The Ministry of Culture and Tourism defended the recent hotel-rating in Addis Ababa and other regional towns despite grievances from some hotel owners.

The minister of Culture and Tourism, Aysha Mohamed (Eng.) appeared before the Houses of People’s representatives on Thursday to responded queries from MPs where she was question with regards to complaints by some hotel owners over hotels’ star-rating.

She said that except three hotel owners, the ministry has reached on agreements with regards to the relevance and credibility of star-rating results. She added that since last year, when the ministry announced the hotel-rating, 20 hotels have submitted complaints requesting reconsidering the earlier results they were given. After taking easements on complaint providers, the ministry has later found 17 of them improving their hotels overall status based on the requirements they have been given. However, only three of them did not fulfill the rating requirements.

The Ministry did not mention the three hotels that lodged the complaints.

Hotel star-rating was conducted last year in collaboration with the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

Recently, the hotel-rating was conducted in Tigray, Amhara and Southern regional states.

Sheraton, Radisson Blu, Capital and Elilly are the only five star0rated hotels in Addis Ababa, according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Out of the 123 hotels assessed in the city, 68 have been certified ranging from five to one star.

According to Aysha, ratings of the 400 hotels operating in the country was “a very good opportunity where we were able to gain valuable experiences for the first time”.

In its regular session on Tuesday the House of People’s Representatives (HPR) has endorsed several draft proclamations including loan agreements, proclamation to provide for the issuance of special government bond and an agreement for the establishment of African Trade Insurance Agency.

The loan agreement of USD265.8 million (assuming USD1.47638 = 1 SDR=XUA (unit of account)) signed between the Ethiopian government and the African Development Fund (AFD) to finance the implementation of the Basic Services Transformation Program was endorsed.

Meanwhile, the USD 76,110,000 loan agreement signed between Ethiopia and the African Development Bank (AfBD) for the financing of Water Supply and Sanitation Improvement Program in four towns has also been endorsed by the House.

Similarly, the House also endorsed the loan agreement of USD7.5 million that was signed with the Africa Development Fund that would enable Ethiopia to pay membership fee for African Trade Insurance Agency.

Another related proclamation endorsed by the HPR was one which provides for the Ethiopia’s membership in the African Trade Insurance Agency. According to the ratification document, ATI was established in 2000 after African heads of states got convinced that the institution’s establishment would increase the availability of financial resources for trade, investment and other productive activities and reduce the cost of trade finance in the continent by mitigating associated political, non-commercial and commercial risks.

From Ethiopia’s perspective, the membership bid is said to have large implications in terms of encouraging foreign direct investment by providing the types of insurance coverage that investors require to make their move to a new market.   

The loan agreement which was endorsed by the House was the USD 300 million loan agreement signed between Ethiopia and the International Development Association (IDA) for the financing of urban safety net programs.

The HPR also endorsed loan agreement of EUR 40 million signed between Ethiopia and the European Investment Bank (EIB) for partial financing of potable water supply and sanitation infrastructure project in small and middle towns.

It finally endorsed a proclamation that provides for the issuance of Special Government Bonds in order of 2.56 billion birr to raise the capital of the Development Bank of Ethiopia (DBE) in its quest to meet the objectives of the bank in the Second GTP.

All proclamations were endorsed unanimously.

Ethiopian high-end leather goods, with a legally protected patent and intellectual property rights, are set to hit global markets soon, it was learnt.

Sponsored by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), via its Champion’s Product Approach in Ethiopia, Luxury Leather Products Export Project is set to finalize patent issues and basic trademark requirements.

Berhanu Sergabo, corporate communications director at the Ethiopian Leather Industry Development Institute (LIDI) told The Reporter that the country will have branded fine sheep leather products ready for export when the process of obtaining intellectual property rights conclude in a month’s time.

In his exclusive interview with The Reporter Jin Kimiaki, chief representative of JICA in Ethiopia said that Ethiopia will have the opportunity to market its high-end quality sheep leather products worldwide with a brand name dubbed Ethiopian Highland Leather.

According to the chief representative, Japan took the initiative to introduce highlander leather which is mostly sought for its high quality and unique softness. Ethiopian highlands are well-known for high quality sheep skin which mostly is sought for making gloves golf players’ wear.

If intellectual property rights are recognized internationally, locally designed and produced shoes, fabrics, apparels and the likes will soon join the international market, Kimiaki said.

Currently, there are a few private companies—mostly handcrafters exporting furs and fashionable leather goods to the global markets. However, the country lags to have an industry scale value added exports except the recently expanding shoemaking business which has become a single dominant subsector in the leather industry next to the export of finished leather.

Next to Yigachefe, Harar and Sidama coffee varieties, which have been recognized as Ethiopian trademarked coffees, the success of exporting patented leather products will add Ethiopian sheep leather in the global brand markets.

The Hawassa International Airport, which is under construction at a cost of 457 million birr, will soon commence operation.

The Ethiopian Airports Enterprise began the construction 14 months ago. The project includes the construction of 3 km asphalt runway, taxiway, apron and passenger terminal. Yotek Construction Plc, an indigenous private construction firm is undertaking the project.

The Ethiopian Airports Enterprise Communications Affairs Head, Wondim Teklu, told The Reporter that the runway is a 3 km long asphalt concrete. “A two km runway construction has been completed. The remaining one km first layer has been laid. It will soon be completed and it will be open to traffic,” Wondim said.

It will take two month to finalize the construction of the runway. “The runway will be able to accommodate giant aircraft as big as Boeing B777 jetliner when it is fully completed,” Wondim said.

However, Ethiopian Airlines is under preparation to launch scheduled flight service to Hawassa Airport in the middle of this month. Hanna Atnafu, Ethiopian Corporate Communications Manager, told The Reporter that Ethiopian will launch four weekly flights between Addis Ababa and Hawassa as of April 15 (tentative plan). Hanna said Ethiopian will deploy its Bombardier Q400 turbo prop aircraft on the new route.  

Hawassa is the seat of the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Regional State. Located 273 km south of Addis Ababa on the shore of Lake Hawassa, the town is known for its fancy resort hotels. With close proximity to the hot springs of Wondo Genet and Langano beaches, the town is a major tourist attraction in the south.

Wondim said that the Hawassa Airport will provide cargo flight services. “Hawassa is one of the 11 agro industry zones selected by the government. An industrial park has been built in the city. So, beyond passenger flight services, the airport will accommodate cargo flights. The economic development in the region was taken into account,” Wondim said.

In addition to the scheduled flight services of Ethiopian, the small local private airlines are eager to render charter flight services to Hawassa. “Due to the high demand for an air travel service to the region, the airport will be partially operational,” Wondim said.     

