July 18, 2017 / 1:44 PM

ADDIS ABABA, July 18 (Reuters) – Ethiopia plans to offer shares to private investors in its road-building and maintenance projects, its finance minister said on Tuesday, the latest step to open up and modernise the state-led economy.

“We do not have private-run roads. Through public-private partnerships, the private sector is interested to develop roads through this arrangement,” Minister of Finance and Economic Development Abraham Tekeste told Reuters in an interview.

“We could work to share the risks and create an environment whereby the private sector can recoup returns on its investment.” (Reporting by Aaron Maasho; Editing by Duncan Miriri, Larry King)