2merkato

The Ethiopian Intellectual Property Office is to launch the process to re-register trademarks in the coming month it announced. The proclamation that authorizes the office to take this step was endorsed seven years ago.

The Ethiopian Intellectual Property Office issued 1500 separate patents and creative rights ownership certificates in the last fiscal year.

The office granted certificates after careful evaluation and all due consideration to ensure the originality of the creation both at home and internationally said Awkoke Shiferaw, Head of Communication Service with the office.

The United States government launched a Commercial Farm Service Program under the USAID to support the agricultural growth plan of the Ethiopian government according to an announcement from the Embassy of the United States in Addis Ababa.

The program will be part of the American presidential ‘Feed the Future Initiative’ in Ethiopia said the announcement.

The two year program will include grants and trainings for rural entrepreneurs in an effort to create a wholesale farm service center and six retail centers. These centers will be designed to meet the operational requirements of farmers. Add a comment Add a comment

Dutch company Stahl Africa has launched the first ever skin products chemical laboratory in Ethiopia. The laboratory was established in Addis Ababa at a total cost of 5 thousand Euros and is expected to offer testing for different types of animal skins and hides.

The laboratory will be a part of efforts to ensure the quality of Ethiopian leather products to enable them to become more competitive on the international market said Sisay Gemetchu, State Minister for Industry.

The laboratory will help share the well developed Dutch expertise in the sector with the Ethiopian leather industry to help support the growing field said Hans Blankenberg, Ambassador of the Netherlands in Ethiopia. Add a comment Add a comment

Addis Ababa is to get new technology that will improve the efficiency of the traffic system so as to alleviate problems related to traffic congestion.

The Addis Ababa City Roads Authority is in the process of finding vendors for traffic lights to be installed at fourteen junctions across the city. The authority announced the tender for interested suppliers 2 months ago at which time ten companies purchased bid documents. Two potential vendors submitted offers to the authority according to an anonymous source.

The authority has budget of 30 million birr to install the traffic light system according to Engineer Elisabeth Tesfaye who is a member of the committee evaluating the proposals. Add a comment Add a comment