Gov't Official Says Global Crisis Not Bringing  Local Banks Down

The international financial downturn has not had an impact on local banks, said Bereket Simeon, head with ministerial portfolio of Government Communication Affairs Office. Bereket gave a briefing on the current reality in Ethiopia to more than 130 Ethiopians and foreign citizens of Ethiopian origin at the Ethiopian Embassy in London. He told the gathering that Ethiopia has been registering a double-digit GDP over the past six consecutive years with a higher growth rate yet expected this year.

Amhara Collects over 538m Br Revenue

The Amhara Regional State Revenues Authority said it has collected more than 538 million Br in revenue over the past seven months. Speaking at a trainers training held in Gondar town on Business Process Reengineering (BPR) Authority Deputy Manager Bahita Sibhat said the stated sum was collected from various income titles. He said the authority has finalized preparations to implement BPR. Trainers training was provided to more than 500 trainers for the same purpose.

SNNPRS, over 1.4b Br Investment Projects Underway

Some 72  investors with an over 1.4 billion Br combined  capital have been engaged in various development activities in Gamo-Gofa Zone, Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Regional State (SNNPRS), the Zonal  Culture and Information Department stated. According to a recent publication by the department, the investors are engaged in agricultural, real estate and agro processing sectors. The investors received over 10,300hct of land. Some 27 of them are engaged in agricultural development. The projects have so far created jobs for more than 1,500 people.

Housing Agency Collects over 100m Br in First Half Year

Farmers in Ankesha Woreda of Awi Zone of Amhara State have earned over three million Birr from honey sales this year, the Woreda Agriculture and Rural Development Office revealed. Animal rearing and fodder development expert with the office, Nibret Tamir, said that the stated sum was obtained from the sale of over 1,400Qtls of honey harvested during the summer and main crop season. The amount of harvested honey has been increasing following the use of modern beehives, he said. About 4,760 farmers are engaged in apiary in the woreda.

In't Telecom Union Donates $107,000 worth ICT Equipment to Blind

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has handed over information and communication technology (ICT) equipment worth 107,500 dollars to the Adoptive Technology Centre for Blind in Ethiopia. Speaking at the handing over ceremony, General Manager Dr. Tamirat Belay said the equipment would enable the blind to compete on an equal basis with their sighted counterparts, improve their education, as well as enable them to acquire employment. Head of ITU regional Office for Africa, Brihima Sanou said there is an estimated 650 million people living with disabilities worldwide, while the total number of people directly or indirectly affected by physical disability is nearly two billion.

Safety-net Programme worth 241 million Br Underway

A safety-net Programme benefiting more than 1.4 million farmers is underway at a cost of over 241 million Br in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Regional State (SNNPRS), regional Agriculture and Rural Development Bureau disclosed. Bureau Deputy Head Tesfaye Yigezu said that the programme is being carried out in 79 food insecure and drought-prone woredas of the state. He said the programme includes rehabilitation of mountainous areas, small irrigation schemes, construction of safe water facilities, as well as construction and maintenance of other amenities, among others. He added that the programme would help the aforementioned number of farmers to improve their food security.

Amhara Licenses over 1.1b Br Investment Projects

The Fenote Selam Wereda Trade and Industry Development Office in West Gojjam Zone of Amhara Regional State has licensed investors with a registered capital of over 1.1 billion Br during the past eight months. Office Deputy Head Getachew Dagne said that the 24 investors will engage in agriculture, catering and tourism, education, trade and other social service sectors.  He further indicated that 1,000 unemployed citizens are expected to get job opportunities upon completion of the new investment projects. Some 15 investors operating in the zone had launched various investment projects with an aggregate capital of 45 million Br during the past year.

EU to Give Ethiopia $60.9m for Food Security

The European Commission adopted a 421.44 million dollars package of projects to support agriculture and improve the food security situation in 23 developing countries, including Ethiopia. Ethiopia would get 60.9 million dollars, according to European Commission delegation in Addis Abeba. Louis Michel, commissioner Responsible for Development and Humanitarian Aid said that the European Commission has already made a humanitarian response to the food crisis through emergency aid. The 'food facility' is the development response 1.34 billion dollars over three years to get agriculture back on its feet.