General Berhanu Jula, deputy chief of staff of the Ethiopian Defense Forces, told Addis Zemen, the state daily, in its June 14, 2020, edition, that the army cannot be a bystander in the face of lawlessness and anarchy in Ethiopia.
Month: June 2020
Sanctioned Graffiti
Yonas Berehe and Andualem Moges, artists of Ya Studio, are painting street art for the city in Megenagna, after getting the green light from Yeka District. They are painting portraits of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD), Lia Tadesse (MD) and Deputy Mayor Tekele Uma in graffiti with the text, “Everything will be alright,” in Amharic.
Stairway Market
This part of the Addis Abeba Light Rail in Megenagna is serving a purpose unrelated to transportation. The stairway leading to the elevated terminal of the railway has turned into a vegetable market, with venders prominently displaying their fresh products. Also making use of the stairway are beggars.
Street Sign Down
Street road signs in Mesqel Square, one used to direct pedestrian movement and the other showing street names, have been knocked down. The street sign was uprooted from its roots. Despite their importance, they do not seem to have created much traffic inconvenience.
Chinese Firm Secures Deal to Power Awash-Woldia Railway
Pinggao Group Co. Ltd, a Chinese electrical corporation, has signed an agreement with Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP) for the construction of a high voltage power transmission line for the Awash Woldia-Hara Gebeya railway project.
The company mainly researches, develops, produces and sells high voltage, extra-high voltage and ultra-high voltage switchgear.
The agreement, signed by Ashebir Balcha, CEO of EEP, and Zhai Yanbin, overseas marketing director at Pinggao Group, comes at a cost of 11.5 million dollars, which will be entirely funded by the Ethiopian government.
Pinggao Group is expected to build a 230/132KV high voltage power transmission line for the railway project that stretches 206Km. The railway is scheduled to be finalised within the coming 12 months.
TBEA Company, another Chinese firm, also signed an agreement with Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP) earlier last month for 5.3 million dollars and 41 million Br to build four power substations for the Awash-Hara Gebeya Railway project.
Upon completion of the power transmission line, the railroad, which links the country’s northern and eastern transportation networks, will start operations with 20 cargo trains and six passenger trains. Each passenger train will accommodate 120 people, and each cargo car will haul 30 wagons carrying 1,350tn each.
Council Gives Green Light to Digital Strategy
The Council of Ministers has given a green light to the Ethiopian Digital Strategy that was crafted to direct the economy of the country toward tech-led growth.
Drafted by the Ministry of Innovation & Technology under the stewardship of Abraham Belay (PhD), the strategy has been in the making for the last year and outlines four pathways to the realisation of digital-led growth.
It anchors unleashing the value of agriculture, constructing the next version of the global value chain in manufacturing, building IT-enabled services, and focusing on digital as the driver of tourism competitiveness. The outlined pathways are broken down into three timelines of implementation: short-term, one to three years; mid-term, eighteen months to three years; and long-term, three to five years.
The document was reviewed by 11 development partners and civil society organisations, including the World Bank; 18 ministries and representative agencies; and 30 private sector representatives, start-ups and incubator leaders. The 157-page document is aligned with the Homegrown Economic Reform Agenda and the Ten-Year Development Plan, as well as with international commitments such as the Sustainable Development Goals and the African Union’s Continental Digital Strategy.
Ethiopia, World Bank Ink $250m Finance Deal
The International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank’s lending wing that provides lower interest rates, and Ethiopia have signed a 250-million-dollar loan and grant agreement.
The agreement was signed over a video call between the Minister of Finance, Ahmed Shide, and Carolyn Turk, the World Bank country director for Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan and South Sudan, who is based in Addis Abeba.
The funding will be used for combating the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) and helping the country accomplish its Second Growth & Competitiveness Programmatic Development Schedule. Half of the loan is a grant, while the remaining is a loan.
The agreement is set to encourage private sector participation and promote good governance. It is further expected to support the change and transition the country is currently undergoing, according to a statement from the World Bank.
The World Bank plans to deploy up to 160 billion dollars over the course of over a year to help more than 100 countries. This is aimed at protecting the poor and vulnerable, supporting businesses and bolstering economic recoveries.
Council Approves 52 Standards
The Ethiopian National Standardisation Council has approved 52 standards brought forward by the Ethiopian Standards Agency (ESA).
Of the total, 31 of the standards are new, four of them are revisions of previous standards and the remaining 17 are reaffirmed measures that were already in place.
The approved standards fall under the e Environment Health and Safety Engineering sector, including regulations in the chemicals, chemical products, basic and general categories.
Under the Environment Health and Safety Engineering sector, there are 32 standards, of which 22 are new, one is revised and 12 are reaffirmed.
For chemicals and chemical products, five are new and five are reaffirmed standards. Moreover, for the basic and general categories, four standards are new and three are revised.
Meat, Dairy Export Generates $68m
The export of meat and milk products generated 68.3 million dollars during the past 11 months of the current fiscal year, according to a report from the Ministry of Trade & Industry.
During the reported period, the government expected 113.9 million dollars from the export of meat and milk products.
Out of the total revenue, 61.3 million dollars was bagged from the export of goat and sheep meat. Ox meat and meat by-products generated 1.3 million dollars and 2.93 million dollars, respectively. Honey, wax, fish and dairy products brought in 2.6 million dollars.
The lack of quality in supply, shortages of livestock yards, lack of credit provision, illegal livestock trading and electricity cuts have all been blamed for the poor performance, according to Mekonnen Gasu, deputy director-general of the Meat & Dairy Industry Development Institute.
Ministry Takes Transportation Payment Online
The Ministry of Transport has started an internet-based transportation payment service to combat the transmission of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) within the community.
The Ministry officially launched the service on June 19, 2020, with the aim of reducing physical contact created by the high numbers of ticket purchasers.
The new system is expected to play a vital role in leading the sector with technology, preventing the disease from spreading and reducing wait times and expenses for customers, according to Dagmawit Moges, minister of Transport.
“It’ll allow travellers to book tickets with their mobile phones without having to be physically present at the bus stations,” she said.
A team of experts from the Technology & Innovation Institute have developed an online system to process special permits for private vehicles. The Ministry has also recently deployed a team of professionals tasked with ensuring the consistent implementation of health standards across the transport sector of the country.
Nisir Microfinance Donates Thermometers
Nisir Microfinance Institution S.C., which serves close to 7,000 clients in the country, has donated temperature gauging thermometers to the Ministry of Health for its efforts against the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The thermometers, valued at half a million Birr, also have an in-built, hands-free sanitising feature. It also takes pictures of the individuals and can relay Android-based messages.
The State Minister for Health, Dereje Duguma, received the donation in person and noted that the public should heed health precautions since the pandemic is spreading at a faster and wider rate.
Nisir Microfinance, established in 2014, is one of the 40 similar institutions providing credit services and savings solutions to individuals.
EU Responds to COVID-19 with 19b Br
With joined arms, the member states of the European Union have mobilised 19 billion Br to support the fight against the health crisis and the social protection system needs necessitated by the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The support includes money for the Ethiopian health system and quarantine hubs, social protection enhancement, livelihood recovery and overall economic responses.
Team Europe, which is the epicentre of this endeavour, is also contributing 60 million euros to the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) for regional coordination to support border facilities, continuity of health services, efforts to ensure critical supply chains for safe trade and the promotion of digital solutions for health responses to COVID-19.
Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Spain and Sweden have taken part in the mobilisation of resources.
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