‘Youth and Leadership in the 21 st Century'
ADF-V pays tribute to youth
By Andualem Sisay
The fifth African Development Forum (ADF-V) under the theme ‘Youth and Leadership in the 21 st Century' was held in Addis Ababa from November 16-18, at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa conference centre.
ADF-V intends to deepen strategies at regional and national level for translating the development potential of youth in to practical benefits for democracy, gender equality, peace and human rights in line with the objectives of the African Union Youth Charter, NEPAD and internationally agreed development goals, including the MDGs.
“This theme pays tribute to the actuality that Africa is a ‘young' continent – obviously not geologically, but demographically. Whether Africa reaches the targets of the Millennium Development Goals by 2015 depends critically on the decisions that its youth make,” said Abdoulie Janneh, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), in his opening remark.
“This ADF is not solely about the ‘debts' African adult society owes their youth. It is also about the important lifecycle decisions that youth must make, decisions about their own vision of the kind of African society that they and their children and grand-children will live in.”
Close to two-third of African population is below the age of 25. Youth accounts for 45% of the total labour force in the continent. The latest World Bank World Development report 2007 also advices developing African nations to invest on their youth.
“ Africa now understands that development is first and foremost an African priority. Development is never a gift bestowed on any country from outside. It has to be achieved by the hard work and enterprise of the countries own people,” said U N Secretary General, Kofi Annan present at the ADF-V summit.
Including children from various African countries who attended the Global Leadership Summit (October 29-31), ambassadors in Addis Ababa , ministers, and PM Meles Zenawi attended the summit.
Representing the youth, a Kenyan girl began her speech by indicating the resistance of old African leaders to leave their seat for the youth. “Look where we are sitting and our leaders are sitting in this hall,” she said. Recognizing the courage and energy of the young girl, PM Meles spoke from his heart stressing the need for combining the energy and courage of the youth with the wisdom of the old.
The African Development Forum is a multi-stakeholder platform for debating, discussing and initiating concrete strategies for Africa 's development. It is an ECA initiative began in October 1999 with ADF-I's theme ‘The challenges to Africa of Globalization and the Information Age' and resulted in important public and private sector action plans to accelerate the information revolution in Africa .
ADF-II which was held in December 2000 under the theme of ‘The Greatest Leadership Challenge' stressed how effective leadership at every level and in every sphere of African Society is critical to winning the war against the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
‘ Defining Priorities for Regional Integration' was the theme of ADF-III held in March 2002, which coincided with OAU's efforts to establish the African Union. The March 2004 ADF-IV theme was ‘Governance for a Progressing Africa' with the objectives of providing the political space for a broad spectrum of interested parties to debate ways of improving governance in Africa today.
Local pharmaceutical importers banned
By Tedla Yeneakal
The Ethiopian Drug Administration and Control Authority (DACA) has banned some ten local pharmaceutical importers who allegedly imported drugs and medicines from India and China not complying with the approved standard.
Sources from the Authority told Capital that measures were taken on the importers, after officials of the administration paid a visit to some pharmaceutical manufacturers in India and China and found that the drugs manufactured in these factories were actually not meeting the internationally set standard.
“Some of the drug manufacturers we visited were producing in an outrageously unhygienic environment and the drugs found to be fatal to public use,” said, one of the delegates of the inspection team that went to the manufacturing countries. “We have learnt that local importers numbering ten were actually buying their drugs from these manufacturers.”
A local business man in the pharmaceutical business here in Addis, speaking anonymously, supported the measure taken by the drug controlling authorities. He said that such drugs could be very hazardous to health.
“My company imports the drugs from Europe, but you can find on the local market similar drugs imported from India or China costing up to ten times less than our import price,” he said. “It is very tricky to compete in the same market taking into account the difficulty of the drug users to afford high prices for medicine and government's various restrictions.”
Pharmaceutical importers often complain that not enough measures have been taken by the World Health Organization (WHO) saying that there is no strict regulation that monitors drug manufacturers internationally. Various attempts to meet the Director General of DACA for comment were unsuccessful.
Four Anbessa bus employees jailed over alleged theft
By Tedla Yeneakal
Police jailed four guards, employees of the Anbessa City bus, on November 11, over an alleged theft of 14 buses' wipers.
According to sources, wipers from 14 busses apparently disappeared on the previous night of their detention, while the suspects were on duty.
The Addis Ababa Police detained the guards, who were on their night shift duty on Thursday, suspected of theft of the city buses' wipers. The parts are said to lead to tens of thousands of birr loss to Anbessa as per an average estimate of DAF busses' spare parts cost.
General Manager of the Enterprise , Eng. Haileleule Taddese refrained from unveiling the details of the case, saying that it is under police investigation and that the legal department of his enterprise is strictly following it.
The incident came as another concern to the enterprise, as the management of Anbessa recently expressed their apprehension with regards to facing huge losses due to inflating fuel prices. Moreover, Anbessa has lost three of its buses completely burned down and 138 others that were damaged, during the November 2005 riots related to the unrest that followed the May 2005 elections.
In recent months, a study has been prepared for the enterprise to appeal to the concerned bodies for additional subsidies, based on the distance of the routes and the expense the company incurs to provide the service as well as taking into account the number of passengers in these routes. The study compared the current tariff and the break even point for the enterprise.
At the moment, Anbessa operates on 93 routes on a daily basis and has 360 buses serving 600 to 700 thousand people daily.
COMESA Customs union set for 2008
Inter-regional currency planned for 2025
By Eskinder Michael COMESA member states decided for a customs union to be formed by 2008 at the 11 th COMESA Summit held in Djibouti from November 15 to 16.
