LIBERAL LEAN


LIBERAL LEAN

An infrastructure pole around Bole is being moved on a busy afternoon. The first telephone infrastructure was extended from Harar to the capital city in 1894, during the reign of Emperor Menelik II. The state-owned Ethiopian Telecom has made significant headway since its reestablishment six years ago by cutting tariffs, expanding coverage, and entering new business avenues. The 130-year-old enterprise will avail a 10pc ownership stake as Ethiopia launches its inaugural stock exchange next year. It had revenues of 42.9 billion Br in the first half of the current year. The telecom operator which had a monopoly on telecom services for all but the last two years is the first of at least four SOEs poised to open themselves up to private ownership.


In-Picture

QUEUE DYNAMICS

A long line of people standing in an orderly queue extends in a Qera taxi terminal that serves locations including Stadium, Qality, Wello Sefer, and Jemo. The lines are primarily for privately-owned minibuses that ply various routes across the city. The taxi terminal was recently built on the premise of the corridor development initiative, bringing together disjointed terminals around the area to a central location. Though transit facilities have greatly improved, the same cannot be said for lon...


In-Picture

WALKING TRADITION

Two men walk alongside Niger St carrying traditional items. While one is grasping a large clay jug balanced on his head, another is holding a traditional stone grinder. Some believe that storing water in clay pots can improve its mineral content and taste. Traditional stone grinders, on the other hand, are believed to enhance the flavor of spices and grains...


In-Picture

SINO SANDWICH

A multiple-vehicle traffic accident around “Temenja Yazh,” on A1 St, formerly Debre Zeit St, damages railway infrastructure alongside two cars and two dump trucks. Officially named the China National Heavy Duty Truck Group Co., Ltd. (CNHTC), the ubiquitous red trucks are commonly known as Sinotruk. Headquartered in Shandong province, the major Chinese state-owned truck manufacturer produced its first heavy-duty truck in 1960. While Sinotruk trucks are widely used in Ethiopia and generall...