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ADDIS ABABA
ADB to provide
over 722 mln Br
African
Development Bank Group (ADB Group) said that it is going to provide
Ethiopia with an assistance of 722,400,000 birr, making the country
one of the few beneficiaries of its new direct budget support.
Resident Representative
of African Development Bank (ADB), Dr. Elfaith Shaaeldin said that the
support, which is a new instrument of aid delivery, has an objective
to assist Ethiopia’s Sustainable Development and Poverty Reduction
Programme (SDPRP) and improve the institutional and policy environment
in the country.
He said that the fact
Ethiopia is chosen for the direct budget support reflects confidence
by the donors. The budget support will be done in close coordination
with donors, particularly a direct budget support group consisting of
some bilateral donors, including United Kingdom, Sweden Canada and
multilateral donors like the World Bank and the European Union. He
said that delegates of the ADB Group visited Ethiopia last week and
had fruitful meetings with senior government officials and
non-government groups.
House
refers cooperatives bill to pertinent committees
The House of peoples
Representatives has referred an amended bill on Cooperatives to the
pertinent committees for further scrutiny.
In its 4th year 16th
regular Session, the House referred the bill to the Legal
Administration, Rural development and Social Affairs Standing
Committees following thorough discussion.
According a statement
presented to the House, the cooperatives not only showed an increase
in their number but have also a qualitative change since the issuance
of the proclamation in 1991 E.C that necessitated amending the bill.
Articles that would
enable to take into consideration human resources while utilizing
capital for construction activities need to be included in the bill it
was said.
The compatibility of the
bill with other proclamations was also taken into account while
amending the bill, the statement indicated.
Foundation
to hold Ethiopian children’s book week
The Ethiopian
Books for Children and Education Foundation (EBCEF) announced its plan
to hold the first annual children’s book week during the first week of
April 2004.
The Foundation announced
that a number of activities would be held during the week to promote
reading and literacy among the children and families of Ethiopia.
The activities include a
‘Book Walk’ from Maskal square to the parliament, to hand over a
declaration of the Ethiopian Children’s Book Week in hopes of having
it recognized by the Ethiopian government. Tent libraries where
children can read and participate in activists such as story telling
and arts and crafts would also be set up, according to the press
release.
SNNPRS
Defense
instructors take part in International Humanitarian law course
The main training
department of the National Defense Forces in coordination with the
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) held a 9 days course
on International Humanitarian Law (IHL) for 44 instructor officers of
the Awassa army corps.
The course is the second
one of its kind to be conducted at the army corps level. The aim of
this course is to integrate the Law of armed conflict into the
training progamme of the army corps and the planning operations and
tactical decision-making involving the Law of armed conflict.
OROMIA
Beska Lake to be
controlled with 17 mln Br.
In a bid to forestall
possible danger from the ever-widening Beseka Lake, a volume control
center has been constructed at a cost of 17 million birr, Shiferaw
Jarso Minister of Water Resources said.
He said on the occasion
to mark the World Water Day that the government has been taking
measures to prevent the ever bulging Beseka Lake from bursting out
into and polluting the Awash river.
The center will regulate
the amount of water from Beseka Lake into the Awash River so as to
pre-empt possible pollution, Shiferaw said. Work on the construction
of the center was launched in 2002.
TIGRAY
EU
provides 4.3 mln Br assistance to peasants
The Food Security
Office of Hintalo-Wajirat Woreda in southern Tigray Zone said that it
has secured 4.3 million birr from the European Union for the execution
of its integrated agricultural development packages and the
construction of various infrastructures.
Head of the office, Belay
Gebre-Medhin said that the fund will partially be provided in loan to
5,400 peasants who will get engaged in integrated agricultural
development packages in 19 Kebeles of the woreda to help them purchase
fodder, seeds and other inputs.
The assistance will also
be used for purchasing grain, which will be distributed among peasants
who take part in the construction of a 12 Km road connecting the
capital of the woreda with Adi-Keyih Kebele, he added.
Besides, the harnessing
of three rivers and the digging of two water wells will be carried
out, he said.
548
investment projects worth 4.6 bln Br launched
Some 548
investment projects valued at 4.6 billion birr are being carried out
in Tigray Regional State, the State Investment Office said.
Speaking at investment
promotion discussion, Office Head Tadesse Wondim said several
investors were engaged in agriculture, industry, hotel, social
service, trade and construction development activities, among others.
He said 65 of the
projects had already gone operational.
Investors and pertinent
government authorities attended the meeting.
Industrial zones have
also been demarcated in Makelle, Axum, Adwa and Adigrat towns where
infrastructures are being constructed.
Pointing out that the
government has adopted several policies aimed at further enhancing the
private sector of the economy, Tadesse said that decentralization,
ensuring self-administration of towns, the regulations of land
utilization were some of the policies
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Tuesday
March 30' 2004
