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Ethiopia’s Business Weekly www.capitalethiopia.com / Twitter @capitaleth / facebook.com/capitalethiopiaISSN 2410-6933 Get our latest stories from your smart phone, just download QR reader from your app store and flash on

Year 22, No. 1124 Sunday June 21, 2020 / Tel: +251-11 618 3253 | 11 661 0976 / Fax: +251-11 618 5206 / P.O. Box: 95/1110 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia / Price 10.00

THE PAPER THAT PROMOTES FREE ENTERPRISE

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INSIDE STORIES

Total’s donation Total Ethiopia donated 80,000 bottles of sanitizers worth 15 million birr to the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Transport

Axian’s interest AXIAN Group has become one of the African telecom operators to express interest to invest in Ethiopia by submitting its expression of interest for telecommunications service licenses

COVID-19 impact on women As COVID-19 continues to spread in Africa, there are concerns over its impact on women and girls, with vulnerabilities feared to worsen

Content moderationThe NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights released a new report on the approach to content moderation taken by major social media companies, including Facebook, YouTube and Twitter 11

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INTERVIEW

Digital EthiopiaThe Council of Ministers has approved the Digital Ethiopia Strategy 2025 designed to be aligned with the country’s national development vision, policy objectives and priorities this week.

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Abiyot Bayou

Djibouti offers crew change support for all ships

By our staff reporter

Djibouti announced at the United Nations its readiness to facilitate crew change operations in Djibouti for any ships passing through the Bab el Mandeb strait, with the necessary support provided by the Djibouti Ports and Free Zones Authority (DPFZA).The country is responding to the joint statement of the IMO and UNCTAD - the UN's maritime and trade bodies respectively - to support crew changes and ensure that maritime personnel can return home safely when the time comes to do so.Travel restrictions imposed due to COVID-19 mean that crew changes have been delayed but they cannot be postponed indefinitely; it is estimated that starting in mid-June 2020 as many

Ethiopia should focus on seed production

By MulukenYewondwossen

The wide gap on seeds demand and supply is affecting the vegetable farming and experts insist that the government should focus on seeds production in the country besides the import business. Currently the price of seeds skyrockets due to COVID 19 effects.Experts in the agribusiness said that the country’s vegetable farming is highly attached with imported seeds. The seeds that are imported from Europe like the Netherlands, Israel, India and Kenya are supplied for the local vegetable farming, while experts in the sector like Gebremichael Habte, an agribusiness advisor, the country should change the trend and focus on local production.“Currently more than 95 percent of vegetable seeds are imported except few local producers that are engaged on seed production, including onion seeds,” Gebremichael told Capital.Experts said that the supply of vegetable seeds The cost of trademarks

By MulukenYewondwossen

Starting from 2014 there was one popular legal dispute when a US hotel brands owner, Six Continents, requested to have the trademark of Crowne Plaza Hotels and Resort registration.The firm went through a long legal battle until the case was closed at the House of Federation based on the recommendation of the Council Constitutional Inquiry (CCI) in September 2017, who averted the cassation bench verdict.Legal experts said that in Ethiopia registering a trade mark or trade name was not difficult in the past meanwhile it has changed now. Due to lack of legal understanding on trade name and branding, local companies registered their trade marks in Ethiopia, meanwhile that might be already registered at the international level and operating for several years before the Ethiopian companies.

Six Continents and Tsemex Hotels and Business Plc, a subsidiary of Tsemex Business Group, have been agreed to open Crowne Plaza Addis on the facility that the local company constructed in Addis Ababa. However the agreement could not brew fruit due to the legal battle between Six Continents and the local hotel, Crown as the case took years.

Rezene Ayalew, founder and head of Tsemex Business Group, said that because of the legal case his business was significantly affected.“Because Six Continents was unable to clear its case on time we lost the revenue that should be generated in those years,” Rezene told Capital.He said that he has filed the case at international arbitration on the international company due to compensate his loss.At the same time he criticized the government saying that it should protect businesses local or international. “The government via intellectual property should help local businesses, which are infant, to understand the international business trend and protect them from unnecessary legal battles and losses,” Rezene said.“Regarding the case of the Intellectual Property Office (IPO), lower courts gave a verdict for the international brand but the cassation has given a decision in favor of Crown Hotel, which was a big loss for Tsemex, meanwhile it has changed by House of Federation,” he said.“We are the first generation on the Ethiopian private sector business; we did not have ample experience about international brand or chain

Intercontinental Addis Ababa Hotel

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www.capitalethiopia.com

Year 22, No. 1124 Sunday June 21, 2020EDITORIAL

CAPITAL is a weekly business newspaper published and distributed every Sunday by CROWN PUBLISHING PLC.

CAPITAL is a registered newspaper with the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Ministry of Trade license number 14/673/21142/2004.

t Managing Editor Teguest Yilma [email protected]

t Editor-in-chiefGroum Abate [email protected] Ababa, Yeka sub-city, Wereda: 06 H. No. 514, 011 618 3253/011 661 0976

t Deputy Editor-in-chief Muluken [email protected]

t Reporterst Metasebia Teshome [email protected]

t Senior Graphics Designert Daniel Amare [email protected]

Graphics Designert Abrham [email protected]

t Photographert Anteneh Aklilu [email protected]

t CartoonistRoman [email protected]

t Sales ManagerFrehiwot [email protected]

t Columnistst Alazar [email protected]

t Ton [email protected]

CROWN PUBLISHING is a private limited company registered with the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Broadcasting Authority under registration no. 34/2001 and with Addis Ababa City Administration Trade and Industry Development office under registration number 14/673/21142/2004.

Address: Addis Ababa, Bole Sub City, Wereda 1, House no. New

Mob: +251 - 944 73 23 00 +251 - 911 22 69 00 Tel: +251-11 618 32 53 +251-11 661 0976 +251-11 662 6958 Fax: +251-11 618 52 06

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CAPITAL is printed by Berhanena Selam Printing Enterprise since December 1998.Address: Addis Ababa, Arada Sub-city Wereda 9 H.No. 984Tel. 011 155 3233

WHO TO TRUST?Modern society, as many previous societies were, is a comprehensive social compact between rulers and the ruled. The rulers are those who decide on behalf of everybody. The ruled are those who are always at the receiving end. Traditionally, the ruled prefer to defer to those in positions of power, at least in those past eras when power was also responsibility and not only plunder. In earlier phases of the existing world order, even when there were plenty of bad apples in the community of the rulers, the ruled, by and large, assumed (at times to their dismay) the collective ruling leadership can be somewhat trusted, at least when it comes to critical matters concerning the larger society. This was and still is the crux of the social compact that holds, albeit tenuously, modern societies together!In late modernity, this long established compact or trust (that withstood the polarization of old) between the ruling classes and the sheeple (human mass) seems to have been irreversibly fissured if not altogether broken. The modern rulers of the global system seem to be out of sync with the needs and aspirations of the masses. The modern rulers’ obsession is about themselves and nothing more. The ridiculous level of polarization, both within and between countries, is one obvious reality that illustrates the bad governance at play. In order to fulfill their objectives, the reigning elites use all kinds of weapons to render the sheeple (human mass) docile. Lies remain the main tools of this dangerously destabilizing endeavor. There is literally no area of governance where lies are not effectively employed today. Lies permeate every nook and cranny: from lies regarding economic data to Covid-19, from terrorism to color revolution, etc., etc.! Ultimately, the highly centralized machine that continuously spews out lies after lies (all across the globe) will face the music! For a start and unlike before, the prevailing deceitful ways can easily be exposed, even if these truths are not allowed to circulate freely! The lost legitimacy of the status quo, on many fronts, is another indicator of situations getting progressively worse. The world system, most likely, has now entered its twilight zone!Almost all global institutions have now lost their credibility, as a result of this extreme divergence of interests between the ruled and the rulers. For instance, the whole global educational infrastructure, for the most part, is now used not to enlighten but to indoctrinate and brainwash; to make sure the populous remains zombified. As science became ‘big’, it also succumbed to the cheap political manipulation of the parasitic elites of the status quo. Even in the general field of the sciences, it seems the only genuine intellectual sanctuary left for the deeply reflective is in the realms of pure mathematics. No wonder the Russian mathematician Grigori Perelman, working from his mother’s rural home, emphatically refused the establishment’s prestigious awards. He declined the Millennium Awards (a million US dollars), the Fields Medal (mathematics’ equivalent of the Nobel Prize), European Mathematical Societies’ prize and many others, that were extended to him on the account of his seminal proof of Poincare’s conjecture. Grigori even threatened to stop doing math if establishment cretins (media, politicos, etc.,) don’t stop bothering him. In his own words; ‘I'm not interested in money or fame; I don't want to be on display like an animal in a zoo.’ Hallelujah!Big science is now half-truth (life sciences) and wild speculation (astronomy) because of the management imposed on it by transnational capital and its subservient states. The implication; plenty of venerable sciences and scientist are now part and parcel of the weapons of ‘institutions of lies’ or the Ministry of Truth, to use Orwell’s lingua. WHO’s entanglement with Big Pharma is well known and documented, long before Covid-19 came to the scene. See Al Jazeera’s documentary films on the matter. How this whole project of inculcating the global sheeple with untold lies will end up is anybody’s guess! On our part, we recommend, at least to our critical readers, web sites/documents that are written, supported and managed by independent researchers and not politicians, propagandists or any other malicious promoters of lies! To this end, we suggest the critical articles of Swiss Policy Research (www.swprs.org). See the article next column. What exasperates the ongoing mistrust between the ruled and the rulers is also the chronic lack of (all rounded) quality leadership. See the ‘Hutch Report’ on page 50. The continuous degradation of leadership has been visible since the Deep State (DS) aggressively took over the critical functions of global governance. Even in the most enlightened societies of the Nordic countries, trust in their institutions has been gradually eroding, thanks to the influence of the Anglo-American nation-states’ worldview, which desires to sustain the parasitic relations between the two protagonists (ruled & rulers). At the center of it all, it is empire’s aspiration, led by the DS, which is the major obstacle to decent coexistence at the global level. It is empire’s sick and wicked ideology that is fostering mistrust all over the planet. The eerie relevance of the old accomplished manipulators’ teachings to our reality is frightening. ‘It is the absolute right of the state to supervise the formation of public opinion.’ Joseph Goebbels, Nazi propaganda minister. Finally here is the American ‘father of spin.’ "The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the [public] is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country." Edward Bernays. Good Day!

COMMENT

Facts about Covid-19Fully referenced facts about Covid-19, provided by experts in the field, to help our readers make a realistic risk assessment. “The only means to fight the plague is honesty.” (Albert Camus, 1947)

Overview1. According to the latest immunological and serological studies, the

overall lethality of Covid-19 (IFR) is about 0.1% and thus in the range of a strong seasonal influenza (flu).

2. In countries like the US, the UK, and also Sweden (without a lockdown), overall mortality since the beginning of the year is in the range of a strong influenza season; in countries like Germany, Austria and Switzerland, overall mortality is in the range of a mild influenza season.

3. Even in global “hotspots”, the risk of death for the general population of school and working age is typically in the range of a daily car ride to work. The risk was initially overestimated because many people with only mild or no symptoms were not taken into account.

4. Up to 80% of all test-positive persons remain symptom-free. Even among 70-79 year olds, about 60% remain symptom-free. Over 95% of all persons develop at most moderate symptoms.

5. Up to 60% of all persons may already have a certain cellular background immunity to Covid19 due to contact with previous coronaviruses (i.e. common cold viruses).

6. The median or average age of the deceased in most countries (including Italy) is over 80 years and only about 4% of the deceased had no serious preconditions. The age and risk profile of deaths thus essentially corresponds to normal mortality.

7. In many countries, up to two thirds of all extra deaths occurred in nursing homes, which do not benefit from a general lockdown. Moreover, in many cases it is not clear whether these people really died from Covid19 or from weeks of extreme stress and isolation.

