Agricultural Agency Receives Glowing Report

Dec 12 , 2020


[ssba-buttons]

The Food & Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), which has conducted an independent evaluation of the Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA), stated that the latter played a role in raising the GDP of Ethiopia by an average of 0.3pc annually. The ATA had engaged the FAO to conduct an independent evaluation of the Agency's impact on the country in terms of projects completed and its role in agricultural transformation and poverty reduction. In the decade between its inception and the time that the evaluation was conducted earlier this year, ATA was largely cost-effective and registered returns roughly 10 times its expenditures, which amount to around 140 million dollars, according to Maximo Torero Cullen, Chief Economist and Assistant Director-General of the FAO. The Agency, which has its headquarters in Addis Abeba and branch offices in Amhara, Tigray, Oromia and Southern Nations Nationalities & Peoples' regional states, employs close to 400 people. The ATA is partially funded by nonprofit organisations including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA).


Radar

Milkii App Disburses 25 Million Br in Collateral-Free Loans in Two Months

Oromia Bank's new collateral-free digital lending app, Milkii, has disbursed 25 million Br in loans without requiring collateral. Of this, 16 million Br has already been repaid, generating 1.4 million Br in revenue within just two months. Developed in partnership with Quantum Technology PLC, the app plans to make lending more accessible and inclusive, aligning with Oromia Bank's contribution to the Digital Ethiopia initiative. According to a press release, Milkii promotes financial inclusi...


Radar

Ethiopia Partners with UK to Ease Shipping Bottlenecks

The Ethiopian Freight Forwarders & Shipping Agents Association (EFFSAA) and the British International Freight Association (BIFA) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on May 27, 2025, at Hilton Hotel Addis Abeba, to address skills gaps, customs delays, and corridor inefficiencies in the freight and logistics sector. The partnership focuses on technical cooperation, training, and regulatory reform. With over 90pc of trade dependent on the Djibouti corridor, rising congestion, customs...


Radar

Education Authority Sanctions Mishqen College for Rule Violations

The Education & Training Authority has issued a decisive directive last week, mandating legal action against Mishqen College for persistently defying regulatory orders and unlawfully continuing to offer higher education services. Mishqen College had previously been licensed to conduct undergraduate distance learning programs across multiple regions from 2019 to 2022. However, after serious regulatory breaches, the institution was ordered to cease all instruction, complete pending academic...