Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok of Sudan said about his conversation with Mike Pompeo, US secretary of State, on “strengthening US-Sudan relations.”
Month: June 2020
NEW DIRT
As the previous vegetable market, Atakilt Tera, was moved to Jan Meda out of precaution over COVID-19. At Jan Meda in Sidist Kilo, the place has become dirty with rotting vegetables lining the paths.
SPACE PROBLEMS
This clothing retail shop, selling primarily reggae inspired outfits, on Ras Mekonnen Street is not content with the space it has to sell its merchandise. It is using part of the adjoining bus stop’s seat, including its cleaning materials, for showcasing its merchandise.
ADDIS HALL
Visitors tour the recently inaugurated Addis Hall, a centre exhibiting urban architecture and investment on roads, buildings and parks. Located near Mesqel Square, the exhibition was financed by the Addis Abeba City Administration to “share ideas and discuss ways to make our city better,” according to Deputy Mayor Takele Uma.
Regional Enterprise to Build Dam for 1.5b Br
Amhara Water Works & Construction Enterprise secured a deal to construct the Ajimma Chacha Irrigation Dam in the Semien Shewa Zone, Amhara Regional State, for 1.5 billion Br.
The agreement was signed between the Irrigation Development Commission Commissioner Micheal Mehari (PhD) and CEO of Amhara Water Works Construction Enterprise, Zemene Tsehay.
The Dam, which will be built in the Angolela Tera Wereda, will have a capacity of 59 million cubic metres. It spans over a footprint of 7,000ha and is expected to benefit over 14,000 households.
Located in the eastern edge of Semien Shewa Zone, it will have a height of 45m and a length of 371m.
The construction of the project is expected to be completed in two years. This year the Commission has awarded four projects worth over eight billion Br including the Kaza Irrigation Dam in western Tigray Regional State for 4.3 billion Br and Kahild Dijo Irrigation Dam in Silte Zone for 1.2 billion Br.
Currently, the total irrigated site in the country is far less than eight percent of the 15 million hectares of cultivated land and, from this, only about 20pc of the estimated 5.8 to 7.5 million hectares of the parcel could be irrigated.
Commission Avails 10-Year Plan for Consultation
The National Planning & Development Commission is set to avail the 10-year National Development Plan for public consultation for the next 11 days starting next week.
The 10-year National Plan has been in the making for the last year by the Commission led by Fitsum Assefa (PhD) under the theme “Ethiopia: An African Beacon of Prosperity.”
The masterplan document, subject to modification due to the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, incorporates the 10-year plans of different government offices across diverse sectors including agriculture and roads.
The public campaign will feature public deliberation on the agricultural sector, manufacturing, tourism, mining and innovation & technology.
During the life span of the new plan, Ethiopia’s economy will experience 10.2pc average annual growth, according to the plan.
Agriculture, mining, manufacturing industries, tourism, urban development, and innovation & technology are the key development sectors of the plan.
The new plan will replace the current five-year growth transformation plan (GTP II) that spanned two editions.
Donors Join Hands to Fight Malnutrition
UNICEF and the World Food Programme have launched a three-year collaborative initiative for the prevention of acute malnutrition in Ethiopia.
The initiative focuses on children and mothers in 100 weredas and promotes health and nutrition in 600 schools.
The partnership will select vulnerable weredas in Afar, Amhara, Oromia, Southern Nations, Nationalities & People, Somali and Tigray regional states. It is expected to help Ethiopia decrease acute malnutrition in children from nearly 10pc to less than three percent by 2030.
There have been signs of increased malnutrition due to COVID-19 and the desert locust infestation, according to UNICEF Country Representative Adele Khodr.
This joint effort can support the government of Ethiopia to drastically help prevent the root cause of malnutrition, according to the director.
This year, 4.4 million people in the country will require treatment for severe and acute malnutrition – 2.7 million children and 1.7 million pregnant and breastfeeding women. In order for the country to meet the Sustainable Development Goal of eradicating hunger and malnutrition, the annual rate of reduction in acute malnutrition needs to increase ten-fold.
