Ethiopian Embassy Newsletter Issue 32

Transcription

Issue #32
Fortnightly Newsletter
April, 2016
Updates From the Embassy in Canberra
In This Issue
Feature Topics
Dr. Tedros Confers with Australia’s Special Envoy for Human Rights
Ministry electrifies over 200 villages
Oromia announces 2.4 billion birr worth project to create jobs
Chinese conglomerate to invest $350mn to set up textile plant in Ethiopia
School feeding program benefiting 1.2 million students in affected areas
3 Sirius Place, Red Hill, ACT 2603, Tel: +61-262-959-984, Fax: +61-262-608-894
E: [email protected] W: www.ethiopianembassy.net
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News from the Embassy
Issue #32
Contents
Dr. Tedros Confers with Australia’s Special Envoy for Human Rights.........................................2
Ethiopia sees rapid economic growth despite challenges: State Minister .................................2
Ethiopia, Ghana sign agreement to cooperate in peacekeeping, conflict prevention ...........3
Sudanese journalists on visit to Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam ............................................4
KEFI expects Ethiopia financing deal by June ..........................................................................................4
Ministry electrifies over 200 villages ...........................................................................................................5
Ethiopia, Oman sign 3 agreements ................................................................................................................6
Ethiopian car industry races ahead ..............................................................................................................7
Authority to begin online tax payment system .......................................................................................7
Corporation printing cards to begin electronic ticketing ...................................................................8
Oromia announces 2.4 billion birr worth project to create jobs ....................................................8
Ethiopia prepares proclamation to regulate cyber crimes ................................................................9
Chinese conglomerate to invest $350mn to set up textile plant in Ethiopia ............................9
Germany Pledges to Continue Providing Assistance in Education, Sustainable Energy .. 10
School feeding program benefiting 1.2 million students in affected areas ............................. 11
Ethiopian education and research network inaugurated ............................................................... 11
EU announces €122.5 million in humanitarian aid for Ethiopia ................................................. 12
Water supply underway in drought hit areas with 1.5 billion birr ............................................ 13
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Issue #32
Dr.
Tedros
Confers
with
Australia’s Special Envoy for
Human Rights
Ethiopia sees rapid economic
growth despite challenges: State
Minister
Source: www.mfa.gov.et
Source: www.ebc.et
Foreign Minister Dr. Tedros Adhanom on
his meeting with Australia’s Special Envoy
for Human Rights, H.E Phillip Ruddock
today (April 13) said, “Ethiopia needs a
consistent engagement with you.”
The Special Envoy who had already
forwarded his request for Ethiopia’s
support on Australia’s candidacy for
election to the UN Human Rights Council
to the State Minister replied, “We, in
Australia, are very conscious about the
importance of building a well studied and
sustainable relation with Ethiopia and the
continent in general.”
Mr. Phillip said, “your continent is about
to find its time. We have witnessed
significant advancements and Ethiopia
could be a very good example for that.”
The two sides also dealt at length on
regional peace and security issues giving a
particular emphasis on terrorism. The
Special Envoy hailed Ethiopia for its key
role in the region’s peace and stability.
Ethiopia is expected to register doubledigit growth despite a drought and global
economic impact, said Ahmed Shide,
Ethiopian State Minister of Finance and
Economic Cooperation.
He stated that the second growth and
transformation plan (GTP II), which
Ethiopia has already embarked upon its
implementation, has set for sustaining the
growth and further transforming the
structure of the economy.
"Ethiopia is still sustaining rapid economic
growth. For the last 12 years, the
economy has been growing in double-digit
fashion," said the minister.
"This year, we also expect a similar growth
even though there might be a little impact
from the drought situation as well as from
the world economic situations," he said.
The state minister stressed that Ethiopia
will keep the "momentum of growth" as
"smallholder
agriculture
sector
is
contributing significantly to our growth."
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The government is investing massively on
public infrastructure for job creation and
service delivery expansion, and industry is
also starting to grow, he said.
"Therefore, as a result of all those
dimensions of development, we expect
similar rapid economic growth," noted the
state minister.
Ethiopia, Ghana sign agreement
to cooperate in peacekeeping,
conflict prevention
Source: www.fanabc.com
Issue #32
Speaking at the signing ceremony, PM
Hailemariam Desalegn recalled the
general cooperative agreement the two
counties signed two years ago to
cooperate in a wide range of economic,
political, and social issues, including in
culture and tourism, communication,
information and media.
According to the Premier, today’s
cooperative agreement was signed based
on the accord the two countries
concluded two years ago.
The Premier said terrorism as well as lack
of peace and stability are becoming the
main threat in the continent and globally.
