Tuesday, May 12, 2026
Home Blog Page 3053

Ethio-Telecom prepares for competition

Metasebia Teshome
-
0
Ethio-Telecom prepares for competition

Ethio Telecom, which is underway to be partially privatized, is preparing its five years business strategy to stay as the leading telecom service provider when the new operators start their operation in Ethiopia.
On a press briefing given on July 13, 2021 regarding the overall performance of the company in the completed fiscal year, the CEO, Firehiwot Tamiru explaining the firm’s readiness for the coming telecom competition saying, “As a company, we do not underestimate the competition market, As there are healthy competitions, there will also be challenges that will not be overcome in order to win the market.”
Government has liberalized Ethiopia’s telecommunications sector as part of the country’s ongoing reforms to promote social, political and economic development and on May, 2021 a new telecommunications license had been awarded to the Global Partnership for Ethiopia.
According to Ethio Telecom, a comprehensive study has been carried out by Ethio telecom to protect its market and stay competitive.
“There will be a strategy review to stay competitive when the new operators enter to the economic business zone,” said CEO Firehiwot Tamiru.
As the CEO said, the company has conducted a five year strategic plan which has vast reform activities and advancement to attain its set strategic objectives in preparation for the upcoming competitive market which includes; enhancing customers experience and satisfaction through ensuring operational excellence, deploying new and enhancement of infrastructure and system service availability, quality and affordability, effective resources utilization and enhancing financial capacity.
As part of this ongoing liberalization process, last month Ethio Telecom launched a much-anticipated tender process for the sale of a 40% stake in the government-owned telecom. As the CEO said, the company is working on its business valuation for the next five years which can be important for the process of the privatization and moreover increases the value of the company.

(Photo: Anteneh Aklilu)

“The company has been undertaking a wide range of projects and operations to expand telecom infrastructure and systems to improve the quality of service and increase the outreach to the community,”Frehiwot pointed out. Moreover, the CEO explained that having an already built and growing infrastructure is an alternative means of generating income since the infrastructure can be leased to the new entrants. As a result, Ethio telecom will use this defensive strategy to protect its market share in the country and will lease the infrastructure based on certain measures.
On related news, the operator reported an 18.4% rise 56.5 billion birr revenue in the completed 2020/21 budget year, in spite of internet shut downs related to civil unrest in the Tigray region and cyber-attack.
Ethio telecom has generated 56.5 billion birr revenue in the just completed year which is 101.7 percent of the target which was 55.5 billion. “It is a big achievement for us in a challenging budget year,” said Firehiwot. When compared with the last budget year, the revenue has shown 18.4 percent increase. Likewise in the year, the telecom operator has generated 166.5 million in dollar foreign currency, which is 106 percent of the plan.
From the stated 56.5 billion birr revenue, 47.5 percent of it is generated from mobile voice, Internet and data shared accounted for 27 percent of the revenue, and international business accounted 11 percent 9 and 5 percent of the revenue went to the value added service.
As the CEO highlighted, at the end of the fiscal year the number of customers for Ethio telecom has reached 56.2 million which is 108 percent of the target that the telecommunication firm had been planning at the beginning of the year showing a 22 percent increase when it is compared to the previous year. The breakdown shows that, 54.3 million of them are mobile voice users while 25 million are internet data customers, 374,000 were fixed broad band customers who increased by 76 percent from the last budget year. Moreover, the telecom density has reached to 54 percent.

Mung bean gains traction on ECX

Metasebia Teshome
-
0
Mung bean gains traction on ECX

The increasing price of Mung bean becomes the new wave for the Ethiopian Commodities Exchange /ECX/ as local production and international demand and market price increase exceeding the price of sesame.
The Mung bean market is currently being driven by numerous factors which include its numerous health benefits, population growth, changing dietary habits and new market opportunities which have resulted on ECX trading it highly.
Now, the price of Ethiopian Mung bean is fluctuating than before due to normal production and demand factors.
“The reason as to why it has garnered interest is because the Ethiopian production of Mung bean is non GMO which makes it preferable in the global market,” emphasized Wondemagegnehu Negera, CEO of ECX, adding that, “the global growing of the demand for Mung bean is the other factor.”
In 2020/21 trade year, ECX has traded 30,000 metric tons of Mung bean which valued 1.2 billion birr. “One of the big factors for the trade is the international trade competition between China and America, which in perspective increases the Ethiopian trade, in the overall market scene,” stated Wendmagenehu.
In the year 2020/21, The Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (ECX) traded 614,586 metric tons of products at a cost of 39.6 billion birr. According to the commodity exchange platform, the stated number is 96 percent of the target in value while it is 102 percent of the target in cost.
From the stated number, coffee accounted for 35.5 percent of the market while sesame took 31 percent and other grains account for 33.4 percent of the market share.
In terms of financial performance, the GDP earned a total of 775 million birr has been generated from operating and non-operational sources in the 2020/21 budget year, which is up 106 percent from the target. This is an increase of 20 percent compared to the same period last year.
The total expenditure was Birr 517 million, an increase of 14 percent over the same period of last budget year 2019/20. Also the number has shown that the profit is 15 percent higher than expected.
With regards to tax, a Holding Tax of 756 million birr; VAT 847 Million Birr from Domestic Coffee Traders; 60 million birr from VAT was collected by the Commodity Exchange and a total of 1.7 billion birr tax has been collected and transferred to the government.
This year, 68,391 quality certificates were issued by inspecting the quality of the products offered for sale. With ECX’s secure payment and delivery system, more than 10,000 buyers and suppliers’ bank accounts have been successfully connected to 17 banks.
In the just completed year, Ethiopian Commodity Exchange has opened a special marketing window for agro-processing industries also during the fiscal year; pigeon, bean sprouts and pinto bean were added to the trading system.
The problem faced by the commodity market during the last fiscal year was the smuggling and illegal trade, although efforts are being made to prevent it. The trading platform affirmed that it will continue to intensify its efforts to prevent illegal trade, as the products that are traded in the commodity market can still be smuggled to neighboring countries.
For the coming year ECX has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum (MoU) to start trading of opal, safari and emerald minerals in the 2021/22budget year.

