The first ever Coach who made history promoting to the Premier League without a defeat, Kifle Boltena announced the football standard at the top tier is hardly in a higher class than the Super League. Sebeta is already a strong team built by young talents. Except adding some experienced players, we are not much worried for the coming new season” Kifle stated to reporters.
Steering back Sebeta Town in to the Premier League with flying colors, Coach Kifle Boltena became a household name in the town just twenty five kilometers from the capital. Being home for one of the most passionate football fans, the club appeared little worried about the new adventure at the Premier League. According to Kifle having unwavering fan base, a strong backing from the town administration and an exemplary leadership from club officials, Sebeta has every resource to build a Premier League competent side. “Premier League survival is not Sebeta Town’s agenda, It is about mounting a strong title contention” Kifle who is considered veteran in Super League championship stated.
Thirteen wins, nine draws and no defeats in their promotion campaign, Sebeta returned to the upper tier with a flying color winning the group seven points clear of runner-up Legetafo Town. Scoring the highest (38) and conceding the lowest number of goals (17), kifle’s ambitious plan of contending to the league title may not be surprising. “Jimma AbaJifar won the title in its first season at the upper tier and Mekele taking the trophy two years since promotion. Therefore there is no reason Sebeta could fail to build a side capable of challenging the title” Ambitious Kifle remarked.
Kifle Boltena vows Sebeta is about title contention
Coaches in the market; Yohannes, Paulos and Dereje
Though the frustrating 2019 Ethiopian Premier League season coming to an end and preseason preparations are soon to kick-off, there appeared no news about movements among Coaches. It is surprising there are only three Coaches currently in the open transfer market including the successful Super League boss Dereje Belayneh.
Coach Yohannes Sahle’s stay with Welawalo-Adigrat appeared to come to an end for he had been one of the three applicants to take over Adama Town. Ashenafi’s appointment at Adama means the former Dedebit, Diredawa and Ethiopian national team Coach Yohannes Sahle is in the market.
Paulos Getachew is also in the market following his contract termination with Baherdar Town. Though Paulos popularly known Mango has not yet made official his parting with “The Blue Waves” sources disclosed that the club has not offered a new contract since Paulos officially announced to leave the club at the end of the season. The former Ethiopia Bunna and national team defender turned Coach Mango made a name last season steering Baherdar in to the top tier. One of the strongest sides at the league season first round fixtures, Many supporters blamed Paulos for the second round poor results thus he decided to leave at the end of his contract.
Promotion expert Derege Belayneh is also in the market looking for a premier side appointment. The former national team and Defense Force defender is an ardent disciplinarian with firsthand knowledge of working with fresh young talents; he could be answer for many clubs that strives to achieve something with limited resources.
The Immigration, Nationality and Vital Event Agency
The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Immigration, Nationality and Vital Events Agency
REGISTRATION NOTICE
Government of Ethiopia Campaign to Regularize Irregular Migrants in Ethiopia
In accordance with the Immigration Proclamation No. 354/2003, and Regulation number
114/2004 the Immigration, Nationality and Vital Event Agency of the Federal Democratic
Republic of Ethiopia has the mandate and power to register, provide legal permit and
control foreign nationals living in Ethiopia.
Consequently, to facilitate the process of regularizing the presence of foreign nationals, the
Immigration, Nationality and Vital Event Agency would like to announce that all foreign
nationals that reside in Ethiopia without valid resident permit, or present in Ethiopia
without valid visas, physically present themselves for registration at the Main Building of
Immigration, Nationality and Vital Event Agency, office number 81, and branch offices
located in Diredawa, Hawassa, Adama, Bahirdar, Dessie and Mekelle starting from July
22/2019 to September OS/2019. Upon presentation at Immigration office, the said foreign
nationals will be granted the opportunity to legalize their stay by applying or a residence
permit or the relevant visa in accordance with the immigration laws of the Federal
Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. Foreign nationals found to be ineligible for regularization
of their stay in Ethiopia will exceptionally be granted an exit visa, free of charge, to facilitate
their return to their country of citizenship/residence.
The Agency would like to inform the general public that it will take legal measures against
foreign nationals who are irregularly resident in Ethiopia or whose presence in Ethiopia is
not accompanied with the appropriate visa, and who fail to regularize their status in the
country within the timeframe stipulated in this notice.
Please call 8133 for further information
The Immigration, Nationality and Vital Event Agency
Private mortgage bank coming to Ethiopia
For the first time a full fledged private mortgage financial firm is getting ready to launch with the help of major financial businesses and other players. Besides the Housing and Savings Bank this would be the only other mortgage bank in the country.
