Bale Zone Invests 41m Br in Development 

Various development activities were carried out through a safety net programme at a cost of over 41 million Br in Bale Zone, Oromia Regional State, during the just ended fiscal year, according to the Zone's Food Security, Disaster Prevention, and Preparedness Office. The facilities included road construction and renovation of 1,757km, and sinking water wells and terraces, among others, said Fiseha Shiferaw, the office head. Construction of three primary schools, 62 additional classrooms, and 77 teachers’ residential units were also carried out, and over 196,900 people from 13 weredas participated in the programme, according to Fiseha.

South Gondar, West Hararghe Zones Get New Roads

Road construction of over 28.5 million Br has been carried out in Debre Tabor City, South Gondar Zone, Amhara Regional State, according to the city administration. The construction of 20km gravel, pavement, and cobblestone roads have been completed, Tamyalew Wotet, head of the town’s Trade, Industry, and Promotion Office, said. In West Hararghe Zone, Oromia Regional State, 334km of road construction and maintenance were completed on rural roads at a cost of 9.8 million Br, according to the Zone's Roads Authority. The all weather roads, of which 18km are newly constructed, interlink 19 weredas, said Haqil Ebrahim, head of the authority.

Foreigners Invest 7b Br in Addis, Dire Dawa

Developers have received licences to engage in the real estate and construction sectors with an aggregate capital of 7.3 billion Br in the last fiscal year, the Ethiopian Investment Authority (EIA) said. Out of the developers, 19 have already launched projects in Addis Abeba and Dire Dawa as well as the Oromia and Amhara regional states, Getahun Negash, director of EIA Public Relations and Communications, said. The number of foreign investors engaged in real estate is increasing. Out of 337 projects 328 are owned by foreign investors with an aggregate capital of seven billion Br, according to Getahun. Since 1992, nearly 10,800 projects with a combined capital of 87 billion Br have been licensed, he said.

Investors Pour 96m Br in Western Tigray Zone

Investment projects with an aggregate capital of over 96 million Br went into operation in the just ended fiscal year in Western Tigray Zone, Tigray Regional State, according to the zone's investment office. The projects have 112 investors involved in its execution, Angesom Gebre Meskel, head of the zone's Agro-industry Department, said. The projects, launched on 13,000ht, are in the areas of agricultural development and are to create 15,000 individual job opportunities in the locality, Angesom said.

North Gondar Plans Increased Spice, Oilseed Yield

Farmers are cultivating spices and oilseeds on over 20,000ht in North Gondar Zone, Amhara Regional State, according to the zone's Agriculture and Rural Development Department. Nearly 490,000ql of spices and oilseed are expected to be harvested, the department said. The volume of the harvest is expected to be 129,600ql more than the 400,000ql harvest of last year.

Cattle Earns West Shoa Zone Farmers 151m Br 

More than 48,000 farmers secured over 151 million Br from the sale of fattened animals in West Shoa Zone, Oromia Regional State, during the just ended fiscal year, according to the zone's Animal Resource Development, Health, and Marketing Office. The farmers obtained the stated sum from sales of over 94,400 fattened animals, Nego Lemma, expert at the Fishery Development Office, said. Most farmers obtained up to 13,000 Br each, double that of the preceding year, said Nego.

East Hararghe Adds 165 Health Facilities

In East Hararghe Zone of the Oromia Regional State, about 165 health project facilities, built at a cost of 82 million Br, have begun rendering service, according to the zonal health department. One modern hospital, 12 health centres, and 152 health posts were among the projects that went operational in 22 weredas of the zone in the just ended fiscal year, said Ali Abdulahi, head of the department. The health facilities have the capacity to provide health services to over 1.2 million people, according to Ali. The health projects pushed the zonal health coverage from 93pc to 96pc in the previous year, he said.

Liben’s New Vet. Centres to Boost Coverage to 79pc

In Liben Zone, Somali Regional State, veterinary centres constructed at a cost of six million Br, have become operational, the zonal administration said. The health centres have the capacity to serve over 1.1 million animals, said Abdi Fetah, zonal administration chief. There are over 1.9 million domestic animals in the zone, according to Abdi. The health centres would enable the animal health coverage in the zone to rise from the existing 20pc to 79pc, he said.

Embassy to Inaugurate Chancery, Residence

The Ethiopian Embassy in Khartoum, Sudan is going to inaugurate a complex built with an outlay of over 80 million Br. The Ethiopian Government decided to create an asset in Sudan by constructing a chancery and embassy residence building, according to Ali Abdo, Ethiopia's ambassador to Sudan. The complex will also undergo a facelift.