Fatigue in health measures leads to COVID-19 rise in Africa

Staff Reporter
-
0
Fatigue in health measures leads to COVID-19 rise in Africa

COVID-19 cases in Africa have skyrocketed, with a recorded 43% week-on-week rise in deaths according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
The surge in cases is a result of frustration and fatigue with key health measures, according to the WHO. It’s also possible the three COVID-19 variants, Delta, Alpha, and Beta, are responsible. The Delta variant, the most transmissible strain so far, has been detected in 21 African nations, the Alpha variant in 35 and Beta in 30.
“This is a clear warning sign that hospitals in the most impacted countries are reaching a breaking point,” said Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. “Effective treatment is the last line of defense against COVID-19 and it must not crumble.”
The recent surge is the fastest the continent has seen during the entire pandemic. Over the past month, Africa has recorded 1 million new cases, and is now only 1% away from the weekly fatality peak from January 2021. 6,273 deaths were recorded last week, 83% of them from Namibia, South Africa, Tunisia, Uganda, and Zambia. Currently, an average of 2.6% of COVID-19 cases in Africa become fatal compared to a global average of 2.2%.
Hospitals are suffering extreme oxygen shortages due to disrepair or poor maintenance of production plants, as well as distribution challenges, personnel or technical skills. At least six African nations are experiencing a bed shortage in intensive care. Medical oxygen demand has spiked, hitting 50% higher than at the same time last year, while only 27% of the needed supply is produced.
Additionally, only 18 African nations have confirmed that they are including corticosteroids, a medication recommended by the WHO, in their national treatment guidelines. Nine countries are using non-recommended treatments, including hydroxychloroquine and lopinavir.
“The number one priority for African countries is boosting oxygen production to give critically ill patients a fighting chance,” Moeti said. “Under-resourced health systems in countries are facing dire shortages of the health workers, supplies, equipment and infrastructure needed to provide care to severely ill COVID-19 patients.”
Vaccinations in Africa are also at levels deemed inadequate by the WHO. Africa accounts for only 1.6% of the 3.5 billion people vaccinated worldwide, despite being around 17.21% of the world’s population. Only 18 million Africans, or 1.5% of the continent’s population, are vaccinated. Around 190 million doses are needed to raise the percentage up to 10% by September 2021. 750 million doses are needed to raise it to 30% by the end of the year.
“The double barrier of vaccine scarcity and treatment challenges is seriously undermining effective response to the surging pandemic,” Moeti added.
The WHO is providing guidance on clinical management and support in updating procedure and training health workers in order to improve COVID-19 treatment. It will also work with partners to deliver medical supplies, including oxygen cylinders, and supporting the manufacture and repair of oxygen production plants.

Sustaining Ethiopia’s food system

Staff Reporter
-
0
Sustaining Ethiopia’s food system

The Ethiopian Food Systems (EFS) that is aligned with the UN Food System Action track has launched to come up with a game changer solution for citizens.
On the event held on Thursday July 15 at the Economic Commission of Africa Conference Hall the EFS, which targets to gain massive changes in the food systems from farming to table including different aspects, partners and sectors, synthesis report and position paper developed by the implementers, was launched by the Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Health.
The launch was held under the theme “Attain the Sustainable Development Goals especially end hunger, achieve food security, improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture”.
To address Ethiopia’s challenges, 14 action areas have been identified which align closely to the UN Food System Summit 2021 Global Action Tracks.
The UN Food Systems Summit will be held in September 2021, and aims to transform global food systems to support the SDGs.
The EFS has gone through a process of identifying, selecting, and finalizing 22 game changer solutions which require a strong policy commitment, with an exceptionally strong unified commitment from all stakeholders.
The policy commitments that are required for the game changers are establishing a finance system, selection and timely supply of inputs and technologies to boost production and productivity, rural electrification to promote environmentally friendly and climate smart technologies, index based crop and livestock insurance as disaster risk mitigation measures, implement land reform and land administration, and introduction of land use planning.
On the initiative, 14 action areas have been identified that includes ensuring food security and ending hunger, improving access to nutritious food, making food safe, slashing food loss and waste, conserving and restoring degraded natural eco-systems, managing existing and transforming food system and sustain positive changes, increase investments in technologies for smallholder farmers and promote sustainable agriculture, eliminate worker exploitation and ensure decent work in food systems, and ensure food systems resilience.
According to Mandefro Nigusse, CEO of ATA, a game changing solution should be sustainable, actionable, scalable and impactful, “when we do these, we achieve a significant, positive and sustainable change in our food system that is what we called sustainable EFS.”
The EFS process has brought together over 120 participants from government departments, donors, multilateral organizations, NGOs, CSO & private sector and has identified key challenges for the Ethiopian food system.

1...3,0523,0533,054...4,449Page 3,053 of 4,449

EDITOR PICKS

POPULAR POSTS

POPULAR CATEGORY

ABOUT US

 

Capital is the longest-established private English newspaper in Ethiopia

Contact us: info@capitalethiopia.com

+251911637862 | +251944732300 | +251116183253
 

FOLLOW US

© Newspaper WordPress Theme by TagDiv