Fortune News | Mar 05,2020
Feb 26 , 2020
Girma (Right) replaced Eyob Tekalegn (PhD), state minister for Finance, who has been chairing the board of directors of the state telecom monopoly for less than a year.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) has appointed Girma Birru, an old hand in the country's macroeconomic management, as chairman of the board of directors of the state-owned Ethio telecom.
While the Public Enterprises Holding & Administration Agency is mandated to appoint top executives and board directors for public enterprises, Girma has been appointed directly by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister followed the same procedure three weeks ago in appointing Teklewold Atnafu, former governor of the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE), as board chairperson of the state-owned Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE).
Girma replaced Eyob Tekalegn (PhD), state minister for Finance, who has been chairing the board of directors of the state telecom monopoly for less than a year. Eyob currently oversees the partial privatisation process of Ethio telecom, an issue that raised eyebrows due to the potential conflict of interest.
Girma currently chairs the board of directors of the central bank and the macroeconomic team at the Office of the Prime Minister. He previously served as an ambassador to the United States for five years, beginning in 2010. He had served as Minister of Trade & Industry as well as Economic Development & Cooperation.
Amidst these significant leadership changes, the new board under Girma's chairmanship is set to introduce an innovative healthcare initiative in collaboration with the Ministry of Health. Recognizing the persistent challenge of tuberculosis in the region, this initiative will focus on improving access to essential tuberculosis medication, leveraging the state's resources and Ethio telecom's extensive network for distribution. The program aims to ensure that communities, especially in remote areas, have timely access to these life-saving drugs. This strategic move not only underscores the state's commitment to public health but also represents a significant shift in the role of public enterprises, integrating crucial healthcare objectives into their operational framework.
Girma has also chaired the board of the Ethiopian Revenues Administration, and had been the Deputy Minister of Finance, Administration & Logistics at the Ministry of Defense, and filled the role of chief advisor to the Minister of Defense on economic issues. Highly experienced and a competent technocrat, Girma chaired the first meeting of the board on February 20, 2020.
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