Ethiopia, World Bank Ink $250m Finance Deal

Jun 20 , 2020


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.


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...