Ethio Telecom and Addis Ababa city administration revenue bureau claim implementation of telebirr based tax payment system will enable tax payers settle their annual income tax effectively.
Ethio Telecom and Addis Ababa City Administration Revenues Bureau have implemented the telebirr based tax payment system to enable category C tax payers to pay their annual income tax through telebirr.
Said to be part of the company’s plan in creating digital Ethiopia, the platform is said to be a reliable and cost effective alternative to the digital payment system. The platform is also said to play a paramount role for the Addis Ababa City Administration Revenues Bureau mainly to simplify and timely collect the income tax.
“Customers have started paying their annual income tax easily and timely via telebirr mobile App or USSD (*127#) from their whereabouts anytime and reduce the problems happening while copying documents apart from assisting them to save their money, time and energy being secured from the toiling and challenges they are facing while frequently traveling to tax collection offices along with waiting for tiresome and long queues,” said officials of the two organizations on a field visit held on Tuesday July 19, 2022.
The system which started implementation from July 8, 2022 has enabled over 300,000 tax payers to make payment while 679 tax payers so far have made their annual income tax payments through the platform which is said to account about 4 million birr within a week.
Tax payers can easily make payment of their annual income tax using the payment order number sent to their mobile number via SMS over 7075 from Addis Ababa City Administration and as they settle the payment, they will immediately receive a payment notification SMS from 7075 as well as 127 that can be used as a receipt number/payment confirmation. Furthermore, those tax payers who have already had a bank account can transfer money from bank to telebirr with telebirr integrated banks.
So far, telebirr digital payment platform has over 21 million subscribers having more than 89 master agents, 73 thousand agents and 21 thousand merchants. More than 25 billion birr has been transacted through telebirr.
Telebirr proves effective in tax payment system
Breakthrough Trading announces readiness to expand activities
Breakthrough Trading S.C. made official that it would double up efforts to intensify the activities it has been carrying out since its establishment in 2019.
Chair of Board of Directors, Netsanet Zenebe, said at an impact sharing event organized at the conference hall of Hotel D’ Leopol that the company would strive hard to meet its mission of building up human potential through knowledge transfer, best practices and positive mind set. The company gives training to young people in the realms of mind programming, habit building team building and leadership. Netsanet, a hypnotherapist by profession said that over 14,000 compatriots received trainings in the classroom, through the internet and by means of DVD.
“Our company is working diligently to create job opportunities for young people so that they can become independent entrepreneurs,” he said. Netsanet further noted that the company “provides the training” on various topics to governmental, non-governmental and private organizations.
Breakthrough Trading S.C also pledged to work together and establish close relations with the South African largest banking group, Standard Bank and Kenyan-based business firm named Job Creation. Representative of Standard Bank who attended the impact sharing event said on the occasion that his financial institution would work with Breakthrough Trading Business Company in the future ahead. Sources indicated that the Standard Bank whose representatives witnessed the activities of Breakthrough Trading Company could provide financial loan amounting hundreds of thousands of USD. This is reportedly used to help give training on personal developments to 1,000 young South Africans.
Breakthrough Trading S.C and the Kenyan-based business firm, Job Creation, shared their experiences to event participants. Netsanet Zenebe said during the occasion that the existing relation between the two companies would create good business opportunities.
At length Netsnaet underscored that the joint efforts of the companies would enable both to bring about better life for the posterity, “We invite all to come together and join forces to build the future generation. We are all responsible to come together and realize our dreams of building the nation.”
Breakthrough Trading S.C seized the opportunity to donate to Abrhot Library 10,000 books estimated at a cost of Birr 20,000.Handing over the books to representative of Abrhot Library, Company Managing Director, Asmera Defa, said that Breakthrough Trading S.C planned to make donation of 10,000 books every year to the library. “We support the initiative taken by the government to promote readings across the country,” he said.
Young people who had been trained by Breakthrough Trading S.C shared their experiences to the event attendants. The young ladies and gentlemen said that they “are now leading a successful life” after establishing their respective income generating businesses following the training they had received from the company.
Breakthrough Trading S.C. is a business entity established by a Genuine Team in 2019 with the vision of building far-sighted, healthy and wealthy generation. Over the last two years the company provided consultancy services to businesses and individuals to help them become more innovative, to enable them to execute their respective businesses with discipline and establish effective collaboration with others. Since its establishment the company has been exerting efforts to help create generations of visionary and positive attitude.
It was made official on the occasion that Genuine Business Group (GBG), the founder of Breakthrough S.C, launched GBG 2024 Projects. GBG is aspiring to establish in 20 years’ time its own multi facility metropolis, which embraces companies, hospitals, training hubs, conference centers, university, real estate, offices, industrial parks, gymnasiums, museum and other similar service rendering facilities.
Breakthrough Trading S.C gives trainings in two branch centers in Addis Ababa.The newly open branch in Adama Town will go operational in the near future. Plan is also under pipeline to open more training centers in Addis Ababa, Hawassa, Bahirdar and other local towns.
Present on the impact sharing event were senior government officials, delegates of Embassies and private business companies, representatives of governmental and non-governmental organizations, young entrepreneurs, journalists and other invited guests numbering over 1,000.
New budget year, new power boost
The Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP), a state owned energy development enterprise, announces that two additional generation projects will start production under the new budget year.
The EEP which undertakes several projects including five power generation stations in the 2021/22 budget year disclosed that the ongoing projects have been accomplished successfully as per the plan.
Thus, the power plants that are located at Aysha, Somali and Langano, Oromia will start their power production in the 2022/23 budget year; that started on July 8.
As per the information Capital obtained from EEP, the Aysha II Wind Farm that would have a capacity to generate 120 MW with 48 windmills will start generation in the budget year.
Moges Mekonnen, Public Relation Head of EEP, said that so far 32 windmills have been installed, while 16 of them have accomplished the test and the balance is under trial testing position.
“So far the project has accomplished 79 percent and the remaining work is the installation of 16 more turbines,” Moges said, adding, “with the installed 32 turbines power production will start in the budget year.”
Similarly, the Aluto Langano Geothermal project that targets to produce 70 MW power is partly to be undertaken, “As per the plan, eight thermal wells will be drilled and five of them have already been drilled and three of them have concluded production test.”
He said that the wells have a depth from 2,500 to 3000 meters. The production test has shown that a single well has a capacity to produce up to 8 MW, which is unique compared with the experience. “Usually thermals with up to 3,000 meter depth are expected to generate up to three MW but in this case the capacity is very high that shows that the drilling locations are proper areas,” Moges said.
At the end of the budget year, the project that is carried out by the Kenyan power firm KenGen has been able to accomplish 81.4 percent of the total project.
Aluto has had a 7.5 MW production unit which was constructed three decades ago.
“These two projects will start production in the budget year,” the Public Relation Head said.
Koysha Hydroelectric Power that is constructed in the Omo River with a generation capacity of 1,800 MW is also the other project that is ongoing. In the 2021/22 budget year, the dam concrete filling had been conducted and has reached 541 meters from sea level or 45 meter from the ground. To undertake the two spillway part of the project, 5.8 million cubic meters of the total 6.2 million metric tons that was supposed to be removed has been drilled and cleaned for the construction.
In the ended budget year, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) first unit has started production and the second one is under trial test stage to start the production in the near future.
Assela Wind Farm that will produce 120 MW is also the other ongoing project in the ended budget year. According to Moges, clearing the site, preparation for civil works, and manufacturing and transporting electro mechanical equipments have been conducted in the budget year, which is 32 percent of the total project.
Transmission line and distribution stations are other projects that have been achieved in the budget year.
The eight distribution sites that surround Addis Ababa or are located in the capital have been upgraded; the heavy distribution stations at Legetafo, Sebeta 1 and 2, Illala, Holeta, Bishoftu 3, Qalit, Gelan are the sites that got the upgrading.