According to Wondim, the EAE will embark on the construction of the passenger terminal. The enterprise will float a tender inviting contactors that will build the terminal.

EAE administers 20 airports, out of which 14 are asphalted. Four of the airports are international - Addis Ababa, Dire Dawa, Mekele and Bahir Dar.

Currently, the enterprise is undertaking the construction of five regional airports - Hawassa, Semera, Jinka, Shire, and Robe. It is also finalizing preparations to build a new airport in Nekemte town, in East Wollega, in the Oromiya Regional State.             

For long, buildings in Ethiopia are fitted with elevators and recently with escalators and conveyors. However, this growing form of vertical transportation is said to have become a source of worry for the public since it largely remains unregulated throughout the country.

A brief survey conducted by the Ethiopian Construction Projects Management Institute indicated that a sample of 200 buildings across Addis Ababa were found to be below the minimum safety standards when it comes to vertical transportation .

Fekadu Wale, an electrical engineer and a senior expert at the institute, said during a national workshop held at Dessalegn Hotel on Thursday that elevators and lifts are becoming too dangerous with records of malfunctioning and fatalities from vertical transportation systems across the capital. For that unregulated systems and unmet standards have contributed to a greater extent, Fekadu noted. According to the survey, hospitals, hotels, malls and residential buildings lack well-functioning vertical transportation systems.

Condominiums houses and apartment buildings don’t even install proper vertical transportation systems in spite of a clear regulation dictating otherwise, Fekadu argued. He went on saying that the minimum requirement the building code stipulates is that buildings which are above four storeys have to install elevators; but this is widely ignored. In addition to that, the standards of the elevators and to some extent the escalators fitted in most of the skyscrapers in the capital disregard the weight, compatibility and the needs of persons with disabilities. Fekadu mentioned that the danger that is caused by power outage is posing a major threat to transporting patients in hospital buildings.

The Ethiopian Standards Agency has set out some 17 basic standards that elevators and conveyors have to fulfill. However, it remains largely ignored and unobserved across the construction sector.

The other major drawback for failures to execute proper standards in the country relates to the case where building code does not recognize and refer to the national standards devised by the standards agency, Fekadu regretted. This takes away the binding nature of the standards set out on the code. Hence, property owners’ import either elevators or escalators which do not necessarily meet the basic criteria.

It is vague to answer the basic questions no how to determine the environmentally friendliness, energy efficiency and consumption rates and the like in the vertical transportation systems in the country.

Fekadu confidently criticizes the government for failing to set up a specific public institution which could have been responsible to oversee and regulate high-rise buildings and vertical transportation mechanisms.

Yoseph Birru (PhD), director general of the institute, also told The Reporter that in an expanding cosmopolitan city like Addis Ababa where demographic pressure is intense, the proper system has to be placed to regulate vertical transportation mechanisms.

It is a common scene to observe the elderly or people with disabilities struggling to use elevators and similar technologies in high-rise buildings. Yoseph, urged that such practices need to be reversed.

The Government of Ethiopia disclosed that it has started investigations on athletes’ managers, agents and officers in relation to the doping allegations that are making news headlines lately.

Redwan Hussein, minister of Youth and Sports, who appeared at the House of People’s Representatives (HPR) on Thursday, told MPs that the highly publicized case of Ethiopian athletes, who were found positive for taking performance enhancing drugs by the World Anti-Doping Agency, is “complicated”.

Redwan, however, did not solely blame athletes. He, instead, insisted that lack of awareness raising activities should have been done before.

“It has been around 11 years since our country signed the World Anti-Doping Convention. But throughout the years, we did not do enough. The athletes are facing this scandal because we have not done enough in raising awareness,” Redwan said.

Redwan, also told MPs that the current doping case is “more severe than before” adding that athletes who are found to be guilty of using the banned substances will be penalized under the criminal law.

He also explained that the specific drug types listed in WADA’s not-to-be-allowed list are not prohibited for all people. They are crime only for professional athletes or sportspersons.

He further explained that the side effects of these drugs can cause serious health hazards on athletes adding that the people who advised or pressured the athletes to take the drugs have committed “homicide” on the athletes.

Though he did not mention the names and nationalities of the foreign agents of the athletes, Redwan told MPs that it is the agents that should take a fair share of the blame.

He further indicated that there are agents who had been given a lifetime ban internationally from the athletics and sporting activities.

“These people would have not been allowed to enter here had there been prior information,” Redwan said.

“The government had to take responsibility for not having done enough in raising awareness. Similarly, local media and stakeholders had done nothing on their parts too,” he said

In that regard, he said that athletes, who will be participating at the Rio Olympics, will have to be tested before being selected to take part.

“As a precautionary measure, the government had tried to look for possible ways of having a testing lab at home. However, setting up the lab is expansive and the government has not earmarked budget to finance the lab,” Redwan said.

He, however, said that government will explore possible ways to build the lab which will in turn enable the country to render services internationally.

“Since there is no lab in Africa, it will also be a potential source of revenue for our economy.” Redwan said.

Regarding the athletes he told MPs that they spent a huge amount of money to buy the drugs and currently, they have no penny and are finding it hard to manage their daily lives.

Though the Minister did not name the athletes he said that they are young and promising athletes who could have brought pride to the nation.

The incessant experimentation the ruling Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) has been undertaking over the past 25 years has led to the commission of a series of mistakes that cost the nation dear. A proclamation which re-organized the executive organs of the federal government was enacted at the beginning of October last year when the Prime Minister appointed his cabinet. A new draft bill re-organizing justice sector organs was tabled last week barely six months after the law came into force. Over 20 pieces of legislation have been passed in the past 25 years with the aim of strengthening and re-organizing federal executive organs. The justice sector, in particular, leads in the number of re-organizations it has undergone. This is a result of lack of open-mindedness.

What is the problem? Does the country lack the necessary experts, experiences that are anchored in its unique conditions or friends willing to lend a supporting hand?  It certainly has an abundance of legal professionals. However, it is difficult to come by with someone who speaks his mind, tables valuable ideas and generally engages in a constructive dialogue owing to a pervasive atmosphere of fear and aversion to listen to each other. The level of polarization is such that it renders it practically impossible to move forward the nation-building process. Hence, caution needs to be exercised to assure that the re-organization of the justice sector does not undermine the very foundation it is built on. This can be accomplished mainly by displaying the willingness to be receptive to diverse opinions.

