The Ministry of Mines and Petroleum has drafted a mining policy that will last for the next twenty years. The current policy draft pays due attention to value addition. It also uses all available mines as an input for the growing construction, industrial and agricultural sector. Mining companies are expected to partially add value to exporting, to increase the share of the mining sector to the country’s economy.
The fiscal and the legal framework adopted by Ethiopia’s government allows a free market driven economy, which permits both local and foreign-based companies to participate in developing the country’s mining industry. However, they must operate in a transparent manner that helps boost the country’s economic outlook.
The policy states that if mining policy is unclear it will damage the sector and minimize mining’s role in the economy. The objective of the policy is to enable the sector to contribute to the agricultural sector by providing necessary inputs like fertilizers to modernize the sector.
The policy also stresses prioritizing mines so they can be used as an input for local industry to grow and replace imported construction materials.
The policies also address the 1.2 million traditional miners. Organizing traditional miners and providing trainings on proper mining skills will also be important to fight illegal miners and contraband. The policy is set to use modern technology in the sector so as to be competitive in the world market.
Presently, mining contributes only 1 percent of Ethiopia’s GDP. Gold, industrial minerals and gemstones make the bulk of the mining commodities the country exports. Tantalum is also proving to be profitable.
In the late 80s, the mining industry lacked significance because it contributed a mere 0.2 percent of the country’s GDP. Gold is key in the sector. In 2001, it contributed 5 million USD but by the year 2012, this sum increased to 602 million USD. However currently it declined sharply to less than USD 50 million.
Mining policy mandates value addition
LIES, DAMN LIES
‘Lies, damn lies and statistics’, was a phrase popularized by the 19th century American humorist, Samuel Langhorne Clemens, aka Mark Twain. Even in those days of relative sincerity, blatant lies veiled in venerable figures were still rife. In late modernity, lies of all kinds, buoyed by sophisticated informatics (internet, etc.) permeate every nook and cranny of current existence. In other words, lying through the teeth is elevated to an art form and seems to serve as one of the pillars of modern nation states and by extension, the whole world system. Here is Twain again; ‘if you don’t read the newspaper you are uninformed, if you read the newspaper you are misinformed’. In a more serous note: ‘what are the consequences of these continuous structural/systemic lies? Why should the administrations of modern societies lie in the first place?
In regards to the latter query, the current President of the EU Commission gave a rather satisfying answer, compared to many of the useless idiots of the global apparatchik. ‘When things get serious you have to lie’, said the colorful Mr. Jean-Claude Juncker. He is honest enough to admit that without creatively constructed lies, complex societies will hardly function! To be sure, lying is not only reserved to the politicos, state/government operators. Far from it! Market operators and their institutions cannot survive without it. Even civil societies, whose members include the faith sector, are not immune to this widespread indignity. Only last week we heard the third highest-ranking cardinal of the Catholic Church has been lying to all and sundry for over two decades. The case that was brought against him involved the ‘sexual abuse’ of minors within the Catholic Church. Instead of confessing like a proper catholic, he continued to lie, until he was found guilty! Officials of other denominations are also known to have lied about their abuse of women and children. Many other organizations of civil society, concerned with more worldly matters, are even worse liars. Such leaders usually leverage the stature of their organizations to join in the lying world of the psychopathic politicos.
Obviously states and politicos lie profusely. In fact, it would be difficult to think of a politician without an insignia, albeit imaginary, ‘liar’ affixed on his/her forehead. Unlike civil society organizations, lying emanating from state apparatuses and administrations can be fatal to many. For the benefit of those historically challenged, we will not go back very far in mentioning the various ‘false flags’ used as pretexts to kill millions of people and destroy numerous countries. Suffice is to start with the invasion of the recent Iraq invasion (2003). NATO powers, mainly the USA, lied to the world when it claimed Iraq was in possession WMD (Weapons of Mass Destruction). The real reason behind the blatant lie was to make sure the Iraqi oil would remain in the universe of petrodollar. Libya was mercilessly bombed and its president executed, on the pretext of humanitarian intervention. Again, the real reason was to make sure the Libyan oil would remain… Venezuela is now targeted for another wave of humanitarian bombing. Like destroyed Iraq and Libya it has also started to barter and also exchange its oil for other currencies. Unfortunately, Venezuela is now awaiting another wave of humanitarian bombing! Russia has stopped selling its oil using the US Dollar and that is why it is getting all the raps from western establishment. Luckily, it has formidable arsenals and can avoid the worst aspects of the notorious ‘democratic and humanitarian’ interventions!
