Addis Ababa, May 9, 2025 (FMC) – Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) has lauded the sweeping institutional reforms at the Wonji Shoa Sugar Factory, describing the turnaround of the age-old facility as a clear example of how timely reform and innovation can revive legacy industries and drive economic productivity.
In a message posted to his social media page, Prime Minister Abiy reflected on the factory’s seventy-year legacy, noting that its longevity alone is not enough to remain competitive. “If you don’t move with the times, being ahead will not keep you on top,” he said.
He underscored the urgency of reform with a local idiom, saying, “An ever-present ear can be leapfrogged and surpassed by a horn that comes later,” emphasizing that innovation and adaptation are critical to staying competitive. “If you don’t get ahead of the times by accelerating and creating, time itself will overtake you,” he added.
Once crippled by debt and unable to pay its workers’ salaries for three years, the factory has undergone significant institutional reform that has revived its operations. Daily sugar production has surged from 1,500 quintals to 7,000 quintals. Furthermore, the factory has resumed production of the popular Desta candy after a 14-year hiatus.
The reform efforts have also extended beyond sugar production. Through the “Bounty of the Basket” initiative, the factory’s compound now supports diversified agricultural activities, producing 3,000 liters of milk and 20,000 eggs per day. Its revitalized grounds and surroundings reflect the broader transformation underway, he noted.
According to Abiy, the Wonji Shoa Sugar Factory has now emerged from its period of difficulty, generating 8.7 billion birr in revenue over the past nine months of the current Ethiopian fiscal year.
Prime Minister Abiy emphasized that the success of Wonji Shoa should serve as a blueprint for other state-owned enterprises. “This strong reform result is expected to be replicated in other factories,” he said. “If we work, we will be ahead of tomorrow.”