Ethiopia, China Sign 349m Br Grant Agreement

Ethiopia and China have signed grant agreement amounting to 349 million Br for the construction of Addis Abeba-Adama express highway. The agreement was signed between Ahmed Shide, state minister of Finance and Economic Development and Li Rougu, president of the Chinese Export-Import Bank. The grant will be spent on the highway construction project with 12m width. The highway is said to be the first of its kind in Ethiopia. Chinese firm - China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) has already made a deal to construct the highway which is to start by 2010 and scheduled to conclude in 2014.

Zone Hopes to Reap 26m Qtls of Agricultural Products

Close to 26 million quintals of agricultural products are expected to be reaped from the land cultivated with various crops in the West Gojjam Zone of the Amhara Regional State during the current season, the zonal Agriculture and Rural Development Bureau said. The stated volume of agricultural output would be reaped on more than 500,000hct of farmland in the zone, the bureau said. The volume of products expected to be reaped has surpassed that of the same time during the previous year by more than six million quintals.

Ethiopia Targets Three Million Hectares for Commercial Farms

Ethiopia plans to offer three million hectares of land over the next two years for investors to develop large scale commercial farms. "We will make three million hectares available for investment for the next two years," a government official reiterated and added that the land around the country, not currently utilized, could be used for coffee, cotton, sesame, sugarcane, tea, palm oil and flowers. The Ethiopian Investment Agency has already parceled off two million hectares and is negotiating a further one million hectares from regional authorities.

Development Projects Worth 40m Br Underway

Various development Projects are being undertaken in Debre Birhan Town of the North Shewa Zone in the Amhara National Regional State, at a cost of 40 million Br, the town administration office said. The development projects include, among others, construction of roads, safe water units and residential houses, the office said. Currently, the construction of 1.5km asphalt road, 20km alleyways and 10km cobblestones are well in progress, according to the office and adding that investors with over 147 million Br combined capital are engaged in various development works in the town. 

Japan Donates Over 3.6m Br to Local Institutions

The Government of Japan provided 3.6 million Br donations for three local organizations, on Monday, November 9, 2009. The three organizations that signed the grant - the South Omo Research Centre, the Ethiopian Arbitration and Conciliation Centre and HOPE 2020 - will be working in the areas of water, culture and dispute resolution mechanisms. The grant, for the first time, includes assistances for cultural projects being undertaken by non-profit organizations in Ethiopia, said Kinichi Kumano, ambassador of Japan to Ethiopia.

Over 7,000 Tourists Visit Lalibela

Over 7,000 foreign tourists have visited the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela and its environs over the past four months, the Lalibela Town Culture and Tourism Department said. The town had secured over 2.2 million Br in revenue by rendering service to tourists, the Department said adding that the number of tourists visiting the sites has shown an increase of 1,100 in number against last year. Tourists made the journey to the 11 rock-hewn churches and other religious and tourist attraction sites in the area.

Zone Obtains 5,000 Qtls from Fishery Development

About 5,000 Qtls of fish produce was obtained in the East Shewa Zone of the Oromia Regional State during the past three months. The produce of fish was obtained from lakes, rivers and ponds in various weredas of the zone. Farmers who took part in the production of the fish collected about four million Br in revenue. The farmers were able to utilize 50pc of the fish resources found in various lakes and rivers of the zone, including Langano, Zeway and Koka Dam, according to an expert in Fishery Resource Development.

Zone Collects Over 23m Br Income

Over 23 million Br was collected in the West Gojjam Zone of the Amhara National Regional State during the first quarter of the Ethiopian fiscal year. The revenue was collected from direct tax, non-tax and other income titles. The stated amount of income was higher than that of the previous year by eight million Birr. The increase in tax collecting was attributed to the increased awareness among tax payers and the implementation of business process reengineering. The zone has plans to collect over 96 million Br incomes by the end of this year.