Dino Sinigallia (standing), head of the European Union Delegation to Ethiopia, gave details of the last grant signing agreement, worth 12.9 million dollars. The grant was given by the European Commission from the Ninth European Development Fund on July 20, 2010, at the European Union Delegation to Ethiopia Office and was accepted by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development (MoFED). It was signed by the head of the EU Delegation to Ethiopia and Belachew Beyene (seated on the left), deputy national authorising officer at the MoFED. Kiflemariam Gebrewold (seated in the centre), adviser to the executive director of the Consortium of Christian Relief and Development Associations (CCRDA), and Thomas Tiedemann, programme manager of the Civil Society Fund Technical Assistant Unit were present on stage.

M-NET unveiled a hot new season of “Big Brother All-stars” on July 18, 2010, at an event held at the Hilton Addis. This season’s “Big Brother All-stars” will see 14 housemates from 14 African countries competing for 91 days, 24 hours a day, and seven days a week. Representing Ethiopia is Yakobe Abyselom. The housemates will have to spend the months with low tech accessories such as TVs and mobile phones, and without enough food. The one who receives the least votes from the audience, polled every Sunday, will be forced to leave the house, the rules stipulate. This reality show has already run for four seasons, each 91 days long, where there was no escaping big brother who was always watching as the cameras recorded every action, reaction, and conversation. Still, one lucky winner is to go away with a prize of 200,000 dollars, they announced. DStv has secured the rights of broadcasting this reality show to its audiences.

Mama Fresh Injera Plc held a tasting ceremony, for its new food products on July 17, 2010, in the company’s compound. Hailu Tesema (left), general manager of Mama Fresh Injera, and Konjit Debela, vice director of the Addis Abeba City Administration Small and Micro Enterprise Development, helped themselves to the buffet. The table displayed an impressive array of traditional as well as western fare ranging from mini burgers and baked goodies to wot, kitfo, and other Ethiopian cuisine favourites. Mama Fresh Injera is to begin a catering service for weddings, birthdays, and other events as well as a delivery service, they announced. In addition to this, the company is ready to introduce a line of dried food and condensed food products such as spicy stews, they said. The company is also planning to put traditional drinks like tej and tella on the market, according to their announcement.

The African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) Technical Centre for Agriculture and Rural Cooperation (abbreviated CTA from the Dutch) declared Michael Hailu as its new director. Michael, a member of the Senior Leadership Team of the World Agro Forestry Centre based in Nairobi, Kenya, joined CTA, at the end of May 2010, where he had been working as Director of Communications.

CTA, set up in 1984 and headquartered in the Netherlands, operates under the Cotonou Agreement. Its main aim is the improvement of the flow of information among stakeholders in agriculture and rural development in ACP countries.

The new director was born in Ethiopia and studied information sciences and economics at Addis Abeba University and the University of Pittsburgh in the United States. He has also organised workshops and events to promote awareness about forestry and agro forestry topics. He played a key role in organising a Forest Day event during the 2007 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali, Indonesia.

The Ethiopian Environment Journalists Association (EEJA) held a briefing session for journalists on bio-technological issues in Ethiopia, including genetically modified organisms (GMO) on July 20, 2010 at Dembel City Centre.

Ethiopia, being one of the food aid recipient countries in the world, needs to take a closer look at the issue of bio-technology, particularly GMO, was a focal point of the briefing. During the briefing, bio-technology scientists Peter Gregory, from Cornell University in the US, and Tilahun Zeweldu (PhD) from Uganda, Kampala, spoke on the issue.

“The mechanisms and capacity of bio-technology should be developed,” said Tilahun.

EEJA is a journalist membership organisation that was established to increase the quality and quantity of environmental reporting in Ethiopia. It also aims to increase the capacity of journalists on environmental and developmental issues. The association has organised various awareness raising workshops and seminars to stimulate informed debate and dialogue to ensure sustainable development in the country.