The creation of the customs union will enhance the effective conversion of the region's collective endowment of diverse forms of natural resources into substantial trade and investment opportunities. The plan was set to take off in December 2004, but it has been delayed due to concern by member countries over decreased revenue, as many COMESA economies are small and heavily dependent on import duties.
The East African Community (EAC) and Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) have a customs union with SADC looking to become a free trade area by 2008 and establish a customs union by 2010.
A team of experts would also be formed next year to study how three major economic blocs' countries - mostly in Sub Saharan Africa - can cooperate in monetary affairs.
Three of Africa 's prominent alliance, the East African Community (EAC), Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), are said to have discussed a possible cooperation in monetary affairs.
The currency cooperation could closely be followed by the idea of a common currency and a common central bank for the three alliances. The common currency, if all goes well, could be put into effect by the year 2025.
Though the common currency is high on the agenda of the three bodies, experts believe that the alliances should not jump on the matter but for the moment focus on financial cooperation. It is believed that with a strong financial cooperation, the adoption of a common currency could come easily.
With the customs union among COMESA member states set to be launched by 2008, the three alliances are also keen on discussing the formations of customs unions, with trade among the member states taking center stage.
COMESA has 20 member states - Angola , Burundi , Comoros , Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti , Egypt , Ethiopia , Eritrea , Kenya , Libya , Madagascar , Malawi , Mauritius , Rwanda , Seychelles , Swaziland , Sudan , Uganda , Zambia and Zimbabwe .
The East African Community (EAC) is the regional intergovernmental organization of the Republics of Kenya, Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania with its headquarters in Arusha , Tanzania .
The EAC aims at widening and deepening co-operation among the partner states in political, economic and social fields among others.
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has been in existence since 1980, when it was formed as a loose alliance of nine majority-ruled states in Southern Africa known as the Southern African Development Coordination Conference (SADCC), with the main aim of coordinating development projects in order to lessen economic dependence on the then apartheid South Africa .
SADC was formed in Lusaka , Zambia on April 1, 1980, following the adoption of the Lusaka Declaration - Southern Africa : Towards Economic Liberation. The transformation of the organization from a Coordinating Conference into a Development Community (SADC) took place on August 17, 1992 in Windhoek , Namibia when the Declaration and Treaty was signed at the Summit of Heads of State and Government thereby giving the organization a legal character.
ESL's quarter year profit boosts up
By Tedla Yeneakal
The Ethiopian Shipping Lines (ESL) heightens its quarter year profit, registering 46 million birr profit, company sources disclosed.
The National Carrier marked a significant increase in its revenue during the last three months, exceeding the company's target of 40.2 million birr by close to 15%.
An official of ESL told Capital that the company's increased revenue as compared to its target is mostly due to the rise in the import of goods during the stated period.
Meanwhile, ESL has officially received on Wednesday, one of its new vessels, Shebele that was constructed by a Chinese company at a cost of 46 million USD. Shebele is expected to start operation in a month's time.
Shebele , an ultra modern vessel, which will be operated by leading captains of the national carrier, has the capacity of carrying up to 25,000 tones of goods, according to information obtained from ESL.
In addition, Shebele along with Lalibela , a second vessel under construction in China , is expected to boost ESL's existing capacity by more than 30%.
Ethiopian Shipping Lines offers regular services between Red Sea main ports and Europe, Arab Gulf and Far East .
On its trade from Europe, the shipping line grants a regular service f or general cargo, vehicles and containerized goo ds from the main Italian ports to all Ethiopian inland destinations via Djibouti port and, subject to sufficient inducement, direct calls from Genoa and Le ghorn to Port Sudan , Aden and Hodeidah.
Internet, wireless phones to be pre-paid
By Tedla Yeneakal
The management of the Ethiopian . Telecommunications Corporation (ETC) is currently undertaking a study to alter the mode of payment of Internet and wireless local loop (WLL) phone services to a pre-paid system, sources disclosed.
Accordingly, the corporation is studying effective ways with the help of international consultants of charging Internet and wireless phone customers before hand. ETC is said to have lost millions of birr in the wireless service it introduced to meet the increasing number of customers, but failed to trace their whereabouts. Once a wireless phone is installed in a household, the owners can move with it anywhere, which makes it difficult for ETC to trace them with their bills.
Abdurahim Ahmed, Communications Manager of ETC declined to comment about the issue on when and how the corporation will put to effect the change in the mode of payment.
The corporation recently announced that it has greatly increased telecom services over the past 15 years since the downfall of the Derg regime in 1991. ETC has introduced mobile and wireless phone, broadband internet and multimedia services, among others, over the years.
5,000 rural towns have become beneficiaries of regular telephone services, while the number of subscribers reached over 722,000.
The firm has been providing mobile phone services in 104 towns in addition to regular telephone services at present.
Launched in May 1999, mobile phone service, which was initially limited to the country's capital Addis Ababa , has been expanded to other regions.
Though the number of beneficiaries of internet and other new technologies has been continuously growing, today there are just 500,000 Internet lines in a country of 77 million people, making it one of the lowest users of information technology in the world. ETC has currently begun laying 10,000 km of fiber optic cables and invested around 40 million dollars to develop its internet service.
Exodus to Sudan
By Groum Abate
Young Ethiopians mostly women are flocking to Sudan looking for better jobs and remunerations for the past couple of months.
They are heading to the newly oil producing country to be employed as household staff in Sudanese homes, Capital learned.
