Turkish Red Crescent Society Donates over 500,000.00 US Dollars, in response to the emergency arisen from natural disasters in the said countries.

Turkish Red Crescent Society Donated humanitarian aid to Ethiopia and Kenya, which is worth 587.141 US Dollars, in response to the emergency arisen from natural disasters in the said countries. The Turkish Red Crescent Society delivered the said donations to the officials of Red Cross Society of Ethiopia on 29 January and February 2007 in Addis Ababa Bole International Airport.
The donation to Ethiopia, whose worth is 299.204 US Dollars, consists of 600 tents, 5000 blankets, 2500 awnings, and 70.000 soaps.
The donation to Kenya, whose worth is 287.937 US Dollars, consists of 600 tents, 5000 blankets, and 2000 awnings.
With the conviction that assistance to the countries affected by natural disasters, war, poverty and civil strife is essential for the international peace and stability, Turkey’s has recently increase its humanitarian assistance provided for Africa.(Press Release)

Call for release of Ethiopian abductees continue

Members of the Somali state police commission called up on the international community and humanitarian organizations to make pressure on Eritrea to get the eight Ethiopian hostages released.
In a resolution they passed on Wednesday, the police members said they would stand on the side of the government in the efforts to get the hostages abducted through the mastermind of the Eritrean government released.
They also said they would not overlook the ill deeds of the Eritrean government it committed on Ethiopians while Ethiopia is exerting all efforts towards development. (The Ethiopian Herald)

ETHIOPIAN eyes at enhancing profitability through top quality service

With its wide-range of strategic measures well in the pipeline, Ethiopian Airlines eyes at enhancing its profitability by focusing on top quality service.
In a company profile published in the April issue of the monthly "African Business", a London-based magazine, Ethiopian Airlines chief operating officer Tewolde Gebremariam said the airline, among its major strategies, is set to acquire a fleet of 10 B787 Dreamliner jet aircraft in 2008. The airline also plans to lease at least two aircraft to enhance domestic fleet.
Says Tewolde: "One of the major strategies of Ethiopian Airlines is to position itself as a world class African airline." While seeking to enhance its profitability by reinforcing network development, maximizing load factors and yields, Ethiopian, he said, also envisages achieving cost leadership by undertaking business process re-engineering, maximizing its aircraft fleets' utilization and providing quality products.
"Ethiopian Airlines takes Africa to its heart," says Tewolde, "For over 60 years, and more than any other airline, ET has been connecting Africa to the world." (Addis Zemen)

Ethiopia earmarks close to 5 Billion USD in the road sector for the next five years, ERA
The government of Ethiopia has earmarked close to 5 Billion USD as a five year investment in the road sector, the Ethiopian roads authority said.
Speaking at a national workshop organized here on Thursday on Bitumen, road-surfacing material, Authority Operation Department Deputy Director, Mesfin Haile said currently extensive road construction projects are being executed in the country to support on going efforts to build infrastructure in the country.
He said the authority has launched a number of road projects with a view to sustaining the steadily growing economy of Ethiopia.
He said the authority has been exerting efforts with a view to making private local contractors internationally competent and boosting their financial and material capacity.
Mesfin said ERA and the Addis Ababa Road Authority (AARA), which carry out most of the new road construction and maintenance activities throughout the country, purchase 15 - 20 thousand tons of Bitumen annually. (ENA)

Expo Hortiflora 2007 said meet all expectations

More than 7000 trade visitors attended the second biannual Expo Hortiflora held recently in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, hortinews.com reported.
The vast majority came from Ethiopia, but there was an impressing number of international visitors as well from over 15 countries, it said.
Buyers of flowers came from Japan, Germany, Holland, Belgium, France, Dubai, Bahrain and several other countries.
The 151 national and international exhibitors came from Ethiopia, Israel, Holland, France, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Ecuador, Kenya, Saudi Arabia and other countries.
The report said the exhibitors presented a wide range of products and services for the production of flowers, vegetables and fruits.
But the impressive Ethiopian flower pavilion, with over 40 Ethiopian growers displaying their flowers, was the highlight of the Show and a real Showcase for the world to see what Ethiopia has ready to export. (The Ethiopian Herald)

Company to establish cement factory around Dire Dawa town

Ture Diredawa Cement Factory Plc, a private business company, is to establish a cement manufacturing factory in the vicinity of the Dire Dawa town at a cost of close to 308 million Birr, town’s investment department said.
Handing over a plot of land to the company, Department Head Bahir Amie said on Thursday the company has obtained 22 hectares of land free of lease.
He said the company, which is a joint venture of the Ture family and a Chinese business enterprise, has received license earlier from the Federal Investment Agency.
The head said the company has already paid over 1.1 million Birr in compensations to 16 farmers who are to be relocated due to the construction of the new factory.
Company representative, Mohamed Amin said on his part the new cement factory, which is expected to have a capacity of producing 5,000 tons of cement daily, would create job opportunities to 70 people. (ENA)