DAESUNG SMARTHIVE and KOTRA-Addis Ababa Korean firm donate three hive controllers machine to the Ministry of Agriculture on Thursday October 7, 2021.
The firm has donated 12000 dollars’ worth of modern beekeeping and harvesting machine said to develop the country honey export volume and value and increase Ethiopian share in the international market competitiveness, as well as help farmers to harvest huge amount of honey from small farm land and increase income for the farmer.
During the donation ceremony at the compound of the Ministry of Agriculture, CEO of DAESUNG SMARTHIVE, JeongHyuk said that the donation will improve and change the existing traditional beekeeping and harvesting system to modern technology oriented mechanized honey production.
DAESUNG SMARTHIVE, KOTRA boost beekeeping through donation
Ethiopia ranks last in Digital Quality of Life Index
The third annual edition of the Digital Quality of Life Index (DQL) ranks Ethiopia 110th among 110 countries. Covering 90% of the global population, the DQL study is conducted by the cybersecurity company Surfshark and evaluates countries based on a set of five fundamental digital wellbeing pillars. Joining the study for the first time, Ethiopia displays low results in internet affordability (104th), internet quality (110th), e-infrastructure (110th), e-security (107th), and e-government (107th).
Ethiopia has room for improvement in all digital wellbeing areas, as its DQL is 60% worse than the global average and last among all indexed countries. Ethiopia has a similar GDP per capita to Zambia, but both countries’ digital quality of life differs substantially. Zambia ranks 94th, while Ethiopia comes in last place overall.
All Ethiopia’s DQL pillars rank in the last 10%. Its highest ranking is 104th in internet affordability. Ethiopians have to work almost 1.5 hours for 1GB of cheapest mobile data, nine times the global average. To purchase the cheapest broadband internet package, people have to spend as much as 13.5 hours working, 7.5 hours more than the worldwide average.
“Digital opportunities have proved to be more important than ever during the COVID-19 crisis, stressing the importance for every country to ensure fully remote operational capacities for their economies,” explains Vytautas Kaziukonis, CEO of Surfshark. “That is why, for the third year in a row, we continue the Digital Quality of Life research, which provides a robust global outlook into how countries excel digitally. The index sets the basis for meaningful discussions about how digital advancement impacts a country’s prosperity and where improvements can be made.”
In an all-around picture, 6 out of 10 countries holding the highest scores are located in Europe, following last year’s trend. Denmark ranks 1st in DQL for the second year in a row and is closely followed by South Korea. Finland ranks 3rd, while Israel and the U.S. round out the top five of 110 nations that were evaluated. The bottom 5 countries are Ethiopia, Cambodia, Cameroon, Guatemala, and Angola.
Regionally, the U.S. stands out as a country with the highest digital quality of life in the Americas, while South Korea takes the leading position in Asia. Among countries in Africa, people in South Africa enjoy the highest quality of their digital lives whereas Australia leads in Oceania, outperforming New Zealand in various digital areas.
Other significant findings of the report include, broadband is globally less affordable this year. Comparing countries included in both DQL20 and DQL21, people have to work 11% more (25 min more) to afford broadband internet in 2021. However, people have to work 29% less (28 min less) to afford mobile internet this year.
Moreover the report states that the world’s worst internet is the least affordable. People in some countries, such as Nigeria, Côte D’Ivoire and Mali require approximately a week’s worth of work to afford the internet.
The 2021 DQL research examined a total population of more than 6.9 billion people in terms of five core pillars and 14 underpinning indicators that provide a comprehensive measure. The study is based on open-source information provided by the United Nations, the World Bank, Freedom House, the International Communications Union, and other sources.
Ramis Bank files for license
Ramis Bank, which conducted the founding general assembly that would make it the last entrant in the financial industry under the half a billion birr capital, announces it has already filed its license request for the financial industry supervisory body, National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE).
On the founding assembly that was held on Saturday October 2 at Elilly International Hotel shareholders have elected 13 founding board members.
It was recalled that the central bank ordered the under formation banks to come up with the minimum paid up of 500 million birr in six months time to join the financial sector.
Otherwise the paid up capital requirement will increase by ten fold to five billion birr a day after the deadline.
In April, NBE had revised the minimum paid up capital of the banking industry from 500 million birr to five billion birr. But, under ‘minimum capital requirement for banks: directive no. SBB/78/2021’ it has called banks that are on their formation process to finalize their process with 500 million birr paid capital and request for license until Tuesday October 12.
On it part Ramis, which will involve itself on interest free banking (IFB), stated that it has achieved the process behind the deadline.
Couple weeks ago Ramis, which got the name from one of the biggest tributary of Wabi Shebele River and one of the largest rivers in eastern Ethiopia, said that it has successfully secured 724 million birr paid up capital to realize its operation.
While achieving on paid up capital is not the last requirement but it need to conduct founding general assembly and elect board members that would be approved by NBE and file its request for the central bank as per the deadline.
Due to that the under formation bank has conducted its general assembly prior to request for a license.
This process may make Ramis to be a last bank that will be formed under 500 million birr paid up capital, meanwhile there are handful banks are struggling to meet the NBE condition.
Capital has informed by organizers of the bank that it has already tabled its license request for NBE on October 6.
Roughly the bank has about 8,000 shareholders.
Ramis that stated it will introduce new IFB products is the third in the exclusive banking sector, which is differ with conventional banking business but become more attractive and even widely favorable for investment financing.
Currently, Zamzam and Hijra are fully IFB banks and have commenced operation in the past fiscal year.
A ‘Historic Event’: First malaria vaccine approved by W.H.O.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is recommending the widespread use of the RTS,S/AS01 (RTS,S) malaria vaccine among children in sub-Saharan Africa and in other regions with moderate to high P. falciparum malaria transmission. The recommendation is based on results from an ongoing pilot programme in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi that has reached more than 800,000 children since 2019.
“This is a historic moment. The long-awaited malaria vaccine for children is a breakthrough for science, child health and malaria control,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom. “Using this vaccine on top of existing tools to prevent malaria could save tens of thousands of young lives each year.”
Malaria remains a primary cause of childhood illness and death in sub-Saharan Africa. More than 260,000 African children under the age of five die from malaria annually.
In recent years, WHO and its partners have been reporting a stagnation in progress against the deadly disease.
“For centuries, malaria has stalked sub-Saharan Africa, causing immense personal suffering,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. “We have long hoped for an effective malaria vaccine and now for the first time ever, we have such a vaccine recommended for widespread use. Today’s recommendation offers a glimmer of hope for the continent which shoulders the heaviest burden of the disease and we expect many more African children to be protected from malaria and grow into healthy adults.”
Based on the advice of two WHO global advisory bodies, one for immunization and the other for malaria, the Organization recommends that in the context of comprehensive malaria control the RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine be used for the prevention of P. falciparum malaria in children living in regions with moderate to high transmission as defined by WHO.
RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine should be provided in a schedule of 4 doses in children from 5 months of age for the reduction of malaria disease and burden.
Key findings of the pilots informed the recommendation based on data and insights generated from two years of vaccination in child health clinics in the three pilot countries, implemented under the leadership of the Ministries of Health of Ghana, Kenya and Malawi. Findings include that the vaccine introduction is feasible, improves health and saves lives, with good and equitable coverage of RTS,S seen through routine immunization systems. This occurred even in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