One of the applicants anonymously told Capital that she came from Ambo town, 125 kilometers west of Addis Ababa after her cousin told her the opportunities in Sudan .
She was queuing for the fourth consecutive day starting from 3:00 am in the morning, at the Sudanese embassy gate to apply for a visa only to be told to come back the next day.
She said that she will be paid up to 200 dollars in Sudan for a job in a house, as per what she learnt from her cousin.
Hundreds of young working force queue at the gates of the Sudan Embassy here in the capital to get a visa everyday. However, the embassy handles only 200 visa applications everyday.
The frustrated applicant said that the men could also be employed as drivers with a good salary. Another applicant queuing at the embassy told Capital on conditions of anonymity that the migration to Sudan started some months back. He knew about the opportunities four months ago but neglected the information. Now seeing the number of people flocking to the country every week, he decided to go there and see the opportunities. He said that his brother is currently in Sudan in a refugee camp and he hopes that his brother would be of great help.
There are close to one hundred thousand Ethiopians in Sudan currently and most of them have migrated within the last four years in search of work. The majority of them are girls between the age of 15 and 40.
According to the applicants Sudan Airways has leased an aircraft to transport unanticipated flock of migrants mostly on Sundays.
In 2000, the United Nations Higher Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) returned more than 80,000 Ethiopian refugees from Sudan to Ethiopia as part of its programme.
The applicants at the gates of the Embassy located around Mexico Square , are mostly girls that fled from Beirut during the latest Israel-Hezbollah fight in Lebanon . According to one applicant, waiting for his visa, some of them do have some level of education such as university degree. He said that they would get a job teaching in rural areas of the country with much better salary compared to those who will work in various Sudanese homes work at the oil fields as daily laborers. As for him, he is going there to work as a gardener at his friend's boss house, and would come back home as soon as he makes enough money that would help him start his own business.
The norm was for young Ethiopians to go to Dubai and other Middle Eastern countries for the past few years. Now it seems that even neighboring Sudan offers similar opportunities.
The last time Ethiopian migrated to Sudan in large scale was during the Derg regime fleeing arrest and torture. In November 1984 the Israeli Government has also brought 6,300 Ethiopian refugees from Sudan to Israel in a large-scale operation code-named “Operation Moses.”
Federal Police building inaugurated
By Groum Abate
The Ethiopian Federal Police Commission's new office complex built near Mexico Square was officially inaugurated in the presence of high government officials on Saturday.
The complex that cost the government 47 million birr was designed to be used as Federal Police Headquarters and to consolidate all administrative operations in one facility.
The building is designed by National Consultants and built by MIDROC Construction. The construction of the headquarters took over four years.
The tower's design includes a helipad on the tower's upper roof that enables to land helicopters, making it the first building in the country that lands a helicopter on its roof.
The complex includes a 10-storey tower, an assembly hall with a 200 people capacity, a 400 person multipurpose hall and other ancillary buildings. The assembly hall is a separate building from the tower block but connected by a pedestrian bridge. National Consultant's design solution included a tri-arc tower the shape of which was purposely selected to complement the rotary at Mexico Square . The three elevations of the tower are clad with glazed curtain walls and protected against the east, west and south west sun glares by 'Bris Solei' sun breakers.
COMESA summit concludes
Chairman stresses partnership with Asia
By our staff reporter
As the 11 th Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) summit concluded Thursday in Djibouti , the new Chairman and Djiboutian President Ismail Omar Guelleh said that Partnership with European Union , United States , Asian and Arab countries remains vital to the COMESA, with growing Asian demand for African products being a promising element.
While COMESA must seek to become ever more self-reliant, said Guelleh, “its partnership with EU , U.S. , Asian and Arab countries and institutions remains vital, particularly in the development of key infrastructure, and in the essential role of enhancing, nurturing and facilitating the flow of FDI and trade with the region.”
Gulleh said that “one quite promising element on the horizon should be the projected growth in the Asian demand for a wide range of Africa 's products, including oil, metals and farm products.”
Given the sheer size of the Asian market, due in no small measure to its huge population, “COMESA can ill afford to overlook these rapidly expanding trade opportunities,” added Guelleh.
Guelleh urged COMESA member countries to adhere to unity and cooperation in the integration process.
“During the year of our chairmanship, Djibouti 's focus shall be to further maximize elements of cooperation, institutional refinement and increased membership involvement essential to our growth and prosperity as an organization,” Guelleh said at the opening of the summit.
“This should entail greater openness in our trade and in the movement of people, the forging of stronger ties between our private sectors, and expanded cooperation with our international development partners,” he said.
The heads of state summit was held in the recently built Kempinski hotel in Djibouti , the first five-star hotel in the nation.
Guelleh said that COMESA nations have realized the bulk of the initial goal, namely, the attainment by October 31 2000, of a Free Trade Area and the appreciable efforts that have been made toward the establishment of a Customs Union.
“COMESA is at a historic point with the opportunity to become the foremost African entity. Therefore, through streamlining policies, procedures and priorities of its institutions, COMESA could operate smoothly and efficiently, with little overlap of interests or duplication of efforts,” Gulleh said.
“Ultimately, our aims and objectives converge in a common desire for economic growth, self-sufficiency and sustainable development. In that long journey, COMESA is the critical first step,” he concluded. “We must strive hard to make it a viable entity within a reasonable timeframe, through unity of purpose, and through an enhanced movement of people, goods and capital.”
