Background of the Corporation

The Ethiopian Construction Works Corporation (ECWC) is a public enterprise established on 18 Dec. 2015 based on Council of Ministers Regulation No. 366/2015 with an authorized capital of Birr 20,313,608,143.90. Out of which Birr 15,598,806,251.43 paid up in cash and in kind. Council of Ministers Regulation No. 390/2016 has amended the establishment of the corporation, on 28 Sep. 2016.

The corporation is a result of the amalgamation of three formerly independent public enterprises, namely the Ethiopian Road Construction Corporation, the Ethiopian Water Works Construction Enterprise and the Ethiopian Prefabricated Building Parts Production Enterprise.

While the establishment of the corporation is a recent phenomenon, 18 Dec. 2015, the history of the above-mentioned three former enterprises traced back to the late 1940s and early 1950s.

The Imperial Government of Ethiopia was convinced to establish a Road Agency solely responsible for rehabilitating/restoring and expanding the road network throughout the country. Accordingly, the government established the Imperial Highway Authority (IHA) in 1951 in order to plan, design, construct, and maintain roads.

Since then, the Authority has been re-established and re-structured many times. Therefore, the operational wing of the Authority (the former Ethiopian Road Construction Corporation) has constructed over 21 asphalt roads, 45 gravel roads, 5 airports and airstrips and 5 dams as well as maintained almost all road networks of the country during the past 68 years.

Similarly, the history of the establishment of the Ethiopian Water Works Construction enterprise dates back to late 1940s. First, an American aid project named “Point Four” established in 1948 exclusively to deal with rural water well drilling activities. It was the starting point for the development of water sector in Ethiopia.

The water sector, like the road sector, has been re-structured and re-established many times. For many years, the water works construction sector has been undertaking construction of dams, irrigations and drainage networks; water supply and sewerage networks; construction of roads and buildings; land reclamation; dry ports and many other different activities.

Especially starting from 1994, 38 potable water projects, 8 road construction projects, 13 dam and irrigation projects, 4 buildings and 6 different civil work construction projects has been constructed by the former enterprise.

Likewise, the history of the establishment of the former Ethiopian Prefabricated Building Parts Production Enterprise dates back to the 1980s. It was founded following the agreement of Ethiopian and Yugoslavian government in order to reduce deforestation and alleviate housing problems by undertaking different modern building technologies.  Until 2016, the enterprise has constructed different government offices, private buildings, and many condominium blocks.