8. Up to 30% of all additional deaths may have been caused not by Covid19, but by the effects of the lockdown, panic and fear. For example, the treatment of heart attacks and strokes decreased by up to 60% because many patients no longer dared to go to hospital.

9. Even in so-called “Covid19 deaths” it is often not clear whether they died from or with coronavirus (i.e. from underlying diseases) or if they were counted as “presumed cases” and not tested at all. However, official figures usually do not reflect this distinction.

10. Many media reports of young and healthy people dying from Covid19 turned out to be false: many of these young people either did not die from Covid19, they had already been seriously ill(e.g. from undiagnosed leukaemia), or they were in fact 109 instead of 9 years old. The claimed increase in Kawasaki disease in children also turned out to be false.

11. Strong increases in regional mortality can occur if there is a collapse in the care of the elderly and sick as a result of infection or panic, or if there are additional risk factors such as severe air pollution. Questionable regulations for dealing with the deceased sometimes led to additional bottlenecks in funeral or cremation services.

12. In countries such as Italy and Spain, and to some extent the UK and the US, hospital overloads due to strong flu waves are not unusual. Moreover, this year up to 15% of health care workers were put into quarantine, even if they developed no symptoms.

13. The often shown exponential curves of “corona cases” are misleading, as the number of tests also increased exponentially. In most countries, the ratio of positive tests to tests overall (i.e. the positive rate) remained constant at 5% to 25% or increased only slightly. In many countries, the peak of the spread was already reached well before the lockdown.

14. Countries without curfews and contact bans, such as Japan, South Korea, Belarus or Sweden, have not experienced a more negative course of events than other countries. Sweden was even praised by the WHO and now benefits from higher immunity compared to lockdown countries.

15. The fear of a shortage of ventilators was unjustified. According to lung specialists, the invasive ventilation (intubation) of Covid19

Continued on page 30

Swiss Policy Research

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Year 22, No. 1124 Sunday June 21, 2020 Local News

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T he global movement relay of former Lycée Guebre-Mariam students provided one month worth food supply, mask, sanitizers and sanitary items for 100 families who live around the school and who are vulnerable to food security in collaboration with Mary Joy Center.

Also the association is planning to give another batch of donation for additional 100 families who are living around Alliance Ethio Francaise to alleviate the food security of the vulnerable people and also provide assistances to health care products to visually impaired and the disabled. During the handing out ceremony Amakeletch Teferi said “the spread of COVID-19 pandemic in Ethiopia, beyond its impact on health, has a huge implication and effect on the livelihoods of the most destitute and most vulnerable segments of the urban society. It is the awareness of this fact that pushed Alumni of the Lycée Guebre-Mariam to create a relief committee "I Care Ye Lycée Lij", and undertake the launching of a fund-raising campaign both locally and globally in order to help the most vulnerable citizens elevate the challenges they are facing.”

Axian Group shows interest in Ethiopia’s telecom sector By Muluken Yewondwossen

AXIAN Group has become one of the African telecom operators to express interest to invest in Ethiopia.At the last week of submission of expression of interest (EOI) for telecommunications service licenses that will come to an end tomorrow mid-day a handful companies have filed their EOI. According to the information Capital obtained, AXIAN, who is stated as the fastest internet provider in the continent, has expressed its interest to be one of the two private telecom operators in Ethiopia.Two years ago the then ruling collation EPRDF decided to open the telecom sector besides sell a share on the state owned monopoly, Ethio Telecom.In its statement the company that commence operation 150 years ago from Madagascar and operate in six African countries said that it would like to expand its foot to Ethiopia and execute its best experience on telecom operation in other countries.“In Ethiopia, the second most populous nation in Africa with more than 105 million population with median average age of 18, AXIAN Telecom will bring economic prosperity to Ethiopians through affordable, seamless, fast and state-of-the-art Tiers 1 telecom services that will allow job creation, nurturing entrepreneurship and supporting Ethiopia’s Digital Transformation Strategy that was just approved by the Council of Ministers on the 15th of June 2020,” the group said in a statement.Different reports indicate that the telecom operators enabled to boost the internet connectivity of the biggest island in the continent that will create jobs and hard

currency earnings.“By making Madagascar the country with the fastest internet connection in Africa, we have addressed the challenges of economic development, rural isolation and geographic disparity with an ambitious investment policy that involves installing more than 10,000 km of fiber-optic cable and modern mobile technologies, including 4G, 4G + and soon 5G,” in its statement the company says, “Madagascar has become the global centre of BPO, resulting in significant employment gains as well as bringing revenue from abroad into the country´s economy.” “We see similar traits of our operation in Madagascar existing in Ethiopia, that a large tech-savvy young graduates look for employment and strong connectivity being a game changer for both forex revenue generation and job creation by making Ethiopia preferred destination for international outsourcing & BPO center through fast connectivity,” the company said.The information Capital obtained indicated that AXIAN Group recorded USD 1.1 billion in global turnover in 2019, with USD 1 billion investment in its operations. AXIAN also operates the largest network of petrol stations and distribution network of petroleum products in Madagascar, as well as several telecommunications and mobile-money operators across the Indian Ocean and Africa. By developing and investing in new infrastructure on an international scale, AXIAN advances financial inclusion in the countries where it operates. The company also claimed that these investments materialize by delivering the fastest internet in Africa (and even faster than few European countries) have made

us the number-one telecommunications operator. AXIAN Telecom also possess around 3,300 telecommunications towers on the African continent that support its telecom operations and cutting-edge mobile networks in Madagascar, Reunion Island, Mayotte, Comoros, Senegal and Togo. In all the countries where it operates and AXIAN Telecom now boast having deployed more than 13,600 km of terrestrial fiber optical backbones and invested in 13

international submarine cables. The Group is also a partner of the upcoming 2Africa submarine cable project, which will shore up connectivity throughout the continent while creating better connections between Africa, the Middle East and Europe.According to the Ethiopia Communications Authority EOI invitation document issued on May 21, the initial license term that will be given to an operator will be 15 or more years with the possibility of renewal.

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Ministry assessing ways to conduct national exams

By Metasebia Teshome

Ministry of Education is assessing options to give the National University Entrance Exam of grade 12 and grade eight examinations.According to sources the Ministry is overseeing two different options to give the exams to the students.According to sources one of the options is developing a web system to which it gives specific time to do one question and the second option is a virtual one with a camera system. Although the ministry was planning to start classes if the current situation gets to normal it has been three months since the government orders to close about 45,000 schools all over the country. On 16 March Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced that schools and universities would halt classes for two weeks. On 17 March the Minister of Science and Higher Education gave further directions on how universities should act. For many, it was not an easy order to follow since little preparation had been made by institutions towards this end. However, the decision was applauded by the public, while the duration of school closures remains uncertain. Despite this most of the schools are trying to reach their students through different mechanisms and continue the

teaching learning process including virtual classrooms supported by social networks. Also the Ministry of Education is using public television stations to provide courses for students of all ages as well as training to teachers. Despite one of the challenge in the country accessing internet is an enormous challenge. The Ministry has started to screen those who are not available for both options so that they can take the exam in schools with social distancing to control the spreading of the virus.A month ago Addis Ababa city education bureau has give model examination for grade eight students through telegram.At the beginning of the current academic year the Ministry was planning to conduct the national entrance exam from June 1 up to June 3.In related story the Ministry of Science and Higher Education has mandate universities to continue courses of post graduate student and complete their programs as pre the scheduled tabled at the beginning of the academic year through digital platforms. At the end of the year the Ministry also planned extraordinary thesis defense and graduation ceremony that will be conducted using different virtual methods.Universities are giving course materials for all the first year and above students to help them continue their study in their house.

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Total Ethiopia produced 94,000 bottles of hand sanitizers (500 ml.) and donated 80,000 bottles of sanitizers worth 15 million birr to the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Transport as well as 14,000 bottles of hand sanitizers to employees, fuel truck drivers and partners working with Total Ethiopia.Total has also donated fuel worth 1 million birr through Total Cards to the frontline emergency ambulances and service vehicles of the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI) under the Ministry of Health. The company dedicated COVID-19 emergency fuel dispensing pumps for emergency service Ambulances to get fuel at fifty selected Total stations in Addis Ababa and major upcountry towns.In addition Total Ethiopia donated 10,000 sanitary soaps worth 200,000 birr to be distributed to helpless elders, street boys and or selected NGOs like Mekedonia. Public hand washing facilities have been installed at fifteen Total stations in Addis Ababa distributing soap and water to the community worth 150,000 birr.In parallel, Total Ethiopia maintains its activities of fuel and lubricants supply throughout the country to its service stations and customer sites. With the aim of protecting employees and their family’s health, Total Ethiopia has minimized staff presence in the office by deploying work

Total donates 17 million birr to fight COVID-19

and availing IT equipment and platform that can be accessed from home. In so doing, Total Ethiopia in its corporate social responsibility program has taken various pragmatic and targeted actions as part of the national effort to fight the spread of the COVID-19.The handing over ceremony tha was held on June 18, was attended by Dagmawit Moges Minister of Transport and Ambassador Mesganu Arega State Minister of Trade and Industry and member of the National COVID-19 resource allocation committee. Total Ethiopia was established in 1950

as a petroleum product distribution company, developed its activities by acquiring Mobil Oil East Africa assets in 2006. Today, the company operates with more than 150 service stations and five depots across the country, of which four are aviation depots, and Fuels and LPG depot, the Dukem depot. Dukem depot has a total storage capacity of more than 8 million liters of fuel. It also stores up to 100 tons of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), an electronically-operated LPG cylinder filling plant and an ethanol blending facility. This depot is uniquely situated to serve the industry at large with its extra installed capacity.

Djibouti offers . . . Continued from page 1

as 300,000 seafarers a month will require international flights to enable ships' crew changeover and 70,000 cruise ship staff are waiting for their repatriation.“DPFZA recognises and is grateful that the maritime community continue to provide essential services through the global pandemic to ensure that word trade continues to flow and is committed to being part of the global solution to support these key workers,” DPFZA said in a statement sent to Capital. “DPFZA also calls on other countries to take similar steps to facilitate coordinated support for seafarers around the world and calls on all ship-owners to support the effort by availing air repatriation solutions for maritime personnel,” the statement adds.Maritime transport depends on the 2 million seafarers who operate the world's merchant ships, which carry more than 80% of global trade by volume, including most of the world's food, energy, raw materials, as well as manufactured goods and components and is vital to sustainable development and prosperity.IMO and UNCTAD have been continuously highlighting the risks to shipping and trade arising from the COVID-19 impacts and have called for collaborative efforts to address the challenge. “For shipping to continue to operate safely, we are seeking the support of Governments to facilitate crew changes and ensure crew wellbeing, by facilitating repatriation and safe return home of seafarers, marine personnel, fishing vessel personnel and offshore energy sector personnel, as well as access to medical care for sick or injured crew and to medical prescriptions,” said in a joint statement.

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Year 22, No. 1124 Sunday June 21, 2020Local News

Ethiopia should . . . Continued from page 5

The cost of copying . . . Continued from page 1

is not meeting the demand that should be totally solved to improve the agriculture sector.“Exclusive right to import seeds is also one of the major challenges for the shortage of seeds in the market,” experts said.Companies who have exclusive rights should wait to get foreign currency to import the product that affects the demand side, according to experts.Gebremichael agreed on this idea and said that the government should open the supply and bypass the exclusive rights to expand the import and allow more importers to be engaged on the seeds import, “it is now implemented for the chemical business,” he said.“Until the country develops its capacity such kind of short term strategies should be applied,” he added.Experts said that the country should transform its capacity to produce seeds locally. “Vegetable seeds strategy has been developed few years back that should be implemented,” Gebremichael, who was part of the experts that were engaged on developing seeds strategy said.

