ADDIS ABABA, March 4 (AGCNewsNet) – Ethiopia’s Transport Employers Federation has finalized plans to import 5,000 Russian-made trucks to modernize the country’s transport sector and enhance market connectivity.

Federation President Berhane Zeru told DW Amharic that the move aims to improve freight, tanker, and passenger transport services across Ethiopia’s diverse terrain while ensuring fuel efficiency and reduced air pollution.

The vehicles will be assembled in Kombolcha, northern Ethiopia, in collaboration with Bazra Ethiopia, a local assembly plant facilitating the purchase from Russia. Discussions on the procurement have been ongoing for over a year and a half and are now in the final stages.

While the exact cost of the trucks remains undisclosed, the Federation is working with the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia to secure financing options.

Established in 2018, the Ethiopian Transport Employers Federation consists of 31 associations representing various transport sectors, including freight, tanker, passenger, and taxi services. The organization previously clashed with the government over unpaid bills for services rendered during the two-year war in northern Ethiopia.

Stay connected with AGC NewsNet for the latest news from Africa.