By Yelibenwork Ayele

The Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations (AACCSA) have launched sector-specific services to solve its structural problems. It has categorized its members into eleven business sectors by adopting World Trade Organization's sectoral classification.

The eleven sectors of the Chamber are import/agency, export, construction, transport, tourism and travel, professional services, financial services, health services, agricultural production, manufacturing and wholesale and retail trade.

The sectoral classification is subject to change in response to the dynamism in the structure of the national and global economy as well as the changing needs and demands of the business community, said Eyesuswork Zafu, president of AACCSA, speaking at a meeting of exporters on Thursday.

The sector specific services will enable AACCSA to address the special interest of each sector and to deliver suitable solutions to their problems. The sectors will be the basis for a focused advocacy program to be undertaken within the framework of public private partnership (PPP), said Mulualem Dembegna, communications department manager of AACCSA who was at the meeting.

Included in the Chamber's strategy of delivering effective sector-specific services are electing an executive committee of five representatives from each sector who will hold monthly meetings. The executive committees of all sectors hold joint meetings twice a year with AACCSA's board of directors and representatives from the city administration.

Issues raised at the biannual meetings will be presented to the annual federal level PPP forum with the Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce.