2merkato

Ethiopian Airlines took charge of the first of the five reconfigured Bombardier Q-400 aircraft it has on order last week.

Ethiopian is the first airline to take charge of the reconfigured aircraft which takes into account a number of innovations based on feedback from customers.

The new innovations include 7 business class and 60 economy class seats with a second lavatory for the exclusive use of business class passengers.  The aircraft will have reclining seats and a hot galley to enable the service of hot meals en route.

The Q 400 also has luggage capacity with lower fuel consumption and emission.

The Ethiopian Privatization and Public Enterprises Supervising Agency has endorsed the proposal offered by Horizon Plantation for the six Limu Coffee Farms. Horizon Plantations made an offer of 1.184 billion birr for the purchase of the six farms and the head office of the Limu Coffee Plantation.

The six farms included in the deal are Soka, Gumer, Cheleleki, Goma I, Goma II and Suntu. The bids for each individual farm ranged 70.9 million birr to 266.6 million birr while Horizon offered 60.4 million birr for the Limu Coffee Plantation Head office.

The agreement according to the bid document will entail Horizon paying 35% up front with the difference to be settled over a period of five years.

Zemen Development and Management Institute, Ethiopia is to graduate its first batch of candidates for the Master of Business Administration and candidates for the International Diploma in Project Management in November.

The programs were offered in a joint effort between ZDMI and Cambridge International College and Castle College in the UK.

The MBA program is a two year program of full time study but students are allowed to extend the time required to up to three years if necessary.

The 2nd African Trade Forum was held in Ethiopia under the theme of ‘“build on the political expression of support for the continental trade agenda and mobilize broad-based support for actualizing this vision.”

Agriculture and natural resources are significant points of departure in constructing regional value chains and proper management according to Carlos Lopes, Under Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the UNECA.

The forum concentrated on boosting intra-African trade and means of establishing Continental Free Trade Area agreements to develop the continents capacity for production and enhance industrial performance.