ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Ethiopia has accepted bids worth 2.1 billion birr for seven state-owned firms, part of a plan to privatise dozens of corporations in the next three years, it said on Thursday.
The Horn of Africa nation, whose state-dominated economy ranks among the fastest growing in the world, aims to sell around 40 enterprises, including several large farms, a winery and a big hotel.
The Privatisation and Public Enterprise Supervising Agency accepted an 860 million birr bid from MIDROC Ethiopia for one of the country's biggest farms, Upper Awash Agro-Industry Enterprise, said agency spokesman Wondafrash Asefa.
MIDROC Ethiopia is owned by Saudi-Ethiopian billionaire Mohammed Al Amoudi, who is one of the world's richest men according to Forbes magazine.
Al Amoudi's other companies Horizon Plantation PLC, National Mining Corporation and Saudi Star Agricultural Development won bids for four other firms for a combined 463 million birr, Wondafrash said.
"The enterprises engage in different sectors, including agriculture, beverage, construction, printing, textile and transport. At this time though agriculture enterprises are found to be more attractive than others," Wondafrash said.
Last year, the government sold its last remaining breweries Bedele, Harar and Meta Abo to Heineken and Diageo for a combined $388.3 million.