The government has said on several occasions that some of the laws it enacts draw on the experience of different countries and stakeholders are involved in the drafting process. But it hastens to amend or jettison them when the laws turn out to be unworkable or cause havoc. The draft bill re-organizing justice sector organs is said to have adapted best practices from five countries. Has the relevance of the experience of these countries in terms of the objective reality in Ethiopia been properly assessed?Was there an effort to look more to promising African countries than Western nations? Why are local professionals with a proven track record prevented from contributing their share in the authoring of laws?  How can the nation-building endeavor succeed without facilitating a public dialogue forum? Several questions can be raised.

Re-organizing the executive branch of the government three times in a span of less than a year points to flaws on the part of decision-makers. When it comes to the criminal justice system and law enforcement agencies, it is not the issue of whether the Attorney General or the Ministry of Justice should be the lead institution that matters most; rather it is to ensure that the government’s law enforcement obligation is entrusted, in full compliance with the dictates of the constitution, to a well-organized and well-staffed agency. The establishment or dissolution of a government organ is not a matter of importance to the public; it is the creation of a system which has limits on its power and is accountable to the people. An institution which is accountable to no-one and does not heed public opinion is detrimental to the nation-building exercise. If this exercise is to bear fruit we need to be willing to listen to each other. 

Unless the act of enacting a law is undertaken in a manner which respects the rule of law, the proponents of “the end justifies the means” adage are bound to have a heyday. How come the draft proclamation establishing the Federal Attorney General, which was referred to Parliament after it was vetted by the Council of Ministers, lead to complete disagreement between various government entities? This is indicative of a breakdown in communication and the absence of coordination. That is why it is important to take time in order to deliberate thoroughly on the opinions or grievances voiced by executive organs which have contrasting takes on the draft legislation. The draft ought to be evaluated from different factors, including, inter alia, the history of the country, the demands of the public, and the strengths and shortcomings of the institutions concerned. The concerns expressed during the first public hearing on the draft in relation to the vastness and complexity of the investigation powers given to the Federal Police as well as whether the Attorney General possesses the specialized skills required to deal with corruption and tax offences should be given due consideration.

At a time when even small businesses engage a consultant to conduct a feasibility study prior to embarking on a project, it is quite troubling that a bill tabled for parliamentary approval is drafted without the input of experts and stakeholders that would have made it more viable. But all is not lost as another round of hearings will be held on the draft before it is adopted, providing the opportunity for the incorporation of useful proposals raised during the deliberation. Such proposals should not be dismissed summarily.The dire consequences for the country of drafting legislations hastily that are devoid of the invaluable contribution of experts have been all too clear for everyone. This is borne out not only by the plethora of re-organization the justice system has gone through, but also the findings of a study submitted to Parliament revealing the existence of four executive agencies in the agriculture sector whose responsibilities are not defined by an act of Parliament or regulations issued by the Council of Ministers. Such gross dereliction of duty and waste of resources is proof of the inability to listen to each other and work in close cooperation. These failings should be rectified if the initiative under way to restructure the justice system is to deliver the expected outcome.

Aiming to remove untaxed and forged equipments from using its telecom network, the state monopoly, Ethio Telecom, is going to employ a telecom apparatus registration mechanism using its newly built Equipment Identity Registration (EIR) system.

As a trial, Ethio Telecom will start registering its employee’s telecom equipments as of the coming Monday up until April 14 2016, according to sources.

Thus more than eight thousand employees are urged to insert their sim-cards on their apparatus including tablets, modems, cell phones, iPads, wireless WIF routers and others so that the EIR system can detect the equipment identification number within the specified schedule. EIR system will enable the service provider to conduct the identification task without a physical appearance of the customer at service centers.

“Currently, we have 42 million mobile subscribers but the market for telecom equipments is growing, allowing for an overflow of untaxed equipments that is harming the country’s tax revenue and local manufacturers market competitiveness,” CEO Andualem Admasse told The Reporter on Tuesday.  

Apart from protecting the tax regime and local manufacturers, the identification system will also protect customers from buying counterfeit equipments and will lock up stolen equipments when the service provider is notified about such incidents.

However, Ethio Telecom and its regulatory body, the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (MoCIT), are still in discussions on the fate of individuals who are already using untaxed and forged telecom equipments. The two institutions and the Ethiopian Revenues and Customs Authority (ERCA), among other stakeholders, were conferring in a closed-doo-meeting on Friday. Selecting a regulatory authority from two federal entities; MoCIT and ERCA was the main focus of the stakeholder’s deliberation on Friday in the meeting that was held at Hilton Hotel. The Reporter’s attempt to find out the outcomes of their deliberations was not successful.

In a related news, the telecom service provider has already installed another technology called Policy Charge and Control System (PCC) which is ready to restrict applications that are freely using the Voice over Internet Protocols (VoIP).

“Currently we own the technology but it doesn’t mean that we will immediately block top over applications that are utilizing our telecom infrastructure,” the CEO told The Reporter.

Countries like China opted to negotiate with the application owners and reached on an agreement for the latter to pay some percentage annually from its profit, Andualem explained.

“Therefore we have this option coupled with a bargaining power given that Ethio Teleom is the sole telecom service provider. If we couldn’t capitalize on this option, we will consider charging our customers,” the CEO said.

This means that users of popular applications in Ethiopia like Viber and whatsApp will face extra charge while receiving and forwarding text, voice and video calls.

After acquiring the Construction and Business Bank (CBB) back in December 2015, officials of the colossal state-owned Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE), met with the former CBB staff that have expressed frustrations and detest over new job placements CBE has offered. 

Sources close to the matter that provided substantial information to The Reporter about the meeting which took place on Saturday at the newly built Hidassie Building, which housed CBE’s “excellence center”, said that Bekalu Zeleke, president of CBE and his subordinates, told senior officers and branch managers of the now defunct CBB that previous job titles and positions will no longer work at CBE.

Instead, he informed them that they will receive new job assignments based on their professional competence and relevant work experience. According to the president, work experience of the former CBB officers are evaluated as per CBE’s standards and were told that the result might not meet their expectations.      

Bekalu clearly indicated that out of the 123 branches of CBB only 88 will remain functional under the new arrangement and the rest are to terminate their services. Doing that, however, raised serious questions as to the fate of former CBB staff. In a closed door meeting, CBB’s employees have echoed frustrations over new assignments.

Some have challenged Bekalu by invoking his own rule book about the requirements of CBE while assigning its staff. According to one of the former CBB officers, though CBE requires bank officers to hold a bachelor degree and a minimum of six-month experience in the banking sector to be fit to hold the Customer Service Officers (CSO) position, he argued that his relevant five-year experience was ignored when assigned.

“My five years’ experience in CBB has no value in CBE. Somehow, I felt that I am being unfairly treated and almost like I am being pushed out,” the officer said at the meeting.

