2merkato

The Privatization and Public Enterprises Agency of Ethiopia is seeking interested bidders for two of the five enterprises it is offering for privatization.

The two enterprises which have been unable to excite interest from potential buyers are the Hamaressa Edible Oil SC and Batu Construction SC.

The Commercial Printing Press, Caustic Soda Ash SC and Fafa Food Complex Warehouse were the other three companies offered for privatization at the same time.

Ethiopia has secured more than 200 million USD from the export of horticultural crops in the last ten months (July 2011-April 2012).

Ethiopian Horticulture Development Agency (EHDA) Director General Haileselassie Tekie said that the country earned the hard currency from the export of 1.7 billion flower stems and 103.8 thousand tons of vegetables, fruits and herbs. More than 160 million USD was obtained from the export of flower while the balance was secured from the sale of vegetables, fruits and herbs to the global market. 

The foreign currency the country generated from the sector in the stated period has increased by 20 per cent in revenue compared to last year same period.

Bole International Airport, Ethiopia launched self check-in-services starting to ease long lines at check in counters at the International Terminal.

The airport currently has 28 check in counters and has added four self check in kiosks where customers can enter their flight number, destination and reservation code and be able to print a boarding pass.

The self checks in booths are especially ideal for those who do not have check in luggage as they can then proceed to Immigration without delays.

Ethiopia suspended tantalum mining and exports until the country acquires the capability to refine the mineral in a bid to earn more revenues from exports. The decision means that Ethiopia will not export tantalum until the nation has an operating processing plant said Tamrat Modjo, Head of the Traditional Mining Department of the Ministry of Mines.

The government wants to retain enough reserves for when the plant is operational while exploration is underway for more reserves in other parts of the country he said.

It is expected that the processing plant will require an investment of 500 million birr. The government aims to start exporting 1,000 tons a year for the 15 years that the national reserves are expected to last said Tamrat. 

United Insurance, Ethiopia has awarded Magercon Construction the contract to for the first phase of construction on the 42 million birr mall in Addis Ababa.

The insurance company has been negotiating over the 20,000m2 plot of land for the building requiring a revised site plan after claiming to have lost an estimated 200m2 due to road constructions.

United was awarded its revised plant by the City Administration with the understanding that it should commence construction in six months.  

Ethiopia is to conduct the first national Inter-censal Population Survey announced the the Central Statistics Agency.

The Inter-censal survey is usually conducted between major population censuses explained Samia Zekaria, Director General of the CSA. Developing countries like Ethiopia, which carries out population and housing surveys every ten years, conduct inter-censal surveys in the middle to acquire population sample data to fill the information gap she said.

Ethiopia is working towards improving the quality of cotton used as a main raw material in textile sectors according to the Ministry of Agriculture.

A training was launched in Benshangul Gumuz Regional state for investors engaged in cotton development with this end in mind.

There are currently investors and organized farmers developing cotton on 124,000 hectares and the ministry aims to address challenges including shortage of expertise, capital, chemical, selected seeds and other materials said Haile-Mariam Kibret, Agro-investment Support with the MoA.

The International Monetary Fund is to push Ethiopia to increase bank rates to counter real interest rates which are deeply in the negative due to the inflation rates.

Real interest rates are negative noted Jan Mikkelsen, Ethiopian Resident Representative of the IMF. The IMF mission making a visit to Ethiopia on the 4th of June will counsel the government to increase interest rates as a monetary policy option to sustain the growth registered over the last years he said.

Ethiopian Airlines, Ethiopia’s flag carrier, signed the 10th Collective agreement with its Labor Union. The agreement was signed last week between Tewolde Gebremariam, Chief Executive of Ethiopian and Wondwossen Getaneh, Chairman of the Union to seal the collective bargaining.

The agreement is a testament to the good relationship between the labor union and the management of the airline and is reflective of the level of understanding and cooperation shown on both sides during the negotiations according to Tewolde.

The unity of purpose between management and the union will be a strong foundation for the airline to achieve its objectives as set out in its Vision 2025 he noted.

Mama Fresh Injera plc, Ethiopia has signed a Memorandum of Understanding and contract with the Erer Farmers Cooperative Union, the Oromia Regional Agriculture Bureau, the Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Agency and the Oromia Regional Cooperative Promotion Agency.

The agreement will establish a partnership to launch and implement contract farming projects in Ad’a that will allow Mama Fresh Injera to source 730 MT of teff for the 2012 planting season. The agreement is planned to extend the collaboration for several years on the basis of the success of the effort and the lessons learned said the joint statement released by the stakeholders.