The market and its narcissistic operators are as bad as the states when it comes to lying. The market tells us; burning oil is not really that bad for the environment, or smoking tobacco is not really that bad for your health. Refined sugar, chemical products (like pesticides/herbicides), etc., GMOs, Opioid, are not really that bad for….…. Often, states and the market strategically collude to perpetrate massive lies. Results have been devastating. Big Pharma need to get the blessing of governments before selling its products to the general public. There are plenty of evidences to suggest that government agencies don’t mind looking the other way when it comes to approving drugs pushed by Big Pharma; after all, this industry contributes massively to the campaigns of politicians. When it comes to colluding, the war industry is even deadlier. The permanent call for war mobilization, particularly in the west, is part and parcel of the core business model of the killing industry. Don’t forget, it is the deep state that effectively runs the governments of advanced industrial countries and the military-industrial complex forms the heart of the deep state. See the articles next column, on page 41 & 44.
Comprehensive environmental degradation is now threatening life on earth. One would think such a grave matter would allow scientific facts to prevail over all discussions, deliberations and policy formations. But that is not the case. Since the system is essentially based on lies, it keeps on perpetuating very dangerous and flimsy narratives that undermine all life forms. For instance, the whole essence of the Paris Climate Agreement is to hold global temperature rise between 1.5 to 2 degrees by the end of the century, i.e., 2099. The actual fact on the ground is; the planet has already registered an increase of 1.5 degrees since the industrial revolution (2018)! But for this figure to be bureaucratically acceptable, by the likes of the UN, blah, blah, it had to hold, averagely, for the coming thirty years! If truth be told, no scientist worth his salt and soul really believes that the 1.5-2 degree is a realistic objective, given the destructive nature of our current existence. Moreover, climate change, like many things in nature, is not a linear phenomenon. Once things start to roll, say we hit 2 or 3 degrees, then there can be myriad occurrences (across the planet) that will not be tractable, let alone predictable. Lies are now common even amongst scientists, paid scientists, that is!
“Lies beget ignorance. Ignorance begets fear. Fear begets hatred. And hatred begets violence. The ability to speak our minds and to listen to others-even those who are said to be our enemies-is what separates us from wild beasts. Deprive us of this right, and sure as rain, we degenerate into sub humans who claw at the ground, howl at the moon and gnaw on raw human flesh… or something like that.” Dmitry Orlov. Good Day!
Careful not to Slide into Patronage Politics
By Kebour Ghenna
Prime Minister Abye Ahmed rejects (I assume) all attempts at state capture by the nouveau riche. So do we!
So why did AA expose himself by attending the very first attempt by local tycoons to undermine his integrity. Surely this prime minister is smart enough to know the whole stage got nothing to do with Ambo? Still he chose not to connect the dots. Apparently the richest man of the day coughed up ETB 5 million for a watch (The PM’s watch), other tycoons did not disappoint either. Lucky Ambo!
Watching the PM as Chief fund raiser – there’s something so EPRDF about that!
Anyway, it’s necessary to ask why state capture should worry us all beyond anything else happening in the country right now. State capture is when the legitimate state is being stolen by a small cabal of robber barons. It’s not something that happens over night, but develops over years.
