4.1 Urban Economy and Status of the Town

The town serves as zone administration and trade center. There are 73 Manufacturing industries, 400 service trades, six fuel stations and nine banks and one micro financial institution in the town. The average annual revenue of the municipality within the 2008–2012 periods was 21,096,839.39 Birr and the major sources of revenue were taxes, rents and service charges. The major investment opportunities in the town are: housing development, trade and agro-industry processing.

Dessie has economic linkages with the surrounding areas, medium and small towns, Afar Region and Addis Ababa.  The town gets grain products, livestock supply, natural resources (fuel wood, charcoal)  and surplus labor from surrounding areas. Agricultural inputs as well as manufacturing and commercial products and some construction materials from Addis Ababa while the city serves as a market center for the surrounding areas.

4.2 Social and Municipal Services

Social Services

Education

There are six government and 28 private kindergartens; 26 government and eleven private primary schools; six private and nine government secondary schools; two government and one private preparatory schools; one government two private TVETS; one government college and one government and two private universities and a total of four higher education institutions in Dessie town.