In an exclusive interview with the Ethiopian Press Agency journalists said the Ethiopian economic achievements in 2006 are attributed to the huge public particpation.He also noted that Ethiopia needs to work hard to boost export that lacked to attract a planned 5 billion Birr by the 2006.Adding value to agricultural products,enhancing the quality of manufucturing outputs, and quantifying the export would be the highest priority by 2007.

September 6, 2014UncategorizedLeulwork

Premier highlights nation’s economic performance, priorities ahead ………… Economic growth attributed to public participation

September 5, 2014UncategorizedLeulwork

BY ABERA WENDOSON

ADDIS ABABA—Prime Minister Haile-Mariam Dessalegn said that the government is determined to work hard to raise the country’s export which failed to meet the five billion Birr target in the previous budget year. It just earned 3.3 billion Birr in the reported period.

The Premier told the Ethiopian Press Agency journalists yesterday that both internal and external factors impeded the growth of the export as per the plan. Haile-Mariam said coffee, which is the country’s largest export item, and gold prices saw price failure at the international market was the major setback to achieve the goal.

“The solution we devised to overcome this factor was to increase the quantity of export in these and other items but contraband and domestic illegal trade hindered us,” Haile-Mariam said. “The second option we sought was to work hard to increase coffee productivity by properly nurturing coffee trees so as to have more produce. But we did not attain the level we expected,” he added.

The Prime Minister also said that it is not only the export of agricultural products but textile, leather and agro-processing sub-sectors did not meet the result that was hoped for huge manufacturing industries produced below capacity due to recurrent power failure.

“We need coordination of different sectors supported by integrated master plan for our development. In this regard, what we understood in 2006 was that the already installed power distribution lines are not fitting to serve such new areas of development like condominium houses, ” Haile-Mariam said.

Hence, he said that long and short term solutions will be set by the government to address electricity problem which limited productivity of industries thereby reducing export volume. As to the Premier, more substations are required to reach the power to these newly emerging development areas.

The value addition efforts of such agro-processing activities will also be one of the critical options that will be given due consideration to encourage farmers in producing more and more to ultimately raise export. The production of main crops has shown 15 per cent increment in the last two years which is the result of the farmers effort in employing modern agricultural implements to increase productivity.

“Animal products was also one of the areas identified with low quality, though our country has the largest livestock population in Africa. But most of the livestock product we have is not of the best quality. So, we are expected to work hard to improve next year,”Haile Mariam said..

The Premier also told the journalists that developmental activities achieved in 2006 budget year were mainly attributed to the growing public participation both in socio-economic activities and national mega projects.

Haile-Mariam added that as the next year is the end of the five year Growth and Transformation Plan, increasing of the quality of livestock products, adding value to agricultural outputs, tackling problems of good governance as well as boosting public participation will be given due consideration.

With respect to the coming election, all key players– the public, the ruling party and opposition political parties should play own role to make the election fair, free and democratic. The ruling party is making the necessary preparation designing an election strategy to be approved by EPDRF supreme council.

Regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, the Premier said that 40 per cent of the project has been completed which he attributed to an invaluable public participation.

“Those who were less confident in our ambition are now be amazed and have come to understand that there would be no reason for a plan to fail if the public and government join hands.”

Haile-Mariam added that all segments of the public pledged to contribute 9-10 billion Birr for the Dam from which close to 6 billion Birr has already been collected. The Diaspora participation, he says, is rising though not as expected.

Misinformation by some individuals living abroad and the fact that buying a bond is illegal under the American law is becoming an hindrance to have the necessary participation from the American Diaspora. Hence, he said that efforts need to be made to enable the Diaspora buy bonds sending their money back home.

The Premier also said that Ethiopia continues to fight terrorism and ensure regional peace and security.

Responding to the journalists on issue of introducing a National Identity Card, he also said that national steering committee has been formed to process the task. “Six ministries are coordinating the task. The consultants have already been employed to do this job and I think, we will have a national ID within the coming three years.”

/home/epaherald126/Desktop/abc .JPG

Meles: A man of high caliber

August 20, 2014UncategorizedLeulwork

BY ABERA WENDOSON

“I have seen many desperate times in my life, but none of them are as desperate as this one. The people I am fighting for are dying because of luck of food,” a video footage shows Meles Zenawi as saying this during the days of the catastrophic hunger that caused the death of many.