Terrorist activities and instability in South
Sudan, Somalia, Central Africa Republic,
Burundi and Libya have become the main
challenges in the Continent, he said.
Ethiopia and Ghana have been fulfilling
their leading roles to address these and
other related challenges facing the
Continent, the Premier noted.
Ethiopia and Ghana have signed today an
agreement that enables both countries to
share experience in peacekeeping mission,
security and conflict prevention.
The agreement allows Ethiopia to
cooperate and share experience with the
Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping
Training Centre (KAIPTC).
The agreement signed with the Kofi
Annan
International
Peacekeeping
Training Centre would enable the two
countries’ peacekeeping training centres
to cooperate and share experience.
KAIPTC has so far graduated more than
13,000 students in the areas of conflict
prevention, management and peace
building.
Foreign Affairs Minister of Ethiopia and
his Ghanaian counterpart, Ms. Hanna
Tetteh, signed the agreement on behalf of
their respective countries.
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Sudanese journalists on visit to
Grand Ethiopian Renaissance
Dam
Sudanese journalists’ visit to the Grand
Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) will
create better understanding on the
benefit of the mega project to
downstream countries, Tewolde Mulugeta,
Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs said.
Issue #32
The grand project will also help to
encourage closer people-to-people ties
between the two nations, he added.
According to Khalid Thabit, head of the
Sudanese journalists’ team, the 11
journalists were drawn from two TV
stations and over six newspaper
publishers.
Khalid said their visit to the GERD project
site will help them get first hand
information about the current status of
the dam and inform readers and viewers
back home.
KEFI expects Ethiopia financing
deal by June
An 11-member team of Sudanese
journalists have arrived in Addis Ababa on
Sunday to witness the progress of
construction of the dam.
The team welcomed at Bole International
Airport by the Spokesperson is expected
to leave for the project site on Monday.
Tewolde said the construction of the dam
considers shared benefits of the three
countries -Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt and
the visit by the Sudanese journalists helps
create awareness on the fact.
Gold group KEFI Minerals PLC anticipates
presenting its financing plan for the Tulu
Kapi mine in Ethiopia to shareholders at
the AGM in June.
He said the visit will create better
understanding about the affirmative
effects of the dam to downstream
countries.
The gold group said a package of around
US$65mln senior secured debt, US$15mln
overrun facility, US$40mln gold finance
plus a 100,000 oz hedge facility was under
discussion.
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Equity finance will add a further
US$25mln including US$20mn from the
Ethiopian government.
Issue #32
Ministry electrifies over 200
villages
Capital expenditure for the mine is
estimated at US$145mln, with production
schedule to start from the end of next
year at a rate of 115,000 oz annually at an
all in sustaining cost of US$742 per oz.
Adding an underground operation would
boost output to 150,000 oz per year and
start after a chunk of the development
finance has been paid down.
Elsewhere, KEFI is taking to regulators in
Saudi Arabia over its licence application
for Jibal Qutman.
The equity capital requirements for the
heap leach operation will be less than
US$5 million for KEFI's 40% share, based
on a capital expenditure of under US$40
million and approximately 75% being
provided by project finance.
Harry Adams, executive chairman said
solid progress had been made over the
last quarter in Ethiopia
“Projected cash flows are robust, with the
first three years of open pit production
targeted to repay all debts, commence
the payment of dividends and fund
growth in the highly prospective ArabianNubian Shield.
“We look forward to soon finalising the
Project's integrated syndication package
and proceeding with development."
More than 200 new villages have gained
access to electricity during the past 8
months, according to the Ministry of
Water, Irrigation and Electricity (MoWIE).
Minister of Water, Irrigation and
Electricity, Motuma Mekassa, made the
remark while presenting his Ministry’s 8month performance report to members of
the House of Peoples Representatives
(HPR) here today.
Motuma further said his Ministry
managed to withstand the water scarcity
problems encountered in drought hit
areas by supply water to the residents at a
cost of 1.2 billion birr.
About 5.8 million people have benefited
from the water supply efforts carried out
by using water trucks, according to the
Minister.
A number of defunct water wells were
also renovated and went operational, he
added.
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Issue #32
The Ministry was also able to deal with
the power shortage associated with the
drought, which led to a decline in water
volume of hydropower dams, by
generating 592 MW of electricity from
Gibe III, Motuma noted.
Regarding good governance, 32 heads
were relieved of their duties due to failure
to discharge their responsibility effectively,
he added.
Ethiopia,
Oman
agreements
sign
3
Three cooperation agreements were
signed in the Ethiopian capital, Addis
Ababa on Monday between the Omani
and Ethiopian sides, on the sidelines of
opening ceremony of the Omani Products
Exhibition “OPEX 2016”.
clearance and transport, including air and
sea transport, customs clearance, and
exchange experiences in the field of
distribution and land ports.