“So far some non-governmental organizations are trying to expand the seeds production that should be supported by the government as soon as possible,” experts said. “Ethiopia can easily produce seeds,” Gebremichael added.An agronomist, who is involved in export of horticulture products, raised his concern saying that relevant government officials always speak about agricultural input but they don’t mention anything about seeds. “For instance the duty free scheme for seed sector is allowed very recently,” the horticulture exporter told Capital.He recommended that the accessibility of hybrid seeds should also be increased as soon as possible for the sake of sustainable development in the sector.He said that the seed shortage has affected the agriculture activity and the vegetable productivity.The global lock down and slow down of cargo flight affects the supply of seeds. Due to the price hike on cargo and lack of access to market makes the price of seeds to hike globally. Experts in the sector said that the seeds price in the local market also doubled.

hotels or trademarks. May be our children or the third generation will learn from this kind of dispute,” he says “the problem is at IPO, that are supposed to keep the dispute before it happened and consult local companies to keep themselves from such problems.”The case between Crown Hotel and Six Continents might be one of the very few cases appeared at the court, but copying international brands and trademarks mainly in the service sector in Ethiopia is not new.There are several local hotels, cafes and restaurants that copied a trade mark of international companies in the past, but these days the situation is changing mainly because of local consultancy firms in the hospitality industry that support local investors to operate chain hotels that are well known international brands.Like Six Continents, Intercontinental Hotels Corporation (IHG), who is now owned the Crowne Plaza brand too, has been also in the legal battle with the local hospitality firm JH Simex the operator of Intercontinental Addis Ababa Hotel for the last seven years.Early this week the case has got a final verdict after the Federal Supreme Court gave a decision for the US hotel brands owner, IHG.The Supreme Court verdict indicated that the local firm, which operates for about 13 years, is also penalized to settle royalty compensation for the US hospitality business operator.Eyob Hagos, Lawyer of IHG, reminded that his client has been registered under Ethiopian law about 19 years ago, while JH Simex Plc has been operating the local hotel for the past 13 years.“We have consulted JH Simex to skip using the trademark due to infringement of the interest of the multinational brand, but they refused and run the hotel under the international brand,” Eyob says, “then we filed the case for the court to get solution that took years.”Eyob said that his client case is different since his company is already registered under Ethiopian law but he argued that the local company was not able to operate foreign brands without knowledge of the owner.“Our claim and the subsequent judgment was given because IHG has registered its trademark as per Article 4 and has the right to prevent the local company not to use as per article 26 and has the right for compensation as per article 40 of the Ethiopian trademark registration and protection proclamation 501/2006,” he said.“It is also true that intercontinental is a well-known trademark globally,” the lawyer added.Daniel Getnet, Head of Dabe Investment Consulting and Conveyance PLC, a legal

consultancy firm for businesses mainly for FDIs', supported the idea.Legal experts stated that the Commercial Registration and Business Licensing Proclamation no 686/2010 supports the idea. They said that article 24 of this proclamation has direct correlation with the concept.Article 16 of commercial registration and business licensing proclamation no. 980/2016 has similar intent. “Where the trade name requested for registration is renowned in Ethiopia or around the world even though it is not registered in Ethiopia and no written permission issued to use the name under cannot be used,” states article 16 sub article E of the proclamation stated.Daniel said the country has endorsed that local companies should not register a trademark that has similarity in other countries. “In the past there were not legal framework that rejects local companies to use trade names registered in other countries but it is now changed,” he added.Daniel said that foreign companies, who come in Ethiopia register at Investment Commission, since it is a priority to invest in the country.“But registration does not mean the companies invest automatically. Even if they want to commence their activity immediately the process and bureaucracy in the country may not allow them,” the FDI consultant explained.“Lack of coordination between federal and regional government and even local administrations, access to land, issues related with biodiversity and other different factors have been a challenge for companies who want to invest in the country but that seems to change now,” Daniel explained.He also recalled that the companies themselves may not run properly or may delay to transfer investment capital, capital goods and other required processes.AndualemSisay, Managing Editor of New Business Ethiopian that is engaged on due diligence for foreign companies, said “companies may register in Ethiopia for different reasons like to protect their trademark or to get different benefits,” but he underlined that companies that do not automatically invest in the country will abuse the laws of the country and operates in the country against the motive of the investment license.Because of weak crosscheck between the customs authority and other government offices, companies particularly register at Investment Commission in the past will use their license to import products on duty free basis and may sell it or lease it for others.Andualem remembered that several companies

including big companies were registered in the country, but were not seen in any investment.The FDI consultant on his part said that there are different registration types that may be a reason for the multinational companies to hold them up from activities in the country.Daniel on the other hand said that the challenge in the past for FDI was getting trademark registration.But he argued that meanwhile in the past there was supporting law for foreign trademarks local firms that were registered by local investors could not continue for long. “The trade names registered under local firms but registered internationally in the past supposed to be changed immediately if the country signs international laws,” Daniel added.He recalled that Ethiopia has not so far signed international laws that mentioned international patent and copy rights like the World Trade Organization (WTO) laws.“The issue in relation with the accession of WTO will be seen in the future but as per the trend the country will endorse the law and local companies will change their trademarks,” Daniel explained.Experts said that this is alarming for the country and local businesses. “The case should be seen widely and we have to learn a lesson. When the country becomes member of World Trade Organization (WTO) we will directly accept the laws that govern member countries,” a legal expert said.Under the WTO law intellectual property include brand and trademarks are a prior points that member countries should respect.Legal experts recommended that local

companies should be ready regarding changing trademarks that are similar with other businesses in different countries and solve problems amicably than go to court.“The cases seen in the past is a good lesson for other private sectors in Ethiopia,” they said. Brand experts like AschalewTamiru also recommended local companies to look inside to get trademarks than taking the existing one in other countries.“The Ethiopian diaspora for instance uses Ethiopian brands, trademarks and others for their businesses, but it is vice versa when it comes for business operators in Ethiopia,”Aschalew said.“Developing and building your own brand from local idea is better than just taking others name and get in trouble,” experts added that the cost is not only for the company owners it is also for the country and the image of Ethiopia.Investors like Rezene also underline that the government should support and alert the private sector and operators to adopt the international experience and international business laws because it does not only save local private investors but also the cost that the country lose as a nation.Investors expressed their concern that they don’t know what latest verdict against JH SimexPlc will cost the local company that is expected to settle royalty fee for IHG that will be calculated for 13 years. Legal experts said that the local company might claim the case for cassation bench.Capital’s effort to get information from SimachewKebede, owner of JH SimexPlc was unfruitful.

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Humanitarian crises, including health emergencies affect men and women differently. As COVID-19 continues to spread in Africa, there are concerns over its impact on women and girls, with vulnerabilities feared to worsen as the pandemic overwhelms health systems.Although overall in the African Region, women account for around 40% of COVID-19 cases, this ranges from 35% in some countries to over 55% in South Africa."We are already seeing that the impact of COVID-19 on women and girls is profound. Women are disproportionately affected by lockdowns and this is resulting in a reduced access to health services," said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa.As efforts are focused on curbing the spread of COVID-19, essential services such as access to sexual and reproductive health services have been disrupted. According to preliminary data, in Zimbabwe, the number of caesarean sections performed decreased by 42% between January and April 2020 compared with the same period in 2019. The number of live births in health facilities fell by 21%, while new clients on combined birth control pills dropped by 90%. In Burundi, initial statistics show that births

with skilled attendants fell to 4749 in April 2020 from 30 826 in April 2019.Recent analysis published in the Lancet Global Health suggests that a reduction in maternal health services of between just 9.8-18.5% could lead to as many as 12 200 additional maternal deaths over six months in low- and middle-income countries.The economic hardship due to COVID-19 is also greater for women according to a World Bank report. Informal workers, most of whom are women, account for more than 90% of the labour force in sub-Saharan Africa. Informal sector jobs are particularly at risk during the pandemic.In addition, women face a higher risk of gender-based violence in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. A recent study by UN Women found that reports of violence against women, and particularly domestic violence, have increased in several countries as security, health, and financial worries create tensions and strains accentuated by the cramped and confined living conditions of lockdown."We are working with governments and partners to find ways to continue to deliver essential services safely, including the provision of personal protective equipment to health workers, many of whom are nurses and are women," said Dr Moeti.The burden of caring for the sick is also largely borne by women. Most health

workers in Africa are women. Over the past four months, with the Colleges of Nursing in Africa WHO has provided targeted virtual trainings to over 1000 nurses and midwives. In West Africa, this training has been cascaded sub-nationally using virtual platforms - thus allowing as many nurses as possible to be trained in case management for COVID-19 and infection prevention and control.WHO works to improve the health of women and girls in Africa by developing guidance on the implications of gender, gender-based violence, and access to sexual and reproductive health.In a related statement the independent Africa Regional Certification Commission (ARCC), responsible for certifying the eradication of wild poliovirus in the World Health Organization (WHO) African Region, is set to make its final decision about the region’s wild poliovirus status in August 2020.Following field verification visits over the past year and thorough critical analysis of the documentation of the polio surveillance, immunization and laboratory capacity presented by the governments of Cameroon, Central African Republic, Nigeria and South Sudan, the Commission has validated that the countries’ documentation grants them wild polio-free status.In August 2019, the African Region

became eligible to be certified free of wild poliovirus, after Nigeria, the last wild poliovirus endemic country, recorded no new cases three years - the requisite period - since it last reported cases of wild poliovirus. The commission had already accepted the documentation of the other 43 countries in the region.“We are satisfied with the documentation that the four countries have presented. We are reviewing updated reports from the other 43 countries in the WHO African Region and we anticipate that by August 2020, we will deliver our final decision on the region’s certification status of wild poliovirus eradication,” said Professor Rose Leke, ARCC Chairperson.“This achievement by Cameroon, Central African Republic, Nigeria and South Sudan is a major step towards the eradication of wild poliovirus in the African region,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti. “As the continent struggles with COVID-19, this milestone shows that when leaders, partners, health workers and communities come together we can triumph over the most difficult health challenges.”If the region is certified in August, it would be the fifth of the six WHO regions to be declared free of wild polio. However, the scale of ongoing circulating vaccine-derived polio outbreaks is a battle the region is striving to win.

WHO concerned over COVID-19 impact on women, girls in Africa

Africa’s wild polio-free status to be determined in August

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Year 22, No. 1124 Sunday June 21, 2020 Advertisement

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million and GDP supported by aviation could fall by $28 billion. Before the COVID-19 crisis, aviation supported 6.2 million jobs in the region and generated $55.8 billion in GDP.The ICAO Guidance proposes a layered and phased approach to restarting aviation and identifies a set of generally applicable risk-based measures. In line with recommendations and guidance from public health authorities, these will mitigate the risk of transmission of the COVID-19 virus during the travel process.ICAO, IATA and ACI Africa also pledged

their commitment to providing support to industry stakeholders in the region to help ensure implementation and compliance with the recommended ICAO Take-off guidance. This includes the development of more detailed operational procedures in four specific areas – Airport, Aircraft, Crew and Cargo - based on the Take-off guidance.“Restarting international connectivity safely while ensuring that aviation is not a meaningful source for the spread of COVID-19 is not an option but a must. Aviation is facing the biggest challenge of its history; we need all hands-on deck to get the industry up and running again and

we are committed to making the journey as seamless and risk-free as possible. We will collaborate with and support states to implement these guidelines in the fastest and most efficient way and encourage governments and other industry stakeholders to reach out to us for support,” said Albakri. IATA, ACI Africa, ICAO, the African Union, African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC), Africa Airlines Association (AFRAA) Airlines Association of Southern Africa (AASA) and CANSO are working closely to support the safe restart of the industry in Africa.


The NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights released a new report on the approach to content moderation taken by major social media companies, including Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. The report, “Who Moderates the Social Media Giants? A Call to End Outsourcing,” presents new findings about how big tech firms regulate the content that appears on their platforms; identifies major problems with the platforms’ current approach; and makes concrete recommendations for reforms.Facebook, YouTube and Twitter outsource most of their human content moderation-the job of deciding what stays online and what gets taken down-to third-party contractors, which creates a marginalized class of reviewers who are seen as “second-class citizens.” The NYU report finds that the peripheral status of moderators has contributed to inadequate attention being paid to incendiary content spread in developing countries, sometimes leading to violence offline. Outsourcing has also contributed to the provision of subpar mental health support for content moderators who spend their days staring at disturbing material.Paul Barrett, deputy director of the NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights told Capital that the report finds social media companies lack local expertise in countries like Ethiopia. “They should hire more Ethiopians with broad language skills and a solid grasp of the country's culture” Barrett said.“Online speech foments ethnic and religious violence and hostilities, one thing social media companies can do is to remove content that is false and may lead to physical harm,” he further added.Focusing primarily on Facebook, the report found that every day, three million Facebook posts are flagged for review by 15,000 moderators. The company has admitted to at least a 10 percent error rate in making content decisions, which suggests 300,000 mistakes a day. At Facebook, outsourced content moderation takes place in more than 20

sites worldwide.“The report finds that Facebook and others rely on unpaid local activists and NGOs to monitor online speech, but often ignore their warnings. There have been communication breakdowns and inattentiveness. Facebook says this is changing-that it is listening more closely to its partners on the ground. Perhaps the company has learned from past experience. But all of these problems have not been fully solved,” the deputy director told Capital via email.“Social media companies cannot cure all societal ills, including the incitement of violence. These companies need to do more to ensure against the misuse of their platforms. But there is a big role for civil society organizations, journalism outfits, and, in some cases, the government, in fostering civility and diminishing the influence of bad actors. Political leaders must come together and get behind education efforts aimed at enlightening social media users and all citizens,” Barrett said.The report also calls on big tech to invest more in countries like Ethiopia to prevent violence from spreading virally. “More attentive content moderation and fact-checking, more social media literacy training, and more support for public-spirited journalism and civil society

activity should be done,” Barrett said.In recent months, the coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated problems with content moderation. As content moderators have sheltered in place at home, without access to secure computers, social media companies, including Facebook, announced that they would rely more on AI to remove harmful content. The result has been that the platforms have mistakenly taken down some legitimate content from healthcare professionals and others, whose posts were mistakenly flagged for removal.“The widespread practice of relying on third-party vendors for content review amounts to an outsourcing of responsibility for the safety of major social media platforms and their billions of users,” said Paul Barrett adding “the results of this practice range from moderators not receiving the caliber of mental health care they deserve, to real-world violence in some countries where insufficient moderation leads to hateful content remaining online.”This report involved dozens of interviews with executives from Facebook and other tech firms, as well as with former content moderators operating in the U.S. and Europe; scholars and researchers studying the issue; and on-the-ground activists and NGOs.

Report identifies problems in big tech content moderation,

calls for an end to outsourcing

African Aviation Industry calls for harmonised safe restart of air services


The International Air Transport Association (IATA), Airports Council International- Africa (ACI Africa) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Regional Offices for African States are united in their call to governments in Africa to rapidly implement ICAO’s global guidelines for restoring air connectivity to ensure the safe and harmonised restart of aviation in the region. These guidelines are contained in Takeoff: Guidance for Air Travel through the COVID-19 Public Health Crisis, which was approved by the ICAO Council. They have also been adopted into the African Union’s Restart and Recovery Strategies during and after COVID-19 for the African Aviation Sector. “Developed based on the latest medical evidence and consistent with health best practices the ICAO Take-off guidance provides governments with a framework for restarting aviation while protecting public health. Governments in Africa are encouraged to implement the guidance urgently and in a harmonised and mutually recognised way to allow aviation to safely start contributing to Africa’s economic recovery post COVID-19. Air connectivity is critical to economic and sustainable development in and across the continent,” said Barry Kashambo, Regional Director, ESAF speaking on behalf of the ICAO Regional Offices accredited to African States.“ICAO’s Take-off guidance is a global way forward for aviation. Implementation should give governments the confidence to open borders without quarantine, and passengers the confidence to fly. But guidelines mean nothing if they are not implemented. And that is our main message to governments in Africa. Deviations from the guidance and mandatory approaches, especially on quarantine and social distancing, will damage public confidence, make it harder to operate effectively, slow down the industry restart and increase the economic pressures already created by COVID-19. This would be harmful to public health and the economic recovery,” said Muhammad Albakri, IATA’s Regional Vice President for Africa and the Middle East.“Safety and security remain the industry’s main priority, and both are firmly entrenched into every airport’s operations and corporate culture. Building on this track record, the ICAO Take-off guidance is fully aligned with our industry’s focus on passenger and staff wellbeing. We therefore urge African States to urgently adopt these guidelines so that we can ensure the implementation of consistent, harmonised and effective measures across the region, a prerequisite for passengers to return to air travel in all confidence, and for the swift restoration of air connectivity for the sustainable recovery of the travel, business and tourism sectors on the continent,” said Ali Tounsi Secretary General, ACI Africa. COVID-19 has crippled the air transport industry in Africa. Demand is forecast to fall by 58.5% in 2020 year-on-year – the largest drop of all the regions. Airlines in the region are expected to post a net loss of $2 billion this year as passenger revenues decline by over $6 billion compared to the previous year. Concurrently, African airports are expected to lose 51% of their revenues in 2020, i.e., around $2.2 billion. Job losses in aviation and related industries in the region could reach 3.1

Paul Barrett

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Year 22, No. 1124 Sunday June 21, 2020

N e w s B r i e fIn

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Ethiopia’s success is key to African success: WBG PresidentPresident of World Bank Group David Malpass tweeted that Ethiopia’s Success is key to African Success.Looking back on his phone conversation with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on recent World Bank financing approvals, David Malpass said that the Ethiopia and its neighbors sustain constructive dialogue and cooperation on water sharing.Ethiopia and the World Bank yesterday signed a financing agreement amounting $ 250 million in support of supplemental financing to the second Ethiopia growth and competitiveness programmatic development policy financing.

(FBC)

Doing business reform improving overall investment climate in Ethiopia: PMPrime Minister Abiy Ahmed stated that critical milestones have been realized since the launch of the Doing Business Reform Agenda in implementing regulatory reforms that aim to improve the overall investment climate in Ethiopia.The premier stressed the need to build on and sustain important reforms introduced in line with amendments of various commercial and investment legal and administrative tools.Commercial Registration and Business Licensing Amendment Proclamation No 1150-2011, and Regulation 461 -2012, Movable Property Security Right Proclamation 1147/2011 and Directive, Value Added Tax (VAT) Amendment Proclamation

11572011, Investment Proclamation 1180-2012, Electronic Transaction Proclamation are among the reforms introduced following the launch of Doing Business Reform, Dr. Abiy outlined.Prime Minister Dr. Abiy also listed the New York Convention on Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards 1184-2012, Commercial Code (Draft enacted by Council of Ministers) and Investment Regulation (Draft tabled for Council of Ministers considerations) as reforms introduced since the launch of Doing Business Reform Agenda in the country.

(FBC)

Africa’s path to COVID-19 recovery requires boldness, says Vera SongweTackling the ongoing coronavirus pandemic effectively to ensure Africa grows back and builds back better in the aftermath of COVID-19 requires boldness never before seen on the continent, says Vera Songwe, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).Speaking during an African Youth Ministers consultative meeting on COVID-19, Songwe, quoting the late American civil rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr., said Africa needs to remain awake and help find solutions to the pandemic as restrictions put in place to curtail the virus begin to be eased.“This is a time to be bold. It is a time when we need to come together to ask if we are responding to the call of the youth,” she said.“Today our very survival depends on our ability to stay awake, to adjust to new ideas, to remain vigilant and to face the challenge of change. No time ever in our history have we been at such a crossroads where we have both a health pandemic and an economic

recession on the continent.”Songwe said 51 percent of Africa’s growth is in the services sector and requires technology, raising the need for member States to move with speed to address crippling internet issues across the continent.“We cannot grow back and build back better without enough access to technology for our youth who are the innovators. They are the ones who will find the solutions for tomorrow for us. My plea to you as ministers of youth is please join us, work with us and together let us implement the African Digital Transformation Strategy and increase access, affordability, stability and reliability of the internet system so that many other things can begin to fall into place,” she said.Songwe said recent consultations with African youth had revealed clearly their hunger and thirst to participate in decision-making processes so they can help bring change through innovation.“But they need our institutions to come along and to respond to them and to ensure that together we can deliver this future that we have so long wanted – an Africa that we want,” she said.

(Press Release)

Extraordinary China-Africa Summit on Solidarity against COVID-19 concludedChinese President Xi Jinping chaired the Extraordinary China-Africa Summit on Solidarity against COVID-19 in Beijing.The summit, held via video link, was jointly proposed by China, South Africa, the rotating chair of the African Union (AU), and Senegal, the co-chair of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

Insurance to protect a lender or owner against loss in the event of a property ownership dispute. Title insurance is most frequently used for mortgages, and is required by a large number of lenders. Title insurance has become necessary in the United States because, unlike many other countries, the United States (with the exception of a few areas) does not use a land registration system which could determine the validity of a claimed ownership of property.

When we bought our house, we made sure the seller paid for title insurance to give us faith that we would own the new property free and clear.

Leaders of African countries, including Abiy Ahmed, the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, members of the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government, rotating chairs of major African sub-regional organizations, and the chairperson of the AU Commission, attended the summit.The secretary-general of the United Nations and the director-general of the World Health Organization also attended the meeting as special guests.

(Press Release)

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Year 22, No. 1124 Sunday June 21, 2020Opinion

Fiscal Year 2020 Innovative Grant Announcements and AwardsInitiative Africa announces grant funding opportunities through the Innovative Grant Fund (IGF) funded by the Swedish Embassy, under the project titled “Empowering Marginal Economic Actors Through Policy Reform from the Bottom Up – EMEA”. This grant is to assist Chambers of Commerce and Business Membership Organizations (BMOs) in developing strong programs that contribute to business and economic development,Visit www.initiativeafrica.net for all the information you need to apply for a grant.

CONTACT USPhone no:...... 011-662-2640/41

Email:..... [email protected] or [email protected]

By Solomon Zewdu

Two months ago, when the peak of the pandemic passed in China and moved to the United States and Western Europe, epidemiologists tried to predict where COVID-19 would hit next-and hit hardest. Many thought Africa would become the next high-risk area, but when COVID-19 eventually arrived on the continent, most of the dire predictions were way off.Today, the continent is the least impacted region in the world according to the World Health Organization (WHO), with less than 5% of reported cases and less than 1% of all deaths, despite being 17% of the global population. (By contrast, the U.S. is 4% of the global population but has suffered 25% of COVID-19 deaths.)Of course, the pandemic isn’t over and things are evolving, but the predictions missing the mark so widely has left modelers and public health experts scratching their heads. Why has Africa witnessed a much milder pandemic than elsewhere? People have proposed many theories. Some point to Africa’s relative youth: While nearly 95% of COVID-19 deaths in Europe were people over 60, Africa’s median age is only 19, and 60% of the continent is under 25. Others suggest Africa’s low case counts are a mirage, and that we aren’t seeing the true data because of limited testing capacity and mortality

tracking. There is a lot, the argument goes, that we still don’t know.Here’s my sense of the issue: What we don’t know about Africa and COVID-19 is far less important than what we do know. Because the things we do know are amazing and important and have surely contributed to Africa’s overall success in weathering this disease.We know, for instance, that in January, even as many Western nations hesitated, Ethiopia began intensive screening at Addis Ababa airport. We also know that Africa CDC created its COVID-19 task force on February 5, before the continent had a single case. We know that Rwanda became the first African nation to lock down on March 21st and that many other African countries soon followed: South Africa implemented its comprehensive lockdown when it had only 400 cases and two fatalities. (With a similar-sized population, Italy had more than 9,000 cases and 400 deaths when it acted.)In short, when the threat of COVID-19 arose, almost all 55 nations on the African continent acted swiftly to stop its spread. They did so in the face of great economic risk-more than 80% of Africa’s population work in the informal sector, often living on daily earnings-and with far more limited resources than the United States and Europe. And because those regions had to focus on their own crises, Africa responded,