It was a time that the illustrious late Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s heart was melt with the worst occasion that hit the country over the century. As his party took over power, his chief measure was to ensure food security both at a national and family levels. He took it as a kick off to his priority of avoiding poverty and eliminating the consequent hunger.

‘A self less leader’ as many world leaders named him, each day and night remained determinant of his ambition to change the long prevailed hunger and poverty that killed many citizens and tarnished the image of the the historic nation. He scarified the opportunity he made to studying medical studies to the war for freedom but it never hampered his fate of being a physician to cure public suffering from deficiency of equality and justice.

He took all into consideration including the young, the women,the elderly,the kids and all that diversity created and installed a political lens that owned an ever inclusive view of all. Participatory economic move prevailed,industrialists erupted and investors flooded into the country.

The ever growing peace, stability and widened and fast moving infrastructural development penetrated each corners of the nation. Moreover, the national consensus created started to remain an additional impetus to the increasing range of diplomatic relations and inflow of countries to work together in various sectors. Meles Zenawi entwined his work at home with the international decisions engulfing himself into various regional organizations and other institutions holding a global agenda.

Every occasion of Meles Zenawi’s attendance in various platforms concluded with an overriding idea and critical argument of him that always put first the stand and strategic directions of Ethiopia and Africa. He always remained an ear catching rhetoric and eye grabbing charisma pronouncing the advantages and priorities of the whole African continent and also challenging the tricks of the west.

Even though Ethiopia remained in a shaky geographic region, Meles played his best roles to ensure security in the region both through his unreserved mediation, his strategic recommendations, and military wise.

Unarguably, he did a lot in mediating the conflict between the different clans of Somalia, steadily working for the building of the collapsed state by organizing a number of reconciliation conferences and backing the building blocks approach to the Somalia reunification.

Similar contributions were made by Ethiopia in fighting extremism in the region as well as in the country under his premiership. Not only to this extent, Meles had gone beyond and had enabled South Sudan to decide a beneficial determination of independence.

Meles Zenawi had taken the issue of economic transformation as a vital tool of undoing African’s poverty. Hence, his debates over the international podiums were convincing for they were logically coherent with the existing 21^st century context of Africa. The Copenhagen climate summit is one of the international platforms which Meles Zenawi showed an African political victory that brought unexpected urging of the west to be responsible for the effect of the climate change in Africa.

The platform of Copenhagen was indeed a kick off to what is now known as carbon financing for Africa that showd Meles Zenawi’s immense commitment for the interest of African in the international arena.

Meles Zenawi was a leading figure in the creation of NEPAD and represented Africa in a number of international fora, including G8 and G20 meetings.

Meles Zenawi,with his robust courage believed the fact that “if you don’t understand the problems in your own terms and in your own logic, if you won’t have the intellectual ability to grasp the problem … you will never be the master of that problem. Rather the problem will be a master of you.” This seems that it is because of this very crucial thought that he saw many of the continental and international agendas of debates more objectively and analytically than passively.

As the Organization of African Unity was reformed as African Union there was a strong debate over the placement of the headquarters. Meles Zenawi’s objective rhetoric in explaining what Ethiopia meant to Africa and what it would deserve was unequivocal. Meles had assured African leaders that irrespective of what government ruled Ethiopia, the nation was committed to Africa to the extent from training the world’s icon Nelson Mandela to supporting the Mugabe government in his fight against Rhodesia.

Meles Zenawi was a leader that let the new generation of African leaders stand firm on their own strategies and realities. In the World Economic Forum that brought together African and European leaders to debate over who should own the infrastructural investment in Ethiopia.

One of the biggest topics of debate across many panels was how public and private sectors can most effectively work together for both economic growth and development. During a discussion on developing African infrastructure, Meles asserted that the government would have to lead in the construction of roads, railways, power systems etc because private sector investment in these areas was “minuscule” – the risks are simply too high.

In the big debate in which most of the leaders advocate the idea that private sector should own the infrastructure, Meles Zenawi’s logical arguments over public-private partnership took a big hand. He reasoned that public-private partnership as a means to raise capital for the kind of infrastructure projects that the private sector won’t do, and the public sector can’t afford.

Regarding development policies that are of African context, Meles Zenawi said, “ If we don’t take care, we will be taken for a ride and dropped when the time comes.”

