A dilapidated road crossing on Bole Road sticks out from the properly kept-up street in the area. A 15 billion Br slash to the capital budget in the year has raised concerns from residents in areas who have had protracted road projects through the years. The federal government's decision to focus on debt servicing and cut back on the start of new projects is most sharply felt by residents of war-stricken areas in Ethiopia's north. While a gradual shift towards austerity would have been preferred by the citizenry, conflicts, drought and debt burdens, both domestic and foreign, have required a peculiar fiscal discipline.

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