Following the success of the first Startupper of the Year by Total Challenge, held in 2015 in more than 30 African countries, Total is bringing it back this year in nearly 40 countries across the continent.
During the first Challenge in Ethiopia, TOTAL Ethiopia S.C. recognized three young business entrepreneurs: Dr. Henook Wendirad, MAK Addis Tutors; MAK Addis Tutors is an academic initiative that aims to connect students that need an extra support in their education to improve their performance with registered tutors via a one-to- one private tuition for a very affordable price.
Eng. Binyam Tesfaye leads Winsol Solar Charging Products a startup which provides solar chargers for residents of under-developed countries.
Kaldawit Esmelealem, manages Kale General Electronics; Machinery Manufacturing Plc which makes energy efficient technology and poultry equipment. As during the first event, the 2018-2019 Startupper of the Year by Total Challenge will support and reward young local entrepreneurs in any business sector with a project or business less than two years old. In each participating African country a local jury comprised of experts from Total, specialists from incubators and accelerators, business leaders and local community stakeholders will select three winners.
The projects will be assessed based on their: innovative nature, social and community impact, feasibility and development potential.
Each winner will be awarded the “Startupper of the Year by Total” label and receive financial support of €12,500 (1 st place), €7,500 (2 nd place), and €5,000 (3 rd place) – plus professional coaching and extensive publicity to advertise their project.
New this year: To support women entrepreneurs, the jury will also designate a Top Female Entrepreneur in each country. This special award, which is in addition to the other awards, is Total’s way of encouraging more women to take part in the Challenge.
A grand jury will meet subsequently to select three Grand Winners for the entire continent, from among the first-prize winners in each country.
More than just a business challenge, the 2018-2019 Startupper of the Year by Total Challenge also reaffirms Total’s commitment to capacity building in the countries where it operates, worldwide. By helping innovative young entrepreneurs to realize their projects, the Challenge strengthens the local social fabric.
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Ministry of Revenue faces 10 billion birr deficit for quarter
The Ministry of Revenue announced that during the first quarter of the fiscal year they collected 3.21 billion birr less revenue than they expected. Income collected from inland tax during the first quarter was expected to be 28.8 billion birr.
The gap is even higher because there is seven billion birr in uncollected customs duties which has raised the amount of uncollected revenue to 10.72 billion birr, according to Netsanet Abera, Deputy Director at the Ministry.
“The decline in revenue is lower than the same period during the last fiscal year,” Netsanet told journalists. “We are hoping the gap will be filled by revenue that we collect this month when 90 percent of taxpayers pay their annual taxes.” At the beginning of the current fiscal year, the parliament approved a 346.9 billion birr budget and 70 percent of that was to be generated from taxes and customs duties. The budget which was 3.6 percent (12 billion birr) higher than the previous fiscal year was five percent lower than the 2017/18 budget year due to the 15% devaluation of birr against the basket of major currencies.
Prime Minister Abey Ahmed (Ph.D.) told the parliament while defending the budget that the plan to finish mega projects and start new projects this fiscal year may not happen because they have generated enough revenue. Abraham Tekeste (Ph.D.), former Minister at MoFEC, also told the parliament that the nation will be forced to transfer disbursement of 50 billion birr for the coming year.
Despite the government’s action to tighten its projects and avoid an elastic budget, the Ministry failed to meet its plan compared to last year.
Non-declared transactions are the biggest reason for lack of revenue collection, according to Netsanet. “The culture of demanding receipts must be raised in addition to better law enforcement from the Ministry,” she said.
