Tuesday, December 12, 2017

Ethiopia: The Economics of a Chinese-built Industrial Park

The Guardian published on 5 December 2017 an article titled "Park Life: Workers Struggle To Make Ends Meet at Ethiopia's $250m Industrial Zone" by William Davison.

This is a journalistic account of the economic challenges faced by a textile company operating in Ethiopia's Hawassa Industrial Park, which was built by China. Low wages and cheap electricity attract companies to the industrial park, but relatively high transportation costs and a rising cost of living for workers are raising questions about the long-term profitably of the company.