Addis Inaugurates City-bus Expressway
The Addis Abeba City Administration has inaugurated a mega city-bus expressway project for 5.9 billion Br.
Stretching from Jemo II to General Wingate Square, the city-bus expressway covers 19.2Km and is expected to be completed in two years.
The inauguration took place with the presence of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) and Addis Abeba City Administration Deputy Mayor Takele Uma.
The City Administration is expected to cover 55pc of the required budget for the project, while the remaining will be financed through a loan from the French government.
The Prime Minister stated that the project will decrease youth unemployment significantly and noted that transportation and roads are as crucial as housing.
Corp Incentivises Investors in Industrial Parks
The Industrial Parks Development Corporation (IPDC) has availed incentive packages to industrial park investors to withstand the effects of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The incentives, aimed at alleviating the burden on the investment sector, will be applicable to companies operating within the country’s operational industrial parks.
Free transport of goods from Modjo Dry Port to the Djibouti port is one of the three main incentives availed. The government has also allowed the local sale of products for investors that have had no orders from abroad for the past two months and who have lost procurement agreements from clients. Lastly, a six-month discount cargo service was also offered for Ethiopian Airlines Cargo Services customers in the parks.
The industrial parks in the country have generated 122 million dollars within the past nine months of the budget year, showing a 32pc increment from the past budget year during the same period. The parks employ over 70,000 workers across the country.
Institute Receives 700m Br Worth of Medical Inputs
The Ethiopian Public Health Institute has so far received and distributed medical supplies worth more than 700 million Br.
The Institute, which has been engaging in multi-faceted efforts to control and curb the spread of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, has distributed the resources across all the regional states and city administrations.
While 60pc of the costs of the medical resources have been covered by the government, 40pc have been collected from different partners. Of the 513 million Br worth of resources that have been distributed across the regional states and health centres, the largest share of it has been for personal protective equipment.
The distributed items include 3,600 oxygen cylinders capable of providing 13 million litres of oxygen and 1,100 pieces of equipment for testing oxygen levels to all regional states and city administrations. To date, there have been 243,016 laboratory tests conducted for COVID-19 in the country, finding a total of 3,459 cases.
Enterprise Amasses 352m Br in 11 Months
The Ethiopian Toll Roads Enterprise has collected more than 352 million Br in revenues during the past 11 months of the current fiscal year.
The Enterprise earned the money from the two operational toll roads, namely the Addis Abeba-Adama and Dire Dawa-Dewale expressways.
Part of the revenue was collected from the eight million cars that used the two roads.
The expressways, which operate 24 hours a day, have generated 323.8 million Br through fees, while the remaining value was generated from other services, including advertising space fees along the roads as well as towing services.
The Enterprise also reported that traffic accidents on the roads have decreased by 50pc compared to the same period last year.
It has also been engaged in strengthening its database and road light expansion as a means of generating more income. The Mojo-Hawassa Expressway, spanning 202Km, connects the towns Mojo-Meki, Meki-Ziway, Ziway-Arsi Negele and Arsi Negele-Hawassa.
MultiChoice Introduces Amharic Channel on DStv
MultiChoice, the country’s sole distributor of Digital Satellite Television (DStv), and ViacomCBS Networks Africa have introduced the Amharic language to Nick Jr., the educational, pre-school channel from Nickelodeon.
The addition will be available starting Monday, June 22, 2020.
This initially phased approach of the Amharic programming content line-up will give active DStv Premium, Compact Plus, Compact, and Family customers in Ethiopia more choices while ensuring that each DStv package offers more value to Ethiopian customers.
Recently, MultiChoice Ethiopia has added eight local television channels to its offering. The company has taken on the Oromia Broadcasting Network, the Amhara Mass Media Agency, Tigrai Mass Media Agency, Arts, LTV, Walta, Nahoo TV, and Asham TV television channels under its DSTV packages.
Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporate (EBC), Ethiopian Broadcasting Service (EBS) and Fana Television, the three most viewed local channels, are also part of DStv.
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