Yoni Magna and Gigi Kiya stand with Fano

Alibaba says it has no business dealings with Jeremiah Amlega
Alibaba Group, a Chinese electronics giant, has no business dealings with Ermias Amlega. The company has no business dealings with Jeremiah or anyone else in Ethiopia, The Reporter reported today.

Maja Hawk, head of corporate affairs for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, said the company has no plans to start operations in Ethiopia any time soon.

Earlier in the day, The Reporter reported that Ermias Amlega had agreed with Alibaba to set up an e-commerce company in Ethiopia. According to the report, an e-commerce company founded by Alibaba Group and Ermias Amlega will be operational in less than six months.

Asked to comment on the matter and to provide information on his agreement with Alibaba, Ermias Amlega said the agreement was signed with Alibaba Group Ethiopian representatives and on the other hand it was signed by Will Cloud, an Alibaba partner. The Reporter reported that it could not find the so-called Ethiopian representative, and confirmed that Will Cloud had entered into an independent agreement, not an Alibaba representative.

Commenting on the issue, Minister of Innovation and Technology, who is the legal body for authorizing and regulating e-commerce, described Jeremiah’s speech as “bold” and said that even a law that allows e-commerce companies like Alibaba to operate in the country has not been implemented.

Experts interviewed by the newspaper said Alibaba had no reason to enter into an agreement with an individual and that the company could start operating independently in Ethiopia if it had plans to do so in other countries.

Chinese billionaire Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba Group and Jackma Foundation, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to build an e-WTP e-WTP (US $ 100 million) during his visit to Ethiopia at the invitation of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.