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The first of the ten Boeing B787-8 Dreamliner aircraft ordered by Ethiopian Airlines is expected to arrive in Addis Ababa later on this week.

Ethiopian Airlines pilots and technicians are trained and ready to operate the new aircraft which will arrive in Ethiopia on the 17th of August said Tewolde Gebremariam, Chief Executive of the Airline. Technicians are also being sent for further practical training to ANA he said.

Ethiopian is organizing a ‘Dream Tour’ to Kilimanjaro on August 18th for VIPS, members of the media and business people will be taken on a sightseeing tour of Africa’s highest peak said Tewolde.

Ethiopian manufacturers and processors expressed their concern over the cheap and low quality goods imported from China.

Representatives of various Ethiopian businesses expressed their disappointment with poor quality of Chinese products that are currently flooding the market at a meeting with a Chinese business delegation of the International Trade Promotion Chamber of Commerce visiting Ethiopia.

A significant proportion of Chinese imports are of below the standards of quality established for the market noted the representatives at the meeting organized by the Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations.

Ethiopia is to launch a petroleum development enterprise which will facilitate the development of the natural gas reserves discovered in the Ogaden Basin.

Decision to set up the enterprise was reached after the failure of several attempts to develop the natural gas reserves in the region by granting petroleum development licenses according to a senior official with the Ministry of Miners.

The petroleum development enterprise will offer an opportunity for a joint venture with a reputable international oil and gas company explained the official.

Ethiopia is to privatize six publicly owned enterprises including the Addis Ababa Ghion hotel according to the Privatization and Public Enterprises Supervisory Agency.

The other enterprises that have been made available for sale are Awash Winery, Coffee Technology Promotion, Batu Construction, Limu Agricultural Development and Batu Housing Construction.

PPESA plans to privatize 20 publicly owned enterprises in the 2012-13 financial as part of the plan of the Agency it announced.

Bahr Dar Textile, Bale Agricultural Development, Arsi Agricultural Development, Kombolcha Textile, Bekelcha, Comet and Woyra Transport companies are expected to be part of  the 20 companies will be offered for auction this year.

Ethiopia and China signed a Memorandum of Understanding which established a cooperative business Council. Representatives of the Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations and the China Council for the Promotion International Trade held business and investment deliberations at the time.

The Memorandum of Understanding is aimed at strengthening general trade and investment relationships between the two countries according to Junyedi Basha, Vice President of the ECCSA.

The two countries have had trade relationship since antiquity when both had influential civilizations and the cordial relationships founded then still persist according to Junyedi.

Ethiopia has launched a test run as part of efforts to export electricity to Sudan according to sources at the Ethiopian Electric and Power Corporation.

The test run for power supply was launched this week after the finalization of the Ethiopia-Sudan Transmission Line set up at a total cost of 41 million US dollars confirmed authorities at the EEPCo.

Ethiopia expects to provide 100 Mega Watts of electricity during the test run according to the source.

A chlorine factory built in Ethiopia will begin production in September according to the Addis Ababa Water and Sewerage Authority.

The factory will help save an estimated 20 million birr spent on the import 500 tons of chlorine every year according to Engineer Emiru Mekonnen, Production Head with the authority.

The factory is part of the expansion program launched at a cost of 500 million birr at the Dire And Legedadi water reservoirs said Emiru.

Stratex announced uncovering a potential major epithermal vein system within it Blackrock Project in Ethiopia. The company has observed significantly encouraging geology, texture and extent of gold mineralization with the Black Water Zone noted David Hall, Director of Stratex.

The 33-hole program, launched by the international company has uncovered narrow, high grade mineralization which includes 15.97 grams per ton over a quarter of a meter, and 4.93 grams from a 900 millimeter section he added.

There were also noted several thick intersections of low-grade material of up to 13 meters in width according to Hall.

The annual inflation rate in Ethiopia remained at 20% in July according to data revealed this week. Month-on-month prices remained unchanged for the third consecutive month revealed the data.

The pace of increase in food prices, however, has marginally slowed down showed the data. Food inflation decreased to 20.7% from 21.5% and non food inflation fell to 19.8% from 19%.

The year on year inflation rates showed signs of alleviating from 20.9% in June noted the Central Statistics office.

Ethiopia secured 461 million US dollars from the tourism sector from an estimated 584, 490 tourists who visited the country in the last financial year according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

The stated revenue does not include earnings from domestic tourism said said Amin Abdulkadir, Minister for Culture and Tourism speaking at a meeting organized to assess the performance recorded by the ministry in the just concluded budget year as well as to launch the action plan for the new fiscal year.

A range of activities intended to promote and enhance cultural, historical and natural tourist attractions in the country contributed to the sum earned according to Amin.