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Mobile Phones will be used to help health professionals collect data, have it analyzed and receive feedback in a show case project to be launched next week in Ethiopia. The project is led by Technology for Change International and is expected to cost approximately 370,000 US dollars.

The project will distribute a thousand mobile handsets to health professionals in the Amhara, Oromia Southern and Tigray regional states. The health professionals will use the handsets to gather data on pregnant women and send it on to a central server.

The Ethiopian Ministry of Mines announced that five international companies have invested 6.5 billion US dollars in the Ethiopia potash mining industry.

The five companies are G and B Central Africa Resource Limited, Saynic Potash, Nova Potash, Allana Potash and BHP Belton World Exploration Ethiopia. All of these companies have based their activites in Dalol.

Potash deposits from three points in the South Western part of its claims were made by Allana Potash last week according to company sources.

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) signed an agreement with NIB International Bank to make an additional 10 million dollars available towards helping farmer cooperatives in Ethiopia on Oct 13.

The IFC and NIB have a risk sharing arrangement already in place to help forty five thousand coffee farmers in 62 cooperatives in Oromia and Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Regional States. The two financial organizations have worked together to set up a 10 million dollar facility for coffee farmers in the past according to Amerga Kassa President of NIB. 

The Ethiopian Revenues and Customs Authority discovered millions in unpaid back taxes through its continued investigation of oil companies. Unpaid taxes from Total Ethiopia and National Oil Company have particularly been identified according to sources.

Total has paid 11.9 million birr of the 23.9 million that it was required to pay in unpaid VAT and withholding tax. It is contesting the remaining 12 million birr said sources.  The authority determined the amount it was owed based on payments made for technical services. This is in transgression of the tax law which designates that all payments in consideration of any kind of technical services or expert advice rendered outside of Ethiopia in any form shall be liable to tax at a flat rate of 10pc, which shall be withheld and paid to the tax authority. 

The Ethiopian Commodities Exchange (ECX) is to offer 80 more full membership seats according to members. The seats will be offered to traders who have had limited membership rights so far. The additional seats will be sold in auction in November.

The auction will only be made open to those who have been involved in trading at the ECX.

The Ethiopian Airports Enterprise announces that 80% of the first phase of Kombolcha airport has been completed. The new airport is important to the town because it is an industrial hub and needs to deliver products more efficiently said Wondim Teklu Public Relations Head at the Ethiopian Airports Enterprise.

The Kombolcha Airport is a 44 million birr project under construction by Akir Construction PLC. The first phase of the airport includes a 37 million birr run way and apron, 7 million birr passenger terminal and a perimeter gate.

Samsung introduced new products to the Ethiopian market on Thursday. At the event held at the Hilton Hotel the Korean conglomerate unveiled various products ranging from home appliances to mobile technology to distributors and other visitors.

The event was designed as a chance for Samsung to establish its African investment strategy ‘Built for Africa’ according to Tadewos Awol, Country Manager of Samsung Ethiopia. It was also a chance to showcase the latest products and technological innovations according to Tadewos.

Ethiopia is set to establish a National Accreditation Office (ENAO). The institution will be charged to accredit the competence of Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs) performing activities like calibrations, tests, inspections and inspections.

ENAO has been organizing offices, preparing manuals and training personnel according to Nigussue Kibru Head of Communication and Public Service. 30 employees were trained by the South African National Accreditation System and three days worth of training on the General Accreditation Standard ISO/IEC17011 was given by experts from India in December he said.

Diageo plc, concluded the first 30pct down payment for the acquisition of Meta Abo Brewery. The International producer of beverages wired the first installment of payment for its purchase to the Ethiopian Privatization and Public Enterprises Supervising Agency (PPESA) account on Thursday. 

The importance of standards to Ethiopian business was underscored at the celebration of the the World Standards 2011. Standards play a very important role in technology transfer according to the Ethiopian Standards Agency (ESA). The role standards play is especially important to enable developing countries like Ethiopia to benefit from new technologies said Almaz Kahsay ESA, Director General.

Standards will also help promote trust between clients and the business community while reinforcing national and international regulations to establish a fair trade system according to Almaz. Standards also help to ensure fair and convenient circulation of products and services internationally, she said at a press conference to mark the Work Standards Day 2011.