MIDROC Ethiopia Technology Group saw 16 companies celebrating their 10th anniversary with family and customers on Sunday, July 25, 2010, at Millennium Hall.

The companies are incorporated under MIDROC Ethiopia, Office of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Higher officials from MIDROC Ethiopia, governmental and non-governmental organizations attended the celebration. The companies celebrated family and employers' day on Saturday, July 24, with sporting activities at Mechare Meda.

MIDROC Ethiopia is a private investment group with 41 companies that are engaged in multifaceted business sectors across the country. Each one of the MIDROC Ethiopia companies is legally established and autonomous. Sixteen of these companies are organised under the MIDROC Ethiopia Technology Group.

MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group is a member of MIDROC Ethiopia, which is owned by the prominent global businessman, Mohammed Hussein Ali Al-Amoudi. The companies operate in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and the United States of America.

The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MoTI) is planning to begin implementation of the Commercial Registration and Trade Licensing Proclamation on September 11, 2010. This was announced during a workshop with stakeholders including the Ministry of Education (MoE), Addis Abeba Transport Authority (AATA), Ethiopian Revenues and Customs Authority (ERCA), and regional officials of the MoTI, on July 22, 2010.

Stakeholders are expected to come up with their own version of a list of qualifications for those who apply for trade licences in various sectors by August 26, 2010, said Ahmed Tusa, state minister of the MoTI. Training will be given throughout the regions before the implementation of the proclamation, he said.

The MoTI’s administration of commercial registration can be mandated to its regional bureaus as well as to the Ethiopian Investment Agency (EIA), said Nuredin Mohammed director of the Trade Registration and Licensing Directorate at the MoTI, citing the newly incorporated provisions of the proclamation.

The law also requires any person who desires to engage in commercial activity to register their trade name in the commercial register. The application of this proclamation will enhance the traceability and circulation of quality goods and services in the market, he said.

Ethiopians are to participate in President Barack Obama’s forum with young African leaders, to be held from August 3 to 5, 2010 in Washington DC of the United States (US).

The civil society and the private sector saw 120 young participants representing more than 40 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, are to meet with their American counterparts and US government officials.

The young Ethiopians, chosen by the US Mission, to participate in the forum are: Mahlet Eyassu, Meron Getnet, Salsawit Tsega, and Yohannes Mezgebe. The participants’ expenses are to be covered by the US government.

The forum is to deepen and broaden the trajectories of African societies and to reflect on how the new generation is building the futures of their communities and nations, just as their predecessors did in the era of independence from colonial rule.

In addition to a town hall meeting with the president, a small group discussion on topics of transparency and accountability, job creation and entrepreneurship, rights advocacy, and the use of technology to empower individuals and communities will be held, Obama said in his speech in Accra, Ghana, in July, 2009.

The future of Africa is up to Africans, said the president. The US government's role in this gathering is as a convener, encouraging networks between young American and African leaders, and pursuing lasting partnership on behalf of our common security and prosperity. The dialogue and follow-up events in Africa will help the US government better assess how to support Africa's own aspirations to move forward, he said. 

A five year report was presented to Parliament by Tesfaye Atre, vice director of the Plan and Programme Directorate, and Bezabih Gebreyes, the National Civil Reform programme director of the Ministry of Capacity Building (MoCB) on July 14, 2010. The report covered projects that are still underway at the ministry.

Additional funding in the form of a 50 million Br loan was given by the World Bank for the next three years of the Public Sector Capacity Building Programme Support Project (PSCBPSP). The PSCBPSP has included six main projects since 2004/05 at federal and regional levels. The projects are the Civil Service Reform Subprogramme (CSRP), Urban Management Capacity Building Subprogramme (UMCBP), Justice System Reform Programme (JSRP), Information Communications Technology Subprogramme, Tax System Reform Subprogramme (TSRP), and District Level Decentralisation Subprogramme.

Some of the changes made involve reforming the justice system, putting laws into practice, and reforming the current taxpaying system to increase revenues.

