Agency issues license to 915 investment projects

The Ethiopian Investment Agency said it has issued investment licenses to investment projects during the first half of the current fiscal year to be launched in different parts of the nation with an aggregate capital of over 30 billion Birr. Investment promotion and public relations department director with the agency, Aklilu Woldemariam told ENA that the agency granted licenses to 915 investment projects out of which 92.6 percent of the projects belong to foreign nationals.
The projects focus on, among others, manufacturing industry, agriculture, catering and tourism, education, health, and other development sectors. The number of projects obtained investment licenses during the reported period exceeded that of the previous year of the same period by 326. Some 152,840 persons will get jobs when all projects go fully operational, he said. The official attributed the success mainly to promotion of investment opportunities and incentives in Ethiopia in connection with the celebration of the new Ethiopian Millennium and efficiency of service delivery. (ENA)

Amhara State completes 7,152 condos

The condominium houses launched last year with more than 244 million birr in Amhara State would be completed on April, 2008, according to the state works and urban development bureau. Bureau Public Relations Expert Zewdu Mogninete told WIC today that the 7,152 condos have been constructed in Bahirdar, Desse, Gondar, Kombolcha, Debretabor, Debremarkos, Debrebirhan and Woldiya towns.
Upon their completion in early April the condos will be handed over to 35,760 inhabitants, he said. The construction of 13,190 condos that benefit 65,950 people was also launched in 12 towns of the state this budget year, according to the expert. Organized youth have been immensely contributing to the construction underway by supplying inputs, he said, adding that the state government has also been providing them with financial, transportation and other supports. (Walta)

Oromia targets 9,000 condos by end of budget year

The Oromia State Housing Development Project Office has reportedly been exerting efforts to complete the ongoing construction of the over 9,000 condominium houses by the end of the current fiscal year. Presenting the six-month performance report of the office in Adama town recently, Public Relations and Documentation Service Head Gemechu Bekele said the construction of the condos underway in 11 towns was delayed due to shortage of materials and other related problems.
Efforts have however been underway to finalize the projects and transfer them to beneficiaries by the end of the budget year, he added. According to him, preparations are also finalized to launch the construction of 12,144 additional condos in five towns. The condos under construction with close to one billion birr allocated by the state government would solve the housing problems of 15,000 households and create jobs to more than 21,000 youth, he indicated. (Walta)

178 mln. Birr coffee pulping industries go operational

Some 69 investors engaged in coffee pulping industries in Gujji Zone of Oromia State with an aggregate capital of 178 million Birr have begun production, zonal agriculture and rural development office said. Office head, Goshu Saketa told ENA that the investment projects are established in kercha, Uraga, Shakiso , Adolla and Ambella Wemena Woredas since last Ethiopian budget year.
The projects have so far created 7,000 jobs, he said. The head said currently coffee development is being carried out nearly on 39,000 hectares of land in 176 rural localities. Close to 95, 000 quintals of coffee is harvested annually on average. Goshu said the office is multiplying coffee seedlings to expand coffee development in four additional woredas. (ENA)

Result oriented programs in three Ministries

Ministry of Capacity Building announced it is undertaking Result Oriented Programs in three Ministries; Ministry of Information, Ministry of Transport and Communication and Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
The Result oriented programs are implemented at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the first one to implement a blanked scorecard system. Ministry of Information and Ministry of Transport and Communication are on building phase of the programs. Ministry of Capacity Building added that Ministry of Foreign Affairs soon will starts implementing the programs as training and other preparation are underway. (Press Release)

1.5 million People got VCT services in half year

The Federal HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Office (HAPCO) said 1.5 million people underwent through Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) services during the last six months. Planning and Programming Department Head with HAPCO, Hussen Faris, told WIC that the office has been executing various activities to prevent the spread of the virus, expand medical services in the sector and support people living with the virus.
He said cross sections of the society undertook voluntary counseling and testing following the awareness raising activities carried out in schools, work places and health institutions. Accordingly, 9,609 students have carried out peer to peer discussion, he said, adding that 38,388 teachers and students drawn from various schools have also been providing education for the community. The office, working in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, has raised the 1,065 VCT centers in the country to 1,500 during the stated period. (Walta)

CBE inaugurates Sheraro branch in Tigray

The Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE) has formally inaugurated its Sheraro branch on February 23, 2008. Opening the branch, Dr. Getachew Teka, Director of Marketing Department, said that Sheraro branch would enable to adequately meet the demand of the bank's customers, whose number is continuously increasing from time to time.
Further, the opening of this branch would have a significant contribution in assisting the country's export bus1ness activities and the on-going development, he noted. Dr. Getachew stated that the Bank's Business Process Re-engineering (BPR) for its core business is nearing completion and the re-engineered core business processes will be tested in few selected branches shortly. The result is expected to bring a radical institutional change in the qualities of the Bank's services, he stated. The Director called on the occas1on for businesspersons and sub-city administration authorities in the respective areas to extend their k1nd contribution for the success of the Bank's overall activities. Established in 1942, CBE currently has about 2 m1llion account holders. The Bank's total capital has reached to over 4.2 billion Birr and its lending limit has increased to one billion Birr. CBE's number of branches has now reached 197. (Press Release)