Day: September 29, 2023

AfDB, Ministry of Industry Hold Discussion to Strengthen Support to Manufacturing Sector

Advisors to Board of Directors of African Development Bank (AfDB) met with the officials and advisors of the Ministry of Industry to review the progress the manufacturing industry has made and the support being provided by the bank.

The two sides also discussed on how the AfDB would continue providing support to the sector and the efforts being made by the government to intensify the manufacturing sector, according to the Ministry of Industry.

Members of the AfDB delegation have been provided briefings by officials of the ministry on development facilities of various Industrial Development Parks in the country, on commitment of the federal government to further boosting the manufacturing sector as well as on results and challenges.

The delegation of AfDB also visited Yirgalem Integrated Agro-Industrial Park and Hawassa Industrial Park.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Construction of Koysha Hydro Electric Power Station Reaches 61 Percent

Construction of the Koysha Hydro Electric Power Station, which is under construction on the Omo River in the South Western Ethiopia Region, has reached 61 percent completion.

A group of journalists from local media organizations visited the ongoing construction activities of the project.

Deputy head of the project Engineer Abayneh Getaneh said the dam, which is under construction on the Omo River, will have an installed capacity of 1,800 Megawatts.

He explained that the project will be equipped with 6 turbines, each generating 300 megawatts, and construction of the turbine house and ventilation is underway.

the Deputy head noted that the civil work of the project, which started in 2016, is now 52 percent complete, the dam reinforcement has reached 30 percent, the ventilation 13 percent, and the electromechanical work is under study.

Overall the project completion has reached 61 percent, Engineer Abayneh confirmed.

He added that the project has created jobs for five thousand people and is making a great contribution to the transfer of knowledge and technology.

When the Koysha Hydroelectric Project is completed, an artificial lake of 130 kilometers long and 200 square kilometers in area will be created, it was noted.

Koysha Hydroelectric Project Manager, Engineer Eugenio ZOPPIS said the project is contributing in terms of knowledge and technology transfer in addition to job opportunities.

The State Minister of Government Communication Services, Selamawit Kassa, on her part said Koisha is one of the mega projects that have been around for a long time and have great significance.

However, she added that currently the construction of the hydropower project is well underway due to the special attention given to it by the government as part of the on going reform measures.

Selamawit further stated that the project includes national parks which are endowed with potential natural resources vital for tourist destinations. According to her, the artificial lake impounded behind the dam will increase the flow of tourists.

On the other hand, the project will connect the local community with the infrastructure networks and make the local products, including vegetables and fruits, accessible to the market, she said.

According to the State Minister, the government of Ethiopia has given a great deal of attention to Koysha Hydroelectric Project. She also affirmed that works are well underway to complete the project within short period of time.

Ethiopia has some of the richest fresh water resources in Africa by volume, distributed across eight major basins with an exploitable hydropower potential of 45,000 MW.

To help address the energy deficit, the government has developed large hydropower projects along the country’s major river basins.

This includes the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) which once completed will be the largest hydroelectric power plant in Africa and the recently-completed 1,870 MW Gibe III project.

Experts say that Ethiopia has the capacity and capabilities to become a great energy exporter within the region, which could benefit also the neighboring countries.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

UNICEF Representative to Ethiopia Vows to Advocate for Resumption of Food Aid to Refugees

UNICEF Representative to Ethiopia has vowed his organization would advocate for the resumption of food aid to refugees.

Director General of Refugees and Returnees Service(RRS)Teyiba Hassen discussed with UNICEF Representative to Ethiopia, Aboubacar Kampo, on matters of mutual concern.

Teyiba also briefed Kampo how complete food aid suspension has been miring the lives of refugees and underlined on the need to voice to the international community and donors as the decision is depriving persons of concern the right to live, according to Refugees & Returnees Service (RRS).

The director general commended the representative for UNICEF’s support to persons of concern and called on the need to further ties between the two institutions.

The two sides also had candid discussion and agreed to work together on several initiatives, including the health service at Bokh refugee site.

The representative told the director general that his Fund would advocate for the resumption of food aid and vowed to bolster its intervention in the areas of water, sanitation and health.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Ethiopia Expresses Commitment to Work With Stakeholders to Counter Smuggling of Migrants

Minister of Peace Benalf Andualem expressed the commitment of Ethiopia to work with all governmental and non-governmental stakeholders to counter illegal trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants.

