2merkato

Thursday, 9 June 2011

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism said Tuesday that it had finalized preparations to apply a new classification for tourist facilities.

Manpower, quality of utensils, interior and exterior scenery, and care for customers' security are among the classifying criteria, Tadelech Dalecho, Minister of State for Culture and Tourism, said. And it will be revised at the interval of three years.

Tadelech said that the former classification had to be changed for it was no longer compatible with international standards. She said new classification would be given to hotels from one to five stars level, including deluxe, restaurants, lodges and pensions from 13 June 2011 onwards. Implementation of the new classification will start throughout the country before the current fiscal year ends in collaboration with regional bureaus of tourism, Tadelech said.

She called upon tourist facilities to provide all relevant information to pertinent bodies.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

TOYO Solar has announced an expansion of its solar cell manufacturing capacity at the Hawassa Special Economic Zone (HSEZ) with a USD 47 million investment, bringing its total investment in Ethiopia to nearly USD 110 million.

The Japanese Toyota Tsusho Corporation has expressed interest in the financing and construction of the pipeline extending from Juba to Port Djibouti through Ethiopia.

The Japanese company is interested in undertaking the project expected to be launched in the second quarter of the coming year according to sources in the Japanese Embassy here in Ethiopia.

Toyota is the second company, next to an anonymous US company to express an interest in financing the infrastructural project tentatively expected to cost 3 billion US dollar.

The corporation will assemble cars for sale in Ethiopia

Toyota Corporation is set to upgrade and expand a Kenyan motor vehicle assembly company after buying 50 percent of its shares, Dennis Awori, chairman of Toyota Kenya said this week.

The Corporation's investment in the expansion of the motor vehicle assembly company reaches about three billion shillings.

The Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration (MoTRI) is taking a multi-pronged approach to boost Ethiopia's foreign exchange earnings. Its strategy centers on increasing the volume of exports, diversifying the products exported, and raising quality standards.