Mahmoud bin Sikhi Al Balushi, CEO of Al
Madina Logistics and Billy Teka Bebjna,
CEO of Bikma Logistics and Transport
signed the agreement.
Said bin Abdullah Al Saqri, CEO of
Windows 2000 and Daniel Berhan,
investor in Ethiopia signed the second
agreement to set up a factory in Ethiopia
to serve the local market, as well as the
markets of neighbouring countries. It also
aims to bring expertise to the Sultanate in
window manufacturing and the expansion
of the company’s business.
Areej Vegetable Oils& Derivatives and
Ethiopian Almen Group signed the third
agreement to distribute and import most
types of oils that Areej produced in the
Sultanate and to focus on the most
prestigious brands in the Sultanate and
GCC countries.
The agreement was signed by Eng. Salim
bin Nasser Al Bartamani, CEO of Areej
Vegetable Oils & Derivatives and Eng.
Kaleb Daniel, CEO of Almen Group.
In the first agreement, Al Madina Logistics
signed a memorandum of understanding
(MoU) with Bikma Logistics and Transport
Company to provide clearing and
forwarding services and facilitate trade
exchange between the Sultanate and
Ethiopia.
The MoU stipulates the provision of
specialised services in the field of
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Ethiopian car industry races
ahead
For a population of more than 90 million,
Ethiopia has just 84,000 registered
vehicles.
Most of these are imported, but there is
an emerging field of foreign companies
manufacturing cars inside Ethiopia's
borders.
China's Lifan Group opened a factory in
Addis Ababa in 2014, which has capacity
to assemble 20 cars a day. The parts are
imported from China, but 97 percent of its
employees are local workers.
Producing cars locally allows Lifan to avoid
paying the 35 percent import tax that
applies to foreign vehicles, and offer
consumers a cheaper product.
Issue #32
Lifan may also benefit from a wider
appetite to see more new cars in
operation on the road.
"These old cars pollute the country, and
they cost a lot of money to import spare
parts," says Constantinos Berhuetesfa,
Professor of Public Policy at Addis Ababa
University. "New cars...will reduce the
transportation problems here." Other
Chinese manufacturers such as Geely are
also basing operations in Ethiopia, and the
new field looks set to grow.
"We are very confident to develop in this
country," says Ma Qun, Deputy General
Ganager of Lifan Motors Ethiopia. "If we
can really make this market very
successful, maybe we will bring some
suppliers from our headquarters... so we
can convince some of them to come to
Ethiopia to produce the parts here."
As Ethiopia's manufacturing capacity
expands, a nation of few cars could see a
lot more traffic.
Authority to begin online tax
payment system
Lifan vehicles are available for $15,000,
similar to the price of used imports, which
could be a strong competitive advantage.
"Lifan is a new car," says factory
supervisor Figo Wang. "Nissan and Toyota
may be second hand because (they are)
too expensive."
The Ethiopian Revenues and Customs
Authority (ERCA) said it will launch epayment (payment of taxes online by
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taxpayers) as of next Ethiopian fiscal year.
ERCA’s Director of Education and
Communications, Ephrem Mekonnen, told
FBC today that the system helps to save
time and money as well as to avoid
overcrowding at the end of each month.
The system allows taxpayers to pay online
from wherever they are using internet
connection.
The system will be implemented
extensively after it is proved successful on
some taxpayers, he said.
Corporation printing cards to
begin electronic ticketing
Issue #32
procurement of ticket reader machines,
he said.
According to Dereje, the new system will
be commenced soon.
The first in Sub Saharan Africa, the 34
kilometre AA-LRT has begun operation
last
September
by
providing
transportation service for 120,000
passengers per day in the first two
months.
Now it raised its daily carrying capacity to
130,000 people and now provides
transportation service to more than 3.9
million passengers per month, charging
the lowest fare of 2 birr per 4km.
The 475 million US dollars worth
environmental friendly light rail transit
was built by the China Railway Group
Limited, it was noted.
Oromia announces 2.4 billion
birr worth project to create jobs
The Ethiopian Railways Corporation (ERC)
has begun printing cards to launch an
electronic ticketing for the Addis Ababa
light rail transit (AA-LRT).
Dereje Tefera, ERC Communication Head,
told FBC today the electronic ticketing will
help to avoid cheating being observed in
the paper ticket as well as to alleviate
queue and crowd of commuters.
The Oromia regional state has unveiled a
2.4 billion birr worth project to beat
unemployment in the state.