However, there are also others who claimed that their job placement letters are not yet forthcoming. Especially, officers working in transport and administration complained that they have not been assigned to their new positions. 

Senior officers of the former bank, who have been working in the area of Information System, were also bold in uttering out dissatisfaction over downgraded job placements. They have appealed for consideration as it feels that they are being demoted from the positions they have been holding at their previous company. At some point, they have also expressed that CBE’s new move has demoralized readiness when coming to the new work environment. They have demanded the circumstances to be resolved and the bank to consider and address the matter properly.

The problem is more pronounced when it comes to the IT department. According to some twenty IT officers of the former CBB, job assignment in their department has been the most problematic. Regardless of their professional competence and experience, blanket treatment was applied to place them at the associate technical officer level, they complained. Contempt to each individual’s experience and educational backgrounds is appalling, they told CBE leaders.     

Bekalu resonated that based on specifications of CBE, none of CBB’s staff fulfill the required competence to consider placements at an equivalent position as before. Hence, he argued that most have been placed a scale down from their previously held positions at CBB. However, he assured officers that their pay will remain intact under CBE. “Placements have been made depending on the available posts and regardless of previous job titles and placements,” the president noted.

The president also made clear that he prefers performance and delivery than work experience and educational background to promote employees, urging the CBB staff to take his points seriously. But CBE’s president was not shy to issue warnings either.  “If you don’t like the job and the position the bank proposed, you are welcome to resign. That doesn’t hurt CBE but yourself. The bank has ample staff to handle its activities,” he said.  Apart from that, the president persuaded the new staff to forgo current disappointments and annoyance citing his personal experiences of his career in CBE. 

Bekalu was also faced with honest questions regarding the acquisition of CBB. He stressed “no doubt, it is a clear takeover”. However, CBB employees were communicated formally in a written letters that the two banks have forged a merger.

According to Bekalu, CBE has taken over the entire 2,000 former employees of CBB to join its 23,000 staff. In total, CBE will run 1,108 branches across Ethiopia and beyond. Currently, CBE will be operating these branches in Ethiopia and Sudan. In addition, CBE announced it would also open branches in the US and the United Arab Emirates.

It is to be recalled that CBB was getting ready to feast on its 40th anniversary celebration when it was taken over by its older brother CBE. It was in December 2015 that the takeover of CBB by the beefy CBE was announced. CBB was established in 1975 by merging two mortgage banks; Imperial Savings and Home Ownership Association, and Savings and Mortgage Corporation of Ethiopia. On the other hand, CBE will celebrate its 75th golden jubilee anniversary next year.

Ethiopian Airlines yesterday marked its 70th anniversary. The flagship airline made its maiden flight on April 8, 1946 from Addis Ababa to Cairo via Asmara with C47 aircraft. Ethiopian was the first airline in Africa to join the jet age in the early 1960s.

It was the first African carrier and second in the world to acquire the Boeing B767 in the 1980s. Ethiopian played an important role in bringing Africa together for the establishment of the then Organization of African Unity (OAU). It diligently served the newly established African nations coming out of colonization. Ethiopian traversed through the trying times during the socialist regime when the nation was languishing in a protracted civil war, famine and a closed economy, which was a very hostile environment for an airline operate.

Following the downfall of the Derg and the introduction of a free market economy the airline changed the gear of growth and began thriving. The airline started to grow fast in 2005. In 2011 the airline joined the Star Alliance Group and a year later the airline made history by acquiring the B787 Dreamliner aircraft—the second country in the world next to Japan. It will also be the first African carrier to acquire the first Airbus A350XWB jetliner next month.

The airline which began the long journey with only five C47 aircraft bought from the US Airforce (surplus of the Second World War) today has a modern fleet of 76 aircraft with an average age of five, serve 92 international destinations on five continents and have a work force of 9,000 employees. With the 15 development roadmap—Vision 2025—the airline transformed itself into an aviation group consisting of seven profit units. The airline today transports over seven million passengers, 328,000 tons of cargo and generates over USD 2.4 billion in annual revenue.

 In June 2014 the International Air Transport Association (IATA) declared that Ethiopian was the largest and most profitable airline in Africa. The senior management team of the airline yesterday gathered partner airlines, ticket agents and members of the media to mark the 70th anniversary at the newly built aviation academy. There will be series of events throughout the year. Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Tewolde Gebremariam said that the airline is 70 years young, growing strong, very energetic and ambitious for the future.

The House of People’s Representatives has endorsed the draft proclamation which reestablishes the Federal Attorney General presiding over the all the prosecutorial power in the country and taking over the duties and responsibilities of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ).

As it is indicated in the House’s regular session on Thursday, the newly established Attorney General is poised to replace the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). The new institution is expected to improve the legal structure and service in the country and induce good governance in the justice sector.

It is hoped to create transparency and accountability in the sector and curb public woes over the lack of good governance in the justice system.

The new institution will be representing the government in all legal matters while having the power to exercise prosecutorial power which includes instituting criminal charges or discontinue them. Furthermore, the Attorney General will be in charge of licensing legal practitioners and administrating justice matters in general.      

A series of regulations are expected to be drafted to help the attorney general execute its responsibilities.

The Prime Minister is the one who appoints the attorney general and deputies upon the approval of the House.

Similarly, the House has also endorsed two related bills—one for the transfer of accountability of the Federal Police Commission to the Office of the Prime Minister and the other providing for the Federal Prison Commission to be accountable to the newly establishing Federal Attorney General.

Before the House endorsed them, the draft proclamations were scrutinized by the Legal and Justice Affairs Standing Committee of the HPR and other stakeholders. In its afternoon deliberation, the House has also passed several other bills related to double taxation avoidance, and humanitarian, technical and financial cooperation based on agreements that the Ethiopian government had signed earlier with various countries and multilateral organizations.

The double taxation avoidance agreements include those signed with Saudi Arabia, Portugal, and Democratic Republic of Korea.

The avoidance of double taxations was also said to help increase investment flow between the countries, prevent tax evasion and improve bilateral ties among others.

The humanitarian, technical and financial cooperation agreements were also part of the bills which were endorsed by MPs which is based on the agreement that Ethiopian government signed with Switzerland.

Leaders, policymakers, experts and researchers have gathered in Bahir Dar, the capital city of the Amhara Regional State, for the 5th Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa, which will be held from April 16-17.

The Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa is an annual event which provides an environment conducive to a select group of leaders from all sectors of society to examine and debate peace and security challenges facing the African continent.

The Forum is an independent initiative of the Institute for Peace and Security Studies (IPSS), Addis Ababa University, and of eminent African personalities.

