Browsing by Author "Tefera, Mengistu"

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    The Challenges of Customs in Export Trade Facilitation: the Case of Ethiopian Revenues and Customs Authority Dire Dawa Branch Office
    (Addis Ababa University, 2016-06) Tefera, Mengistu; Jebena, Tariku (phD)
    Customs has been described for a century as a gate keeper, with customs authorities representing a barrier through which international trade must pass. But currently Customs plays a critical role in the implementation of a range of trade, economic and social policies and contributes to the achievement of national development objective focusing on trade facilitation and regulatory control. Trade facilitation and customs regulatory control regarded as two major requirements for both government and the business community in pursuing their national and international trade in the competitive environment of today. However, enormous amount of time and money wasted due to long delays at customs in most sub-Sahara African Countries like Ethiopia. The objective of this study was to identify the challenges of customs in export trade facilitation at Dire Dawa Customs Branch Office. To achieve the research objective, the study employed a descriptive method and used both qualitative and quantitative research approach. Primary data were collected from all Customs employees found in export clearance team, and all exporters and customs clearing agents who have permanent office at the branch. Accordingly 85 questionnaires were distributed and interviews have made with purposively selected 3 team leader, 2 process owners and 1 Deputy Branch manager. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Four major findings from the case study are identified as the key criteria required for facilitating international trade. First, risk management is identified as a core principle of accommodating facilitation. Second, customs laws and regulations, customs procedures and information technology are found to be key instruments for supporting the achievement of trade facilitation. Third, comprehensive and integrated approaches to cooperation are regarded as enablers, which contribute to facilitation. Finally, human resource development is identified as a prerequisite to support all other elements in accommodating trade facilitation. The accommodation of trade facilitation can be achieved dependent on these key criteria being effective and consistent with international standards and guidelines. Despite the effort of the Dire Dawa Customs Branch Office to accommodate trade facilitation, the study identifies some discrepancies between ‘policy and implementation’ or ‘principles and practices’, particularly in the areas of risk management, customs procedures and information technology. These implementation problems are found to result mainly from the lack of skills and knowledge of the customs officers. A key finding of the study is that continuous and sustainable development of human resources in terms of customs competency is required to ensure transparency, consistency and predictability in providing customs services. Finally, the challenges of customs vary from branch to branch and even from one customs procedure to another depending on the nature of the branch as the study entirely delimited to study the issues of Dire Dawa Customs Branch Office; it does not represent the scene in other Branch office and other customs procedures. Thus, further research needs to be conducted to address this customs challenges in export trade facilitation. Key words: Customs Automation, Risk Management, Human Resource Development and Management, Cooperation and Coordination among customs and other agencies, Customs Procedures, Customs Laws and Regulations
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    Determinants of Financial Performance of Urban Primary Saving and Credit Cooperative Societies in Ethiopia
    (A.A.U, 2021-06) Tefera, Mengistu; Laxmikantham, P. (Phd)
    The purpose of this study was to look into the factors that influence the financial performance of urban SACCOs in Ethiopia. The study's populations were SACCOs in Ethiopia, with the sample frame consisting of primary SACCOs in Addis Ababa. The study's sample size was 45 primary SACCOs, as determined by purposive sampling techniques. The research design was sequential-explanatory, and descriptive. The study used both primary and secondary data; secondary data was the main source of data for this research, which was collected from audit reports from 2015 to 2019 by using document review as a data collection instrument, and primary data was collected through semi-structured interviews. STATA Version 13.0 was used for secondary data analysis, and multiple regression analysis was used to establish the nature of the existing relationship between the research variable and content, and narrative analysis was used for qualitative data analysis. According to the findings, capital adequacy, liquidity management, GDP, and SACCO union membership and competition from banks positively affect SACCO financial performance, whereas asset quality, management efficiency, inflation rate, and computation from MFI negatively affect SACCO’s financial performance. The study recommended SACCO’s management and officials take good care of asset quality, balance their capital structure, improve product and service quality, reorganize the SACCO union in an appropriate manner, and merge (amalgamate) SACCOs under a well-organized umbrella to strengthen and enhance their capacity.