Gambella State Council Adopts 217m Br Budget

The fourth regular conference of the Gambella State Council adopted a 217 million Br budget for 2007/08 budget year, the development plan for the budget year as well as the appointment of judges and cabinet members. The federal government will grant 186.6 million Br of the budget and 11.3 million Br will originate from loans and grants while the remaining from the State's revenue sources.

FIRA Collects over 5.8b Br Revenue

The Federal Inland Revenue Authority (FIRA) reported that it collected over 5.8 billion Br revenue from various tax sources in the 2006/07 budget year. Abebe Kebede, Authority public relations services head, said that some 2.6 billion Birr originated from direct tax, 3.1 billion Br from indirect tax and three million Br from non-tax incomes. Out of the total indirect tax, some 2.3 billion Br was obtained from Value Added Tax (VAT). The Authority realised some 90pc of its target to collect 6.41 billion Br in the just-ended budget year, Abeba added. The revenue collected in this fiscal year exceeds that of last year same period by 1.2 billion Br. The Authority envisages collecting some 7.5 billion Br revenue  next budget year.

Sheik Mohammed Hussien Al-Amoudi pledged to cover over half of the estimated 50 million Br required to build the new cultural museum in Harar, an official with the Region's Millennium Council said. Bushira Mohammed, public relations officer, said Al-Amoudi made the pledge after laying a cornerstone at the future site of the construction project while he was there to attend the closing session of the Harar Millennium celebration which lasted for a month. The new museum building will consist of multi-purpose facilities such as a public library, conference room and international gymnasium and archives.

Germany Pledges 250,000 Euro to Somali Refugees in Ethiopia

German Ambassador Claas Dieter Knoop, announced that his country will contribute more than 250,000 Euro (three million Birr) to Somali refugees in Ethiopia in addition to the already pledged emergency funds of 10 million Br. The donation will go towards the United Nations'(UN) project for additional humanitarian assistance and international protection for Somali refugees in Ethiopia. Droughts, flooding and the aftermath of the military conflict beginning in December 2006 worsened the living conditions of the Somali people and made increased efforts necessary in order to meet the basic needs of the affected population and to facilitate the logistics for this operation. This latest contribution from Germany increases the overall 2007 German financial support to Somalia and to Somali refugees in neighbouring countries to more than 23 million euro (276 million Br), according to the statement.

Towns, Rural Kebeles Get Telephone Services

The Ethiopian Telecommunications Corporation (ETC) said it is benefiting two towns and surrounding rural kebeles in North Shoa Zone of the Amhara Regional State with modern telecommunications services at a cost of seven million Birr. Activities that would benefit Enewari and Jihur towns with digital communications and the surrounding rural kebeles with wireless telephone services are nearing completion, manager of the Debre Brehan area office with the Corporation said. ETC is constructing the telephone exchange service that would enable the towns to benefit from digital telephone services. Some 700 customers are expected to get efficient telephone services. Preparations are also well in progress to expand wireless telephone service in other rural localities in the coming Ethiopian year.

Manufacturing Hides, Skins Supplied to Central Market

The Tigray Regional State Agriculture and Rural Development Bureau said over 27 million Br in hides and skins have been supplied to the central market in the State during the 2006/07 budget year. Over 1.2 million goat hides and 85,000 oxen skins were supplied to the central market by 114 legal merchants, the expert added. A committee with members drawn from the State Justice, Finance and Economic Development and Agriculture and Rural Development bureaus has also been set up to follow up the implementation of rules and regulations that help control illicit merchants. According to the citing document issued by the Ethiopian Investment Agency (EIA), out of the 838 investment projects licensed during the period, the manufacturing industry sector took the lead with 268 projects.

Ethiopia, Czech Republic to Abolish Double Taxation

Ethiopia and the Czech Republic signed a convention for the avoidance of double taxation agreement on July 25, 2007. The 22 to 25 Czech companies in Ethiopia producing various goods and construction materials and about 10 to 15 Ethiopian companies in the Czech Republic will benefit. For the last five years, the annual average trade turnover between the two countries was about two million dollars.

China to Double Imports from Ethiopia

Lin Lin, Chinese ambassador to Ethiopia, said his country has created favourable market conditions to double its imports from Ethiopia as of next year. The Ambassador said, beginning next year, China would raise the 190 types of items it used to import from Ethiopia three years ago to 440. China used to import agricultural and agriculture related produces from Ethiopia. With the increase of Chinese imports, Ethiopia's foreign currency earnings will rise from 130 million dollars to 560 million dollars. Around 60 Chinese investors with registered capital of over 120 million dollars are engaged in various investment activities in Ethiopia.