Equity Group Holdings Ltd.’s financial technology unit said it was discussing with six Ethiopian banks to cooperate on cross-border mobile payments and ecommerce.
The first Ethiopian briquette factory, the African Briquette Factory, was inaugurated. The inaugural ceremony was attended by Wondemu Tekle, State Minister for Water and Energy and Dr. Tewoldeberhan Geberegziabher, Director General of the Federal Environmental Protection Authority as well as other guests.
The factory is producing 120 quintals of briquette, in one work shift, and is marketing the product in 10 and 50 kilogram packages according to Gerd Ladstatter, General Manager of the factory.
The briquettes are an important alternative to firewood in light of urbanization and population growth he said. It helps combat deforestation and environmental pollution by using recycled material explained Ladstatter.
The first Ethiopian industrial zone, Bole Lemi Industrial Zone, is to be opened in December according to the Ministry of Industry. The industrial zone is to be managed by the Industry Zone and Environmental Protection Agency, established under the Ministry of Industry. The opening had been scheduled for September.
The Bole Lemi zone could not be finalized according to schedule because of delays with the construction of roads in and out of the zone caused by the long and heavy rainy season explained Melaku Taye, Director of Corporate Communications with the ministry.
The installation of telecom service, and 20 Mega Watt of electric power along with 80 electric poles has already been completed according to the design for the zone he explained.
The first International Conference on Ethiopian Coffee organized by the Ministry of Trade, the Ethiopian Coffee Exporters Association in partnership with USAID and the commercial bank of Ethiopia was opened in Addis Ababa.
The conference is being held under the theme of ‘Strengthening the Legacy of Our Coffee’ and aims promote Ethiopian Coffee on the international market. It is expected to facilitate the exchange of experience among stakeholders and enhance the transfer of information so as to allow the coffee sector to take advantage of key opportunities and resolve challenges.
More than 15 million Ethiopians are directly and indirectly with the coffee sector according to Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn speaking at the opening. Ethiopia enjoys a comparative advantage in trading coffee which has allowed the nation to trade more volume and to increase its increase share of the global market and to enhance the export income he said.
The construction of the first phase of the Modjo-Hawassa Expressway project, stretching from Modjo to Meki begins today, December, 10, 2015, Fana Broadcasting Corporate reported.
