Electricity to 24 million

Ethiopia to provide electricity to 24 million within 5 years
Feb 3, 2006, 11:12 GMT

Addis Ababa - The Ethiopia Electric Power Corporation (EEPCo), in an ambitious 5-year development plan, is to increase its capacity to 4,000 megawatts (mw), providing electricity to some 24 million people in the country's rural areas, it was announced Friday.
'The national power supply programme now under implementation by the Corporation is a huge programme even at continental level requiring 43 billion birr (496 million dollars) in the coming five years,' EEPCo General Manager Mihret Debebe said in an interview published in the government media.
The programme was being financed by international donors and creditors as well as by the Ethiopian government and the Power Corporation itself, 'with the World Bank among its major supporters,' he said.
He pointed out that several power dams already under construction would be completed within the 5-year plan period of the national power supply programme raising the country's power generation from the present 640 mw.
'The main aim of the programme is to make the national power supply reliable in the coming years,' he said.
Mehret added that with the completion of the various power dams under construction the country would have surplus electric power for export to neighbouring countries, including the Sudan and Djibouti.
The national power supply 5-year programme envisages raising Ethiopia's per capita power consumption from 28 kilowatts at present to 560 kilowatts.
© 2006 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur Addis Ababa - The Ethiopia Electric Power Corporation (EEPCo), in an ambitious 5-year development plan, is to increase its capacity to 4,000 megawatts (mw), providing electricity to some 24 million people in the country's rural areas, it was announced Friday.
'The national power supply programme now under implementation by the Corporation is a huge programme even at continental level requiring 43 billion birr (496 million dollars) in the coming five years,' EEPCo General Manager Mihret Debebe said in an interview published in the government media.
The programme was being financed by international donors and creditors as well as by the Ethiopian government and the Power Corporation itself, 'with the World Bank among its major supporters,' he said.
He pointed out that several power dams already under construction would be completed within the 5-year plan period of the national power supply programme raising the country's power generation from the present 640 mw.
'The main aim of the programme is to make the national power supply reliable in the coming years,' he said.
Mehret added that with the completion of the various power dams under construction the country would have surplus electric power for export to neighbouring countries, including the Sudan and Djibouti.
The national power supply 5-year programme envisages raising Ethiopia's per capita power consumption from 28 kilowatts at present to 560 kilowatts.
© 2006 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur

http://news.monstersandcritics.com/africa/article_1094489.php
/Ethiopia_to_provide_electricity_to_24_million_within_5_years

Moving on....

Ethiopia’s Zenawi says opposition hinders democratization
Friday 3 February 2006 00:07.

Feb 2, 2006 (ADDIS ABABA) — Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has said the process of democracy building in Ethiopia goes on unperturbed in spite of attempts of opposition Coalition for Unity and Democracy Party (CUDP) extremist leaders to detract the path.

The ongoing democratization in the country is moving on as implementation of the main works to safeguard the path from sabotage get well under way, Meles said in his report to the House of Peoples Representatives, the official ENA reported.

He said the plan to create up-to-the-standard democratic institutions and laws is being implemented smoothly with the support of foreign consultants. A group of experts from Canada, UK, Germany and India has already submitted its first report of the planned review of the procedures and ethic guideline of the House of Peoples Representatives, Meles said.

He said efforts have got well under way to get another planned study on the press law by consultants from these four countries. A contract is expected to be concluded with the prospective consultants soon to launch the study in the coming two or three weeks, Meles indicated.

Similarly, Meles said, the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) was employing foreign consultants, who would launch studies enabling to build its execution capacity in the coming one or two weeks.

Meles indicated the need to see the culture of democracy to blossom side by side with the decisive works of building democratic institutions and to continually improving their workings-on towards strengthening the democratization.

All should operate under the supremacy of the rule of law, Meles said, adding political parties have significant roles to play towards creating such a democratic system. The ruling party, Meles said, had had dialogues with UEDF (United Ethiopian Democratic Forces) and OFDM (Oromo Federal Democratic Movement) and after a series of meetings it was possible to arrive at agreement on detailed agenda and procedures.

He said efforts were made to help those who were in the group called CUDP, but who joined parliament rejecting the extremist leaders, to take up their deserved place in the house and also to organize.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi asked the house to give him additional time to come up with a final settlement of the issue of the pending case related to the administration of the Addis Ababa government.

So far 89 seats of the house has been taken up by those elected from the opposition parties, including Lidetu Ayalew, after they had run elections under CUDP.

The Premier’s report was endorsed with 364 votes for, 112 against and 19 abstentions, after House members held in-depth discussions on it.

(ENA/ST)
http://www.sudantribune.com/article.php3?id_article=13890

Education for ALL

eLearning Africa
First Pan-African Conference on ICT to be held in Ethiopia
01/30/2006

The Ethiopian government undertakes currently outstanding efforts to achieve the United Nations Millenium Goal for "Education for All" by deploying advanced "Information and Communication Technologies - ICTs" for rural and remote areas.
H.E. Hiruy Amanuel, the Ethiopian Ambassador in Berlin, on behalf of the Ethiopian Minister for Capacity Building, H.E. Tefera Waluwa, Mrs Rebecca Stromeyer, General Manager of "International Conferences, Workshops and Exhibitions - ICWE," and Leopold Reif of "Hoffmann & Reif Consultants - HRC" signed a cooperation agreement to inaugurate "eLearning Africa," an annual event on ICT for Development, Education and Training, to be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, May 24 - 26, 2006. "eLearning Africa" will also be supported by the European Commission, Directorate General "Information Society Technologies and Media."

Ethiopia is the perfect host country for "eLearning Africa." The Ethiopian government undertakes currently outstanding efforts to achieve the United Nations Millenium Goal for "Education for All" by deploying advanced "Information and Communication Technologies - ICTs" for rural and remote areas, building cross-country optic-fibre telecommunication networks, networking all secondary schools and universities and implementing through a joint Ethio-German effort a reform of the national higher educational system. eLearning, as the core application for networked educational institutions, is therefore high on the agenda in Ethiopia.

"eLearning Africa" intends to become an eLearning capacity-building event for the entire African continent and a forum for all stakeholders engaged in the planning and implementation of technology-supported learning and training.

Both in Ethiopia and elsewhere in Africa, ambitious infrastructure and outreach programs form the basis for unprecedented development by providing access to education and training. eLearning, eWork, eCollaboration and eHealth are all highly relevant for Africa and its dynamic leapfrogging.

Through the cooperation with the European Commission's research program "Information Society Technologies and Media," the event will also offer a unique opportunity to African educational experts to network with European stakeholders offering cutting edge ICT solutions and applications.

eLearning Africa is organized by ICWE - International Conferences, Workshops and Exhibitions and Hoffmann & Reif Consultants.



Source: eLearning Africa
http://www.eitb24.com/portal/eitb24/noticia/eitb24-sci-tech-first-pan-african-conference-on-ict-to-be-held-in-ethiopia-?itemId=D8823&cl=%2Feitb24%2Fnuevas_tecnologias&idioma=en
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