2merkato

The Ethiopian Standards Agency announced that it has approved more than 2000 new and revised quality standards in seven sectors in the completed fiscal year.

An estimated 15,000 of the standards approved are new while the other 500 or so are revisions of existing standards according to Daniel Zenebe, Communication and Public Relations Head for the Agency.

The standards approved by the agency are expected to play a notable role in enhancing the productivity of the domestic industries and support the transfer of technology he noted.

There are one million hectares available in Ethiopia suitable for Jatropha development according to the Ministry of Water and Energy.

The land is to be found in the Benishangul Gumuz, Oromia, Tigray and Southern regional states according to Bizuneh Tolcha, Director of Communications and Public Relations with the ministry.  

The development of Jatropha, alongside other bio-diesel plants, is already being implemented by investors on area of 85 thousand hectares of land of which 4 thousand hectares are covered by Jatropha he explained.

The number of companies offering the mandatory vehicle inspection services on contract with the Ethiopian Federal transport Authority has increased to 29 with eight more business entering into agreements with the authority it was said.

The eight new businesses offering the service are Anbessa City Bus, United Auto Maintenance, Yetebaberut Beherawi Petroleum. Lucy Car Sales and Caliper Metal Works Engineering in Addis Ababa and Mekonnen Sayed and Arba Minch Mekane Yesus in the Legetafo and Arba Minch areas.

Some of the new service providers have been able to install the machinery required for inspection purposes while others are in the process of acquiring it said Negussie Kebede, Director of the Vehicle Inspection Certificate Directorate with the authority.

The Metal and Engineering Corporation concluded a deal to acquire the Ethiopian Riviera International Hotel, primarily owned by Alem Fitsum.

The deal includes the three star hotel and a PVC and plastics manufacturing plant located behind the hotel.

The deal was struck for approximately 140 million birr with negotiation still going on and handover expected in the coming weeks according to sources. MetEc aims to utilize the hotel to house guests that will stay for more than a month saving it a lot of money according to an unofficial source with the corporation.