Bahir Dar, September 26, 2019 E.C. (Amhara Region Supreme Court)
Judges of the Amhara Region courts received training on Ethiopia’s investment laws and the legal framework governing special economic zones as part of the Second Annual Conference of Amhara Region Courts Judges.
The training was delivered by Dr. Tadesse Kassa, Chief Executive Officer of Abay Investment Holding. He provided an in-depth professional briefing on Ethiopia’s economic and legal reforms in recent years, the rationale behind the revision of investment laws, investors’ rights and obligations, and the legal framework governing special economic zones.
In his presentation, Dr. Tadesse focused on Ethiopia’s investment policy framework, particularly the legal and policy reforms undertaken over the past six years. He noted that the reforms primarily aim to promote economic growth and strengthen the country’s competitiveness, establish a conducive and predictable legal environment for investment, and position Ethiopia as an attractive investment destination.
According to the trainer, ensuring sustainable economic growth requires not only improvements to the macroeconomic system but also institutional and structural reforms. In this regard, a number of new laws, including commercial laws, have been enacted, while existing legislation has been revised.
Dr. Tadesse, however, emphasized that establishing a legal framework alone is not sufficient to make the investment system effective. He stressed the need to ensure that institutional practices and the justice system are adequately equipped to guarantee the clear, predictable, and consistent implementation of the laws.
He further explained that transforming the legal system into a predictable and stable framework is crucial for building investor confidence.
It was also highlighted that Ethiopia’s investment laws need to be enabling, transparent, and predictable in order to capitalize on the country’s potential to attract both domestic and foreign capital. In this regard, the presentation underscored the importance of establishing legal frameworks that encourage private-sector participation, creating a coordinated investment-promotion system, and removing bottlenecks in the investment process.
The training also provided a detailed explanation of procedures related to the suspension, cancellation, and revocation of investment licenses, as well as their administration and regulation.
Another major component of the training focused on the legal framework governing special economic zones. The importance of special economic zone legislation was discussed in relation to continental and international trade agreements, industrial parks, and free trade zones.
In this regard, the participants were briefed in detail on the documents required to obtain special economic zone designation, the classification of multi-sector and specialized economic zones, land classification, development and utilization within such zones, as well as the legal principles governing the issuance of ownership certification documents for land, buildings, and property.
Dr. Tadesse explained that investment laws are not merely legal instruments designed to support economic policy. Rather, they constitute fundamental economic legal frameworks that influence economic competitiveness, investor confidence, private-sector participation, and the predictability of the justice system.
The training is expected to enhance judges’ legal knowledge and capacity to interpret and apply investment and special economic zone laws in practice, while contributing to the strengthening of clear, consistent, and predictable judicial processes in investment-related disputes.
