SERVIZIO NEWS

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1 Ambasciata d Italiaad AddisAbeba SERVIZIO NEWS Contents ETHIOPIA Korea to build energy-independent village in Ethiopia... 2 Ethiopia Secured 2.31 Billion USD from Export of Agricultural, Manufacturing and Mining Products... 3 Ethiopian To Order Regional Jets... 4 INSA reveals over one billion Birr telecom fraud... 7 Ethiopia: Ethiopian Dubbed New Airbus The Simien Mountains... 8 Ethiopia earns 2.31 Bln USD from export Ethiopia: Construction for Dichoto Galafi Elidar Bolho Road Started SOUTH SUDAN South Sudan pound further weakens against US dollars Seguiteci su: - Facebook: Ethiopia/ ?fref=ts -Twitter: - InfoMercati Esteri 1

2 Korea to build energy-independent village in Ethiopia The Minis try of Trade, Industry & Energy of South Korea announced that it would send an onsite inspection team to Ethiopia. ( FBC) The team, which is scheduled to stay in Ethiopia from June 19 to 25, includes personnel from the ministry, the Korea Electric Power Corporation, the Korea Electric Power Research Institute, the Korea Energy Management Corporation and the Korea New & Renewable Energy Center. The purpose of the team is to come up with a business model before setting up a local town that is selfsufficient in terms of energy. Specifically, power is to be produced in an environmentally friendly way by means of solar power, wind power and the like and then be stored and distributed by the use of energy storage systems and micro grids. Ethiopia has posted a high annual economic growth rate of 11% for the past 10 years. Once the project is completed, it becomes possible for the African country to do farming in a stably way by developing agricultural water with electricity, the ministry explained, adding, Then, the living standards of the people will be improved along with their income. 2

3 Ethiopia Secured 2.31 Billion USD from Export of Agricultural, Manufacturing and Mining Products Ethiopia s Ministry of Trade disclosed the country earned 2.31 Billion USD from the export of agricultural, manufacturing and mining products during the first 10 months of the current fiscal year. However according to Public Relations Head at the Ministry, Amakale Yimam, the performance is below the target, which is 3.34 billion USD. ( MErkato) The performance when compared to last year s same period, there is a decrease by 122 million USD, a 5 percent decline. According Amakale it is only the export of tea that surpassed its target. Khat, oilseeds, sesame, pulses, meat and coffee on the other have managed to meet from 75 to 99 percent of their target. Export of chemical and construction inputs, cereals, mining and metal items had met only 50 percent of the target, the Public Relations Head explained. He attributed the decline in total export revenue to the fluctuation of price for coffee, oil seeds and pulses in the international market. 3

4 Ethiopian To Order Regional Jets [Servizio News ] ] Ethiopian Airlines is in the process of ordering regional jets that it will deploy on short haul routes, it was learnt. ( FBC) Ethiopian operates 4 Airlines Bombardier Q400 turboprop aircraft and Boeing B737s on domestic and short haul routes. The national flag carrier has 17 Q400s and 20 B737s. The airline placed order for 20 B737 MAX. On the sidelines of the 72nd International Air Transport Association (IATA) Annual General Meeting Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO, Tewolde Gebremariam, told The Reporter that his airline needs regional jets with 100 seats. If you see our fleet we have the Q400s with 78 seats and we have ordered for B737 MAX with 160 seats. The gap between the two is wide. So we need an aircraft with about 100 seats that can fill the gap, Tewolde told The Reporter. According to Tewolde, his management is considering a number of narrow body aircraft including Bombardier CSeries SC100, Embraer 190, 195 and Mitsubishi Regional Jet. A team has been established and is currently evaluating these aircraft. We will evaluate the performance of each aircraft thoroughly, Tewolde said. According to the CEO, Ethiopian will order the regional jets. The hub of Ethiopian Airlines, Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, is situated on 2,400 meters altitude above sea level. The altitude tests the performance of engines. The high altitude reduces the payload of the aircraft and we seriously consider the engine performance, Tewolde said. Tewolde flew Bombardier Cseries SC100 jet on June 3 from Dublin, Ireland where he attended the IATA AGM to Zurich, Switzerland to participate at the Star Alliance Group Chief Executive Board meeting. The flight took one hour and 50 minutes. The twin engine Canadian jet took off from Dublin Airport with short run up. I am very impressed by the performance of the aircraft (SC100). I am very surprised by the swift take off, Tewolde told The Reporter after

