Doing Business in Ethiopia: 2012 Country Commercial Guide for U.S. Companies US Department of Commerce April 30, 2012 State-owned enterprises and ruling party-owned entities dominate major sectors of the economy. There is a state monopoly or state-run dominance in sectors such as telecommunications, power, banking, insurance, air transport, shipping, and sugar. In addition, the government controls importation of staple foods such as grains and oil. Ruling party affiliated "endowment" companies have a strong presence in the ground transport, fertilizer, and textile sectors. Both state-owned enterprises and "endowment" companies dominate the cement sector. State-owned enterprises have considerable advantages over private firms, particularly in the realm of Ethiopia's regulatory and bureaucratic environment, including ease of access to credit and speedier customs clearance. Local business owners as well as foreign investors complain of ...