Ethiopia, Djibouti ink agreements to propel livestock export
Ethiopia and Djibouti sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to accelerate the livestock export through the modern and biggest logistics facility, Doraleh Multipurpose Port (DMP) SAS.
The delegation led by Oumer Hussein, Minister of Agriculture, had paid a visit to Djibouti a week ago and during the trip the two parties have agreed to boost the export trade of live animals which is one of the hard currency earners for Ethiopia.
From the questions that Capital inquired through email to DMP, the maritime giant disclosed that the visit of the Ethiopian Minister was part of the signing of the MoU between the Ministry of Agriculture of Djibouti and its counterpart of Ethiopia on the use of the DMP Livestock Terminal.
“Indeed, DMP will serve as a transit station to provide services such as the supply of rest areas to international standards, handling and stowage for the export of live animals,” it explained, adding, “DMP, will work in close collaboration with the National Veterinary Authority (NVA) and will issue the alert in the event of the discovery of serious pathogens.”
As per the operation, the cattle will be sent from Ethiopia from the quarantine center in Mille, Afar region about 530 kilometers east of Addis Ababa.
“The rest period of cattle on the cattle terminal should be between 48 and 72 hours. With this signature, we have taken an important step in this project and intend to finalize it very soon,” the DMP response to Capital elaborated.
DMP has built a state of the art livestock terminal of 27,515 square meters inside the terminal. The livestock Park was inaugurated on January 16, 2021 with an annual capacity of 2.5 million cattle.
Regarding site capacity per day it shall manage 1,000 heads of camel, 500 heads of cattle 4,270 heads of goat or sheep at the current phase that will be expanded in the coming expansion projects.
On July 12th 2022, Djama Ibrahim Darar, General Manager of DMP SAS received within the Port enclosure a Ministerial delegation composed of Oumer, Fikru Regassa, State Minister of Agriculture, Berhanu Tsegaye, Ethiopian Ambassador to Djibouti, Mohamed Ahmed Awaleh, Minister of Agriculture, Water, Fisheries, Livestock and Fishery Resources, accompanied by his Secretary General Ibrahim Elmi for the signing of a memorandum of Understanding.
On his twit Oumer says, “I am delighted in the signing of the MoU with the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Djibouti to operationalize the DMP. The port serves as a resting terminal for export animals originating from Ethiopia. This will boost the staggering live animal export.”
Being located at the main trade route of Asia-Europe -Africa, DMP is positioned as a multimodal platform which will achieve its logistics chain at the regional and international level.
DMP’s activities for fertilizer and grain import to Ethiopia have grown over the year. Regarding fertilizer traffic, it has increased by 50 percent from 2018 to 2021 because DMP benefits with modern infrastructure and equipment’s to accommodate post panamax dry bulk vessels (more than 80 000 MT). DMP is the largest port and main supplier to handle Ethiopian Shipping Lines and all the NPS/NPSB/NPSZNB (types of fertilizer) volume. Also, DMP offers to Ethiopia a wide range of storage silo capacity to store their cargo as well as smooth the free flow operation of their dispatch and direct delivery.
Concerning wheat cargo, DMP has shown an increment of 8 percent from 2018 to 2021 because of the Ethiopian government imports. Besides that, DMP handled the aid cargo import volume with WFP, USAID and other clients and provided them with a wide range of services to facilitate the delivery of cargo to Ethiopia.
Since the opening of DMP Railway Terminal, DMP is connected to Ethiopia not only by road but also by rail. DMP benefits 5 lines of railway to ease the transport flow of fertilizer and wheat, in which the customer can get its cargo on time. This has enabled DMP to enhance its performance productivity and improve the truck delivery process.
Inaugurated in May 2017, the Doraleh Multipurpose Port was designed to relieve congestion at the former historical port of Djibouti.
The DMP accommodates vessels with up to 100,000 DWT and boasts some of the most modern facilities in Africa.
The facility that consumed USD 590 million in investment cost has a range of terminals that include bulk, break, container and RoRo, and it has 1,200 meters of quay line, accommodating 6 berths with a depth of 15.3 meters.