This year’s theme is “Africa in the Global Security Agenda.” Following the 70th Anniversary of the United Nations, Africa looks at its role in the International Security arena. The 2016 Meles Zenawi Annual Lecture Series will debate the legacy of Patrice Lumumba.

Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma (PhD), Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Olusegun Obasanjo, former president of Nigeria and Chairperson of the Tana Forum Board, Andreas Esheté (Prof.), Special Advisor to the Prime Minister of Ethiopia and Deputy Chairperson of the Tana Forum Board,  Foreign Affairs Minister Tedros Adhanom (PhD), Kofi Annan, president of the Kofi Annan Foundation, former secretary general of the United Nations and Nobel Prize Laureate, Thabo Mbeki, president of the Thabo Mbeki Foundation and former president of South Africa, Carlos Lopes (PhD), under-secretary general and executive secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Ambassador Wolfgang Ischinger, chairperson of the Munich Security Conference, Germany, Thandika Mkandawire (Prof.), London School of Economics, UK, and  Jean-Marie Guehenno, president, International Crisis Group, Belgium, are amongst the list of speakers at this year’s event.

High Level Consultation on the theme of “The African Union and its leadership towards 2063” is also part of the event. Moreover, sessions in the areas of “Africa’s Role in the International Security Realm”, “Peace Support Operations in Africa: New Paradigms, new Models’’, and “Conflict Prevention, Building Peace Infrastructures, and Sustaining Peace” are expected to engage relevant stakeholders including heads of states, academics and practitioners.

Government considers better incentive for teachers

The Ministry of Education (MoE) has said it has already prepared alternative exam schedule for students who were not able to attend their regular class sessions and therefore could not sit for their exam due to the recent protests in several parts of the Oromia and Amhara Regional States.

Minister of Education, Shiferaw Shigute, who was present in the House of People’s Representatives on Thursday to present the eight-month performance report of his ministry, told MPs that during the widespread protests in many places of Oromia and few places in Amhara students have not been able to attend regular classes and hence could not sit for exams as per the nationwide schedule.

According to the national exam schedule, eighth, tenth and 10+2 students will sit for national exams on June 9, May 24 and May 30, respectively. However, due to the unrest, a number of students in the two regions were able to attend their classes and accordingly cannot be asked to sit for the exam together with rest of the student population.

Shiferaw divulge the plans while responding to questions by the MPs regarding what the fate of the students in these regions would be. “We were able to resolve the situation in most places in Oromia and Amhara regions and most students are back to their classrooms. Still, we are making unreserved efforts to calm down students and convince them to go back to their studies in some places,” he told the House.

“For those students, who are lagging behind the schedule due to the protest, we are giving tutorial classes in a bid to compensate for the delay,” he explained further. “So, some of the schools, which can catch up with rest, can still proceed with the regular exam program; while the others would sit for the exam, according to the revised schedule,” Shiferaw said. Either way, we believe that these students will be well-prepared by the time they sit for their exam, he added.  

However, we still have small pockets where students remain away from school. So, the alternative schedule is important to accommodate everyone, the minister explained.

However, Shiferaw argued that the number of schools, which have issues keeping up with the nationwide timetable, are too few to warranty postponing of the exams entirely.

He further explained that, currently there are around 40,000 schools all over the country and 13,000 of them are found in Oromia region. According to him, out of the 13,000 schools located in the region, only 581 schools have been affected by the protest.  Meanwhile, only 13 schools are not yet able to resume regular classes and are not likely to sit for national exams by the end of the current academic year, the minister indicated.

The decision of the ministry is not unexpected since the schooling system has been victim of the recent political unrest.

Apart from that, Shiferaw faced questions on the status of educational quality in Ethiopia which some MPs fear is worsening every day.

Shiferaw, however, made interesting revelations regarding the issue. He told MPs that his ministry believes that country’s education quality is directly linked with the teachers’ living conditions.

“We have clearly recognized that a teacher cannot contribute his best to insure the quality of education as he struggles to make ends meet,” Shiferaw told MPs. Furthermore, he said that insuring quality of education will remain critical challenge unless the low monthly income that government offers to the teachers is improved; and most importantly he indicated housing is one area that the government has to work on.

To address the problem, the ministry has already proposed the possible way to offer salary increments and other incentives such as access to housing, Shiferaw said.

He added that teachers’ incentive proposal has already been distributed to regions where by regional officials will review it before sending their feedbacks so that consensuses will be reached before the federal government announces incentive packages for teachers.

Dashen Bank and American Express announced the launch of the first American Express cards designed specifically for Ethiopian consumers. The cards will be named Dashen Bank American Express Gold and Green debit cards.

The president of Dashen Bank, Asfaw Alemu, and Andrew Stewart, vice president and general manager of Partner Card Services in Turkey, Middle East and Africa in a press conference held at Sheraton Hotel on Friday said that both cards offer an extensive range of benefits and world-class service associated with the American Express brand in Ethiopia.

Based on the agreement between clients and the bank, customers will have the opportunity to choose between the two cards based on their spending preference, lifestyle and financial needs.

“These cards bring financial freedom to our customers,” Asfaw said during the press conference.

“Financial freedom is in terms of accessing their account, but also accessing higher amount of money from the bank. Our customers who choose to have the cards can withdraw cash from our ATMs within the range of 15 to 30 thousand birr. If we go to our merchant locations the one who carries this card can buy from these merchant locations any commodity within the range of 60 to 100 thousand birr,” the president said.

Gold card members earn 1.5 percent cash back on every purchase and Green card members earn one percent cash back, the money is credited back into the customers account monthly. Cash back is a special reward where card members earn a percentage of their transaction back every time they pay for goods and services by using their cards.

Dashen Bank headquartered in Addis Ababa, is the biggest private Bank in Ethiopia. It operates through a network of 146 Area Banks, nine dedicated Forex Bureaus, 170 ATMs and 834 plus Point-of-Sale (POS) terminals spread across the length and breadth of the nation. It has established correspondent banking relationship with 464 banks covering 71countries and 175 cities across the world.

American Express is a global services company, providing customers with access to products, insights and experience that enrich lives and business success. Since 1997, it has partnered with a select group of banks and financial institutions around the world to issue Express branded products and acquire merchants on the American Express merchant network.

Vow to work towards the development of general aviation

Local private airlines—for the first time in the history of general aviation in Ethiopia—have met and established an association dubbed “Ethiopian Private Airlines Association.”

There are about 13 registered small private airlines in Ethiopia that render charter passenger and cargo charter flight services. The private airlines provide VIP flights, air ambulance, surveying and aerial photography services. So far the private airlines do not have an association. However, they have been voicing their concerns over red-tape in the aviation industry to the concerned authorities individually.