The Japanese Government donated an additional 144 million Br on June 25, 2010, for equipment supply, operation, and maintenance of the Goha Tsion - Dejen Road, which crosses the Abay (Blue Nile) Gorge.

The grant agreement was signed by Kinichi Komano, ambassador extraordinaire and plenipotentiary of Japan to Ethiopia, and Ahmed Shide, state minister for Finance and Economic Development (MoFED). The trunk road from Addis Abeba to Dejen, which underwent reconstruction beginning in 1995, is already completed and in use. But the segment through the gorge has been damaged due to landslides.

This trunk road connects mainly the food crop areas of the country’s west, northwest, and some parts of its northeast.

Since 1998, Japan has provided grants totalling 2.2 billion dollars for the rehabilitation of 223km of road from Addis Abeba to Goha Tsion and from Goha Tsion to Dejen.

Population Media Centre will be celebrating its 10 years of establishment in Ethiopia with an exhibition to display its decade long effort. This international company will also inaugurate a book titled “Mulu Sew,” meaning “Whole Person,” which is a collection of young authors’ works, on July 4, 2010, at the Hilton Hotel.

Population Media Centre works worldwide using entertainment as an educational tool to effect social change. It broadcasts its educational messages through the medium, Amharic Radio Program. The programme titled, “Alegnta” meaning “Someone to Rely On,” features research based audio dramas, to reach the public at large.

The centre promotes family planning, reproductive health, and women’s status, with the ultimate goal of stabilising population growth, managing the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and decreasing Harmful Traditional Practices especially Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), according to its website. It is well known for its Afar and Somali language radio programmes on FGM. 

Population Media Centre was founded in 1998 by William Ryerson, with the intention of using the extensive experience of experts in entertainment-education to spread the application of the Sabido Methodology in addressing population and reproductive health issues. This methodology designs and produces drama series for radio and television to win over audiences while imparting pro-social values, according to the website.

The state owned Weyra Transport SC replaced its old and outdated vehicles and trailers with 50 new ones that have the capacity to handle 45,000 litres of liquid goods each. A ceremony was held on June 21, 2010 for the presentation of the new vehicles.

The vehicles, imported from China, cost the company 75 million Br. Seventy per cent of the financing was covered by a loan from the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE). The trailers were assembled by Mesfin Industrial Engineering.

The trucks will be assigned to transport oil for Total and OiLibya.

Weyra’s market share has grown from four per cent to seven per cent because of the new trucks, according to Mesfin Tefera, managing director of the company.

Beyene Gebre Meskel, director of the Privatisation and Public Enterprises Supervising Agency (PPESA); board members; and other officials were present at the inauguration of the vehicles.  

The designated project includes the establishment of surgical device management and provision of phachoemulsification services. On the job training for local staff will also be part and parcel of the project. The project, which will be implemented through the mutual consultation of KOICA and the hospital, is expected to be completed in one year and benefit more than one thousand people per year.

The Revenue and Customs Authority under the Addis Abeba City Administration’s Economic and Finance Bureau managed to collect exactly half of the 5.4 billion Br it targeted for the whole 2009/10, fiscal year during the last seven months.

The 2.7 billion Br revenue collected from tax and non-tax income, including land lease fees, has shown a 49pc increase from what the authority achieved during the same time last year, according to Belay Tafesse, director general of the authority.

Its business process reengineering (BPR), efficient information gathering (collecting finger prints and cash register machines), and law enforcement contributed to achieving the amount gathered.

“But this is not that much satisfactory, considering the potential,” Belay said, also indicating that the rising number of illegal trades in the city has contributed negatively to the number.

The Addis Abeba Water and Sewerage Authority (AAWSA) made a feasibility study of the master plan for waste disposal in the city.

The plan to dispose of waste through pipelines has been presented to stakeholders prior to the commencement of construction.

AAWSA currently deploys trucks and pipelines for sewerage disposal. However, the authority plans to upgrade the city’s disposal by an additional 800 pipelines.