The establishment of the customs union is an important stage of COMESA's integration process before it eventually becomes an economic community. The customs union had been planned to take off in December 2004 when COMESA marked its 10 th anniversary.
The plan, however, has been delayed due to concern by member countries over decreased revenue, as many COMESA economies are small and heavily dependent on import duties. The last summit in Kigali , Rwanda , decided that the customs union will be set up by December 2008.
Rwandan President Paul Kagame urged COMESA countries to embrace Free Trade Area. Kagame said free trade was the initial stepping stone towards socioeconomic integration and the COMESA Free Trade Area process needed serious reflection.
“You will recall that the tariff reduction towards the COMESA Free Trade Area began in July 1984 under the framework of the Preferential Trade Area. With only slightly more than half of member countries fully engaged in the Free Trade Area 22 years later, we evidently have a challenge,” he said.
In the year 2000, COMESA launched the first ever African Free Trade Area. It is scheduled to launch a Customs Union in 2008 and a full Monetary Union involving the use of a common currency issued by a common Central Bank in 2025.
With a population of over 374 million and a total GDP of 203 billion U.S. dollars COMESA has now become one of the largest African economic bloc with 20 member states, including Angola, Burundi, Comoros, DRC, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, Swaziland, Sudan, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. (Compiled from agencies )
‘ Engineering Tomorrow ' - University days at AAU
By Andualem Sisay
The Faculty of Technology, opened University Days , under the motto of ‘Engineering Tomorrow' from November 15 th to 18 th as part of the reforms undertaken by the Addis Ababa University (AAU).
“ University Days marks a first venture in extending the reach of AAU by drawing the faculty and the community together towards a closer collaboration,” said Prof. Andreas Eshete, President of Addis Ababa University, in his keynote address.
State Minister for Capacity Building , Fikru Dessalegn on his part described University Days as an occasion for exchanging ideas and views of common interest. “To the seasoned faculty staff it is an occasion to stand in unison to the challenges of institutional transformation. To the stakeholders it is an opportune moment to voice their needs and expectations.” “I urge every stakeholder to take concrete actions to change the face of our university and create a better learning environment that guarantees high quality education for the coming generation.”
According to the State Minister, the four key issues the reform component addresses are professional profiling and curriculum development, human resource development, linking university with industry, and development of university infrastructure and good governance.
Dr. Bayou Chane, Dean of the Faculty of Technology at the AAU, on his part underlined that the reform is undertaken with high enthusiasm, ownership feeling and full involvement of all the departments and staff of the faculty, and with support from selected Ethiopian and international experts.
Panel discussions, art exhibition and reception followed the opening ceremony of the University Days . Including Wondwossen Kiflu, State Minister of Education, the opening day was attended by members of Adama, Hawassa, Haromaya, Jimma Universities and members of private industries among other. International experts' lecturers were also part of the opening day event.
The reform of technology faculties across the nation is part of the four-year 180 million euro reform program undertaken by Engineering Capacity Building Program (ECBP). Although it is an Ethiopian government program, the German government covered half of the budget and is sharing Germany 's experience to implement the program successfully. The program aims to produce graduates of high caliber who can compete in the international labour market. ECBP also supports the industrial sector in terms of ensuring quality of products through the promotion of application of standards and the introduction of quality assurance and management systems.
It also promotes the private sector and business development through the improvement of the private sector competitiveness and capacity building of the business sector. TVET reform is also one of the ECBP components that aim to create a coherent system of formal and non-formal as well as initial and further training for all sectors including agriculture.
Many believe that, reform of the engineering faculties is an essential element supporting the government's efforts for rapid industrial development as engineering is the driving force behind industrial development.
Manufacturing industry needs to focus on quality
By Andualem Sisay
Quality is a key issue for the Ethiopian manufacturing industry that needs intervention, said stakeholders on the founding conference of Ethiopian Society of Industrial Engineers Tuesday at Global hotel.
“Due to the lack of quality of some locally produced goods, our country has become an easy target for dumping poor quality products from other countries,” said Maru Tefera, owner of Maru Metal Industry Plc and guest of honor at the founding conference.
Maru insists that the participants of the conference, most of whom are post graduate students of Engineering, must work hard on advancing the quality of local products and increase their demand both locally and internationally. “We have no other alternative than improving the quality of our products and using them to develop our economy.”
Maru Metal Industry Plc is a 40 plus years old pioneer producer and exporter of automotive parts. It manufactures dry cargo and platform semi trailer, fuel tank drawbar trailer, refrigerated van drawbar trailer, and the likes.
Dr. Engineer Daniel Kitaw, Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Program at the Addis Ababa University said “as citizens and professionals of this country, we need to support the local manufacturing industrial sector and the country's economy to win this unprecedented global competition.” Dr. Eng. Daniel is one of the founding members of the Ethiopian Society of Industrial Engineers.
“As Industrial Engineering is inseparable from the industry sector, the foundation of our association will contribute a lot for the sector as well as our economy,” says Dr. Eng. Daniel, noting the need to induce people to use local products and make the products competent in the international market. “In order to win the unprecedented global competition that our country is currently facing, we need to insure our products quality and increase productivity by improving our production system focusing on export oriented and import substitution strategy. These are the gaps that our association is planning to fill.”
Quality, productivity, system design, system development, plant design and erection, are among the intervention areas of the association to help make competent the local industries on the international market.
The Society of Industrial Engineers with major goal of advancing the industrial sector of the country has elected seven board members and elected Dr. Engineer Daniel Kitaw as the first president.
