Adjudication and arbitrability of government construction disputes

The construction industry in Ethiopia is regulated by various legislative enactments which mainly come under two different domains; namely, civil construction laws, and government construction laws. The former laws apply where a private individual or company usually referred to as ‘employer’ (otherwise known as ‘owner’ or ‘client’) enters into a construction contract with a contractor. And the latter involves a government department which intends to have construction works carried out on behalf of the government for public interest. Thus, depending on whether the construction contract involves a private civil/business-to-business engagement or a government-to-business, separate set of rights and obligations apply in the construction industry.