5 landing in Zurich. The single aisle aircraft has a wide cabin. The cabin is spacious. It has a wide luggage compartment. The lavatory has a high ceiling. It is a very good airplane, Tewolde said. However, he said, the Series will compete with Embraer and Mitsubishi jets. In a speech delivered in the Bombardier SC100 aircraft demonstration flight Vice President and General Manager CSeries at Bombardier Aerospac e, Rob Dewar, said that the aircraft has a range of 3,300 nautical miles (6,000km). Dewar said the aircraft burns 35 percent less fuel than an Airbus or Boeing twin engine jet. Tewolde said that the SC100 jet could fly 4-5 hours with 100 passengers to Lagos, Accra, Lome or Lusaka. 5 This is very helpful to our short haul routes with less passenger traffic. In a related news, Ethiopian is going to take delivery of Africa s first Airbus A aircraft on June 28. Senior executives of Airbus led by John Leahy, Airbus COO Customers, will hand over the new jetliner to the management of Ethiopian led by the CEO at the Airbus Delivery Center in Toulouse Blagnac Airport. The A350 XWB will be the first airbus aircraft in Ethiopian fleet and the first of its kind in Africa. In a statement sent to The Reporter yesterday Ethi opian announced that it has named the new Airbus aircraft The Semien Mountains. Ethiopian w ill be the first carrier in Africa to operate the A350 XWB jetliner. Ethiopian said all seats are fitted with the latest high-definition touchscreen personal monitors and a higher selection of movies, TV series and audio channels. Inflight Wi-Fi connection will be made available on the aircraft in the future. Passengers with smart devices can connect to the world while others can use the smart individual touch screens on their seats when the internet service goes operational. Group CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, Tewolde Gebremariam, said, We are very pleased that Ethiopian has taken the leadership role in Africa and has become among the few leading airlines in the world to invest in this latest

6 technology and efficient flying machine. Operating the youngest fleet in the industry with modern and comfortable customer features in cabin is one of the four pillars of our vision years strategic road map and the introduction of the A-350 is one component of this strategy. We have also made sure that our aircraft is designed and configured to surpass the expectations of our customers. Africa s first A350 will provide new features such as wider seats in both Business and Economy classes the lowest twin engine noise level, advanced air conditioning technology and full LED mood lighting to enhance the comfort while reducing fatigue after a long flight. The Airbus 350 XWB will enable us to further expand our service quality especially on our long-haul flights and strengthen our connectivity and herald with the least carbon emission to our planet The New Spirit of Africa to the world. Tewolde said. Ethiopian has ordered 14 Airbus A350 aircraft and will continue receiving the remaining 13 soon constantly raising number of Airbus aircraft in the fleet. Ethiopian believes that the A350 XWB s innovative technology improves performance in operation. Its revolutionary airframe and simplified systems have optimized fuel burn, maintenance costs and reliability, and its engines have the lowest carbon dioxide CO2 emissions of any in the wide body category. Currently, Ethiopian ope rates 76 aircraft including 13 B787-8 Dreamliners. It has 43 aircraft on its order book including 14 A350 XWB and 8 B787 Dreamliners. 6

7 INSA reveals over one billion Birr telecom fraud The Information Network Security Agency (INSA) disclosed that over the past nine months the state-owned telecom company, Ethio Telecom, has lost over one billion Birr to telecom fraud. ( The Reporter) According to the ninemonth performance report that was tabled before the House of People s Representatives, telecom fraud is becoming the major obstacle in expanding access to telecom services in Ethiopia. Furthermore, the report said that telecom fraud is increasingly claiming huge amount of revenue and costing the nation s telecom sector. To that effect, INSA reported that it has been involved with massive nationwide operations to foil organized telecom fraud during the past nine months. As part of the operation, INSA announced that it has dismantled organized telecom fraudsters networks around the nation including those found in Addis Ababa, Jigjiga, Harar and Dire Dawa. In total, the agency has seized more than 400 telecom systems and equipments, each having the capacity of supporting multiple mobile SIM cards ranging from eight up to 720. All in all, the illicit telecom operations cost the nation over one billion, according to INSA s estimates. The report also indicated that 46 people have been arrested and have been brought before court in connection with alleged fraudulent activities. The agency said technological sophistication, stakeholders lack of awareness and lack of control in the sales of SIM, voucher and EVDO cards are major factor which has exacerbated the problem. 7

8 Ethiopia: Ethiopian Dubbed New Airbus The Simien Mountains Ethiopian Airlines, the leading airline in connecting Africa with the rest of the World, continued its aviation technology leadership with yet another first African Airbus A350 XWB. In its successful 70 years of history, Ethiopian has so many firsts in African aviation industry. The A-350 XWB will be the first airbus aircraft in Ethiopian fleet and the first of its kind in Africa. 8 ( Merkato) All seats are fitted with the latest highdefinition touchscreen personal monitors and a higher selection of movies, Television series and audio channels. Inflight Wi-Fi connection will be made available on this aircraft in the future. Passengers with smart devices can connect to the world while others can use the smart individual touch screens on their seats when the internet service goes operational. Group CEO of Ethiopian Airlines Mr. Tewolde GebreMariam said we are very pleased that Ethiopian has taken the leadership role in Africa and has become among the few leading airlines in the world to invest in this latest technology and efficient flying machine. Operating the youngest fleet in the industry with modern and comfortable customer features in cabin is one of the four pillars of our vision years strategic road map and the introduction of the A- 350 is one component of this strategy. We have also made sure that our aircraft is designed and configured to surpass the expectations of our customers. Africa s first A350 will provide new features such as wider seats in both Business and Economy classes the lowest twin engine noise level, advanced air conditioning technology and full LED mood lighting to enhance the comfort while reducing fatigue after a long flight. The Airbus 350 XWB will enable us to further expand our service quality especially on our long-haul flights and strengthen our connectivity and herald with the least carbon emission to our planet The New Spirit of Africa to the world. Mr Tewolde added. Ethiopian has ordered 14 Airbus A350 aircraft and will continue receiving the remaining

