Alemu Sime is appointed by the Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn as the new Minister of State for the Ministry of Mines.

The new State Minister is appointed to lead he petroleum and solid minerals operations in the Ministry of Mines as of September 11, 2014.

According to The Reporter he is going to be responsible for petroleum supervision as well as exploration works that are going to be carried out in Ethiopia. He will be the official that will be responsible for licensing petroleum companies in Ethiopia.

Alemu is going to be assisted by Ketsela Tadesse (PhD), petroleum licensing and administration director at the Ministry.

In previous times Alemu was Oromia Regional State Investment Commissioner. He later traveled to China for his post graduate studies and got his PhD from Chongqing University and returned home in January, 2014.

The first State Minister of Mines, Tewodros Gebereigzabher, was appointed a year ago by the Prime Minister.

Under 13 licenses, currently there are seven international and local petroleum companies engaged in oil and gas exploration projects. Thus far Ethiopia is not an oil producing country. Nevertheless, there is a Chinese company making preparations to extract gas reserves found in the Ogaden Basin.

Source: The Reporter