Developers Invest 200m Br in Debre Tabor

Developers with an aggregate capital of over 200 million Br received licences last year in Debre Tabor Town, South Gondar Zone, Amhara Regional State, according to the town's Trade Investment and Industry Office. In total 15 developers are engaged in various sectors, including hospitality, tourism, and real state development, Tamyalew Wotet, the head of the office, said. The town administration granted over 94ht of land to the projects, and most developers have already started construction, said Tamyalew. Once the projects become fully operational, they will create jobs for over 500 people. Projects in various sectors that had been undertaken by 88 developers in the past have created jobs for over 1,600 people, he said.

Investors Spend Millions on Development

Investors with an aggregate capital of over 300 million Br were engaged in various development sectors in Kombolcha Town, Amhara Regional State, during the previous fiscal year, according to the town administration. They were engaged in agriculture, animal fattening, and hospitality services, Getawoi Yirga, the mayor, said. A total of 36 investors with an aggregate capital of over 192 million Br also launched various investment projects in Limu Kossa Wereda, Jimma Zone, Oromia Regional State, during the previous fiscal year, according to the wereda’s Investment Office. They have begun vegetable and fruit cultivation, animal husbandry, and coffee development in projects that have created jobs for 4,200 individuals, Kamil Muhammed, the team leader in the office, said.

New Facilities in West Gojam Operational

About 813 water facilities that were constructed with a cost of over 30 million Br last year in West Gojam Zone, Amhara Regional State, have begun operations, according to the zone’s Water Resources Development Office. The construction costs were covered by the government, nongovernmental organisations (NGOs), and the local community. The facilities, constructed in five towns and 13 rural weredas, include more than 700 hand dug wells and the development of 67 springs, Bogale Kassahun, the office’s planning and programme expert, said. The facilities will benefit over 218,000 people, said Bogale. 

Enterprise Plans 1.6b Br for Waterworks

The Waterworks Construction Enterprise (WWCE) plans to construct projects worth 1.6 billion Br this fiscal year, according to Ephrem Lelisa, supervisor of the corporate planning business process. The enterprise aims to make a gross profit of 47.6 million Br from their six planned high standard construction projects, which include the Tendaho, Kesem, Gidabo, and Rib dam and irrigation projects, some of which impact hugely on the sugar industry, said Ephrem. The enterprise also plans to obtain over 165 million Br in revenues from constructing an irrigation canal, road, and pipe works for the Finchaa Sugar Factory’s expansion projects, he said. The WWCE has allocated over 540,000 Br for capacity building training and 760 million Br for purchasing construction machinery.

Koka Dam Celebrates 50 Years

Ethiopia’s first hydroelectric power generating dam, Koka, which was built in 1960, marked its 50th anniversary on August 28, 2010. Professionals are expected to make a big contribution to the country’s effort to be able to generate an additional 8,000MW in the coming five years, said Alemayehu Tegenu, minister of Mines and Energy (MoME). Currently, the country generates 2,000MW for two million clients, said the minister. The MoME and the Ethiopian Electrical Power Corporation (EEPCo) have built hydropower generating dams, transformers, and transmission lines as well as substations to try to meet the demand for energy, said the minister. The dam, which was built in 1960, has the capacity to generate power for the next 50 years, said Mihret Debebe, chief executive cfficer (CEO) of EEPCo.  

Guji Zone Plants 13.5m of 52m Coffee Seedlings

Over 13.5 million coffee seedlings were transplanted in Guji Zone, Oromia Regional State, the zonal Agriculture and Rural Development Office said. The seedlings were transplanted on over 3,700ht in 10 weredas of the zone, said Goshu Saketa  office deputy head. Over 9,000 farmers participated in the transplantation, said Goshu. The office is to nurture over 52 million new coffee seedlings in order to double the coffee production next year, he said. Over 266ql of coffee was harvested from over 38,00ht in the previous crop season, he said.

East Hararghe Adds 165 Health Facilities

In East Hararghe Zone of the Oromia Regional State, about 165 health project facilities, built at a cost of 82 million Br, have begun rendering service, according to the zonal health department. One modern hospital, 12 health centres, and 152 health posts were among the projects that went operational in 22 weredas of the zone in the just ended fiscal year, said Ali Abdulahi, head of the department. The health facilities have the capacity to provide health services to over 1.2 million people, according to Ali. The health projects pushed the zonal health coverage from 93pc to 96pc in the previous year, he said.

Liben’s New Vet. Centres to Boost Coverage to 79pc

In Liben Zone, Somali Regional State, veterinary centres constructed at a cost of six million Br, have become operational, the zonal administration said. The health centres have the capacity to serve over 1.1 million animals, said Abdi Fetah, zonal administration chief. There are over 1.9 million domestic animals in the zone, according to Abdi. The health centres would enable the animal health coverage in the zone to rise from the existing 20pc to 79pc, he said.

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.