Ethiopian Airlines Powers Self with New Plant


Ethiopian Airlines Powers Self with New Plant

Ethiopian Airlines inaugurated its nine million dollars worth of electrical power plant near the Bole Airport terminal last week; five years after its inception. Two transformers of 40MW each are set to prevent any power outages at the terminal and improve service standards, with one serving as a backup, according to the CEO of the Airlines Group, Mesfin Tassew. He explained that sharing power with residents in the area had become a source of frustration for customers despite extending two additional lines alternating from the Kotebe and Qaliti areas. "Both would occasionally experience outages simultaneously," said Mesfin. The national carrier's aircraft maintenance, customer control, cargo service and food supply were affected by the constant power outages, with the new power plant set to prevent any possible outage as one of the transformers provides sufficient power. The new electrical infrastructure was constructed by Ccc (Shanghai) Electric Complete Engineering and General Electric (GE) Grid Solutions with additional support provided by Ethiopian Electric Utility, Ethiopian Electric Power and Bole District. Additional payments of 60 million Br were given as compensation to farmers in the area while 40 million Br was paid out to the Bole district.

[ssba-buttons]

Radar

Somali Region Advances Budget Independence as Revenues Rise

Somali Regional State is moving closer to fiscal independence, with nearly half its budget now funded locally. Officials point to rising agricultural output and stronger tax enforcement as key drivers behind growing revenues. The region plans to cover 32.5 billion Br from its own resources in the upcoming fiscal year. Communication Head Mohammed Abdi credited last year's tax collection of 18 billion Br, exceeding the 17 billion Br target, to agriculture, khat, and other taxable goods. The reg...


Radar

Environmental Protection Authority Shuts Down Polluters

Addis Abeba's Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has taken enforcement action against 3,249 manufacturers and service providers found violating environmental standards in the 2024/25 fiscal year. The violations, ranging from air and noise pollution to improper waste disposal, were identified during inspections of 14,872 businesses citywide. Penalties included warnings and closures, with shutdown orders issued to six plastic factories, 23 block factories, a soft paper plant, 102 nightclu...


Radar

Ministry Mandates Full Electronic Clearance for Top Taxpayers

Taxpayers under the Ministry of Revenues' Medium No. 1 branch will have to ditch paper filings and switch entirely to the e-Clearance system for non-audited services starting August 1, 2025. The mandate, routed through the Ministry's e-filing portal, is pitched as part of a broader push to modernise tax administration and advance the government's digital agenda. Officials say the platform lets users process clearance requests remotely via the Fayda national ID, cutting out manual paperwork. A...