In a related development, Ethiopian Industry week that is celebrated for the 6 th time from November 13-20, 2006 with the aim of coordinating concerned stakeholders awareness and effort to facilitate the development of industries of the country.
Bumrungrad International: “Medical Meccas” for Ethiopian patients
Among the top 16 visitors of the hospital
By Andualem Sisay
Ethiopian patients seem to have found a medical haven in Bangkok 's Bumrungrad International hospital, “one of the most modern and efficient medical facilities in the world.”
They rank among the top 16 visitors of the hospital from patients around the world that visit Bumrungrad International from 190 countries for medical treatment.
The fact that Ethiopian Airlines has started flying seven days a week to Thailand , has had a significant impact on the increasing number of patients visiting the hospital.
In its October 30, 2006 cover article titled “Medical Meccas”, Newsweek featured Bumrungrad International listing Thailand 's largest private hospital first among ten “World-class Destinations” that included hospitals in Germany , India , Russia , the UK , France , Israel , and the US .
Bumrungrad International (BI) officially inaugurated its authorized representative in Ethiopia , MMS International Enterprise, Thursday at the Hilton Addis in the presence of Dr. Tewodros Adhanom, Minister of Health.
The office facilitates visa for Thailand through the embassy in Nairobi and other pertinent issues for patients who are heading to be treated in Bangkok Bumrungrad International hospital. Verifying doctors' medical reports that recommend a patient to be treated abroad, checking the financial capacity and the patient's probability to be cured are among the duties of MMS International Enterprise.
Briefing about the hospital, “Many call our medical center a hospital with five-star hotel facilities,” says Sylvia Yong, Regional Marketing Director of BI. “Bumrungrad is actually more than a hospital; it has become a medical tourist center for citizens from over 190 countries.”
MMS is the first African representative office of Bumrungrad International. “Even though we work for profit, sometimes we share some costs of the patients who are unable to afford the full cost of their medical care,” says Michael Meba Selassie, Country Representative/Manager of MMS International Enterprise. BI is the largest private hospital in South East Asia plotted on one million square feet area, and currently having over 554 inpatient beds with over 900 physicians and 700 nurses. It is the first in Asia that is accredited by the US based Joint Commission on International Accreditation (JCE), according to Regional Marketing Director. In the year 2005-06, BI treated over 1,000,000 patients, out of which 45% are international patients from over 190 different countries including over 65,000 from the USA . The 26 years old Bumrungrad International does not intend to stick to the services it renders today through MMS International Enterprise's representation only, which is limiting its services in the country to patient travel facilitation level, according to Mrs. Yong. “Like we did in Bangladesh , Vietnam , Cambodia , and other countries, in the future we will work with partners to give the surgeries here to transfer our experience and to save patients' time, energy and money.”
Newsweek called Bumrungrad “ Asia 's first internationally accredited hospital and one of the most modern and efficient medical facilities in the world.”
The article states that Bumrungrad's patients “get treatment redolent of a five-star hotel.” Attracted by “world-class medicine at developing world prices,” the hospital is “a magnet for medical tourists,” treating more foreign patients than any other hospital in the world, the magazine states.
New diarrheal disease fighter launched
By Andualem Sisay
PUR Purifier of Water®, a new life-saving household water purification technology was launched by Population Services International (PSI)/ Ethiopia , Tuesday at the Hilton Addis.
PSI is joining forces with Procter and Gamble to develop innovative private sector responses to prevent one of Ethiopia 's biggest killers -diarrhea. Benefits of PUR Purifier of Water® include cleaner and clearer water due to a dual treatment process even in turbid waters, residual protection against contamination, removal of parasites and visual improvement in the water. The price of PUR is 0.50 birr cent per sachet.
“It is good enough that this product will be made available at affordable prices to people in rural and semi-urban areas through small shops to enable communities to sustain clean potable water in emergency and non-emergency situation,” said Ato Asfaw Dingamo, Minister of Water Resources at the launch ceremony. “Our ministry assures you to do its utmost in supporting PSI Ethiopia in carrying out required tests and issuing quality assurance with a view of achieving our challenging universal accesses program.”
It is learnt that the country has launched a universal access plan aiming 100% access in water supply and sanitation by the year 2012. In partnership with Safe the Children US and the Chlorine Chemistry Council, PSI/Ethiopia will soon be piloting PUR in selected schools across Oromiya and Somali region. Combining serious education with fun and enjoyment, these schoolchildren will soon be able to access clean drinking water every day that they are at school.
Home water treatment systems have repeatedly been shown in independent peer reviewed studies to be effective at fighting diarrheal diseases, leading to an average 50% reduction. According to the press statement of PSI/Ethiopia, PUR has already provided safe and clear drinking water to thousands of people in Ethiopia this year through PSI/Ethiopia's support to the Ministry of Health's responses to flooding, drought and acute watery diarrhea outbreaks across Amhara, SNNPR, Oromiya and Somali regions. Over a million sachets have been distributed to date, treating over 11 million litters of water among people in need.
PUR was developed by Procter & Gamble (P&G) in collaboration with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and works as a combined flocculants disinfectant, meaning it disinfects water through chlorination, but it also works in areas with highly turbid water where simple chlorination alone is not effective.
PUR will be locally branded and marketed as ‘ WuhaAgar Telel', as an extension to complement WuhaAgar ( WaterGuard ) -a previously launched water disinfection product.
PSI is an international not-for-profit social marketing organization, working in diarrheal disease prevention as well as HIV/AIDS, malaria and reproductive health. PSI operates in more than 60 developing countries, and has been working in Ethiopia since 2003.