Abera Lemi (Capt.), coordinator of the association and CEO of National Airways, told The Reporter that the new association is registered by Document Authentication and Registration Office and the Ministry of Trade. Abera said that operators associations are active in every country and Ethiopia lagged behind in forming the association.

According to Abera, private operators face various industry challenges. Abera said that the newly-established association will deliberate on challenges facing private operators and bring the matter to the government. “We shall discuss policy issues and take matters that hinder the development of general aviation in Ethiopia to the concerned government bodies.”   

Abera said that the association will closely work with the Ministry of Transport, Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority and the Ethiopian Airports Enterprise.

According to Abera, the association will work in areas of enhancing aviation safety and security. “Big airlines fly to big airports which have every required airport facilities. But small private airlines fly to remote and inaccessible areas where there is no security apparatus. This association will help private operators to exchange information among themselves and report security concerns to the relevant government bodies,” Abera said.

Abera said that general aviation is developed in other African countries. “Countries like Kenya and South Africa have advanced general aviation. Even countries like Tanzania, where they do not have a national carrier; the general aviation sector is developed. Ethiopia has a leading national carrier but the general aviation sector is under developed,” Abera said.

During the imperial era the general aviation sector was budding. There were various private companies that used to provide charter flight services. Foreign and local nationals used to own private planes and helicopters. At that time there were 50-60 private planes registered in Ethiopia. In the wake of the 1974 socialist revolution the private airlines and private planes were confiscated by the Derg that heralded the demise of general aviation in Ethiopia.

The sector revived after the downfall of the Derg in the 1990s but is still in its infancy. A country as big as Ethiopia has only a handful of private airlines and none of them provide scheduled flight services. Trans Nation Airways (TNA), which launched scheduled flights to Bahir Dar and Gondar towns in 2014, suspended the operation after a brief moment.

Ethiopia is the political capital of Africa. It is the seat of the African Union, UNECA and other international and regional organizations but there is no company that provides private jet flight service. There is no private jet registered in Ethiopia.

“With the fast economic growth the country is registering and the growing FDI, the country certainly needs a vibrant general aviation. The general aviation can also significantly contribute to the development of the tourism industry. General aviation is no more a luxury; it is a necessity. Our association would promote the sector,” Abera said.         

Technological advancement in communication technology makes people’s interaction simpler and enjoyable. However, it can equally be dangerous and can even send individuals to prison for up to 25 years, according to a new cybercrime draft proclamation that was endorsed by the Council of Ministers and tabled before the House of People’s Representatives for approval on Tuesday.

The bill aims to control and prosecute criminal activities that were carried out via computers. These criminal activities include cyber-attacks, electronics thefts and disseminating information that results in public disorder or violence.

The newly introduced draft proclamation proposed punishments for cybercrimes ranging between three years to 25 years in prison. Apart from the lengthy prison terms, the draft bill also correspondingly imposes fines that extend between 5,000 birr to 200,000 birr.

In many countries, computer crime law deals with the broad range of criminal offenses committed using a computer or similar electronic devices. Nearly all of these crimes are perpetrated online. The internet provides a degree of anonymity to offenders, as well as potential access to personal, business, and government data. Many computer crimes are committed as a means of stealing money or valuable information, although financial gain is not always the objective. In fact, some of the most notorious incidents of computer crime involved hackers seeking “bragging rights” by overcoming government or corporate cyber security measures. But the government of Ethiopia believes such crimes will be real anytime. In addition, government earlier hinted that there is a need for controlling such communication, which it calls a threat to national security.

However, experts in the field and commentators are shocked by some of the provisions. They particularly fear that the bill could harm their business operations. Others fear that some of the provisions would limit publics communication and information exchange right.

Some even accuse the government of intending to introduce another draconian law like the infamous Anti-terrorism Proclamation and the Charities and Societies proclamation.

In its preamble, the draft proclamation says that the unless appropriate protection and security measures are taken, the utilization of information and communication technology is vulnerable to various types of computed crimes and other threats that can impede the overall development of the country and endanger individual rights.

It also explains that the existing laws are not adequately tuned with the technological changes in order to prevent, control, investigate and prosecute the suspects of computer crime.

The draft law particularly in its second part designates various types of computer crimes and their subsequent punishment imposed on the suspects that include the crime level that are punishable in terms of imprisonment as well as fine.

According to the documents attached with the draft proclamation, the provision that designates Computer crimes particularly, Crimes against Computer System and Computer Data are the major types of crimes that are born out of the technological changes and advancement but are not covered by the existing laws. These crimes, as listed in the provision in accordance with their level of criminal weight, are identified as key criminal activities that are commuted in other computer systems without authorization. The crime types include Illegal Access, Illegal Interception, Interference with Computer System, Causing Damage to Computer Data, Criminal Acts Related to Usage of Computer Devices and Data, and Aggravated Cases.

Aggravated Cases, which is designated as a crime, as stipulated by other articles before this one, “is committed against computer data or a computer system or network which is designated as top secret by the concerned body for military interest or international relation, and while the country is at a state of emergency or threat, the punishment shall be rigorous imprisonment from 15 to 25 years”.

There are provisions and sub articles that are also deemed to be controversial particularly with regard to the rights of individuals and the power granted to investigators.

However, legal analysts like Kinfe Micheal Yilma, an internet law expert and lecturer at Addis Ababa University Law School, describe the draft bill as “a worrisome privacy-unfriendly proviso” fearing that the bill proposes warrantless ‘digital forensic investigation’.

According to the draft bill, where there are reasonable grounds to believe that computer crimes are likely to be committed, Information Network Security Agency (INSA) investigators can conduct—without any judicial oversight—virtual forensic investigation into computers suspected to be sources of attack or to be subjected to attacks.

Another worrying provision for Kinfe is the ‘duty to report’ proviso on communication service providers. It requires service providers to report to INSA and the police when they come to know of cybercrimes being committed or circulation of illegal content (such as child pornography) over their computer systems. The concern with such an obligation is that it has the potential to prompt service providers to preemptively monitor communication on their networks.

According to Kinfe, the draft cybercrime law also entails rules that negate crucial principles of procedural justice such as ‘due process of law’. The bill, for instance, allows courts to rule ex parte on a request by investigators for a production order against a person thought to be in possession of computer data needed for investigation.

Social media cases are another worrisome issues covered in the bill. Computer Crimes Against Public Safety target information exchanges transmitted through computer systems via social media, websites, blogs and related means of communication.

Intermediary members at the Ethiopia Commodity Exchange (ECX) fear that a newly introduced directive by the Ministry of Trade could potentially harm their participations and possibly force them to leave the trading floor, it was learnt.