for the most part, alone.African heads of state deserve much credit, but this swift and effective response was only possible because of the support and sacrifice of the people. Tens of thousands of health workers fanned out across the continent, taking temperatures and screening for the disease. In research labs and businesses of every size, people got to work. Scientists in Senegal developed a $1 COVID-19 testing kit and used 3D printing to make ventilators. In Nigeria, tailors sewed masks and personal protective equipment (PPE).And of course, millions of everyday African citizens did their part, too. Many stayed indoors, halting the normal rhythms of their lives at great personal cost. Some struggled to get prescriptions refilled or receive routine health care. Others lost jobs and income. But so far, the continent has by and large averted disaster.There are three lessons, I think, the world can take away from this remarkable story.The first is obvious, and it’s that screening, tracing, and social distancing measures work, especially when implemented quickly. It’s widely agreed that South Africa’s strict lockdown bought critical time to prepare health systems and flattened the COVID-19 curve. The second lesson involves Africa’s recent history. The continent’s experience in

fighting other outbreaks has helped it fight this one. For example, Sierra Leone and Liberia used what they learned during the 2014 Ebola epidemic about building contact tracing networks and quickly implemented them to track COVID-19. In other places across the continent, people readily adopted non-pharmaceutical interventions despite PPE shortages, which people in Western countries were slow to do.Third, and finally, Africa in the age of COVID-19 has shown the world a powerful and counterintuitive fact: Nations don’t necessarily have to be wealthy to stay healthy. Of course, a strong economy helps build a strong health system. But smart policies, early action, committed health workers, and engaged communities matter just as much. This doesn’t mean it’s time for complacency now. Numbers are rising and it could be some time before a safe and effective vaccine is developed and widely distributed. The story of this pandemic is far from over, and Africa’s leaders and citizens must continue to chart a course that protect lives as it rebuilds economies. Still, the continent’s performance so far is an early bright spot. Africa deserves the world’s recognition and is a reason to be hopeful as we move forward.

Solomon Zewdu is Deputy Director for Global Development in Ethiopia & Africa

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

AFRICA In the fight against COVID-19, an unsung continent

Topic- UNICEF (Ethiopia) wishes to request eligible bidders to participate in a Invitation to Bid (LITB-2020-9159141:) for the procurement of portable speakers and Megaphone .Details of the requirements for this bid and eligibility criteria etc. can be found in the bid document. Interested and eligible bidders from local companies can get the bid document in the link https://2merkato.com/images/downloads/UNICEF/17June-LITB-9159141-Speakers.pdfAny query or clarification with regard to this bid shall be send through an email to [email protected]. Bid clarification will be posted on the same websites mentioned above to all bidders. While sending your request for clarification, please ensure that you specify the LITB number in the subject email, provide the name of the company, contact person, email and mobile number. The due date for submission of proposals/Bid to UNICEF Ethiopia Office, Addis Ababa is on or before 2:00 pm (East African Time) 1st July 2020 (Wednesday). Please read the LITB and the annexes for detailed requirements, Eligibility Criteria and due dates.Please quote the LITB-2020-9159141 in all your correspondences. UNICEF reserves the right to accept or reject part or all of any or all bids.

ADDRESS

UNICEF Ethiopia, UNECA Compound, Zambezi Building, 2nd floor Supply Section,

TEL: +251-11 518 4000, Extension# 4142, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

OPEN FOR ONLY LOCAL COMPANIES

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Ever catch the perfect picture with your digital camera or camera phone and wish you could find a way for others to experience it? Here is your chance. If you find yourself at the right place at the right time and happen to catch an amazing scene you believe someone else should see, send us your news pictures with no more than 30 words to [email protected] and we will publish it. Spotlight

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Council of Ministers approves Digital Ethiopia 2025 Strategy The Council of Ministers has approved the Digital Ethiopia Strategy 2025 designed to be aligned with the country’s national development vision, policy objectives and priorities on June 15, 2020.Abraham Belay, Minister of Innovation and Technology says, “The first and fundamental step for countries that shows their commitment for Digital Economy is coming up with a plan that supports the digital economy and aligned with their development goals. Digital Ethiopia 2025 Strategy has considered this fundamental principle.”The strategy took into consideration the current economic drivers (Agriculture, Manufacturing and Services), the priority sectors, and the national objectives of jobs creation, foreign exchange earnings.

IAEA launches initiative to help prevent future pandemicsThe Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Mariano Grossi, launched an initiative to strengthen global preparedness for future pandemics like COVID-19. The project, called ZODIAC, builds on the IAEA’s experience in assisting countries in the use of nuclear and nuclear-derived techniques for the rapid detection of pathogens that cause transboundary animal diseases, including ones that spread to humans. These zoonotic diseases kill around 2.7 million people every year.The IAEA Zoonotic Disease Integrated Action (ZODIAC) project will establish a global network to help national laboratories in monitoring, surveillance, early detection and control of animal and zoonotic diseases such as COVID-19, Ebola, avian influenza and Zika. ZODIAC is based on the technical, scientific and laboratory capacity of the IAEA and its partners and the Agency’s mechanisms to quickly deliver equipment and know-how to countries.The aim is to make the world better prepared for future outbreaks. “Member States will have access to equipment, technology packages, expertise, guidance and training. Decision-makers will receive up-to-date, user-friendly information that will enable them to act quickly,” Grossi told a meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors.

COVID-19: Science, technology and innovation key to Africa’s recovery, says SongweScience, technology and innovation will be at the heart of Africa’s recovery from the devastating coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the continent’s ability to create sustainable jobs, according to Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Vera Songwe.In remarks at the beginning of a five-day virtual COVID-19 Africa Innovation and Investment Forum 2020, Songwe said Africa needs innovations to drive homegrown solutions out of the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic recession it has triggered the world over. “We need investments in innovation, science and technology to understand how we can protect our citizens and also as a way of growing out of this crisis. STI will be at the heart of Africa’s recovery and its ability to create sustainable jobs that is why for a very long time ECA has been talking of the importance also of intellectual property rights to protect the innovations of Africa’s youth,” she said.Songwe said the current costs of IP registrations on the continent were prohibitive and not rewarding innovation.“This is not a strategy for growth,” said the ECA Executive Secretary, adding; “As we talk of science, technology and innovation, we also need to make sure that our policymakers ensure that our technological platforms are robust.”

CEVA Logistics significantly expands in Africa CEVA Logistics is launching a three-part expansion plan for the African market, through which it aims to become a leading, continent-wide market player. With the acquisition of AMI Worldwide, CEVA Logistics is accelerating its expansion in East and Southern AfricaCEVA Logistics has acquired a controlling shareholding in AMI Worldwide, a third-party logistics provider with an extensive network in East and Southern Africa, which has more than 100 years of expertise in the region. Effective July 1st, the AMI Worldwide office network in 12 countries in East and Southern Africa and its almost 1,000 employees will join the CEVA global network. They will provide a platform for further investment and expansion throughout the continent, with the objective of offering CEVA’s customers a seamless network, facilitating cargo movement within Africa and strengthening trade ties with the rest of the world.

European Union mobilized 487 million Euro to support Ethiopia's COVID 19 response effortThe European Union and its Member States have mobilised 487 million Euro (19 billion Birr) to support Ethiopia's COVID 19 response effort.Building on many years of partnership with Ethiopia including investment in strengthening health and social protection systems, addressing communicable diseases and providing humanitarian support, Team Europe response has reached 487 million Euro to date.This includes support to the Ethiopian health system and quarantine sites, social protection enhancement, livelihood recovery and significant support to the country in its overall economic response to the crisis. The European Union and several Member State Embassies and agencies have worked closely with the Ministry of Finance, as well as the Ministry of Health and the Ethiopian Public Health Institute to address the crisis from the outset.

COVID-19 threatens to ruin a record year for Africa’s hotel developersAfrican hotel development had returned to growth at the start of 2020, with more than 78,000 rooms in 408 hotels in the pipeline, according to the 12th annual survey by W Hospitality Group, acknowledged as the industry’s most authoritative source. However, the COVID-19 outbreak is now shattering the dreams of Africa’s hotel industry.W Hospitality Group’s Managing Director, Trevor Ward, said: “The growth of the chains’ presence in Africa has been a very positive story since we started this analysis in 2009. It is quite clear from the numbers that the chains, the developers, the investors – and all of us at W Hospitality Group! – continue to believe in the opportunities that Africa presents in the hotel and tourism industry. However, our industry has been devastated by the impact of COVID-19, possibly more so than most other economic sectors, mainly because of the almost total shutdown of borders and of the aviation sector – no flights means no guests.”“With that background, we see a slowdown in pipeline growth in 2020, as we all get to grips with the new reality. With so many of the players locked down, fewer deals will be signed, and it is inevitable that some of the planned openings in 2020 will be delayed, due to closed or slower-paced construction sites, restrictions on funding and a lack of market demand. According to our latest data, there are 90 hotels with 17,000 rooms scheduled to open in 2020, but we estimate that at least half of these will be delayed, bringing the actualisation rate down to no more than 40%.”

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DIGITAL ETHIOPIA

I N T E R V I E W

The Council of Ministers has approved the Digital Ethiopia Strategy 2025 designed to be aligned with the country’s national development vision, policy objectives and priorities this week.The strategy took into consideration the current economic drivers (Agriculture,

Manufacturing and Services), the priority sectors, and the national objectives of jobs creation, foreign exchange earnings, and inclusive prosperity as a means of identifying the most relevant digital enabled pathways for Ethiopia. Capital talked to Abiyot Bayou who is the man behind the strategy. Abiyot is currently Director of the National Digital Transformation Program at the Ethiopian Ministry of Innovation and Technology. Abiyot receives his PhD in Information and Telecommunication Technology Management from Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. He has led and participated in drafting a number of strategies and policies including the National Information and communication Policy and The National e-Government Strategy. He has also led a number of National IT projects including the Expansion of the Ethiopian Government Network Infrastructure (WoredaNet) and the Deployment of the National Electronic Service Portal. Excerpts;

DIGITAL ETHIOPIA

17



Technology is changing at an

alarming rate. The government

should adopt a right policy to

use the technology

Capital: Can you explain what it means Digital Ethiopia Strategy 2025? How can it help Ethiopia?

Abiyot Bayou: The Digital Transformation Strategy is a plan that helps to transform the dominantly analog economy to a Digital economy, which is an economy mainly supported by the applications of the digital technologies. As indicated on the strategy document, Ethiopian Digital Transformation Strategy is the journey through which Ethiopia will move to a digitally enabled society, where technology will allow for more efficient and inclusive interactions between citizens, governments and businesses, thereby catalyzing its progress towards its national priorities.The key objective of the strategy is to create an Inclusive Digital Economy. The strategy proposes an inclusive digital economy approach that will catalyze the realization of Ethiopia’s broader development vision. The strategy is an umbrella strategy, from which sectors can then design and co-create more specific action-oriented strategies.The National Digital Economy has two contribution, the first one is integrating various independent initiatives conducted by government non-government actors and creates synergies that will create a better economic benefits. The second one is helping to integrate digital to the main sectors of the economy and help to create a digital economy. Ethiopia has ambitious National Plan to becoming a middle income country an becoming a knowledge based economy. Ensuring national prosperity, creating dignified jobs, and improving ease of doing business are among the major objectives of the National plan. There are various Digital and non-digital initiatives being implemented by different Ministries and Departments. Digital initiatives being run by different ministries and agencies lack a common agenda and are being implemented in a piecemeal manner. There is an Urgent Need to Coordinate the actions of the Ministries and Agencies. So one aspect of the National Digital Strategy is to integrate national efforts towards a common goal that will serve the national agenda. The strategy will harmonize efforts by defining common objectives, securing stakeholder buy in and defining an effective implementation plans.Development in technology, especially the digital technology creates various opportunities for prosperity and help the economy to prepare for the future. Failing to take advantage of the opportunities created by digital technologies risks millions of citizens who are already entrenched by extreme poverty. Gains from digital technology are not inevitable. It must be planned and integrated in the national economy to get the benefit from the technology as a nation. The Digital Transformation Strategy Plays this role. It is a National plan based on the national economic development plans. Being a national plan it is based on the country’s situation. The digital transformation strategy helps the country to harnesses the best opportunities technology brings and minimizing the losses. Usually there is confusion between The National Digital Transformation Strategy and an ICT strategy. The National Digital Transformation strategy is

not about the ICT sector; instead, it is about holistic growth strategies that harness digital technologies throughout the economy. The Strategy identifies pathways that Ethiopia should focus and imperatives that must be done to realize Ethiopian Digital Economy. The strategy defines priority projects and programs that must be implemented in the next 5 years.

