AfDB Backs Dashen Bank with $40m for Trade Finance


Executives of Dashen Bank have secured a 40 million dollar transaction guarantee facility from the African Development Bank Group (AfDB). The funding is expected to boost import and export trade for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) and local corporations and contribute to the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) by promoting intra-Africa trade. Asfaw Alemu, CEO of Dashen Bank, praised the value of supporting SMEs in sectors such as agriculture and manufacturing. He said the partnership with AfDB is a substantial step in their effort to become an industry leader. "This is instrumental in expanding our trade services regionally," he said. Dashen is one of the leading commercial banks in the country. The AfDB will provide a full guarantee to confirming banks for non-payment risks arising from Letters of Credit and similar trade finance instruments issued by Dashen Bank. According to Nnenna Nwabufo, AfDB Director General for East Africa, trade finance is crucial for economic growth and cross-border trade, especially in emerging markets. "We are thrilled to partner with a leading institution with deep knowledge of the Ethiopian market," she said


Radar

Yirgalem Hospital Inaugurates New Oxygen Production Plant

A new oxygen production plant has been inaugurated at Yirgalem Hospital Medical College in Sidama Regional State. The launch was attended by the regional state's chief administrator Desta Ledamo and Health Minister Mekdes Daba (PhD). Desta noted that a new kidney dialysis centre will soon be opened as well. Mekdes stated that the Ministry is working to increase the number of oxygen production facilities from the current 10 to 34 nationwide. The Yirgalem plant cost 86 million Br to build and h...


Radar

Corridor Develops with Parking, Recklessness Concerns, Research Finds

Research involving 400 respondents across four first-round corridor development routes revealed major challenges to the initiative. The study, conducted by Shaka Analytics and ETC Institute in collaboration with the Addis Abeba City Transport Bureau, examined the impact of the program on transportation patterns, transit accessibility, and parking availability. The routes—Arat Kilo to Bole Deldey, Embassy of England to Arat Kilo, Mexico roundabout to Wello Sefer, and Piassa to Arat Kilo—we...


Radar

Digitalisation Spreads to the Court System

Ethio telecom and the Amhara Regional State Supreme Court have agreed to implement a Smart Court project in Bahir Dar to modernize court operations using digital technology. This agreement includes building a modern network infrastructure, implementing cloud services, creating a modular data centre, establishing a network operations control centre, and connecting the region's courts with a secure digital network. The project is designed to facilitate secure digital information exchange betwee...