The Ethiopian Maritime Authority is considering permitting foreign companies to train and send Ethiopian maritime professionals abroad, aiming to boost the country’s human capital and generate foreign currency.

This initiative was revealed during a parliamentary session where the Ministry of Transport and Logistics, along with its affiliated institutions, presented their six-month performance report. Abdulber Shemsu, Director-General of the Maritime Authority, informed lawmakers about ongoing efforts to expand Ethiopia’s role in the global maritime industry by facilitating the employment of Ethiopian professionals overseas.

To achieve this, the Authority plans to collaborate with licensed private agencies to provide training and oversee the deployment of maritime professionals. However, existing legal frameworks do not currently support such operations.

The Authority is exploring two possible solutions to address this challenge. One option is to amend the Ethiopian Overseas Employment Proclamation, which was introduced in 2021 by the Ministry of Labor and primarily focuses on sending household workers abroad. The other alternative is to introduce a new proclamation specifically tailored to the maritime sector.

“We are evaluating which option will best serve our objectives, and a decision will be made soon,” said an Authority official.

Currently, domestic maritime agencies lack the necessary expertise to train and deploy professionals effectively, making collaboration with foreign firms a viable solution. The official also noted that the existing employment proclamation does not account for the unique demands of maritime work, as it was designed for professions with fixed locations, such as domestic workers in Gulf countries.

“Maritime professionals operate globally and do not work in a fixed location, which necessitates special legislation,” the official added.

According to the Ministry’s report, Ethiopia has generated USD 37 million from its maritime workforce employed abroad in the past six months, highlighting the sector’s potential as a significant source of foreign revenue.