Capital: How can the digitization help the rural community that depend on agriculture?

Abiyot: The strategy identified four pathways for prosperity. One of the pathways focuses on unleashing values from Agriculture. The initiatives to succeed on this pathway includes building a Digital Agriculture platforms and an integrated system that offers new insights

that enhance the ability to make decisions and subsequently implement them, and supporting and incentivizing Ag-tech entrepreneurship as these will ensure innovations, jobs, export in agriculture and related sectors, and inclusivity within the thriving Ag-tech entrepreneurship sector in Ethiopia. Agriculture accounts 85$ of the country’s workforce. So it means a lot for the rural society. The strategy also addresses various issues related with infrastructure and other enabling systems like Digital Id and Payments. Today identification is the main concern of our populations, digitizing payments plays a crucial role in the life of the rural community either for remittance or buying agricultural inputs.

As I explained earlier the Strategy is well aligned with the Home-grown economic Agenda. Agriculture is one of the main sectors indicated in the Home Grown Economic Agenda, so the Digital Strategy also considers agriculture as a priority Sector. The Digital strategy identifies the best ways the digital technologies will add value in achieving the objectives of the sector. For example the Home Grown Economic Agenda in relation to the Agriculture sector focuses on Enhancing productivity of small-holder farmers and pastoralists through provision of modern inputs and services; for this specific objective the Digital strategy suggests various applications of technologies. For instance using the digital technology for farm productivity enhancement; market information services; financial services (e.g. providing farmers with access to credit) enhance modern farming techniques: such as Precision Agriculture and Vertical Farming. The strategy aims at bringing such type of digital services to the rural community.

Capital: Do you think this is achievable? Will it meet its target?

Abiyot: Yes this is achievable. Now the Government has the right policies. Technologies are becoming cheaper and more efficient. At the same time the awareness of our society is increasing. We do not have options; we have to succeeded. The challenge will be we have huge number of illiterate society lives in rural areas. So we need to consider this fact we select and adapt technologies

Capital: Technology is changing at a very fast pace; do you think you can keep up with the pace?

Abiyot: Technology is changing at an alarming rate. The government should adopt a right policy to use the technology. We shouldn’t solely focus on bringing technology from outside, we should embrace innovation. Especially the Digital technologies have wide rooms for innovation. We have a large young population, with the right policy we can make Ethiopia the center of innovation. We shouldn’t worry about the rate of technology change; we should worry how much we are approaching to innovation. If we become innovative as a nation, we will not be engulfed by technology changes, instead we can see opportunities through the changes.

Capital: Digital economy refers to an economy that is based on digital computing technologies, can the current infrastructure support this?

Abiyot: The current technology is at a very low stage, but it is improving. All our current problems are not completely attributed to infrastructure problems, in some cases we do not use existing infrastructure efficiently.Currently the government has made important decisions to overhaul the technology/ the telecom sector in Ethiopia. The sector is opening up for competitions. And I believe this will help the country to have a better infrastructure. Hope the future is better

Capital: You said that digitizing the economy will create jobs, but due to this technology and the digital economy people are losing their jobs. What do you say?

Abiyot: Digitalization has the potential to improve productivity, efficiency and accuracy across any workplace or industry. However, there are also associated fears of losing jobs.The effect of Digitization in replacing human workers is already seen. However, technology will not affect every job in a similar manner. Some occupation may be affected greatly, some affected less. As seen from our recent past, when new technology replaces some jobs, relatively new meaningful jobs will be created. New jobs we didn’t imagine before will be emerged, while old jobs are replaced. So Technologies instead of killing all jobs they will create a new one. However, one thing for sure is that the job as we now will not continue as it is.But in our country situation there are a lot of tinges we should consider. We should use our relative advantages to create more jobs. Creating jobs is the main agenda of the strategy. Digital technologies can create a lot of new jobs we have never imagined. They can also help in formalizing existing informal jobs. For example, look what Ride creates in Addis Ababa, Taxi service was there already, however Ride changes the way taxi services is provided. This is what we call IT enabled services. They have formalized the taxi sector and at the same time creates more opportunities to several individuals. There are a lot of these type of jobs around us, which we do not think possible at this stage.So, in general the net job gain is more than the job loss.

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In a land of TRANQUILITYThrough yoga and meditation, we are able to witness a peaceful sanctuary, away from the noise and disturbance of the materialistic world, says Benoy K Behl

Blazing Wisdom Institute, says, “What modern cognitive science, theories, physics, Buddhist science and the yoga agree with is that all that we ever experience is our own mind and all we can personally experience is the natural display or energetic expression of our own minds. This is exactly what we need to realise through practice. When we realise that all we experience is the product or result of our own minds, it means that there is a potential to work skillfully with that expression of our own minds to transform or change it.”Acharya Swami Sitaramananda, Sivananda Yoga, Grass Valley CA, says, “A lot of people practice yoga but they jump over its

foundation, - the two main practices of yama and niyama, which are the prescription by the yogis about the dos and don’ts, the restrictions and the observances.”Talking about yama-niyama, Puducherry-based Yoga guru Minakshi Devi Bhavnani, says, “It basically means a method or could be called a technology to evolve from the dominance of the animal brain into the conscious use of the human brain.”As Patanjali had said, yoga never harms. It is absolutely brilliant how it takes control of the tongue, our sexual desires, greed, the desire to steal and all the other natural impulses necessary for survival.

The immediate effect of yoga and meditation can astonish some people as they have the ability to quickly still the mind and clear

negative thoughts. When we begin to meditate, we often wonder why we had not done it before. Patanjali, the ancient author of the ‘Yoga Sutras’, describes the mind as a restless monkey, which is constantly distracted and always hovering around.However, meditation is something that can help one gain peace and control over the frenetic activities of the mind. We are able to land in a peaceful sanctuary, away from the noise and disturbance of the materialistic world. In this state of mind, our being is much better balanced and our body becomes healthy. This should be our first and most natural protection against the ongoing pandemic and all other diseases. If this is done in time, we may be stronger and we may not even need medicines. We must also remember that all yoga is first based upon yama or niyama. This is the ethical foundation of life and it is the basis of yoga. Unless this ethics is not followed, the mind will never be still and meditation will not be possible.

Here are a few excerpts from my film, Key to Immunity Part III, where yoga experts talk about how they view it:Yoga expert, Dr Ananda Balayogi from Puducherry, says, “The chitta (a part of mind) is that subconscious, unconscious mind that is constantly in motion. The ancient rishis said that the mind is a monkey, a drunken one, and on top of that, is bitten by a scorpion. Well, if that’s how the mind is - constantly in motion, it’s whirlpooling the subconscious mind. The two together just drag you down, away from your goal even before you can blink an eyelid.”Yoga exponent, Sivananda School, Grass Valley CA, Ananda Prema of Russia, says, “When you do asanas, your mind becomes focussed, and hence, it becomes still. When mind is still, there is no desire and when there is no desire, you attain happiness. It’s all about mind and controlling the mind. It’s very hard to control your mind which is running like a wild horse, unwilling to follow any discipline and it’s very tough to gently take over it, to make it listen to you, to make it follow what you would like it to do.”New York-based Tulku Sherdor, director,

Burna Boy, Sho Madjozi, Innoss’b, Rema & Sha Sha lead african

nominations at 2020 Bet AwardsBET announces The “BET Awards”

2020 nominees with Drake leading the pack with six nominations. This year’s nominees reflect

an abundance of creative expression and black excellence across music, television, film, sports, and philanthropy. The “BET AWARDS” 2020 will simulcast LIVE on June 29th making its international broadcast premiere on BET Africa. The nominees for this year's BET Awards have been announced, and once again, some of the biggest names in African music have been named in the Best International Act and Viewers' Choice Best New International Act categories.

This year, unstoppable Nigerian act Burna Boy, South African superstar Sho Madjozi and Congolese singer-songwriter Innoss’B have been nominated in the "Best International Act". Rounding up the list of African nominees are Nigerian singer and rapper Rema and Zimbabwean songstress Sha Sha who have been nominated in the Viewers Choice Best New International Act category.Monde Twala, Senior Vice President and General Manager of ViacomCBS Networks Africa commented, “We are excited to celebrate 20 years of black excellence at the BET Awards during these unprecedented times. The International Act

categories over the years have honoured some of the most talented musicians in Africa. This continues at this year’s awards with multiple artists nominated from across the continent which is a testament to our commitment to shine a light on our own. We wish all our international nominees the best in this recognition on a global stage.”Drake returns to the top spot securing six nods, including ‘Best Male Hip Hop Artist,’ ‘Video of the Year,’ and two nods for both ‘Best Collaboration’ and ‘Viewer’s Choice’ for his features alongside Chris Brown ( No Guidance) and Future (Life Is Good).Newcomers Megan Thee Stallion and

Roddy Ricch garnered the second most nods with five nominations each. Megan Thee Stallion nominations include ‘Best Female Hip Hop,’ ‘Best Collaboration,’ ‘Video of the Year,’ ‘Album of the Year,’ and ‘Viewer’s Choice Award.’ Roddy Ricch’s nods include ‘Best Male Hip Hop,’ ‘Video of the Year,’ ‘Best New Artist,’ ‘Album of the Year,’ and ‘Viewer’s Choice Award.’ Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj, Chris Brown, Lizzo, and DaBaby are the third-highest with four nominations each.In its twentieth year, the “BET AWARDS” continues its reign as the ultimate platform to showcase the best and most beautiful aspects of the Black experience – celebrating Black music’s present and future, and elevating the culture and being a driving force for social change. BET recognizes artists, entertainers, and athletes across 21 categories with The “BET Awards” 2020 nominations. The nominations are selected by BET’s Voting Academy, which is composed of fans and an esteemed group of entertainment professionals in the fields of television, film, music, social media, digital marketing, sports journalism, public relations, and creative arts.