The current name is Goh Betoch Bank Share Company. It is under formation by prominent organizers and being chaired by Getahun Nana, former Vice Governor of the National Bank of Ethiopia and short term president of the state owned Development Bank of Ethiopia.
The prospects indicated that Goh would be the first after the Housing and Saving Bank (HSB) that was formed by the merger of Imperial Savings and Home Ownership Association and the Savings and Mortgage Corporation of Ethiopia mid 1970 during the Derg period. HSB was also reconstituted to Construction and Business Bank in 1994 before it became defunct and merged under the state giant Commercial Bank of Ethiopia in 2016.
The prospectus stated that because there has been double digit economic growth for ten years, the poverty rate has decreased, urbanization has expanded and the per-capita income of citizens has increased.
It went on to say that urban growth and the 2.5 percent population growth rate in addition to the facts mentioned above increased the demand for housing in cities so housing has become a major issue. The prospects stated that every year 100,000 houses should be constructed to replace the old and meet the growing demand for new homes.
It argued that even thought the government, investors and residents have worked to solve the problem, more effort was required.
Finance is a huge problem for the sector. The Goh prospectus mentioned the 2016/17 budget year National Bank of Ethiopia data that indicated that the construction sector accessed only ten percent of the total loans and advances. “It shows that the housing project is getting very little attention from financial institutions,” it said.
“Due to that a financial firm that focuses on mortgage is a must,” it argued.
Goh plans to be a mortgage bank at first and may transition to other banking business in the future.
The bank indicated that it would cover the total investment cost of shareholders by the fifth year. “The profitability would be six percent in the first operational year, 17 percent in the second and 31 percent in fifth year,” the prospectus explained.
Construction, repair and improvement of residential houses, and purchases would be the major business it serves. It would carry out all activities related to mortgage operations like forming a side business including establishing a construction company and insurance business.
Constructing houses for sale or rent and providing consultancy service for housing scheme have also included under the prospects of the under formation mortgage bank.
To realize its strategy it will encourage housing projects, support the government in studies for the ratification of favorable government policy, laws, regulation and researches.
It is also expected to undertake other banking activities for instance support on the import and export, international banking service and forex, bank guarantee besides providing interest free banking services.
Goh Betoch will offer one million shares worth one billion birr with a single share of 1,000 birr.
The minimum share that can be bought would be 50 shares worth 50,000 birr and the maximum share ownership is as per the central bank rule of five percent that is in this case 50 million birr. Half of the total purchased share would be paid automatically with five percent interest rate and the balance will be settled within 18 months after the formation of the bank.
The under formation bank organizing committee that has nine members is chaired by Getahun Nana; Gebreyesus Egata, founder and CEO of Gift Real Estate, Kefeni Gurmu, legal expert, Wubishet Jekale (PhD/Eng), Professor at Addis Ababa University and General Manager at Jekale CM Consultancy, Heyaw Terefe (PhD/Eng), Professor at Addis Ababa University, Yoseph Assefa, well known on the financial industry, Fasika Kebede, former president of Enat Bank, Amerga Kassa, former president of Nib International Bank, and Araya Gebreegziabher, former president of Wegagen Bank are the other members of the organizing committee.
Even though these days banks are providing some sort of financial schemes to obtain housing it is mostly focused on the upper class of the society that may have already the facility and want more or for those whose income is extraordinary, as opposed to the general public or civil servants.
The government has attempted to solve the housing problem for the past 13 years but demand continues to outpace supply.
About a year ago in its congress the ruling party, EPRDF, made a policy hinting that the government would follow some more schemes to solve the housing problem in the country. It indicated that the private sector including foreign companies and the general public via housing associations would be also involved in housing in addition to its condo scheme.
Since September there has not been a lot of activity. During the Derg era several urban dwellers mainly civil servants and housing associations benefited from a plan by HSB to own their property in cities and towns of the country. Even though the HSB loan scheme realized their wish to own houses, the scheme did not continue as usual after the fall of the Derg regime.
Since then the housing scheme has been neglected from the loan scheme of the financial firms until the condo housing project was introduced by the government in 2004, which is fully controlled by the government. Lease has been also the other option to secure a plot and construct residential houses, however it is not affordable for the masses. Experts argued that the condo housing project is vulnerable to corruption in the construction stage and lottery process besides poor performance in the accomplishment.