We’ve seen it during the past administration when these very same moguls took turns in ‘contributing’ millions for this, or that cause, in return for a good break! Yes, dear reader these are people who figured it out how to game the system, using the government’s muscle to get what they want. That’s why they’re willing to spend millions of Birrs to just shake hands with the PM; they know it will pay off.
When government has the power to grant favors, cronies will seek those favors out. At this stage of the new administration there may not be a grand strategy (…yet), beyond undermining the administration and creating a more conducive environment for themselves, but things can change quickly.
Which takes us straight to Hemingway’s conversation between Bill and Mike in ‘The Sun Also Rises’
Bill asks; “How did you go bankrupt?”
Mike replies: “Two ways. Gradually. Then, suddenly.”
We’re still in the ‘gradually’ phase.
But isn’t PM Abye’s government supposed to be kosher?
It’s supposed to be. Except the theories of clean government are mostly wishful thinking, fiction, and claptrap. Government is raw force…it’s known to transfer wealth and status to the insiders who control it. The reason why democratic government prevailed is not because power is vested in the people…no! It’s because government gives more people the illusion of choice and freedom…and welcomes more people as insiders (however modest their participation).
As time goes by, more and more cronies get special deals, contracts, jobs, privileges, bailouts, protections and redistributions. Eventually, they push us all into a nation of favor-seekers instead of creators and producers. Then, reform is practically impossible. The political system is entirely under the control of the fakes. The only resolution of this is catastrophe – either in the form of bankruptcy, revolution, war or some combination.
In Ethiopia top party officials are the enablers of State Capture. At least, that is what you hear in the street. But we’ll give it to you straight, dear reader, there has never been any systemic attempt to fight corruption in the past, and there isn’t today. Yes, there have been few attempts to tackle corruption, but trust has long been broken down between individuals and most institutions. Regaining some of the trust at least will take time and effort.
So why did the PM fell into the trap? We don’t know.
But what we know dear reader is the future of Ethiopia is both an individual and a collective challenge. Even with the recent change of leadership, people feel as if they are in a very particular time of local tension. Yet we have a window of opportunity, a second chance, which calls for the very opposite of despair, for greater mobilization and the true awakening of citizen activism for progressive values and corruption-free societies to thrive. Let’ us not mess it up!
Court blocks new construction on historical Ayalew Birru house
Construction of a G+6 building, started at the compound of Ayale Birru (Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Army at time of Ras Tafari Makonnen) has been blocked by an Addis Ababa Court after a hearing. The court ruled that the building would block the old heritage house at the same compound.
The old house which has two buildings and and two villa houses is located around Bole Dembel. It was the residences of Ayale Birru. In the time of Dergu and EPRDF the house served as a Kebele and youth office.
In 2008 through the order of the then PM, Meles Zenawi the house was given to international model Liya Kebede to preserve the house. Liya invested millions of birr to relocate the residents. She brought 27 condominiums for them. Now it is a guest house.
A letter written by Ali Abdo former Mayor of Addis Ababa, ordered Wereda 18 Keble 07 to give 175 square meter to a diaspora named Dawit Degefu for compensation for his old house. That house came from the 2,768 square meters of the old Ayalew Birru house.
Since then different officials opposed the idea of the new building. However, before his passing, Dawit convinced the officials.
Elsabet Dawit, the daughter of Dawit, pushed the case on and finally started the construction but the court blocked it until the case got a solution. The court adjourned to hear the case on March 15.
During his lifetime, Ayalew Birru held a number of important governorships. From 1916, he was Shum of Wagara. From 1928, he was Shum of Semien Province. From 1917 to 1918, after Lij Iyasu was deposed, Ayalew Birru was made the Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Army by Ras Tafari Makonnen.
On 18 January 1918, Ayalew Birru married Manyahilush Kassa. Manyahilush was the second daughter of Ras Kassa Haile Darge.
In 1931, Ayalew Birru was rewarded by being named Fitawrari and Minister of War. Between 1933 and 1934, Ayalew Birru fell into disfavor with the Emperor; most likely over money. As result, he was exiled to Arsi Province.