19



Miheretab Wolde

Ethiopia is a nation destined for greatness, but troubled by dust and distracted by the ‘dirty game’ of Egypt. The nation that used to be known to fly like an eagle, is now with its clipped wings, forced to live like a chicken. Once, the pride of black people all around the world became a shame of the African continent. The source of great philosophy jammed with a tale of foolishness. A nation with a proud history has now become a field trial of failed political ideologies. The wisdom of our forefathers is being threatened by clan-based pseudo-intellectuals or ‘ethnopreneurs’. A country that was supposed to lead a united Africa became a playground for tribalism and ethnic divisions. Egypt’s spies enjoyed the highest privileged in the country while the national heroes lost their glory. The collective great moral value of its citizens' shifted to shame and reproach. The spirit of unity and nationalism gave way to ethnic division, shameful greed, and resource grabbing. All in all, Ethiopia hit a rock bottom as a result of a few dusty mindless groups and its archenemy, Egypt. Now is the right time for the government of Ethiopia to shake off all the dust that became a root cause of conflict. It is impossible to change the current peace and security, social, health, economic and political landscape by the same old model. The great American, Richard Buckminster Fuller once said, “You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.” It is time for Ethiopia to introduce a new model that is compatible with its untouched potential and its great destiny. The old way of primordial thinking will never produce a solid and prosperous nation. It is also a must to go ahead of the mutable evil nature of Egypt. It is impossible to meet the demand of this nation with an outmoded political model and a passive state response to Egypt’s aggression. The ruling party has shown a glimmer of hope in understanding the season and in acting promptly. In contrast, some opposition parties, including the former ruling party are ever static. They run political mischief and sabotage in the name of a tribe and some minor social issues. They are facilitators of blood-shedding behind the scenes. They don’t have a vision, knowledge, goodwill, and

tribalists and separatists. They also worked hard to block the developmental options of Ethiopia through its international scheming mechanism. They tried to establish a false and unfounded history about ‘Abay’ or the Blue Nile River. They tried to isolate Ethiopia from the Nile basin, Arab, and neighboring countries. They also employed various strategies and propaganda, to influence powerful countries and international financial organizations like the World Bank and the IMF to stand against Ethiopia. They worked hard to make sure that all Ethiopia neighbors to be a member of the Arab League. Egypt used deep poverty and spreading endless conflict in Ethiopia as a weapon of controlling the Heartland or the geography Pivot of the Nile River. All in all, they worked hard to deepen the level of poverty, ignorance, laziness, social unrest, tribalism, religious conflict, and civil war to amplify in the nation to see the collapse of Ethiopia. The recent tricky moves to the UN Security Council were the successive expression of their coercive tendency and manipulative political scenery. UN Security Council (UNSC) is the primary UN body to ensure international peace and security. Soon after the second world war (1945), the international system prohibited not only the use of force but also the threat of use of force in international relations. The UN charter art. 2 (4) gives a hope for the world who crave a sustainable peace. This is the main reason why after the end of the second world war, it’s hard to see aggression. However, there are still some nations try to use the armed attack. In this case, any State is allowed to invoke the self-defense article on the UN Charter (art. 51). In this condition, the state needs to be sure that these three criteria met: armed attack, ongoing, and inform the Security Council (SC). Thus, if Egypt didn’t satisfy the criteria, why they brought the ‘Abay’ issue to the UN SC? Is this way of informing the SC or is it due to being overconfident in their manipulative skills of the current 15 members? It is presumed, they did it to attain four targets: to spread fear on Ethiopia, to make the case a legitimate concern of the international community as they did with Arab league, to deceive and get at least the

vote of nine members so as to make it as SC agenda, or to show their fake claim of ‘peace-seeking desire and the protection of the international peace and security’. All in all, in each and every step they have multiple cards or series of plan b. This can be witnessed in several circumstances, for example, when the USA and World Bank mission as observer ended, they didn’t spend much time to reach almost all the current members of the UNSC.The Egyptian foreign minister traveled to all the temporary African representatives in UNSC namely Tunisia, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), South Africa, and Niger. The foreign minister and other government officials did not stop their diplomatic journey even during the Coronavirus pandemic. They traveled to Belgium, France, and Kuwait. The president and the foreign minister of Egypt made tireless calls to Russia, China, Germany, the USA, UK, and Estonia. The Egyptian press was busy in propagating the long-standing and historical relationship they have with Vietnam. Overall, Egypt reached almost all SC members and

advocated to get their support. Under the UNSC council procedure, any agenda or complaint can be dropped or proceed within days or years. In this UN body, scientific report, justification, diplomacy, or reasonable and fact-based report to any accusation doesn’t matter as much. It is all about getting the support of the current and the permanent members in the back doors. This trend apparently convenient for Egypt to play its ‘dirty game’. They dropped 2015 tripartite agreement and tried to get the vote of SC. They made out that they are not going to win if they stuck with science and evidence-based negotiation. They rather preferred to continue what they know better, i.e. manipulating others and making the issue as a threat to international peace and security. However, this playground/UNSC is not as easy as an Arab League where Egypt is the secretary, chairman, referee, and player. Besides, the competitor, Ethiopia never lost to the enemy. Ethiopia has built on well-founded soft power for the last many hundred years. Ethiopia is a friend for all but a destroyer of any enemy that comes into the matter of sovereignty. No power on earth can wrestle with her except God! Italy is a witness to Adwa victory. Egypt itself a witness for its defeat at 'Gundet' on November 16, 1876, where the Egyptian forces were completely destroyed by Ethiopian armies. All in all, by hook or by crook the Egyptian attempt in UNSC was failed or it will fail, but they will not stop taking another ‘dirty game’. It is their inherent nature. Ethiopia needs to STAND UP!Security, in Ethiopia and beyond, is the cornerstone for nation-building. Ethiopia needs to be wise and quick enough to block each and every crack that could be a good opportunity for the enemy. Egypt's way of creating conflict nowadays might not be different from the past, but the strategies could differ. This is the main reason why Ethiopia needs to reflect, forecast, plan, and implement ahead of the enemy. There is a common conflict breeding ground in the country. These include religion, ethnic politics, regional administration that tolerates separatists, tribal and regional border issues, and bipolar political views. The other security threat will be issues related to the neighboring countries. If Egypt couldn’t get a means to disturb Ethiopia indoors, they will use the neighboring countries as a means to intensify border or other conflicting issues. They will also work destabilizing the neighboring countries to ensure Conflict Spillover in Ethiopia. The favorable countries for this evil plan could be South Sudan, Sudan, Eritrea, Somalia, and Somalia/Somaliland. Ethiopia needs to be a keeper of these countries. The undercover influence of Egypt must stop in these countries. Ethiopia needs to free these countries from the evil influence of Egypt. Ethiopia must work with South Sudan and other neighboring countries to stop the deceiving acts of Egypt, which coverup in the name of Dam construction and military support. If these countries are not free from the negative influence of Egypt, they will continue as a threat to the peace and security of Ethiopia and the broader East Africa region. Thus Ethiopia needs to be vigilant until there is a stable government in Sudan and a capable leader in South Sudan. It is impossible to fill the gap of leadership in East Africa countries through idiotic, mercenary, narrow-minded, egoistic, ignorant, and unlearned individuals. Ethiopia needs to stop advocating the lifting of the embargo until the people of these countries free from these egocentric and treacherous leaders. Technology, in the near future, will be an opportunity as well as a threat to Ethiopia. If Ethiopia does not master the technology in 21century, technology will master on the internal issues of the country. It is

Egypt's regular actions toward Ethiopia demonstrate the real meaning of its name. The name of Egypt defined as “a god of chaos, fire, deserts, trickery, storms, envy, manipulator, controller, disorder, and violence

exemplary social services other than their poison tongue and wicked hands. The Louis L’Amour quote, “the only thing that never changes is that everything changes” will not apply to these political parties and the hydro-hegemony of Egypt. Therefore, it is time for the government of Ethiopia to guard the destiny of this nation by taking appropriate measures on these stumbling blocks. It is also high time for the true Ethiopians to stand in the gap. If the dust at home shakes off, it is easy to defeat the ‘dirty game’ of Egypt. Egypt's regular actions toward Ethiopia demonstrate the real meaning of its name. The name of Egypt defined as “a god of chaos, fire, deserts, trickery, storms, envy, manipulator, controller, disorder, and violence.” The recent stormy move of Egypt is the reflection of its behavior. Indeed, in the future too, this country will not stop playing its ‘dirty game’ in Ethiopia. They have a bunch of evil cards. In the past they played with Orthodox religion, engaged in a direct and proxy wars, manipulating internal politics, and creating civil wars through their allies of

ETHIOPIA Shake off your dust!

STAND UP and Defeat the ‘dirty game’ of Egypt!

The final step to free our nation from the manipulation of Egypt!

Continued on page 29

20



We welcome submittals regarding news/information pertinent to the CFTA and relegated issues.

PRESENTED BY THE PAN AFRICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

CFTA.Now A section designed to promote Africa’s Continental Free Trade Area using News, messages, events and commentaries. It’s a joint initiative by the Pan African Chamber of Commerce and Industry and capital.

OPINION

IN THE NEWS

Shareholdafcers of African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) have voted and re-appointed Prof. Benedict Oramah as President of the Pan-African multilateral financial institution for a

second 5-year term.The decision was announced today in Cairo following Afreximbank’s 27th Annual General Meeting of Shareholders which was held by circulation of resolutions due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation.In an acceptance statement released shortly thereafter, President Oramah told Shareholders that the Bank’s ultimate goal under his second term of office is the realisation of Africa’s strategic ambition to create an integrated market.“We want an Africa where the foundations of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) are laid expeditiously so that the 84,000 kilometres of borders that have divided us for ages can begin to come down,” said prof. Oramah who added that AfCFTA would “drive the industrialisation of Africa, support the emergence of regional value chains, turn Africa’s creative and cultural assets into engines of growth, grow jobs for the continent’s youth, convey respect to Africans wherever they may be and better prepare the continent to compete more effectively in the global markets.”Prof. Oramah highlighted that between 2015 and 2019, Afreximbank disbursed more than US$30 billion in support of African trade with over US$15 billion channeled towards the financing and promotion of intra-African trade.“We will aim to double intra-African trade financing so that by the end of my term, it will constitute no less than 40% of the Bank’s total assets, with aggregate disbursements, on a revolving basis, over the 5 years exceeding US$30 billion,” he announced.In office since 2015, Prof. Oramah’s re-appointment was one of the key decisions taken by shareholders

ECOWAS ministers recommend gradual re-opening of borders

Ministers from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) sub-region have recommended the gradual re-opening of the borders of member states

in the first half of July. This is to allow travelers from countries with low or controlled levels of coronavirus cases by the end of July.This new recommendation was contained in a communique from a virtual meeting that was held last week by Foreign Affairs and Trade Ministers from the West African countries. They called for coordinated efforts to re-open cross border trade that has been seriously hampered by the lockdowns and restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Ministers had recommended a gradual and phased opening of the borders.The first phase involves the opening up of domestic air and land transport in the month of June which many governments within the region have started to do.The second phase of the recommendation involves the opening of land, air and sea borders within the region by middle of July.The third phase involves the opening of air and land borders to countries with low and controlled levels of coronavirus cases by July 31. However, this will depend on the evolution of the pandemic.These recommendations by the ministers are expected

““When we find researches/opinions from other publishers that might interest you, we pass them along. Below you'll find the latest opinions on how the AfCFTA will build regional value chain a by Gloria Nwafor.

Their opinions may differ from what you read in CFTA.Now. This article first appeared in The Guardian.

The secretariat for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) said it is actively working to build regional

value chains where African countries can benefit immensely from the trade agreement when it finally kicks off.To identify the value chains for African countries to benefit from the agreement, the secretariat said what it required was an action plan for the implementation of an industrial development strategy that would be applied on the African continent.Secretary General, AfCFTA, Wamkele Mene, who disclosed this spoke on “AfCFTA Implementation Post-COVID-19” during a virtual conference hosted by the American Business Council (ABC) in Nigeria and US Africa Business Centre.He said if the agreement benefits only

countries that already have a relative industrial base, manufacturing capacity and export capacity, the AfCFTA might not succeed.He disclosed that the secretariat has to find ways of ensuring that the agreement benefits countries like Kenya, Morocco, Egypt, South Africa, and equally as much as it benefits smaller countries that don’t have the industrial base and manufacturing capacity.Speaking on major bottlenecks and what the standard procedure is that is actually implemented by each country, Mene maintained that customs procedures are always the most challenging of trade agreements, thereby making enforcement difficult.He said even as guidelines are already published for a successful takeoff of the AfCFTA, the need for proper

enforcement to ensure standard pocedure is implemented by countries have been a major challenge.However, he noted that the secretariat is working with relevant customs authorities to mitigate the risk of fraudulent invoicing and transhipment.He said the secretariat will work with individual countries and economic communities to ensure that they improve the capacity of customs officials for them to know what preferences and rules to implement in relation to the AfCFTA when it finally kicks off.The secretary general maintained that proper implementation of AfCFTA would help Africa mitigate the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, as it would lead to mutually beneficial investments and job opportunities.

According to him, “It is another form of crime, you will never be able to eliminate fraud or entry for third party goods into the AfCFTA market just like you will never be able to eliminate crime.“But we have make sure we make it incredibly difficult for transhipment to happen or fraudulent invoicing to happen. We have to work very closely with the customs authorities in individual countries.“Though it will take time, it may take even more than ten years to be able to get to the point where we say we really have mitigated that particular risk.”At the virtual conference, President of ABC, Dipo Faulkner, was called to address the concerns of private sector stakeholders as the continent marches toward the implementation of a free trade agreement.

