SMART FASHION


SMART FASHION

Fashion meets technology at a catwalk show at the Hyatt Regency with Tecno Mobile and Mafi Design partnering up. While the fashion industry has room for improvement, handmade traditional textile is a common pastime of Ethiopians. Textile has also been a staple of Ethiopian exports accounting for up to 90pc of output from industrial parks until the country was kicked out of the African Growth & Opportunity Act (AGOA) which entails duty-free access to the US market. It is set to expire in 2025, with producers having to look for other markets. Ethiopian exports have fallen by double digits this year as the international price of coffee plummets by up to 35pc through the year.  


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Horn Initiative Boosts Regional Development Agenda

A total of 20 projects worth three billion dollars are currently being implemented in Ethiopia under the Horn of Africa Initiative, which held a performance review platform last week. This initiative, established in 2019, seeks to economically integrate Horn of Africa countries through development projects. Finance Minister Ahmed Shide accentuated the initiative's goals of enhancing infrastructure connectivity, strengthening trade and economic integration, building resilience to natural and man...


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Budget Woes Plague Region

The Amhara Regional State's six-month performance review revealed substantial budget shortfalls, achieving only 28.27pc of its targeted revenue. Chief Administrator Arega Kebede reported to the regional council that of the planned 71.65 billion Br for the current fiscal year, only 20.26 billion Br was collected. Despite this, revenue did see a year-on-year increase of four billion Birr. The regional state's tax-to-GDP ratio stands at a low 2.82pc, far below the national average of 7.05pc. Arega...


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Modern Farming Boosted with New Centre of Excellence

The Agricultural Mechanization Centre of Excellence, built in the Qaliti area with collaboration from South Korea was inaugurated last week. The centre was constructed in seven months at a project cost of 14.7 million dollars funded by the South Korean government. It is expected to serve as a hub for inspecting, controlling, researching, and repairing agricultural mechanization machinery while also providing vocational training to develop skilled personnel in the field. Minister of Agricultur...