The electronic ticketing was delayed due
to problems encountered from printing to
The announcement came today at a panel
discussion held in Adama town between
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Chief Administrator of the regional state
Muktar Kedir and the state’s youth.
Of this, a 300 million birr worth project
that could create jobs for 832,000 youth
will be realized within the coming three
months. Muktar on the occasion said the
project helps to reliably alleviate
unemployment in the state through shortand long-term periods.
Redwan Hussien, Minister of Youth and
Sports, said the National Council, which
was established by encompassing 17
institutions to assist job creation activities,
will offer support for the success of the
project.
More than 2, 400 youth took part at the
panel discussion held in Adama town. The
Chief Administrator and heads of bureaus
responded to the various questions raised
by the youth. Youth who performed
better in job creation, science, technology
and social engagement were awarded at
the event.
Issue #32
referred to Standing Committee of the
House of Peoples Representatives (HPR)
after a discussion is conducted with
various society members.
The proclamation was required to prevent
and control criminal act from home and
abroad on institutions, infrastructures,
computers and networks. Moreover, it
was prepared with a view to protecting
among others banks, courts, transport
and media companies as well as service
delivery institutions from cyber attacks.
The proclamation in particular helps to
protect confidential information of
defence, security and financial institutions.
Chinese conglomerate to invest
$350mn to set up textile plant
in Ethiopia
Ethiopia prepares proclamation
to regulate cyber crimes
Ethiopia
has
prepared
a
draft
proclamation which regulates cyber
crimes. The draft proclamation will be
Chinese conglomerate Jiangsu Sunshine
Group plans to make investment of 350
million US dollars to set up a textile plant
in Ethiopia in a bid to boost the country’s
textile industry as the textile industry is
believed to be a bridge for economic
development and making Ethiopia Africa's
textile industry hub.
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The plant will be located in the industrial
park of the city of Adama which will
produce 10 million meters of worsted
wool fabrics and 1.5 million finished parts.
In the recent years, Ethiopia has managed
to attract several foreign companies
operating in the textile and clothing sector
including Turkish textile giant Akber and
Taiwanese George Shoe Corporation.
Jiangsu Sunshine Group’s textile business
has annual production capacity of 3.5
million sets of high-grade men’s suits and
women’s wear, 35 million meters of
superfine worsted wool Fabrics.
Issue #32
Speaking to journalist after the annual
Ethio-Germany consultative meeting
today, State Secretary of the Federal
Foreign Office, Markus Ederer said his
country is interested in extending support
to Ethiopia in education and sustainable
energy resources.
He added that Germany is willing to
extend the financial and technical support
it has been providing to solve several
challenges of Ethiopia.
According to Ederer, Germany has been
supporting AMISOM under the framework
of African Union.
It is also the world's largest wool textile
manufacturer and high-grade apparel
production base, and the only enterprise
in China Textile industry which won
honourable title of 'World Brand' and
'Garment Export Inspection Exemption'.
The country is also keen to cooperate with
Ethiopia in peace and security areas, he
indicated.
Germany Pledges to Continue
Providing
Assistance
in
Education, Sustainable Energy
He added that
similar stance
stability as well
shared views
cooperation.
Source: www.ena.gov.et
Foreign Affairs State Minister Taye
Atsekesilasie said on his part Germany is
one of the key development partners of
Ethiopia.
as the two sides have
in bringing peace and
as ensuring growth, they
to further strengthen
The two sides have reached agreement to
work together in areas of political and
economic cooperation, based on common
interests of the nations, Taye stated.
The annual consultative meeting was
scheduled to discuss migration and
terrorism in the afternoon session.
Germany will continue its cooperation
with Ethiopia in areas of education and
sustainable energy resources.
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School
feeding
program
benefiting 1.2 million students
in affected areas
Issue #32
Ethiopian
education
and
research network inaugurated
Source: www.ebc.et
Some 1.2 million students in drought
affected areas are benefiting from the
school feeding program of the Ministry of
Education.
This was disclosed by Education Minister
Shiferaw Shigute during his presentation
of the eight-month performance report of
the ministry to the House of People's
Representatives on Thursday.
Over 230 million Birr was allocated for the
first phase of the program so that
students would not drop out of school,
Shiferaw said.
According to the Minister, some 338
million Birr was also distributed to
regional states for the second phase
school feeding program.
Additional 42 million Birr is allotted for
the purchase of educational materials to
more than 730,000 students in six regions.
The Ethiopian Education and Research
Network (EthERNet), built by the Chinese
telecom service provider, ZTE, was
inaugurated yesterday in Addis Ababa.
