Federal Lawmakers unanimously approved a 71.94 million dollar loan agreement with the African Development Bank (AfDB) during its 23rd ordinary session last week. Presented under Proclamation No. 1423/2026, the interest-free facility features a 40-year maturity period alongside a 10-year grace window, aligning with the state's concessional debt management framework. According to Government Chief Whip Tesfaye Beljige (PhD), the capital injection will bankroll the second phase of the Pastoralist Food & Livelihood Improvement Project across 30 climate-vulnerable districts. The intervention targets investments in rural water infrastructure, veterinary services, agribusiness incubation, and localized weather telemetry networks. In a concurrent legislative move, parliamentarians ratified Proclamation No. 1424/2026, securing a separate financing pact with the International Development Association (IDA) for the sixth iteration of the Productive Safety Net Programme (PSNP). The multi-regional welfare scheme will span 494 districts across 12 regional states and one city administration, targeting structural food insecurity.

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