4.1 Urban Economy and Role of the Town

The town serves as regional administration center, trade, tourism, and service center. There are 16 manufacturing industries, 44 wholesale trades, 233 retail trades and 58 service trades in the town. There are 1 bank, 2 microfinance institutions and one insurance in the town. The average annual revenue of the municipality within the 2000–2005  period was 557,225.21 Birr, and the major sources of revenue were vehicle toll taxes (32%) abattoir service (22%), trade tax (19%) and plot tax (8%).

The major investment opportunities in the town are: horticulture, animal husbandry and fishery. Gambella has economic linkages with the surrounding areas, medium and small towns and Addis Ababa.  The town gets grain products, livestock supply, natural resources (fuel wood, charcoal,) surplus labor from surrounding areas and agricultural inputs as well as manufacturing and commercial products and some construction materials from Addis Ababa and the town serves as tourism and market center for the surrounding areas.

4.2 Social and Municipal Services

Social services

Education

There are two private and six government primary schools, one government secondary school including preparatory and one government TVET in Gambella town.

Health

Regarding health services, there is one government hospital, two government health centers and seven private clinics in the town.

Municipal services

Gambella town has abattoir, a general market meeting once a week on Saturdays and one daily market. Solid waste is collected by one dump truck and ten horse drown carts and disposed in two authorized open dump sites. There is a park, one stadium and, hotels of different standards in the town. Regarding religious services there are three churches for Orthodox Christians, four churches for Protestants, one church for catholic and two mosques in the town.