Ethiopia Launches First National Electronic Cargo Tracking System to Combat Theft, Digitize Logistics

Ethiopia’s first electronic cargo tracking and monitoring system has completed its testing phase and is poised to enter operational status. The system is kickstarting with 1400 digital cargo tracking devices that have been imported into the country and will be distributed at no cost as an initial offering financed by the government.

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Introduced by the Ethiopian Customs Commission in collaboration with the Ethiopian Artificial Intelligence Institute and the Minister of Transport and Logistics, this comprehensive fleet management and electronic cargo security system employ locks to secure cargo while monitoring their status in real time.

While primarily designed for cargo security, the system’s GPS tracking modems enable monitoring of vehicle location, speed, direction, and route. 

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The system aims to combat goods pilfering, locally known as “kisheba,” a prevalent practice along the corridor where criminals discreetly remove goods from trucks en route to or from Djibouti.

All containers and bulk cargo trucks will be required to be equipped with electronic tracking devices, including locks, seals, and GPRS modems. Eight stations have been selected for the system’s implementation: Modjo Dry Port, Addis Ababa Commercial Goods, Adama Customs Station, Addis Ababa Export and Government Goods, Galafi Entry Station, Mille Checkpoint, Awash Station, and Djibouti.

According to Temesgen Yihun, an advisor to the project from the Ethiopian Maritime office, having a tracking system on vehicles is an international logistics standard. Yihun emphasizes the project’s significance in controlling and enhancing the flow of import-export goods by digitizing traditional processes.

Mengestu Tefera, Program Coordinator at the Ethiopian Customs Commission, highlights the provision of 1400 devices by the government, each equipped with SIM cards capable of functioning for 30 to 60 days on a full charge. Tefera notes that the devices are installed on cargo and strips protecting the cargo from tampering en route to the capital.

Tefera explains that the devices signal the platform dashboard accessed by the government and owners if any issues arise with the cargo tags. Such theft incidents have adversely impacted the image of Ethiopian exports on the international market.

The electronic tracking system is expected to keep customs informed of each truck’s activity on the Addis-Djibouti corridor in real-time, utilizing radio frequency identification to alert authorities of container seal tampering, stops, and starts. Authorities at all stations can lock trucks, activate the alert system, and notify other stations for coordinated response by security forces.

Mengestu further reports that stakeholders, including logistics company owners, have expressed satisfaction with the program, which is now set to launch. Currently, numerous companies offer GPS devices for trucks operating in the country, with prices ranging from eight thousand to ten thousand depending on the device’s functionality.