During the visit of Chairman of Alibaba Group, Jack Ma to Ethiopia, this week, Alibaba Group signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish an Electronic World Trade Platform (eWTP) hub in Ethiopia. The eWTP is Alibaba Group’s global initiative to promote public-private dialogue for more inclusive global trade driven by technology and policy innovation offering greater opportunities for SMEs, women and youth.
 In Ethiopia, the eWTP hub is expected to facilitate cross-border trade, provide smart logistics services, assist Ethiopian small and micro enterprises (SMEs) to access global markets, and provide training. The Platform will allow Ethiopia to trade its commodities via the Alibaba Group.
The agreement was signed in the presence of Prime Minister Dr Abiy Ahmed and the Chinese billionaire Jack Ma by Ethiopia’s Minister of Innovation and Technology, Dr-Ing Getahun Mekuria and Alibaba Group Director and Ant Financial Services Group Chairman and CEO, Eric Jing. Dr-Ing Getahun expressed the hope that eWTP hub will be a turning point in the development of a digital economy in Ethiopia and contribute to the global expansion of SMEs in Ethiopia and the region. Eric Jing echoed the commitment of Alibaba Group to support the creation of an inclusive, digitally-enabled global economy, supporting small businesses in global trade. He added that his company was keen to collaborate with entrepreneurs and SMEs from Ethiopia as well as other African nations. In Ethiopia, its contribution will also include introducing new working practices, increasing the involvement of the private sector and providing market information. Jack Ma remarked that his decision to launch the platform in Ethiopia was because of the Ethiopian Government’s top priority on the growth of digital technology.
