University Autonomy Proclamation Endorsed by Parliament

May 27 , 2023


The autonomy of universities which was a hot topic amongst Parliamentarians for months was ratified with only four opposing votes and 13 abstentions last week. With Addis Abeba University leading the way, all eight universities will be accountable for securing their own funding, with minimal financial assistance from the federal government. Students who can afford to finance their own education will be subjected to tuition fees. The Minister of Education, Birahanu Nega (Prof), highlighted the flimsy budgetary structure universities have been operating under for the past three decades, citing a meagre budget of 22 Br per student. He indicated that government will prioritise quality over quantity in the future. The Ministry of Education is expected to issue directives to regulate the implementation of the proclamation due to the dismal results of this year's university entry exams, with a 97pc failure rate. This has highlighted the insufficiency of qualified teachers and educational institutions.


Radar

Coffee Exports Bring in 1.5B Br in Third Quarter

Ethiopia has earned 1.5 billion dollars from coffee exports over the nine months of the fiscal year. The country had set a target to earn a little over a billion dollars by exporting 201,959tns of coffee during the same period. According to Adugna Debella (PhD), director general of the Ethiopian Coffee & Tea Authority, the export strategy continues to focus on major international markets, with the top 10 destinations, including Saudi Arabia, Germany, and the United States (SU), accounting...


Radar

Central Bank Holds Fourth Exchange Auction

The National Bank of Ethiopia(NBE) sold one dollar for 131.4961 birr in its recent auction. It was reported that 26 banks participated in this auction, which took place last week on Thursday. In a statement issued by the National Bank  following the auction, it was indicated that 70 million dollars was offered for the event. Subsequently, it was reported that 96 pc of the foreign exchange needs of the participating banks were met. In the previous auction, held 15 days ago, the bank had of...


Radar

City Registers 64,075 Births in Fiscal Year

The city has exceeded its birth registration target for the first nine months of the fiscal year, registering 64,075 children—71.15pc more than the set goal of 58,342. This success, with a registration coverage rate of 109.63pc, is largely attributed to the efficiency of the one-centre birth registration service system, which has been rolled out across health centres and courts. The total number of vital events registered, including births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths, reache...