Capital

Presidential investment

By Groum Abate

President Ismael Omar Guelleh of Djibouti is set to invest in the agriculture sector after receiving a large tract of land estimated to be over 7,000 hectares in Bale, Oromia Regional State. The multi-million dollar investment would commence in the next few weeks. The plot is slated for a wheat farm.

Raw, semi-finished leather export tax triples

By Muluken Yewondwossen

Export tax on raw, semi-processed and finished leather items is to be raised three fold in December 2008, sources disclosed to Capital. The existing tax rate on these products is 150%.
These sources believe that if the new regime is issued on the stated products it will create opportunities to improve the activities of the leather industry and to increase foreign exchange earnings from the sector.

City Bank to open office in Addis

By Tagu Zergaw

The U.S. based City Bank plans to open a branch office here in Addis Ababa. The office will also be a base for East and Central Africa, sources disclosed to Capital.
City Bank will be the second foreign bank to open offices in the country. Early this year a bank from Germany, Commerzbank, opened a representative office.

Bill Clinton to visit Ethiopia

The former president is set to return to Africa at the end of this month to inspect the progress of his wildly successful Global and HIV/AIDS Initiative programs, his office announced.

By Groum Abate

The former president of the United States, Bill Clinton, is set to return to Africa at the end of this month to inspect the progress of his wildly successful Global and HIV/AIDS Initiative programs, his office announced.
MORE

Local News

Ethiopian Insurance wins huge contract

Melaku to remain head at new Revenue Authority

TATA opens Addis office, engages in leather

40 arrested in latest police raid against pirates Officers attacked

Art & Culture

Liberation Heroes VII

“Dire Dawa”
A new flavor of musical spice


Interview

Helping hands

Volunteerism is one of the most effective tools for bringing about grass roots development. At international level, volunteerism helps to create firm people to people bridges as various cultures interact in the spirit of cooperation and mutual understanding.
Recently celebrating the 10th anniversary of its establishment is the British Volunteer Services Organization (VSO). Patricia Sellick, VSO Country Director and Yohannes Teklu, VSO Senior Program Manager, were available to Capital's Addis Mulugeta, for a general overview of VSO Ethiopia program. Excerpts:

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Entreprenuer Profile is Capital’s youngest page and is already eliciting warm reviews. We have received dozens of e-mails, scores of letters and a clamor of phone calls of appreciation, suggestions and ideas which will all contribute for a better Entrepreneur Profile strengthened by your continued participation.

		Personal Recollections of the Aksum Obelisk Issue: Early Days
		This first in a series of articles about what must be rated as one of Ethiopia's most successful, wholly unofficial and private initiative led grouping - the Aksum Obelisk Return Committee is timely…. Even as we speak, the returned obelisk is being re-mounted on the same spot it had stood on for centuries before it was carted away to a forced exile…..
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By Hook or by crook

By Tesfu Telahoun

Part one

Ethiopia is perennially second or third from bottom (might as well be on the last rung) on the human development index. This land has never been an easy country in which to live with any semblance of economic, social and other basic securities. This discouraging condition has, since the 1974 'convolution', forced citizens to leave no stone unturned to find a way, any way of fleeing a homeland that is deeply loved yet seemingly so unloving in return.