2merkato

The Ministry of Finance & Economic Cooperation (MoFEC) is ranking manufacturers by value addition for duty free benefits based on a new directive to be approved this month.

Ethiopia is to establish three institutes and develop Kombolcha Technology Institute to address the shortage of human resource in the textile and garment sector. It is expected that the institutes will commence operations in the next budget year.

The initiative to establish the institutions came from the Export Committee, which aims to support export-driven sectors by addressing challenges such as finance, electricity, land and human resources.

The Export Committee, chaired by Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, discussed means to address the need for at least 1.3 million trained personnel for the textile and garment sector with just 40,000 people currently engaged in these industries according to a study undertaken by experts from the Textile Development Institute.

The Addis Ababa and the Surrounding Oromia Integrated Development Plan Project Office has drafted a plan for a new airport site on the  western outskirts of Addis Ababa in the Oromia Special zone.

Fetuma Lemessa, Deputy Manager of the Addis Ababa and the Surrounding Oromia Integrated Development Plan Project Office, told Capital that based on the plan, the town of Teji, about 30km west of Addis Ababa on the road to Jimma is the proposed site for the location of the new airport.

An iodized salt plant named SVS, jointly built by Ethiopian and Turkish investors, was inaugurated today in the city of Semera, Afar region of Ethiopia.

Total Ethiopia Managing Director Antoine Tourand has been replaced by Marc De Lataillade, after a two and half year term.

Lataillade comes to Ethiopia with 17 years of experience with Total, with his last position being executive vice president for Total World Group, West Africa.

Tournand inaugurated the new and modern Total station at Ayat Village before leaving his position in Ethiopia.