Meles zenawi was indeed a man of high caliber and a charismatic proponent of developmental democratic state. Not simply intelligent but teacher of the national parliament with humorous examples and logic of contemporary economics and viewpoints.

East African leading tertiary care hospital to be constructed in Wello

July 31, 2014UncategorizedLeulwork

BY ABERA WENDOSON

ADDIS ABABA—Some streets of Addis Ababa of late are turning into centers of fund raising for kidney and heart attack patients that need attending medical treatment abroad. Most of these patients have no or little financial muscle that allows them leave for abroad to take treatment. Does the bad fate that falls on such patients could be addressed here in the not distant future?

An East African leading tertiary care and teaching hospital is to be established in a place called Xixa 10 kilometers away from Wello.

On the onset of the plan ,two years back,the government was to renew Wello Referral Hospital before some committed Wello native experts and professionals brought a new idea of mobilizing an all out support to build a grand hospital that will resolve key health problems in the country.

So said, Manager of the project,Melaku Tadese yesterday holding a press conference with local journalists

According to the manager,the hospital will serve as a multipurpose medical institution working to provide health service, conduct research on air born diseases that come as a result of climate change,investigate traditional curing medicines,and providing training to more than 1500 students.

The tertiary care and teaching hospital will have seven hundred beds which entertains the same number of patients with ailments that need a close and long treatment excluding the large number of outgoing patience it would be receiving,Melaku said.

“One of the major things we luck in Ethiopia is Health tourism .Hence this hospital will be a pioneer in actualizing that. It will be a medical institution that people from East Africa,Middle East and the continent come and receive services”said Melaku.

“When completed the hospital will be providing services at an affordable prices to citizens. Besides,the hospital enables patients receive treatment their families by their sides with no language,culture and social barrier that they encounter abroad”he added.

Melaku tolds reporters that the Kombolcha International Air Port to start operation in the near future could give service to patients who come from neighboring countries .

Melaku added that the project will be actualized in the second GTP period despite its financial constraints would remain critical.

He also said that,the Hospital will be built with 1.5 billion birr which will be pooled from the public,Stakeholders,the Ministry of Health,Ministry of Education and Amhara region and the Diaspora.

It is reported that the hospital will be built on the compound that for long served as a military camp since the Italy invasion of Ethiopia.

The manager called upon the diaspora community to contribute to the grand hospital that will contribute to the health care service of the nation. Dr Theodros Adhanom has pledged he will take initiative to increase the participation of the diaspora community towards the realization of the hospital,Melaku told the press.

“The hospital doesn’t only become the first of its kind in terms of standard but it as well will be one of the best in the region. Everything should no be in Addis. Such big projects should also be in regional states”Melaku said.

The project manager also told the media that fund raising activities for the hospital are being undertaken through SMS, National lottery, and tickets ranging from 1 to 100 birr.

The launching ceremony,on which, the Defence force will hand over the military camp to the project will be held at Sheraton Addis in the near future.

“Owning reasonable thinking is critical to tackle extremism”

July 17, 2014UncategorizedLeulwork

ADDISS ABABA—Minister of Federal Affairs, Dr. Sheferaw T/Mariam last Monday urged top leaders of the justice sector gathered for ‘transformational’ leadership training to sensitize the public to own reasonable thinking,which he capitalized highly instrumental in tackling religious extremism in the country.

“There are groups who point their fingers at the government of intervention in religious affairs. They have the hidden motive of playing on the emotion of followers of certain religious denominations and fomenting unrest feeding the faithful with wrong information that their religion is being underplayed. They want to fish in a troubled water. Their motive is to assume political power under the smokescreen of religion and to establish a religious state.”Dr Sheferaw said.

He added,“It is vital that every citizen should be aware of constitutional values and have reasonable perceptions regarding religious freedoms in the country.”

Moreover,families,schools, and the media must jointly work hard on a daily basis to teach citizens on having a balanced and fair thinking to come up with a sound judgment to new developments pertaining to religious agendas and incidents.

Given the wide spread security threat in the region and the continent,Dr Sheferaw said,Ethiopia should ,more than ever,render emphasis to the peace and security ensuring task where public participation is central.

High turn over intriguing City Courts

July 10, 2014UncategorizedLeulwork

BY ABERA WENDOSON

ADDIS ABABA—Addis Ababa City Courts presenting the annual performance report of the year 2006 to the City Counsel yesterday unveiled high turn over intriguing the courts while despite its effect, shown a positive performance in providing effective and transparent justice service to the public.