ERA embarks on 1.5 bln birr road project
By staff reporter
The Ethiopian Roads Authority (ERA) unveiled plans to commence four road projects worth 1.5 billion birr in Somalia and Gambella regional states as part of its ambitious five year plan.
The first road will be the 220 km Degahabur-Kebridahar road and will be followed by the 105km long Kebridahar-Shilabo and 165km Gode-Kebridahar road in the Somali Region. The project also includes a 120km Adura-Berbe-Akobo road in Gambella Region.
After acquiring heavy machinery worth 613 million birr, ERA plans to upgrade damaged gravel roads in Somalia regional state to asphalt.
At the beginning of the current fiscal year, ERA had announced that it is devising a new mechanism to attract foreign contractors to come and tackle some of over 140 road projects it has set to carry out in the coming five years.
Samson Wondimu, public relations head with the authority, told Capital that about half of the projects out of the 140 will be carried out by foreign contractors and the rest by local contractors.
“We are planning to contact some embassies here to brief them about our programs so that they can pass on the message to contractors in their respective countries,” Samson said. In addition, “we will also be doing some capacity building work for the local contractors.”
ERA estimates the cost of the projects at hand to reach 26 billion birr. The larger financier of the projects is the government of Ethiopia with the rest to be covered by international funding organizations.
When the government's five year plan is completed, the authority hopes to complete 106,106 km of road in the country. This would include 11,331 km at the federal level (under ERA) and 94,775 km of rural roads (under regional road authorities).
Out of the 43 billion birr allocated for the next five years, the government is expected to provide 72%, the World Bank 5.1 billion birr and donors such as the Road Fund, ADB, Japan and Germany are expected to cover the remainder.
About 31,467.8 million birr is allocated for the construction of federal roads in the next five years, while 6,809 million birr has been allocated for rural roads in various regions.
NIB wins Best Bank - Ethiopia Award, 2006
By staff reporter
Nib International Bank S.C (NIB) has been awarded "Best Bank-Ethiopia Award" in the Global Finance World's Best Bank Awards, 2006 by the Global Finance magazine. According to NIB's press statement, the factors taken into consideration for the Award include growth in assets, profitability, geographic reach, strategic relationships, quality of loan portfolio, and product innovation. Considering these factors, Global Finance magazine has identified the best banks in 109 countries.
As the annual survey of the Global Finance magazine indicated, “only those banks with the local market knowledge and a well-trained staff that are able to anticipate customers' needs are likely to remain dominant players for years to come.”
In September 2005, at a ceremony held at the Dorchester Hotel in London , in the presence of heads of the world's leading banks and other dignitaries, NIB was awarded "Bank of the Year Award 2005 for Ethiopia " by the Banker magazine, according to the release from NIB.
NIB, established in 1999, is the youngest private commercial bank in the banking industry of Ethiopia . Its growth and operational achievements in such as short period have been commended by its shareholders. Audited statements for the financial year ending June 30, 2006 showed 17% increase in total assets, 24% increase in net profits and 25% increase in paid-up capital as compared to the pr eceding year. From views expressed during annual meetings so far held, the shareholders are gratified by the impressive annual dividend declarations and distributions. The gratifying success and the recognitions so far attained are attributable to our valued customers, support of shareholder s, committed and dedicated staff members and the public at large, says NIB's management.
MoR collects over 3 bln birr
By Eskinder Michael
The Ministry of Revenues (MoR) has collected over 3.23 billion birr in the past three months, from direct and indirect taxes. The MoR boasts excellent performance as the collection is 99.60% of the targeted plan for the first quarter.
The revenue collected in the first quarter of the fiscal year exceeds the amount secured last year during the same period by a swooshing 97 million birr.
The MoR, the body responsible for all tax and non-tax revenue collections in the country, started this year with a budget outlay of over 14.1 million birr.
The MoR, collects its revenue through three agencies that work under it – The Federal Inland Revenue Authority (FIRA), Ethiopian Customs Authority (ECA) and National Lottery Administration (NLA).
This fiscal year MoR has plans to build the capacity of its revenue collecting agencies both federal and regional so as to collect more taxes in the coming fiscal year, and come up with well drilled tax policies.
The Ministry is also reviewing its organizational structure with a view to boost its performance capacity. It has at the moment hired a professional consulting agency and is having its structure (rules and regulations) appraised.
The MoR also saw its revenue collecting agency – FIRA - install a new Tax Administration System (SIGITAS).
Annan, Konare sign ‘Enhancing AU-UN Cooperation' Declaration
By Andualem Sisay
Kofi A. Annan, Secretary General of the United Nations (UN) and Prof. Alpha Oumar Konare, Chair Person of African Union Commission (AUC) signed a framework for the ten-year capacity Building Program for AU and launched Economic Commission for Africa's (ECA) Business Plan 2007-2009 in Addis Ababa ,Thursday.
“Our continent has always the resources and the challenges but we have not used it well. Today, I hope we have the institution and the vision to change it. So let's step forward and claim the 21 st century as Africa 's century, said Annan, after the signing ceremony. He also indicated in the preface of the Business Plan Document ,the appropriateness of giving special emphasis on regional integration and capacity building particularly for the African Union. “The United Nations itself, through a wide ranging process of reform, continues to seek ways to strengthen the impact of its work in Africa .”
Prof. Konare on his part stressed the need for all stakeholders to recognize their duties and join their hands to bring a bright future for Africa .
The total funding requirement for the three-year period (2007-2009) amounts to USD 278.3 million. Out of this, 64% is to be funded through the regular budget of the commission.
Extra budgetary resources from grants provided by ECA donors are required to cover the remaining 36% of the total budget or USD 100.5 million. The proportion of extra budgetary requirements has increased to previous years (22% in 2003-2006) inline with the scaling-up of ECA program activities at both Headquarters and Sub-Regional Offices to deliver improved results.
“The business plan is based on very credible demand set together that we did receive both from the AU and sub-regional partners particularly the regional economic communities,” said Mr. Abdoulie Janneh, ECA Executive Secretary.”
Nigeria , India , Dutch Ambassadors in Addis are among some of those who expressed their views about the cooperation b/n the UN and AU after the signing ceremony. “Documents are important to be a guideline but action is needed for Africa by the Africans and we are happy to be your partners,” said Dutch Ambassador to Ethiopia .
UN to join AU mission in Darfur
Sudan rejects UN to take command
By Andualem Sisay
The Consultative Meeting on Darfur held in Addis Ababa on Thursday agreed on the three-phase proposal put forward by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to support the AU peace keeping mission with significant UN assistance.
“We had a very good and constructive discussion,” said Kofi Annan to journalists earlier at the break of the consultative meeting. Three groups were set to look at three aspects of the problem: the peace keeping, the ceasefire and continuation of the political process in a meeting that lasted six hours.
Following the agreement of the consultative meeting, the Sudanese government welcomed the United Nations' support in terms of finance, material, logist ic or technical assistance in orde r to strengthen the AU peace keeping mission in Darfur , but still does not accept the UN to take command. According to BBC, Sudan Foreign Minister Lam Akol specified that "there should be no talk about a mixed force".
"The troops should be sourced from Africa as far as possible and the command and control structure would be provided by the UN," Kofi Annan was quoted as saying by the BBC.
The Consultative Meeting brought together senior officials from the AU, the Arab League, the European Union, Sudan , the United States , China , Russia , Egypt , France and half-a-dozen African countries.
A report is expected at next week's AU Peace and Security Council Meeting. Agreement to start a new political process was also reached. The AU and UN will within the next two weeks convene a meeting between the rebels who have not signed the Darfur Peace Agreem ent and the government of Sudan and Minni Minawi leader of the Sudan Liberation Movement who has signed.
So far, 200,000 people are dead and around 3 million displaced in the Darfur crisis. The Darfur Peace Agreement was signed on May 5, 2006, by the largest rebel group, the Sudan Liberation Movement, and the Sudanese Government.
CUD trial continues Prosecution witnesses testify
By Tedla Yeneakal
Six witnesses, who appeared at the Federal High Court in Kaliti Thursday, testified against CUD officials and other defendants on the material damages, physical and psychological injuries caused by the violence.
The Federal Prosecutor told the Second Criminal Bench of the Federal High Court that its ten witnesses registered on the cases against Engineer Hailu Shawel et al were victims of the violence acts that the defendants organized in various parts of Addis Ababa in November 2005. The prosecutor told the court that its witnesses know the level of material damages as well as physical and psychological injuries caused by the violence incited by the defendants.
Accordingly, the 55th , 59th , 62nd , 63rd , and 64th witness testified that the defendants were engaged in inciting violent acts that caused material, physical and psychological damages in various parts of the city from November 1 to 2, 2005. Among the defendants, only Mesfin Deresa cross checked the witnesses.
The court adjourned the trial for tomorrow Monday November 20 t h to hear other ten witnesses of the prosecutor.
More than 100 CUD members and journalists are facing charges accused of crimes ranging from treason and conspiracy to overthrow a legally instituted government to attempted genocide. The charges emerge from post-election disturbances in June and November 2005 over alleged election fraud during the mid-May third multi- party elections.
Rotaplast conducts operation smile
By Mina Yirga
Under the initiative of the Rotary Club of Addis Ababa East, 35 members of Rotaplast International medical groups from Canada and USA , conducted surgery for 97 children with cleft lip/palate anomalies at Yekatit 12 Hospital.
Rotaplast medical team's mission ‘changing smiles saving lives' translates in the lives they saved in Addis Ababa during their two weeks medical intervention at the Yekatit 12 Hospital repairing childhood facial deformities.
According to Dr Albert Goldberg, Chief pediatrician Rotaplast International, the cause for the cleft lip/palate anomalies is multi factorial, which accounts from lack of nutritional portion containing folic acid, to toxic substances in forms of pesticides or household chemicals that are harmful to health.
Another factor could also be the genetic element in the family history. “Unfortunately there is no test that can tell us before hand. It can only be diagnosed when the baby attains eight weeks of gestation. However, most women do not know that they are pregnant until the baby is one month old, and by that time, the cleft lip is already formed. So, one way of preventing could be taking vitamin pills rich in folic acid in the years prior to getting pregnant.”
“We do the palate anomalies surgery for babies that are between 11-13 months so that the child can achieve improved vocalization afterwards. But in the case of cleft lip surgical treatment we do it for an older child as we want to avoid the risk of the child being anemic since there is a high risk of losing a lot of blood during the surgery,” he added.
Speaking at the ceremony held at the Mission Award Presentation at the hospital's premises on Thursday, Dr. Ronald Miname, Medical Director for Rotaplast international mission said, “Our first priority is the safety and well being of our patients. We think we have fulfilled our mission. Though we have no common spoken language, with languages of the heart the connection has been made with our patients.”
