US Agency Elects Ethiopia for Grants

Dec 19 , 2018


The United States government’s Millennium Challenge Corporation, an agency that gives time-limited grants and assistance to developing countries, has chosen Ethiopia as one of the eligible countries. The agency, which works to reduce global poverty, selected Ethiopia for assistance that is designed to spur economic growth during its quarterly meeting on December 12 2018. The board of the Corporation also selected Indonesia, Malawi and Kosovo for bilateral compacts for five-year grant programs, while it selected Ethiopia and the Solomon Islands for MCC threshold programs – the Corporation’s smaller grant program focused on policy and institutional reform. “I am pleased to announce new MCC compact partnerships with Indonesia, Malawi, and Kosovo, and new threshold partnerships with Ethiopia and Solomon Islands,” MCC Chief Operating Officer and Head of Agency Jonathan Nash said. “The Board also directed MCC to explore regional investment opportunities in five of its current compact partners in West Africa.” The Board selected Ethiopia in recognition of the recent reforms made by the Government of Ethiopia, according to the Corporation. Founded in 2004, the Corporation provides support that meets rigorous standards for good governance, from fighting corruption to respecting democratic rights.


Radar

Parliament Nods for Cabinet Appointments

Federal legislators have approved five cabinet-level positions last week with a member of Parliament (MP) voted against and two abstentions were counted. Gedion Timotheos (PhD) leads the charge as the new minister of Foreign Affairs, filling in Taye Asqeselassie's shoes, where he stayed briefly before becoming the country's president. With law degrees from Addis Abeba and Central European universities, Gedion was previously Attorney General and Minister of Justice. Joining him in the redev...


Radar

Abyssinia Group Eyes Expansion with IFC Funding

Abyssinia Group of Industries (AGI), a leading East African steel producer, is poised for significant expansion owing to a proposed investment from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) which is considering a financing package of up to 50 million dollars, including parallel loans in local currency. Headquartered in Kenya, AGI operates two steel plants in Ethiopia, six in Kenya, and has mining activities in Uganda. AGI currently produces 660,000 metric tons of steel annually and employs...


Radar

Fitch Acknowledges Easing Financial Pressures, Enhanced Macroeconomic Stability

Fitch Ratings has upgraded Ethiopia's Long-Term Local-Currency Issuer Default Rating (LTLC IDR) to 'CCC+' from 'CCC-', citing easing financing pressures, improved macroeconomic stability, and increased confidence that local-currency obligations will not be part of the ongoing debt restructuring. This positive development comes as the government implements key reforms and secures renewed concessional external financing. The ratings agency has taken note of the introduction of a market-based ex...


Back
WhatsApp
Telegram
Email