9 13 soon constantly raising number of Airbus aircraft in the fleet ensuring the extra comfort. The A350 XWB s innovative technology improves performance in operation. Its revolutionary airframe and simplified systems have optimized fuel burn, maintenance costs and reliability, and its engines have the lowest carbon dioxide CO2 emissions of any in the wide body category. 9

10 Ethiopia earns 2.31 Bln USD from export Ethiopia has earned 2.31 Bln USD revenue from the export of different products, the Ministry of trade said. ( Merkato) Public Relations Head with the Ministry, Amakale Yimam, told WIC that country has managed to earn 2.31 Bln USD from the export of agricultural, manufacturing, mining products in ten months period, which is below the targeted 3.34 Bln USD. The revenue gains in ten months decreased by 122 million USD or 5 percent as compared to the same period of last budget year, Amakale indicated. Only the plan for the export of tea is achieved beyond the target in the last ten months, Amakale underscored. Khat, oilseeds, sesame, pulses, meat and coffee have met 75 to 99 percent of the targeted amount in the stated period, he reiterated. According to Amakale, only 50 percent of the scheduled amount to be earned from the export of chemical and construction inputs, cereals, mining and metal items is attained. Ethiopia has exported large amount of agricultural items within ten months period, Amakale noted. Fluctuation of price of coffee, oil seeds, pulses in the international market contributed for decline of the total export trade revenue, he added. Ethiopia plans to obtain 4.2 Bln USD from the export trade during this fiscal year. 10

11 Ethiopia: Construction for Dichoto Galafi Elidar Bolho Road Started Dichoto Galafi Elidar Bolho road s construction, which is being undertaken by Defense Construction Enterprise, has been started. ( Merkato) According to Ethiopian News Agency the cost for the construction of the road is 2.7 billion Birr and it will be covered entirely by the Ethiopian Government. The road is going to stretch 81 kilometers with 15 to 21 meters width. Once the construction of the road is completed in 3 years it is expected to benefit the surrounding communities. According to Ethiopian Roads Authority (ERA), potash companies in particular will benefit from the road since it will relieve them from huge burden of transporting their products. 11

12 South Sudan pound further weakens against US dollars The United States (US) dollar has further strengthened against the South Sudanese pound (SSP) this week in the ongoing deterioration of the country s economy. ( Sudan Tribune) The latest rise in the exchange rate followed complaints from the public that there was scarcity of the US dollar currency at the Commercial Banks in the war-ravaged nation, causing dollar to hike at the black market. Multiple sources and residents in a series of sample of interviews on Friday found that 1 US dollar traded at 50SSP at the black market compared to 35SSP to $1 at the Central Bank. Dollar s exchange rate started 12 skyrocketing last year following the declaration by the Central Bank of South Sudan that it had floated pound against dollar. The continued rise of dollar s exchange rate has led to the increase of prices on basic commodities both in the national capital, Juba, and outside Juba. Currently, a sack of sorghum sells at 3000SSP in towns like Wanyjok in Aweil East state and a bag of maize floor at 1500SSP. Traders in Juba and other major towns of South Sudan blame the increase of prices on the scarcity of US dollar to import goods items from the neighboring countries as South Sudan depends largely on food imports. The latest dollar s exchange rate has prompted citizens to blame President Salva Kiir s government for being reluctant to address the economic meltdown in order to salvage the situation. Following the formation of the unity government, the two leaders president Kiir and first vice president, Riek Machar, promised to work together to address the economic hardship, however, their promise never yielded any fruit as there is slow progress in the implementation of the peace deal, including economic reforms. International community is reluctant to release money that can be injected into the country s economy, citing lack of political will by the peace partners to implement the urgently needed security and economic sector reforms. Last week, information minister, Michael Makuei Lueth, in a

13 televised statement on the state-owned South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC) publicly admitted that the government is broke and has no money to pay for both public and civil servants. He called on the civil servants, who have not been paid for three months now, to remain patient as the government tries to find a way to get money, but added that they will not be able to get paid for their past arrears. Ordinary citizens however said senior government officials who have looted the country and have millions of dollars in their foreign bank accounts do not feel the pain being experienced by the majority poor in the country. 13