It has been a decade since Ethiopia applied and began preparations to become a member of the world’s trade governing body, the World Trade Organization (WTO). It submitted the application for the accession in January 2003. Since that time it has accomplished some of the basic requirements and negotiations to be able to ascend. It is expected to complete the negotiations and be a full member as speculated in the Growth and Transformation plan (GTP) by 2015.
Since the 16th century the place located in western Ethiopia known as Bela Shangul, meaning “Rock of Shangul” named after a sacred stone found in the mountainous area of the present Benishangul Gumuz Region, is legendary for its vast area of fertile land suitable for agricultural production. The region was also the place where the Berta people originally settled when they arrived to Ethiopia.
Footballers in France will hope for a winning strike of a different kind this December when they protest over a controversial super tax levied by the socialist government. Back in 2012, the now French President, François Hollande campaigned for the election promising to tax top earners with 75Pct income tax. The 75Pct tax rate was initially to be paid by those earning over EUR one million a year. After protests by top French executives and prominent personalities such as Gérard Depardieu, a French actor, film-maker, businessman and vineyard owner, the government changed the law so that it would be payable by the companies offering such salaries. This show cases how far progressive tax rate can go.
Between the Gangs and the Dishonest: Why the Price of Meat Has Become Damn Expensive to the Consumer Featured
On January 6, 2011, on the eve of Ethiopian Christmas, the Ministry of Trade imposed price caps on selected basic commodities including meat. The decision was meant to curb the ever skyrocketing prices of basic food items. High government officials affirmed that the price caps were a retort to price gouging by merchants taking advantage on consumers and vowed to put a stop to this “market disorder.”
In November 2011, the British Medical Journal published a research article entitled “The financial cost of doctors emigrating from sub-Saharan Africa: human capital analysis”. The research, which was conducted by a group of medical scientists under the leadership of Edward J. Mills (Prof.), chair of global health at the University of Ottawa, Canada, concluded that Sub-Saharan Africa has lost USD2 billion yearly because of the brain drain related to medical professionals.
In one of Maritu Legesse’s popular songs there is a lyric that reads “Wesheten new enji endiaw segedereder, enes lagere lij wuha shiche lider”. which can losely be translated as “I’ve been hiding my feelings; but [for you], I would even [waste/spend my time] selling water.” Asserting that she is willing even to sell water, which is too cheap to take to a market, to show what she would do for her loved one. Traditionally, selling water which was even as mentioned in the song, unimaginable, at least not in the Ethiopian context. Now, things have changed, and water has become by far, one of the most sellable products in the country.
According to a study done by Wiki Wealth Capital, an American based Management institute, financial leverage, economics of scale and new services and technologies among others are the strengths and opportunities of Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE), while high staff turnover along with work inefficiencies and other macroeconomic issues are identified as its weaknesses and threats.
Located on the eastern edge of the East African rift valley, 515km away from the capital and 48km north west of Harar, Dire Dawa lies in the intersection of roads from Addis Ababa, Harar and Djibouti. For long a caravan center, Dire Dawa is an accidental city, developed as the chief outlet for Harar after 1904, when it became the terminus of the railroad from the port of Djibouti.
For the last twelve years in a raw, Mustafa Siraj, 39, a father of three has used fertilizers on his three hectares of farming land in order to increase the production of maize, a crop that he frequently harvests.
Seeing how the newly constructed eight lane road on Africa Avenue is swamped with cars at rush hours gives an indication as to what is happening in the city’s car market. Every day more than 40,000 cars of different models and brands pass through this corridor alone. Yet this is not unique to this specific street. Every major road in the city is seen crowded with cars almost all the time. As the number of urbanites who are joining the ranks of the middle class is increasing so do the number of cars.