The Ethiopia Delegation led by Minister of Peace Benalf Andualem, is currently participating in the 20th Palermo Convention discussing about Trafficking persons and smuggling of migrants held in Palermo Italy.

In presence of many governmental and non-governmental institutions, 20th Palermo convention Ministerial conference is discussing the current status of the Palermo convention and protocols on trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants.

During the occasion, Peace Minister Bnalf Andualem highlighted the policy frameworks, institutional arrangements and corrective measures that Ethiopia has been taking to control trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants as it is the origin, transit and destination of migrants in the Horn of Africa.

The Minister also expressed the commitment of Ethiopia to work with all governmental and non-governmental stakeholders to counter illegal trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Ethio-China Cooperation Committee Aims to build Platform to Increase Chinese Investment in Ethiopia

Ethiopia-China Cooperation Committee said that it aims to build an all-round high end service platform between Ethiopia and China to increase the business and investment of Chinese enterprises in Ethiopia.

Ethiopia-China Cooperation Committee delegation led by the president of the committee Betty Xu held discussion with Ethiopian Investment Commission Deputy Commissioner Temesgen Tilahun.

Committee has also visited the Ethiopian Investment Commission.

During the occasion, the Committee indicated its intention to build an all-round high end service platform between Ethiopia and China to increase the business and investment of Chinese enterprises in Ethiopia.

The Committee currently is working to implement its flagship Light up Ethiopia Villages program which aspires to build Ethiopia's solar power capacity through a special vehicle funding system for Chinese investment projects in rural areas.

Deputy Commissioner Temesgen Tilahun expressed EIC's commitment to the realization of the project and implementation of the wider engagement of the committee in Ethiopia.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Ethiopia, Cuba Need to Exploit their Potentials to Further Boost Relations: Cuban Ambassador

Ethiopia and Cuba need to exploit the ample potentials they have in many fields to further strengthen bilateral relationship, Cuba's Ambassador to Ethiopia, Jorge Lefebre Nicolas said.

The ambassador told ENA that Cuba and Ethiopia have been in close ties since the establishment of their diplomatic relations in 1976.

Cuba has helped Ethiopia during one of the most dangerous situation that Ethiopia faced in history where many Cubans came to this country.

He also recalled that many Ethiopians also went to Cuba to pursue their studies.

During the Heads of State and Government Summit of Group 77 + China which Cuba hosted from 15 to 16 September 2023, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke met and discussed with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel and other officials on the margins of the summit.

Ethiopia and Cuba have strong people-to-people relationship through the scholarship that continued over the years, Demeke stated, and noted “we have agreed to establish a ministerial consultation platform in order to elevate the special relationship we enjoy.”

Now Ethiopians who pursued their studies in Cuba are back home as doctors, engineers, agriculturalists and professionals in many other fields, Ambassador Nicolas said.

"Both countries have natural links established through years and there are also Cuban families here and Ethiopian families in Cuba. So it is a duty of us as a diplomat and politicians to strengthen that relationship,” the ambassador urged.

"I think Cuba and Ethiopia in the last years have developed very notable economic capacity and economic power. But we can’t (fully) cooperate together in many fields. For instance, we in Cuba are very heavy drinker of coffee and Ethiopia has one of the best coffee industries. That is ground for cooperation,” he said.

With a population of over 110 million people, Ethiopia has higher consumption of sugar, he said, adding that, the country has industries of sugar but not enough for Ethiopia.

As Cuba has the knowledge and experience for many years in the sugar industries, we can establish cooperation on that and we have a potential also in biotechnology, the ambassador pointed out.

He further elaborated that Cuba has developed some important medication drugs, for instance, during the COVID, Cuba developed five vaccines against COVID-19, which opens ground for cooperation.

According to the ambassador, the level of development that Ethiopia and Cuba have reached is similar in some issues, but the cooperation is not worth of the existing potentials and we need to also learn experience from each other.

“We can learn from you (Ethiopia) of 110 million people. We are only 11 million people. So, it is supposed to be easier for us with the help of each other, we can achieve better resource,” he said.

There is popular people to people bonds between Cubans and Ethiopians, he said, adding we must keep that ties and take this to the political level, Ambassador Nicolas pointed out.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency