EU Grants €1.2m to Ease of Doing Business Programme

Dec 5 , 2020


[ssba-buttons]

The Ministry of Innovation & Technology and the European Commission signed an agreement early last week for a grant of 1.2 million euros to be put toward the Ease of Doing Business Programme as part of the government's continued efforts at digital reform. The Programme mainly focuses on supporting government institutions in the developing of online transactional portals. The grant will be used to incorporate Bahir Dar and Dire Dawa cities into the national business portal. "We aim to contribute to the creation of a conducive business environment and investment climate in Ethiopia," said Sanne Willems, team leader for economy and infrastructure, on behalf of the Commission. The Ease of Doing Business Programme was launched in late 2018 and involves eight institutions working under the Office of the Prime Minister.


Radar

US Renews National Emergency, Sanctions on Ethiopia

The United States has extended the national emergency and sanctions on Ethiopia for another year under the African Growth & Opportunity Act (AGOA). Signed by President Donald J. Trump, the measure was first declared on September 17, 2021, through an executive order citing the conflict in northern region of the country as an "unusual and extraordinary" threat to U.S. national security and foreign policy. The extension, effective until September 17, 2026, keeps in place restrictions targeti...


Radar

Rockefeller Pitches Clean Cooking to Curb School Meal Emissions

A recent study has revealed the staggering environmental toll of school feeding programs. A single school serving 400 students can burn through the equivalent of 56 hectares of forest each year to fuel cooking. The Rockefeller Foundation flagged the health risks too, with most cooks, predominantly women, breathing smoke levels ten times higher than the World Health Organisation's safe limit. "If every school meal transitioned to clean cooking with electricity and solar, the emissions saved wo...


Radar

Sun-Powered Grid Brings Light to Qunbi District

A new 600KW solar mini-grid in East Hararge'sQunbi district has connected 2,200 households to electricity, marking a milestone in the recent rural electrification push. Ethiopian Electric Utility (EEU) laid seven kilometres of medium-voltage and 10 kilometres of low-voltage lines, installing four transformers to reach communities long cut off from power. Customers cover only meter and installation costs before accessing the service. The project is part of the national strategy to expand energ...