Not the Right Time for a New Program: IMF

Nov 13 , 2021


[ssba-buttons]

During a press briefing held last week, representatives of the IMF stated that it would be difficult to kick off any new projects in Ethiopia given the heightened uncertainty in the country and its impact on the macroeconomy. The IMF's Director of Communication Gerry Rice, however, highlighted the Fund is ready to engage when the time is right and will continue to support authorities on an ongoing basis to provide policy advice and technical assistance. Ethiopia's extended credit facility and extended fund facility had expired in September, and government authorities had requested to begin negotiations on a new programme to replace them. "Like everyone else, we're watching the situation in Ethiopia with concern and continue to monitor that," said Rice.


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...