Rotarian Tedla Teshome member of the Rotary Club of Addis Ababa East, and project coordinator presented an award trophy to the Ministry of Health and to the Medical Directors and squad at the Yekatit 12 hospital. On his keynote address, Rtn. Tedla appreciated Rotaplast teams' collaboration and partnership with local Rotarians as well as the health officials in the host country.
Canadian ambassador to Ethiopia , H.E. Mr. Yves Boulanger said that for the past four years Ethiopia has become a country of focus in government to g overnment cooperation and in development programs. He further added “what we have seen today is a different type of assistance, the kind of people to people cooperation and it is fa scinating because the results affects directly the people and it is easy to see the difference after the surgery.”
The medical team of the Rotaplast International received certificate of appreciation from Mayor Berhane Deressa.
On his closing remarks, the Mayor said “the mission was important because the team has been able to bring the good will of American and Canadian people apart from sharing their medical skills with Ethiopian doctors. I am very thankful because the team has been able to restore lives of 97 children and perhaps 900 families along the way.”
Rotaplast International, Inc. was founded in 1992 by Dr. Angelo Capozzi and the then Rotary Club President Peter Lagarias in collaboration with the Rotary Club of San Francisco.
Rotaplast International is a non-profit Humanitarian Organization providing free reconstructive cleft palate operation and treatment for children in need worldwide.
Non-medical volunteers are usually affiliated with the mission and in many cases pool of volunteers from Rotary Districts and/or Rotary Clubs sponsoring such international service project with host rotary clubs are undertaken.
The goal of Rotaplast International is to eliminate the incidence of untreated cleft lips and palate in children worldwide by the year 2025. So far, 9,305 patients have been served.
US sanction on Ethiopia faces shelf
By Eskinder Michael
If Ethiopia was on the black list of the US congress over the disturbances caused following the May 15, 2005 elections, then its fight against terrorism in the Horn of Africa has gained it trust, as the US congress plans to shelf sanctions for the moment at least.
The US believes that Ethiopia would help in stopping the growth of terrorism, being already at loggerheads with Somalia and tensions increasing between the two countries.
The US Congress has been under great pressure to pass sanctions on Ethiopia with the Ethiopian Americans Council in the US on the forefront of this movement.
The House of Representatives had named the bill to pass sanctions on Ethiopia “Ethiopia Freedom, Democracy and Human Rights Advancement Act of 2006” (HR 5680), but the fact that the US sees Ethiopia as an ally in the fight against terrorism, seems to have pushed the bill on its way to being shelved.
It has been recently reported that the US is concerned that an Islamic state that would provide a safe haven for terrorists may be established in Somalia . With its hands full on the going war in Iraq , deploying another anti terrorist team to Somalia may be tricky for the time being.
The bill sponsored by Rep. Chris Smith and Donald Payne was stalled by Speaker Dennis Hastert just as it was about to go for a floor vote. It would tie U.S. military and economic aid to Ethiopia 's human rights record and put sanctions on the Ethiopian government unless it releases political prisoners.
Results of the May 15 elections have been strongly disputed with the disagreement leading to people taking to the streets and security forces killing 193 civilians, according to a report revealed by the ‘Independent Inquiry Commission'.
With the opposition going all out on the limb and asking for the government to leave office, its members decided against taking their seats in parliament where they won 170 out of 557 seats, and won full control of Addis Ababa.
Leaders of the opposition party were arrested and charged with treason and attempted genocide, a move that was not taken well by Ethiopians abroad, who started lobbying for sanctions to be passed on the Ethiopian government.
Along with opposition party leaders were arrested journalists and human rights workers who were allegedly involved in instigating violence.
But all the hype of how the government hasn't respected human rights among others, hasn't stopped the US from calling PM Meles Zenawi “a lynchpin on the global war on terror” in its detailed report on the human rights abuses in Ethiopia .
Tensions between Ethiopia and Somalia hit its peak when the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) decided to take over Somalia overthrowing the TFG (Transitional Federal Government).
Ethiopia has repeatedly revealed that it would aid the TFG and that has angered the UIC so much that it declared holy war ( Jihad ) on Ethiopia .
To combat FGM, Norway donates 68 mln birr
By Endale Assefa
Norwegian government donated 68 million birr to Ethiopia as part of the country's plan to fighting Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and for the commitment of eradicating FGM by 2010.
Mrs. Gry Larsen Political advisor for the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, upon disclosing the donation said that the donation is to be used in the next five years for supporting projects working against FGM in regions of Somalia, Afar, Amhara, Oromia and Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples Regional States.
The First Lady, Wo. Azeb Mesfin, Chair of Social Affairs Standing Committee of the Parliament and the National Coalitions of Women against HIV/AIDS said on her part that the country is mobilizing people to eradicate FGM by working on community based projects through education and participating elderly people in regions like Afar and Somalia where customary practices have great values.
Asked about whether the UN goal of eradicating FGM by 2010 could be achieved, Wo Azeb said, “This depends on the wish and willingness of the society. Our endeavor concentrates on empowering women, educating them and mobilizing people to achieve our goals.”
She also appreciated Norway 's support to Ethiopia and called up on Ethiopians living in Norway to assist the project in various ways such as sending educational books and sharing their knowledge about FGM.
Wo. Gifty Abasiya, Chairperson of Women's Standing Committee of the Parliament said that FGM has a long history in this country and the effort to stop the tradition will not be simple. She, however, added that its prevalence rate has been declining from time to time. In support of the idea, Wo. Umah Mohammod, State Minister of Social Affairs said, “the problem of FGM needs social participation. Our activities towards fighting FGM have to be mainstreamed through religious and customary practices.” |