on SMEs, women entrepreneurs and environmental sustainability, AACCSA is engaged in a range of activities categorized under Business Development Services and Business Advocacy Services. 3.1 Business Development Services Major Business Development Services provided by AACCSA are: Training AACCSA has a training institution (called Addis Chamber Training Institute ACTI) that provides different trainings to enable business companies acquire the necessary knowledge and skills that lead to success in today s challenging business environment. The trainings delivered by the Institute focus on communication skills, executive and leadership development,financial management and accounting, management and human resource development,international trade, marketing and customer service, project and program management and logistics & procurement management. The trainings are demand-driven business trainings on around 50 different business related topics. Major categories of trainings delivered by ACTI: I) Regular Trainings: are offered at the Chamber s Hall where members of the business community from different companies participate. Each of the training under this program is conducted for five half work days. II) Regular Trainings at Customers Premises: are delivered to the customers at their respective premises, based on annual training schedule. III) Customized Trainings: are trainings organized by customizing courses to the particular operational needs of businesses. The venue of the trainings can be either at the Chamber s Training Hall or at the Customers Premises. The duration of the training depends on the course requirements and clients needs. 11 4

8 Business Information AACCSA provides business information to its members through: Business Opportunities alerts, which contains information of contact details on Import, export, Partnership & Joint Venture, Agent distributor or sole agents. It also includes announcements which provide different up-to-date business information delivered to members weekly through Business Advisory Services Business Directory, is published every two year in hard copy, CD ROM and uploaded in AACCSA website. The Directory contains member companies business profile & contact details, country profile, companies product, trade & service advertisement, and useful addresses. Resource Center service, provides range of business information (laws, regulations, studies, project profile, business contacts... Etc.) documents are available in hard and soft copy. The center is placed at the main office of AACCSA and is open during office hours to the business community. The Chamber provides advisory service on: Trade rules and regulation, Investment rules & regulation, Manufacturing advice, Export advice, Customs and tax rules & regulation, and foreign market access (Including different trade agreements and preferential treatments such as Ethio- Sudan, COMESA, AGOA, EU Market, etc ) Business Matchmaking and Networking AACCSA conducts the following business matchmaking and networking programs. Technical & Entrepreneurship Support - Technical & Entrepreneurship Support includes business plan competition at eight universities, internship Program, agribusiness case studies and an on-farm manager support activities. Subsector Platform &Partnerships - Sector specific platforms and partnerships on selected subsectors (spices, soy, aquaculture, poultry and food processing) brings together a wide range of mainly private sector companies to exchange ideas, opportunities and support domestic trade deals. Business to Business Linkage Support - The services are aimed to establish good relationships between Dutch and Ethiopian companies active in the agribusiness sector and broker trade deals and new Joint Ventures Strengthening the Private Sector in Ethiopia This is a three years pilot project that is financed by the Royal Danish Embassy and technical support from the Confederation of Danish Industry (DI) to improve the business environment in Ethiopia for the benefit of the private sector in general and manufacturing sector development in particular. The project delivers Information and advisory service to manufacturing sectors Empowering Non-State Business Actors/Associations This is a two years project that is financed by the European Union civil society Fund II with the objective of contributing to the active participation of the business community in the country s development and governance processes. It provides business development services (training, promotion, market linkage networking etc.,) to target businesses such as MSEs, and women-led/owned businesses. 5 10

9 Advisory services concerning commercial arbitration and other ADR mechanisms in Ethiopia, Serve as appointing authority when so designated in commercial contracts, Support business companies in contract drafting Quality Management Services AACCSA supports business companies to enhance competitiveness by implementing various types of ISO (International Organization for Standardization) management systems. These are: ISO 9001:2008, ISO 22000:2005, ISO-14001:2004, and Capacitates AACCSA to implement ISO 9001 and acquire internationally accredited ISO certificate on ISO Conduct awareness creation programs on quality and quality management systems for member organizations Specialized Projects and Initiatives: At present, AACCSA implements the following: AGRI Business Support Facility The Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations (AACCSA) implements a three years multi-million Agri-business Support Facility (ABSF) with a financial and technical support by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The main components and services of the project are: Information Hub - provides hands on expertise to agribusiness sector as well as information on investment licenses, land lease, utility supply, tax and revenue, repatriation of foreign exchange, and logistics including exchange of information in an interactive way (electronic forum). I) Business to Business Meetings (B2B) : It is a business meeting organized by AACCSA to link two or more business partners. It could be between buyers and sellers or investment partners/ joint ventures or domestic business partners or with domestic and foreign business persons. AACCSA Organizes B2B in two ways: Inbound mission Network member companies with trade missions from around the world. Local business networks of various sectors buyers, sellers etc Outbound mission Create opportunity for member companies to share experience from abroad. Organize member business companies to travel to selected foreign countries to meet counter parts. II) Business Networking Different disscusion programs are conducted by AACCSA for members on current and topical issues and creation of business networks. Conferences and symposiums - discussion on selected themes with stakeholders such as Ethiopian Revenues and Customs Authority, Ministry of Trade, Addis Ababa Trade Bureaus...etc 9 6

10 Monthly Business Forums and Business Luncheons O Business Forums -A two hour discussion (4:00-6:00 P.M), and O Business Luncheons - A two hour discussion while having lunch(12:00-2:00 P.M) Sector Specific plat form are used to network and discuss on challenges and opportunities to improve sectors businesses Trade and Investment Promotion AACCSA Organizes 4 international trade fairs (Agriculture and Food exhibition, Tour and Travel fair, Manufacturing and Technology exhibition and Addis Chamber International Trade fairs) annually to:- Link local companies with international businesses as well as foreign partnership or agency agreements with local counterpart companies, Exchange business information and opportunities for trade fair participants and visitors as well as create forums for busines negotiation and deals, Create opportunity for technology transfer and identify new potential customers or strengthen relations with the existing ones, and Exhibit products or services and reach targeted audiences; Media & Communication Services AACCSA utilizes diverse electronic and print media to promote member business companies. These are: The weekly Addis Chamber Television Program with four components: the Voice of Private Sector, Ethio-Business Report, Business Leaders Forum, and the Pioneers of Business in Ethiopia. The weekly Voice of Addis Chamber Radio - Tuesday 7:00-8:00 p.m. Monthly News Paper in Amharic and English Chamber Website Dissemination of promotional materials such as brochure, leaflet, bulletin...etc Arbitration Service AACCSA pioneered arbitration services by establishing an independent institute which provides the following commercial dispute resolution services: Arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) related services, commercial contract drafting, review and advices on dispute resolution mechanisms, Recommends suitably qualified arbitration professionals, including arbitrators and expert witnesses, Advisory service on alternative dispute resolution methods such as mediation, adjudication and conciliation, Facilitating the settlement of commercial disputes in accurate accord with the arbitration rules of the Chamber, Adjudication services for construction disputes, Mediation/conciliation, 7 8