Airports Enterprise Earns 27.5m Br Net Profit

The Ethiopian Airports Enterprise, one of the state-owned business organisations, provided service to 2.2 million passengers during the first half of the current fiscal year. The stated number of passengers enjoyed domestic and international flights at 15 national airports, Shiferaw Alemu, general manager at the enterprise, said. The airports served 38, 743 flights during the reported time. The enterprise made 27.5 billion Br in net profits through the provision of service to customers during the reported period. The enterprise began utilising state-of-the-art aviation technologies in a bid to provide safe and efficient services to customers, according to the general manager.

Assosa Airport Inaugurated

An airport constructed in the Assosa Town of the Benishangul-Gumuz Regional State at a cost of 92 million Br was inaugurated on Sunday, February 14, 2010. The new airport constructed by the Ethiopian Airports Enterprise (EAE) is to give service to Boeing 737s and other aircraft that can carry up to 120 passengers. The government spent over 1.24 million Br on the construction of airports during the past six years alone, Alemayehu Tegenu, board chairperson of EAE, said.

Union Obtains over 29.8m Br Income

The Sulula Boset Miners Union in Oromia Regional State secured more than 29.8 million Br in revenue over the past six months. The revenue was obtained from 652,141 cubic metres of sand, stone, gravel, and various mineral products supplied to the market since last July 2009, Lema Dadi, general manager of the union, said. The union is also engaged in various income generating activities to improve the livelihoods of its members. Established four years ago, the Sulula Boset Miners Union has 31,211 members from the Arsi, West Arsi and East Shewa zones. 

Authority Collects over 506m Br in Income

The Amhara Regional State Revenue Authority collected over 506.3 million Br in income in the first half of this fiscal year. The revenue collected during the stated period exceeds that of the same period last year by 48pc, Tebikew Worku, the authority's revenue study and tax education public relations process leader, said. He attributed the increase to the successful implementation of business process reengineering (BPR), registration of 37,000 new taxpayers, integrated activities carried out by heads at all levels, and awareness raising education offered to taxpayers. The authority envisages collecting over one billion Birr in revenue, including 20 million Br in arrears, this budget year.     

Construction of 11,000 Condos Underway

The Work and Urban Development Bureau of the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples (SNNP) Regional State is working to transfer 11,000 condos that are under construction in 12 towns of the state to beneficiaries. The construction of the condominiums is well underway with a 105 million Br budget allocated from the government, Fekadu Angelo, information and communication process owner at the bureau, said. The construction of 561 buildings launched in 20 towns in 2007, is well underway and has created jobs for 10,918 people organised into 784 associations, he added.

 Safe Water Units Underway for over 17m Br

Construction of safe water units is underway in the Gedeo Zone of the SNNP Regional State at a cost of over 17 million Br. The water facility projects include, among other things, the digging of water wells, construction of water reservoirs and installation of water pipelines, Abebayehu Tadesse, head of the zone's Water, Mines and Energy Department, said.

Investment Projects worth 21.6m Br Underway

Some 24 investors with 21.6 million Br in combined capital engaged in various investment sectors in Jimma, Oromia Regional State, during the past six months of the current fiscal year. The administration provided 19,707sqm of plots for investors, Ahmed Abagibsa, mayor of the administration, said. The investors are engaged in hotels, tourism, real estate, and social service provision. The investment projects have created jobs for 477 people, and the administration has put in place a system to provide efficient services for investors.

State Collects 100m Br in Income from Tourism

Over 110 million Br in income was obtained from tourism in the Amhara Regional State during the past six months of the current fiscal year. The income was obtained from over 432,800 tourists who visited tourism sites in the regional state, Yeshiwas Desalegn, promotion officer at the Culture, Tourism and Parks Development Bureau of the state, said. The number of tourists who visited the sites exceeded that of the same time period last year by 180,000. The income obtained during the reported period also surpassed that of the same time during the previous year by 9.6 million Br.

Embassy to Inaugurate Chancery, Residence

The Ethiopian Embassy in Khartoum, Sudan is going to inaugurate a complex built with an outlay of over 80 million Br. The Ethiopian Government decided to create an asset in Sudan by constructing a chancery and embassy residence building, according to Ali Abdo, Ethiopia's ambassador to Sudan. The complex will also undergo a facelift.