Ethiopia: Cemented Fate

Bags of cement are stacked up high in Megenagna, one of the more famous retailing areas in Addis Abeba. But the closed warehouses in the photo betray the turbulence of a market where production is low, prices escalating, and the authorities are at a loss on how to address the challenge.

It is not an entirely bleak picture. Cement shortages have improved from their level half a year ago. Surprisingly, it has not dented waiting times at wholesalers and forced contractors to turn to retailers that source from the underground market and sell for over 500 Br a quintal, double the wholesale price.

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