Blog – Ethiopian Business Review

Tackling New Challenges, Breaking the Cycle of Poverty

Good nutrition is essential for everyone’s health and well-being. It is crucial for children, as malnutrition can lead to stunted growth, cognitive impairment, and reduced productivity in adulthood. Ethiopia has made significant progress in reducing malnutrition in recent years, but more work still needs to be done. Investing in nutrition is good for the economy. However, Ethiopia’s malnutrition problem has been exacerbated by conflict and climate shocks. These factors have led to food inflation and population displacement. Despite the growing challenges to the fight against malnutrition, the country still has the potential to become an exemplar state for malnutrition solutions in the region, writes EBR’s Eden Teshome.

What Explains the Sky-High Prices?

In the grand scheme of life, they say your first job is like your first love – a rollercoaster ride filled with thrills, spills, and a hint of naivety. My journey into the world of real estate in Addis Ababa was no exception. Picture it: a fresh graduate architect stepping into the bustling world of property development when nobody knew what real estate even meant! It was like explaining the concept of sushi to a room full of cows.

In today’s interconnected world, businesses have increasingly sought opportunities beyond their national boundaries. Expanding into new markets and exploring investment prospects has become a viable option for companies looking to grow and thrive. While venturing into foreign markets can present challenges, several nations stand out as highly conducive environments for businesses and individuals alike. These countries offer welcoming business climates, robust infrastructure, stable economies, and supportive regulatory frameworks. Notably, Africa has emerged as a significant investment hub, with the continent experiencing impressive economic growth. Despite the presence of socioeconomic challenges, many African countries are rapidly evolving to become attractive destinations for business owners.

Ethiopia has a rich and proud history of athletic excellence, particularly in long-distance running. Ethiopian athletes have won 59 Olympic medals, including 23 gold in track and field events. This result is comparable to the 113 Olympic medals, including 35 gold, that neighboring Kenya has achieved. Ethiopia has a high altitude, which helps to develop athletes’ cardiovascular systems. The relatively cool climate is also ideal for training—the solid cultural emphasis on running also, in a way, prepares youth for athletics. Kenya’s dominance in the continent came mainly in recent years, since 2008. From the lack of infrastructure to poor administration and insufficient funding, Ethiopia’s athletics require a solid intervention to overhaul the sector, especially in short and medium-distance running, EBR’s Brook Genene reports.

Examining the Ramifications of Not Opening New Public Posts

When the Ethiopian government announced its intention of not opening new posts in the civil service in the current fiscal year, the news shocked students and graduates. For many years, employment in the public sector has guaranteed a stable life. In a changing scenario now, public sector employment is no longer a guarantee for a decent income and regular life. In recent years, the salary and benefits of public sector employees have been minimal. At the same time, the working environment compromises professional freedom as more public sector roles have increasingly become political. That’s because successive governments used the civil service to reward their loyal supporters by offering employment.

For this reason, the civil service is already crowdedly staffed, many of whom need to be more skilled. It’s one of the reasons why the current government found it difficult to institute an efficient and corruption-free civil service. Like its predecessor, it, too, wanted to reward some of its loyal supporters by granting them employment in the earlier days of its ascendancy. However, due to a solid fiscal discipline needed to curb inflation, the government announced its intention of not opening any new posts last July. EBR’s Nejat Mohammed explores the ramifications of this policy.

Historical Opportunity for Economic Self-Reliance

Last August, the 15th regular summit of the BRICS member states held their annual heads of state and governments meeting in South Africa. At the end of the conference, the BRICS group of nations invited six countries – Argentina, Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates to join the block. From the beginning of the following year, these six countries will join the current five members – Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. These countries were among the over 40 countries that expressed interest in accession.

Following the BRICS’ recent announcement that it will add Saudi Arabia, Iran, Ethiopia, Egypt, Argentina, and the United Arab Emirates, India faces a big strategic choice. Why should it belong to a China-centric club that will no longer share or serve its own interests, writes Arvind Subramanian, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics and Josh Felman Principal of JH Consulting.

With high debt levels and falling consumer and producer prices, China faces the prospect of a vicious cycle whereby lower demand leads to lower investment, lower output, lower income, and thus even lower demand. To avoid Japanification, policymakers must pursue aggressive aggregate demand stimulus, starting immediately.

The Chaka Project, a development project on over 503 hectares of land in Yeka Sub-City leaning on Yeka hill of the Addis Ababa City Administration, has become a pivotal national project. The project, spearheaded by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, is part of a grand ‘Smart City’ Development endeavour that would cost more than 500 billion birrs.

Addis Ababa’s Transformation Puts Heritage at Stake

Addis Ababa is undergoing a rapid transformation characterized by the demolition of heritage sites and reconstruction because of rapid urbanization. Unfortunately, this has come at a massive cost of erasing the city’s rich heritage. Heritage plays a vital role in defining a city, shaping its social fabric, preserving its history, and nurturing its cultural identity. Keeping the city’s urban heritage is often neglected or considered an inconvenience. The demolition of historic buildings and homes has sparked concerns among residents and preservationists alike. These structures hold immense architectural and historical value and serve as tangible connections to the past. The loss of these buildings deprives the city of its tangible heritage and diminishes its cultural character, writes EBR’s Eden Teshome.

Older Posts

Investing in Nutrition

Tackling New Challenges, Breaking the Cycle of Poverty

Addis Ababa’s Real Estate Odyssey

What Explains the Sky-High Prices?

Top 10 Most Rewarding African Countries To Do Business in 2023

Bridging the Gaps in Ethiopia’s Quest for Athletics Excellence

Boosting Youth Employability

Examining the Ramifications of Not Opening New Public Posts

Ethiopia & BRICS

Historical Opportunity for Economic Self-Reliance

India Should Quit the BRICS

China Must Avoid a Debt-Deflation Spiral

Unpacking the Chaka Project

A City Without Its Past

Addis Ababa’s Transformation Puts Heritage at Stake