Harrari State Council ready to realize dev't program in millennium

Harrar, September 17, 2007 (WIC)- The Harrari State Council announced that it would undertake activities focused on ensuring good governance and registering speedy and sustainable development.

Speaker Abdulmalik Beker told WIC that the council is ready to contribute its share for the realization of the development program launched by the government in the first year of the millennium.

The council would closely monitor the development works in the country through its standing committees to repeat the economic growth registered in four consecutive years in a row this budget year, he added.

Preparations have been made to enhance development, peace and democratization in the millennium, Abdulmalik stressed.

It would closely monitor the activities of institutions at various levels to ensure good governance by putting in place transparent and accountable working procedure, he elaborated.

The council is also ready to do its level best to make poverty history in the millennium by creating national consensus, the speaker added.

It has carried out various capacity building activities last budget year to improve working procedures and efficiently discharge its duties, Abdulmalik indicated, adding that these activities would be enhanced in the new millennium.

The council would jointly work with other state councils, educational and public institutions as well as non-governmental organizations, among others, in the fiscal year, he pointed out.
(c) Walta Information Center, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Memorandum Of Undestanding signed between Toronto & European Harari Communities

Harar to replace dried out water pipelines

By Andualem Sisay

Harar, a town beset with water shortages for over two decades, is going to replace its old and rusted pipelines to get water from the 72 km new pipeline distribution network project that plans to cover in addition to Harar neighboring towns of Aweday and Haromay.
The new line is believed to minimize water contamination, which often used to occur as a result of the old rusted pipelines, according to Bushra Mohamed, Public Relations Head of the Water Supply and Sewerage Authority of the Harari People Regional State.
The installation of the new pipeline will begin within a few days as all the necessary equipment has already arrived at Harar. But according to Bushra, their request for the release of the equipment tax free from the Customs Authority did not receive a positive answer, although the issue has reached the Prime Minister’s office.
It was a few months ago that the Harari People Regional State had requested the government to lift the 54 mln birr surtax and Value Added Tax (VAT), imposed on the already imported equipment for the Dire-Jara project. It is to be recalled that a 100 million birr bid to supply pumps, generators and electromechanical equipment had passed the selection process.
“As the federal government still did not lift the tax on the equipment, Harar’s hope to quench its thirst shortly is still uncertain. Beyond the Federal government’s promises, the equipment has not been released,” Bushra told Capital.
The contractor, China Overseas Construction Company, has finalized the installation of about 60 km of pipeline and is expected to finalize the remaining 11 km, according to Bushra.
The project is funded by a 215 million birr loan and a 12 million birr grant from the African Development Bank (ADB), 66 million birr from the Harari People Regional State and another 20 million birr loan from the Water Development Fund of Ethiopia. The project fund agreement was signed two years ago.
The Dire-Jara project was initiated in 1997 by digging 17 waterholes at Asandiso, 71 km from Harar and 25 km from Dire Dawa. Of the 17 waterholes dug by the region at a cost of 4 million birr, potable water was tapped from twelve.
Currently, there are seven waterholes supplying water in shifts to a population of 160,000. However, in addition to the population living in the city, it was learnt that 29,000 residents in the rural areas of Harar are also suffering from the water shortage.
The Capital

Investors with close to 246mln birr capital licensed in Harrari State

Harrar, September 04, 2007 (WIC) – Investment projects with over 245.9 million birr capital have been licensed last budget year, the Harrari State Investment Office said.

Office Head Abduselam Abdosh told WIC that 73 local investors were licensed to engage in hotel and tourism development, industry, real estate development, agriculture, health, education, service delivery and construction.

Upon going fully operational, the projects would create casual and permanent jobs to 1,518 people, he said.

He said the projects licensed during the reported period exceeded that of the previous year by 80,824,000 birr in capital owing to the efficient service provided by the office.

Some 250 projects with a registered capital of over 523 million birr were licensed over the past ten year creating 3,118 jobs, it was learnt.