The project, which took three years with
an investment of 50 million U.S. dollars,
connects 36 public universities in the East
African country for exchange of
information and educational activities.
Speaking during the inaugural ceremony
at one of the campuses of Addis Ababa
University, Dr Debretsion Gebremichael,
Deputy Prime Minister for Finance and
Economic Cluster and the Minister of
Communication
and
Information
Technology, said the EthERNet project is
one of the demonstrations that show the
government's commitment to improving
quality education in higher institutions in
the country.
"We will expect as output from this
project highly competent graduates in
their respective fields. We also expect to
get a return on the development of our
instructors because they will be exposed
not only to Ethiopian highly skilled
lecturers but to global network," noted Dr
Debretsion.
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He said the project would help conduct of
quality researches that could address
problems of development in the country,
and contribute to other countries in Africa
and even beyond.
Issue #32
EU announces €122.5 million in
humanitarian aid for Ethiopia
Li Guangyong, Vice President of ZTE East
Africa Business, told Xinhua that the
project provides the platform for the
universities to share their information and
libraries as well as to carry out different
functions in the education sector.
Stating that ZTE promotes advanced
technologies in the ICT sector to African
countries, Li said his company can connect
other universities and high schools with
the network in the next stage.
"The infrastructure, everything is done by
the Chinese company ZTE. ZTE is the one
who is delivering everything," said
Zelalem Assefa, Director of the EthERNet.
"They (ZTE) are good telecom service
provider; we are satisfied with their
services," he added.
The director told Xinhua that the project
would have an important role in
improving quality of education.
"We have been connecting 36 universities
with this network. This is part of the
national
research
and
education
network," said Assefa1.
"The main aim of the project is to provide
the network connectivity for the research
and education community," he said,
adding that the universities would be
connected to African and international
education and research networks in the
future.
European Commission has announced
€122.5 million euro for Ethiopia to
address the immediate needs of people
affected by the El Niño-driven drought in
Ethiopia.
This new support aims to combine a
humanitarian response and early recovery
assistance with initiatives that address the
root causes of fragility and vulnerability,
EU said in a statement it sent to FBC today.
The new EU funding comes on top of a
first El Niño emergency package
announced in December last year that
consisted of €79 million for the Greater
Horn of Africa region and from which
nearly €43 million will benefit Ethiopia.
European Commissioner for Humanitarian
Aid and Crisis Management, Christos
Stylianides and European Commissioner
for International Cooperation and
Development, Neven Mimica also said:
"Our support aims at combining shortterm lifesaving with strengthening
Ethiopia's resilience by addressing the
root causes of fragility and vulnerability.
We can build on the past successes of
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Ethiopia which has already stepped up its
efforts to tackle the drought crisis."
Commissioners Mimica and Stylianides
are currently in Ethiopia in the framework
of the College to College (C2C) conference
taking place in Addis Ababa, where
Commissioners from the European Union
and the African Union are meeting.
Today Commissioners Mimica and
Stylianides together with Vice-President
responsible for the Euro and Social
Dialogue, Valdis Dombrovskis and
Commissioner for Employment, Social
Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility,
Marianne Thyssen visited one of the worst
hit areas in Ethiopia, Dire Dawa, to assess
the humanitarian situation.
The EU has been providing both
emergency humanitarian funding and long
term development support to Ethiopia
cope with these various challenges. It has
provided
over
€200
million
in
humanitarian aid in the last five years.
Ethiopia is also the largest beneficiary of
EU development assistance, with a
country programme of €745 million for
2014-2020 (through the 11th European
Development Fund.) Out of this amount a
total of €252 million has been provided to
finance food security, sustainable
agriculture and to fight climate change.
Issue #32
Water supply underway in
drought hit areas with 1.5
billion birr
The Ministry of Water, Irrigation and
Electricity (MWIE) said it is supplying
water for drought hit 189 woredas in
Amhara, Oromia, Tigray, Afar and
Ethiopian Somali regional states, including
Dire Dawa administration.
Bizuneh Tolcha, Public Relations Director
at MWIE, told ENA that the water supply
activities are underway in partnership
with governmental and non-governmental
organizations by earmarking 1.5 billion
birr.
The ministry is currently supplying water
for more than 5.8 million people living in
the drought hit woredas using over 300
water trucks and more than pack animals,
he said.
In addition to water supply, drilling of
water wells and renovation of water
institutions is underway to reliably to
address problems of water in those
drought affected areas, he added.
The support is coherent with the EU
Resilience Approach that combines a
humanitarian response with initiatives
that addresses the root causes of fragility
and vulnerability.
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Ethiopian Embassy Newsletter Issue 32

Transcription

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