According to sources that regularly trade at the ECX as intermediary members, the new directive intentionally limits previous provisions where any single intermediary member, who represents both buyers and sellers will no longer be allowed to perform dual roles. Intermediary members have the privilege to trade either on their own accounts or on behalf of clients.

Basically, ECX has two classes of memberships. These are classified as trading and intermediary memberships. However, the membership goes with a type of full-fledged or limited membership where the first have the luxury of having seats permanently and when need can freely transfer trade in any commodity. The limited membership privilege is limited to only one year with one commodity and one position either buying or selling. 

Members of the ECX who have requested anonymity told The Reporter that the new directive violates the very basic principles of a commodity exchange business and the membership structure of the commodity exchange.

A similar move was made three years ago but the late Prime Minister Meles Zenawi intervened and the intended directive was scraped, the sources claimed. Three years later the directive has becomes functional to bar members not to represent buyers and sellers aiming to regulate the behaviors of exporters. The same sources explained that the ministry intended to check and regulate the traded and exported commodities.

The ministry deems that some exporters are abusing their membership privilege by selling commodities, mostly coffee, at local markets which earn them more than what they can get from international markets.

A public notice posted on Thursday by ECX details that intermediary members are required to choose their preferred side, which is either to represent the buyer or the seller but not both and should report within six days. The notice, according to sources, is a surprise and a blatantly commanding approach.

Tewodros Assefa, communication head at the ECX confirmed to The Reporter that the noticed was posted on the basis of fulfilling the new directive issued by the Ministry of Trade. He said that intermediary members are needed to report accordingly on their preference. Due to the recent reshuffles at the Ministry of Trade, it was difficult to contact responsible persons and learn more about the matter.

However, members and traders have requested for formal explanations and probably a meeting is expected to take place early next week. Currently, there are some 350 members mostly representing intermediary members that are trading at the ECX floor.

One of the downsides of Ethiopian traditions is the unimportance with which transparency is regarded. From individuals to the society to the government, most Ethiopians shun transparency in their personal dealings and managing the affairs of the state. Such a  hostility to transparency has had multi-tiered consequences that have harmed both the national and public interest. Let’s look into some which are more worrying.

Ethiopia was recently placed on a watch list of nations with a troubling doping record. Though individual athletes stand to lose more, the country could well face sanctions if stakeholders like the Ministry of Youth and Sports, various sports federations, the Ethiopian Olympics Committee, sports clubs, athletes and the general public do not forge a united front to tackle the problem vigorously. There are a host of entities which have a stake in the performance of an athlete including families, friends, trainers, managers, sponsors, etc. Some athletes are tempted or pressured into taking performance-enhancing drugs in order to gain fame and the financial rewards it brings. Non-transparency in how each of these actors should conduct themselves and towards one another has played a considerable role in emboldening and spreading the commission of doping offences. Had the proper procedures been put in place ensuring the prevalence of transparency in sports, Ethiopians would not have been vexed by and hang down their heads in shame when the athletes they revere are labeled  cheats. 

The constitution of Ethiopia unequivocally lays down that the conduct of affairs of the government shall be transparent. The reality on the ground, however, cannot be further from this. For instance, Parliament regularly invites stakeholders to participate in deliberations on draft bills. Occasionally though the stakeholders are clueless about the proposed piece of legislation. Meanwhile, a not insignificant portion of the proclamations that the legislature enacts are repeatedly amended because they are poorly drafted and impractical. Parliamentarians recently berated the Ministry of Justice for this particular failing. Non-transparency in the law-making process has led to frequent revisions of laws that have inconvenienced and annoyed the public. Another grave problem prompted by lack of transparency is the continued jailing of suspects that courts order to be released on bail for lame reasons. This is a stark reminder that opacity paves the way for rights violations.

Just last week ethio telecom, the state-owned telecom monopoly, announced that it was mulling over the introduction of the telecom apparatus registration mechanism as well as the policy charge and control system. The latter supposedly aims at restricting applications that are freely using the Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) to receive and forward text, voice and video calls, thereby costing the monopoly significant revenue it would otherwise have earned from international calls. The board of ethio telecom, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and other relevant government agencies are holding discussions that are expected to lead to decisions regulating the use and fees payable for popular applications like Viber and WhatsApp. The consultations have to be inclusive and transparent so that the decision factors in the needs of millions of users of the applications and ethio telecom’s legitimate commercial interests. A host of solutions can be thought of including, as proposed by the monopoly itself, to leverage its ownership of the national telecom infrastructure so as to reach a profit-sharing agreement with the owners of the applications. Failure to engage the public openly prior to passing a decision on the matter may well elicit customer dissatisfaction and hurt the company’s bottom line.

Speaking of transparency numerous government agencies post on notice boards the ‘principles of ethical service’ they are bound by. A customer who looks forward to a satisfactory service having read the ‘principles’ is bound to be let down. While the majority of honest and hard-working public sector employees treat customers courteously and with a sense of responsibility, the reluctance to strictly enforce mechanisms that help to bring about transparency and accountability has allowed a few employees and managers to abuse their power with impunity and rob the public blind. If institutions and their workers were to carry out their duties in a transparent manner, decent folks would have been held up as examples even as the unprincipled face the music.

In general lack of transparency is a bane for the nation and its people. The government, in particular, owes a constitutional obligation to make its conduct more transparent. Except for information precluded from disclosure by the access to information law on grounds of national security and similar other considerations, the public should be able to have an unfettered access to information held by the government. The fact that Ethiopians are by and large too guarded cannot justify the perpetuation of the culture of secrecy in government institutions. Lack of transparency accounts for many of the ills of Ethiopian society: bad governance, miscarriage of justice, rampant corruption and infringement of citizens’ fundamental rights and freedoms to name a few. Consequently, backwardness, conflict, polarization still have not given way to modernity, peace, stability, and consensus on issues of national interest. Transparency is an indispensable ingredient of democracy, development, prosperity and solidarity. Let’s inculcate it in the national psyche!

Disgruntled tenants of the Addis Ababa Bole International Airport passenger terminal furiously criticized the management of the Ethiopian Airports Enterprise (EAE) for rent-seeking and lack of transparency.

With the view of improving good governance at the Ethiopian Airports Enterprise the management of the enterprise and the Ministry of Transport organized a consultative meeting with stakeholders on April 12 at EAE’s conference hall in Addis Ababa. The meeting was chaired by the state minister of the Ministry of Transport, Desalegn Ambaw. Tewodros Dawit, CEO of the enterprise, co-chaired the meeting.  Wondim Teklu, communication affairs head with EAE, presented a nine-month performance report of the enterprise. Wondim said that the enterprise should be able to satisfy passengers. “We should be able to make passengers happy,” he told participants.    