City Courts performance was presented as the Addis Ababa City Counsel held its first year, fourth regular session which also heard the counsels performance report and that of the Addis Ababa City Auditor Bureau.

The report indicates Appellate and First Instant Courts in consent entertained a total of 1234 civil and criminal cases which 960 was rendered decision within the standard time while 274 took time beyond the standard.

It was highly caused by the turn over of judges in the fiscal year as President of Addis Ababa Appellate Courts,Ayalew Melaku.

The President noted that the delay in the standard time for justice decisions was also caused by the fact that some judicial cases have been taking more time to investigate the truth and factual evidence hence to ensure fair decisions to the customer.

In the 2006 fiscal year alone around 20 judges and a significant number of supportive staff employees,the president said have left the courts mainly due to low salary they earn and the non appreciating working environment as well other incentives.

Members of the counsel in their statement stressed the need for identifying the real causes of the high turn over as well as employing new graduate judges to let them draw experience from the acquainted ones that could help to sustain service quality during such turnovers.

Not only leaving courts but also judges who were fired for disciplinary cases and of health matters has contributed to losses of human power. In the fiscal year alone 2 judges were accused of working against the principle of the judges profession.

Interrogated by members of the counsel,as to why it become difficult to appoint new judges during the out flow of judges not to affect the justice service,Addis Ababa Fist Instant Court President Wendemu Lema said, that the fact that appointing judges taking a long legal process has become a basic cause to hire new soon.

He however added that more than 21 judges were appointed new to the courts that he believe will be making the the service effective.

The report also further indicated ‘case clearance rates’ of around 76 percent was done in the Appellate Court while the First Instant Court cleared cases amounting 87 percent of its performance.

Reporting the customers satisfaction Ayalew Malaku said,”The comment we gathered from the customers indicate that 95 percent of them commented they were satisfied while fifty mentioned they did not” Ayalew Melaku said.

Having recommended and rigorously dwelt on the performance of the two courts the counsel has approved report.

Meanwhile,the Counsel also presented its annual performance report. The counsel stressed the need for ascending evaluation and monitoring activities to understand on how far the counsel members at Woreda,sub city,and city level are closely and transparently working with the public they were elected by.

Similarly the Addis Ababa General Auditor Bureau performance report is expected to be approved today while city mayor Diriba Kuma is also expected to disclose annual achievements of the city administration.

Top justice sector leaders meet for ‘transformational leadership’ training Justice should play role to sustain nation’s peace

July 10, 2014UncategorizedLeulwork

BY ABERA WENDOSON

ADDIS ABABA—Top justice sector leaders including ministers of justice,federal and regional Court presidents as well as police and anti-corruption commissioners and other superintendents of the sector met yesterday here at Illili Hotel for four days ‘transformational leadership’ training coordinated by the Ethiopian Management Institute.

Federal Courts President, Tegene Getaneh in his statement said the so far identified problems of good governance and rent seeking mentalities in the justice sector were the fundamental reasons to bring top leaders of the sector in one and let them take training’s and share experience on how to effectively use leadership to transform the nation.

Tegene said though the justice sector has shown improvements in justice execution as well as human resource potential compared to its performance in previous years, it still remains incompatible with the development move nation is experiancing.

“In the process of achieving constitutional missions, gaps remain rampant among the leadership part to tackle problems of awareness,ethics,rent seeking practices and structural challenges” Tegene added.

Justice institutions,he said,should play an important role in providing effective service thereby to ensure the benefit of the public, protect citizens human and democratic rights and secure the sustainability of peace in the country.

By realizing that it has a responsibility of putting development tools in place and furnish effective,transparent as well as accountable service, the leadership of the sector should discharge its duty of undoing social menaces, rent seeking practices and other problems of good governance.

Adviser and Coordinator of Good governance and reform cluster, Asmelash W/Sellassie, said providing training on ‘transformational leadership’ was taken as one of the resolution mechanisms brought into effect, after the cluster identified problems of the sector largely observed at the top management last January.

“Investment is pouring down into this nation. Investors need effective and transparent justice. This has long remained a problem. Hence,it is necessary to have a leadership that highly care to promote investment”Asmelash said.