The design for the eastern sewerage system’s master plan, which has been finalised will benefit residents around Kotebe, Yeka, Bole and CMC areas and will upgrade capacity by over 40pc, according to a press release by the Addis Abeba City Government Communications Affairs.

The master plan for the eastern sewerage system has been finalised and construction will begin in the next fiscal year as soon as the budget has been secured, according to Getnet Gessese, communication affair work process leader at the authority. 

The implementation is expected to benefit some 840,000 residents.

The Addis Abeba Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Association held an award ceremony at the Hilton Hotel on March 3, 2010, occasioning the closing of the 14th Addis Chamber International Trade Fair.

The first award for Best Stand was given to Al-Sam Plc, Commercial Bank of Ethiopia, Lucky Exports, Italian Trade Commission, MIDROC Technology Group, SNS Household and Office Furniture, Techtra Engineering, Petram Plc, MCO of the Federal Republic of Germany, Holland Car Plc and Q Diagnostics Plc. The second award for Special Partnership was given to GTZ-AMES-E.

The last award for sponsorship was given to Al-Sam Plc, the Development Bank of Ethiopia, Equatorial Business Group, Ethiopian Airlines, Omicron Engineering Plc, Sonic Screen Advertising, I-Print Advertising, Ethiopian Telecommunications Corporation and United Insurance SC.

The trade fair that took place at the Addis Abeba Exhibition Centre from February 25 to March 3, 2010 brought together more than 118 local business companies and 108 foreign companies from 23 countries 

The inauguration of the new Ethiopian Institute for Agriculture, Building Construction and City Development (EIABC) was held yesterday, March 6, 2010, at Addis Abeba University (AAU) South Campus.

Demeke Mekonnen minister of Education, Junedin Sado minister of Science and Technology, Andreas Esheté (Prof) president of AAU and Dirk Hebel, Scientific Director of EIABC attended the inaugural ceremony and presented speeches on the significance of the institute.

The EIABC is one of the eight new semiautonomous institutes of technology being introduced in the country at various universities and is part of the overall university reform being conducted by the Engineering Capacity Building Programme (ECBP) and the Ministry of Education.

The university reform component is focused on the restructuring of governance and study programmes as well as technology transfers, standards, and benchmarks.

The ECA hosted the Civil Society Assembly for Assessing Development Challenges in African Least Developed Countries (LDCs) on March 4 and 5, 2010.

The assembly reviewed the Brussels Programme of Action (BPoA) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)

The Brussels Programme reviewed the last 10 year plan since coming to a close and proposed action plans for the coming 10 years.

There are 33 LDCs from Africa including Ethiopia. Cape Verde recently got off of the list of LDCs.

The action plan is to enable the LDCs to reach at least seven per cent of commodity driven growth. The LDCs economic growth is dropping because they are only engaged in exporting primary commodities.

Their exports face structural difficulties since there is no diversified exports, according to Adrian Gauci, economic affairs officer at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)

In light of these problems, the proposed growth rate may not be possible for the coming two years. The inadequate infrastructure, small economy, less skilled human power is to blame for slow growth rate.

The new package of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), concessional facilities, to support low-income countries, became effective as of January 7, 2010.

This far-reaching reform more than doubles lending resources, provides exceptional interest relief, and offers new lending instruments that are more flexible and responsive to individual country needs, according to an IMF press release.

Key elements of the reform include three new lending instruments, interest relief, and permanently higher concessionality.

The Extended Credit Facility will provide flexible medium-term support; the Standby Credit Facility will address short-term and precautionary needs; and the Rapid Credit facility will offer emergency support with limited conditionality.

The Fund has also relieved developing countries from paying interest on outstanding IMF concessional loans until the end of 2011 to help low-income countries cope with the global crisis. Permanently higher concessionality of Fund financial support refers to regularly reviewed annual interest rates so as to preserve a higher level of concessionality.