Ethiopia Refutes Egypt’s Water Filling Proposal

Sep 21 , 2019


Ethiopia rejected Egypt’s proposal for the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) that suggested that the country should release 40 billion cubic metres of water every year, while the Aswan Dam will only release water when its volume reaches 165m above sea level. Egypt also asked that the Dam be refilled every seven years. Ethiopia rejected the proposal, stating that it contradicts the Nile Dam Declaration, and it creates unnecessary bindings and obligations for Ethiopia. Ethiopia also indicated that it could only release 29-35 billion cubic metres of water a year. Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan resumed the dam talks last year for three consecutive days.  Egypt had come up with a plan to facilitate the increment in the water content of the Nile Dam. There will be a technical negotiation between the countries that will be held in Sudan starting from October 3, 2019, about the refilling and release of the water and its impact on other countries where the Nile extends. The water ministers of each state will have further discussions on the points that will be approved.


Radar

HEFTY GREEN

Street vendors around the Shola area take a rest in the shades of the capital's newly planted trees. Upon reporting on its 10-month performance before Parliament, the Agriculture Minister, Girma Amentie indicated that up to 43pc of the arable land in the country has been rendered acidic. This requires large amounts of limestone to be imported from abroad; the tight forex crunch has not allowed the Ministry of Finance to fund the endeavour easily. Following the rallying call of the Prime Minister...


Radar

DAMP DENIMS

Residents of communal houses around the Weji area hang their clothes on the fences outside. Textile manufacturing accounts for 87pc of Ethiopia's products from industrial parks. Expulsion from the African Growth & Opportunity Act (AGOA) due to the war in the North resulted in Ethiopia being expelled from the preferential trade act. Most companies choosing to rent sheds within the industrial parks do so out of a desire to access the duty-free privileges provided for African countries. Ethiopi...


Radar

PRICY PLEASURES

Vendors put traditional beauty products from the Somali Regional State for sale around Mexico area. In November of last year, the Ministry of Finance banned imported goods under 38 categories, including cosmetics, packed foods, and furniture, from accessing letters of credit. The move resulted in the tripling of costs for cosmetic items like lipstick and nail polish. As Ethiopia ran a 14 billion dollar merchandise trade deficit last year due to import bills hiking by 26pc , a tight clampdown on...