Tenants (shop, café and restaurant owners) of the Addis Ababa Bole International Airport passenger terminal, aircraft fuel suppliers and airlines participated in the meeting. Desalegn said that the main objective of the meeting was to deliberate on the challenges facing customers and resolve the problems. Desalegn explained that Ethiopian Airlines was growing fast and to cope up with the national flag carrier the enterprise was building new airports and expanding the existing airports. The EAE envisioned itself with becoming one of the leading airport service providers in Africa. The enterprise plans to make Addis Ababa Bole International Airport Africa’s leading hub by 2020. Desalegn said this could be realized by enhancing the service delivery and by closely working with stakeholders. He invited all participants to candidly express their discontents  

Tenants of the Addis Bole International Airport bluntly criticized the management for failing to manage tenders in a transparent manner. Some of the participants said that the bidding procedures for business outlets were vague. “The bidding procedures lack transparency. We do not know how the winners qualify. There is rent-seeking. We should evaluate ourselves,” the tenants said.

The tenants said that some renowned business personalities own five and six shops and restaurants at the Addis Ababa Bole International Airport. “They have dominated the business. How did that happen?” they inquired.

The tenants also complained that the floor prices set by the enterprise for spaces are exorbitant. “Rent is now so expensive that we are forced to run our business at a loss,” they lamented. They also said that officials of the enterprise do not provide them with satisfactory explanations to their complaints.

Aircraft fuel suppliers have also presented their complaints. The fuel suppliers said that the enterprise is not responsive. According to them, there are safety concerns. “The imperial regime collapsed because it failed to address the public anger. The Derg was toppled because it tried to silence the public demands by bullets. Now once gain Ethiopians are demanding their rights and God knows what would happen to you,” a representative of a jet fuel supply company said.     

A representative of a private airline complained that EAE does not handle requests promptly. She said that the  enterprise lacks efficiency. “It has been fifteen years since we asked for a plot of land to build a maintenance hangar. We won the bid for a plot of land over a year ago. But we did not yet get the green light to commence construction,” she said.

A private airline manager said that the main problem of EAE is that it is engaged in dealing with sideline businesses. “The main task of the enterprise should be airport operation— dealing with aircraft movement and ensuring a smooth flow of passenger traffic. It should also cooperate with fuel suppliers, customs and immigration. But now the enterprise seems to be busy with airport business (or sideline businesses) like dealing with tenders, space renting and so forth. It can outsource this service. Executives of the enterprise are busy handling tenders and overseeing airport construction projects. They do not have time to manage the day-to-day operations of the airport which was supposed to be their main duty,” the manager said.

Deslaegn said that it was difficult to address every question raised during the meeting. However, he said the points were taken into account. “The forum was only the beginning. Similar meetings will be organized.” Tewodros said that the enterprise would closely work with stakeholders to mitigate the problems.

One of the participants of the meeting, who requested anonymity, told The Reporter that a senior executive of the enterprise tainted with rent- seeking and incompetency was removed from his post. However, he said he was recently re-instated to his office for an undisclosed reason. “How can good governance be enforced while we witness this kind of mal- administration?” he asked.

Another participant of the meeting told The Reporter that the intent of the meeting should not be putting the blame on one or two officials and removing them with the objective of silencing public discontent. “We should be able talk about the system. Pointing a figure on one or two individuals would not bring about a fundamental change that we are seeking,” he said.

Wondim Teklu declined to comment on the details of the meeting saying that the enterprise would soon organize a press conference on good governance.

It was early morning hours—9:00 am to be exact. And one would assume that the weather would be cooler with the heat gradually gaining ground as the day goes by. However, in Fedeto locality of the Somali Regional State, the heat pounds heavily over everything. The scorching sun from above and the heat that comes from the ground are unbearable. Nonetheless, for local residents and people who have been internally displaced because of the El Niño induced drought, everyday life seems to continue regardless of the harsh environmental conditions.

Currently, Ethiopia is facing the worst drought in recent history and because of this drought more than ten million people are in need of assistance, according to the Government of Ethiopia and humanitarian agencies.

One of the severely affected areas is the Somali region where more than three million people are currently dependent on food assistance from the government and humanitarian agencies. 1.5 million people are directly affected by the drought while 1.6 million people are under the Safety Net Program.

Many residents of the region describe the current drought as the worst drought in their lifetime. Elders, who have lived through many droughts, said that livestock, on which communities depend on, were devastated. It is estimated that more than 600,000 animals died in Siti zone, the northern-most part of the Somali Regional State.

People, who are severely affected by the drought, have even given it a name. "We've named this drought Mulia. It means that it erases every asset on the ground,” 65-year-old Eltise Muse Bah told The Reporter.

"I've never witnessed such a devastating drought. With other droughts, which we lived through before, a considerable number of animals managed to survive; however, the situation this time around is totally different and serious where almost all our livestock have died,” he said.

Another victim is 37-year-old Dehabo. She used to own ten camels, more than 200 goats and sheep and some 20 cows. However, the effect of the drought has left her with only three goats and one donkey.

“I don’t know how we can continue life. We are dependent on food that is being provided to us by the government and donor organizations. Our future is on the hands of Allah,” she said heartbrokenly. 

"Without livestock we can't go back to the life we used to live. This is the only thing we know how to do," Dahbo said.

In Fedeto there is a school, which has a school feeding program supported by the government and Save the Children. At the school, students can get nutritious food and water to drink. That is the one place children can get proper meals.

Across Ethiopia more than 10 million people are affected by this drought, with another 7.9 million already supported by the government's Food Security Productive Safety Net Program.

Following the Ethiopian government's October 2015 appeal for assistance, long-standing international partners and organizations have been ringing the alarm bell as they go into action in places like Fedeto to avert a humanitarian crisis.

To help prevent escalation of an already serious situation, the European Commission Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO) on April 8 announced a package of 122.5 million euros to help Ethiopia tackle the problems of the drought.

The Ethiopian government has repetitively stated that the assistance from the international community is below expectation. The government announced that it needed 1.4 billion dollars; however, the money that has so far been pooled is only 51 percent of the required. Still, the government says that the support and assistance has continued.

Regarding this, the commissioner of the National Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Fund, Mitiku Kassa, told The Reporter that the latest assistance (122.5 million euros) has increased the contribution but that does not mean that the entire required amount has been secured.

“Currently, in some areas, belg rains have started but it will only reduce the shortage of water and will not solve the problems we have with regards to food shortage, therefore, the support should continue,” he said.

Both the government and donors are saying that they are working relentlessly, and the people affected by the drought are waiting and praying for a better future so that things would get back to how they were.