Prof. Benedict Oramah Re-appointed as Afreximbank President

during the Bank’s 2020 General Meeting.A resolution proposing the re-election of Mr. Stefan-Luis Francois Nalletamby as a director representing Class “A” Shareholders and Mr. Kee Chong Li Kwong Wing as a director representing Class “B” Sharefolders was also approved by the meeting.In addition, the 2019 audited accounts were approved, as well as the proposal to raise an additional US$500 million in equity within Afreximbank’s current Strategic Plan dubbed “IMPACT 2021-Africa transformed”. The

approval to raise additional equity was in recognition that an amount of US$1 billion earlier authorized to be mobilized had almost been fully raised.“I make a commitment that with your support, the Bank will remain well capitalised throughout my term of office and beyond. We will continue our efforts to diversify sources of equity to include the markets while ensuring that the Bank’s development focus remains unchanged,” President Oramah assured the Bank’s Shareholders.

(Afreximbank)

21



CFTAnowPACCI is the lead business organization with members in over 50 countries of the continent representing the interests of businesses and industry associations of every size and sector. PACCI operates as Africa’s voice of

business, advocating for pro-business policies that create jobs, growth and prosperity.

TECHNOLOGY AND HEALTH CARE

supplies, determined according to their populations and their Covid-19 burden. Cairo-based Afreximbank will provide credit to countries which cannot afford supplies. South African Airways and Ethiopian Airlines will be the key airlines bringing supplies from international suppliers to the hubs of Johannesburg and Addis Ababa, from where they will be flown to other African countries. The funds released to African governments by the agreements of international creditors to suspend debt service payments for 2020 and in some cases, such as China, to forgive some outstanding debt, will also help them pay for medical supplies. Ramaphosa said the benefits of Africa pooling its needs for supplies through the platform would accelerate their delivery by giving countries ready access to an online marketplace with the click of a button, “as opposed to the onerous and time-consuming process of scouring the globe to procure these medical supplies”.The platform would also reduce costs by connecting manufacturers and suppliers with governments directly, removing the “middle-man” who “far too often becomes the doorway into which corrupt practices like price inflation and ‘agent management fees’ enter”.The platform would provide security of supply, achieve economies of scale and provide suppliers with a large and assured market.“Once a vaccine is available it too will be added to this portal in line with our stated commitment to ensuring there is equitable access to any form of lifesaving medication,” Ramaphosa said. At the start of the pandemic African countries were paying as much as $30 for an N95 medical workers’ facemask. The platform had brought this down to about $2 each, with a supply of more than 194 million…Strive Masiyiwa, the Zimbabwean cellphone entrepreneur, and also a special AU envoy raising global financial support for Africa’s fight against Covid-19, led the team which created the platform. He said Ramaphosa’s mandate to him had been to solve the problem of Africa being at the back of the global queue for scarce supplies and equipment to fight Covid-19.Shortages of key supplies such as test kits were contributing to a slow response to the crisis in Africa, Masiyiwa said. For example, the average number of tests per one million people in the continent so far was just 1,669, versus more than 173,000 in Iceland, 57,594 in Italy, 44,123 in the US, 37,433 in Singapore 31,592 in the UK and 16,120 in South Korea. And even Africa’s much lower average was considerably boosted by the relatively high rate of testing in South Africa – at 12,523 per million. Ramaphosa said the platform was a “silver lining” in the pandemic as it would help lay the foundations of the African Continental Free Trade Area.The low testing rate was critical as the ability to test widely was the basis for being able to ease lockdowns designed to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Before the creation of the platform, a World Health Organisation consortium had procured 10 million diagnostic kits for 16 weeks on a quota basis – or an average of about 46,000 kits per African country per

month, Masiyiwa said.But through the platform, the supply of test kits had risen to well over 30 million a month for the continent. At the start of the pandemic African countries were paying as much as $30 for an N95 medical workers’ facemask. The platform had brought this down to about $2 each, with a supply of more than 194 million, Masiyiwa said. He attributed much of the success to the global outreach led by Ramaphosa to countries such as Canada, China, France, the Netherlands, the US and India to support Africa’s fight against the pandemic. And he said he was getting requests from other parts of the world to licence the concept of the platform.Ramaphosa said the platform was a “silver lining” in the pandemic as it would help lay the foundations of the African Continental Free Trade Area.Masiyiwa added that the South African firm Invicta (ESG), would be producing 10,000 FDA-approved ventilators cheaply by the end of June for the platform.“Manufacturing and industrial activity in African countries will be catalysed as governments seek competitively priced goods and services from nearby markets. “This platform is extending a lifeline to African small businesses and large industries that have been hard hit by the pandemic… to repurpose their operations, as industries in a number of East African countries have done by converting their businesses to produce personal protective equipment.“The entrepreneurship and innovation that has sprung up across the continent in response to the pandemic is remarkable.“There are the scientists in Senegal that developed a Covid-19 rapid test kit that would cost $1 per patient, or the scientists, doctors, engineers and students from an African network of institutions that developed a prototype for a ventilator that can be made using 3D printers.”Ghana had developed Solar Wash, a solar-powered touch-free water dispenser and Burkina Faso had devised the DiagnoseMe Android application enabling users to quickly detect coronavirus symptoms. Masiyiwa added that the South African firm Invicta (ESG), would be producing 10,000 FDA-approved ventilators cheaply by the end of June for the platform.The platform is powered by the venture and tech firm Janngo on behalf of the African Union’s Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and in partnership with Afreximbank, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and other leading African & international corporations, institutions and foundations. “We commit to providing market intelligence on where the manufacturers are, facilitating pooled procurement when financial resources are made available through this initiative, and distributing these products to respective African destinations,” said Dr John Nkengasong, Director of Africa CDC. ECA, Afreximbank, the African Union Trade Commission and the AfCFTA secretariat are advocating for the removal of trade tariffs and other restrictions on medical supplies in Africa to ease the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.

(Daily Maverick)

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has launched an online one-stop-shop to address the scarcity and high prices African countries have been confronting in trying to procure critical

medical supplies and equipment to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.The Africa Medical Supplies Platform “has been necessitated by exponential growth in Covid-19 cases and deaths on the continent”, Ramaphosa said on Thursday. As of 5pm SA time on Thursday, Africa had registered 268,391 cases and 7,217 deaths, with South Africa having by far the most cases at 80,412, followed by Egypt with 49,219, Nigeria with 17,735, Ghana with 12,590 and Algeria with 11,268. However, Egypt has the highest death toll, with 1,850, followed by South Africa with 1,674, Algeria, 799, Nigeria, 469 and Ghana 66. Ramaphosa, in his capacity as AU chairperson, said at a virtual press conference also attended by AU Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat that the platform would “address shortages and security of supply, ensure price competitiveness and transparency in procurement, reduce logistical delays, simplify payment processes and provide a common platform where governments can access services from quality and certified suppliers”.He stressed that the platform was giving preference to African manufacturers and suppliers and so would become the basis for the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) which was supposed to launch free trade right across Africa on 1 July and also stimulate African industry. The launch has been delayed until 1 January 2021 because of the pandemic. The basic principle of the platform is to pool all the requirements of Africa’s 55 nations which creates economies of scale in procuring and pricing essential medical supplies, Ramaphosa said. The platform is open only to African governments, who are each given a quota of every different item of

Ramaphosa launches platform for Covid-19 supplies in Africa

to be presented to the ECOWAS heads of state at a forthcoming summit.It can be recalled that countries across the ECOWAS trade bloc had imposed different levels of travel restrictions through the land, air, and sea borders as part of the measures to contain the dangerous spread of the coronavirus disease.This has delayed the take-off of the African Free Trade Zone (AFCFTA), which has been referred to as the world’s largest free-trade zone. The implementation of the trade agreement which was to take off on July 1, 2020, had been postponed to January 1, 2021.The border closure had negatively impacted on the cost of goods especially food prices. It has also affected exports among member states.However, it remains to be seen, whether the recommendations will be approved by the heads of states of member countries as there has been reported spike in confirmed cases within the last week especially in a country like Nigeria, which is the largest country in the sub-region.

(Nairametrics)

22



No. MOVIE TITLE DOMESTIC GROSS INTERNATIONAL GROSS RATE

1. The Grinch $270,620,950 $511,595,957 6.32. Smallfoot $83,240,103 $214,040,103 6.63. Incredibles 2 $608,581,744 $1,242,805,359 7.64. Ralph 2 $201,091,711 $529,323,962 7.15. Isle of Dogs $32,015,231 $64,241,499 7.96. The Stolen Princess $6,530,901 $6,530,901 6.17. Teen Titans GO! $29,790,236 $52,090,236 6.88. Napping Princess $48,198 $1,176,216 6.39. Early Man $8,267,544 $54,622,814 6.110. Mary and the Witch’s $2,418,404 $41,978,431 6.8

Source: GQ Online Stream

Incredibles 2 Director: Brad BirdWriters: Brad Bird

Genre: Action Animation Running Time: 2hr 58min

The GrinchDirector: Yarrow Cheney Writers: Michael LeSieurGenre: Animation ComedyRunning Time: 1hr 25min

SmallfootDirector: Karey KirkpatrickWriters: Karey KirkpatrickGenre: Adventure Animation

Running Time: 1hr 36min

Ralph 2Director: Phil Johnston Writers: Phil Johnston

Genre: Adventure AnimationRunning Time: 1hr 52min

Isle of DogsDirector: Wes AndersonWriters: Wes Anderson

Genre: Animation DramaRunning Time: 1hr 41min

The game is easy, the rules are simple. All you have to do is make sure you fill every 3x3 box every row and every column, without repetition, using the number 1-9.

Sudoku

The GrinchFor their eighth fully animated feature, Illumination and

Universal Pictures present The Grinch, based on Dr. Seuss’ beloved holiday classic. The Grinch tells the story of a cynical

grump who goes on a mission to steal Christmas, only to have his heart changed by a young girl’s generous holiday spirit. Funny, heartwarming, and visually stunning, it’s a universal story about the spirit of Christmas and the indomitable power of optimism. Academy Award nominee Benedict Cumberbatch lends his voice to the infamous Grinch, who lives a solitary life inside a cave on Mt. Crumpet with only his loyal dog, Max, for company. With a cave rigged with inventions and contraptions for his day-to-day needs, the Grinch only sees his neighbors in Whoville when he runs out of food. Each year at Christmas they disrupt his tranquil solitude with their increasingly bigger, brighter, and louder celebrations.

BEST OF

23



DOWN1 Timbuktu's country2 Dorm donor, often3 Flakes in some boxes4 Neo-impressionist artist5 Fiery display6 Frozen beverage brand7 Barely OK8 Primary9 Knesset member10 Approaching11 Steal, so to speak12 Miniature laborer13 ''Check!''21 Norwegian royal name22 Bit of a scrap25 Fred's daughterin-law,

circa 199526 Shaped like avocados27 Stable sound28 Lobby for29 Authoritative

proclamation31 Coordinating

conjunction

32 Polynesian tongue33 Mischievous34 He wrote about Friday37 Composer Stravinsky39 ''Sie'' or ''ella''43 Early American

merchants44 Circular opening45 Sanka alternative46 Strike out50 It's upstream from

Greenwich52 Honda brand54 Snooping plant55 For all time56 Company with a beauty

ambassador57 The First L in L.L. Bean58 Team trainer's supply59 Days before60 Checkers complement61 Ticket distributor62 Inveracity

Solution: see below

ACROSS1 Sacred celebration5 Jazzy phrase9 Guitar decoration14 Plant-based

mouthwash alternative

15 Purple berry16 Notre Dame

neighbor17 Picnic with

pineapple18 9 Down ''Iron Lady''19 A whole bunch20 Sprinter's false move

(see title)23 Sole __ Florentine24 Rare NFL result25 Veronan surname of

fame30 Trashed on Twitter35 L.A.'s __ of the Stars36 The fugue in

''Falstaff'' (see title)

38 Monarques40 Work for a band41 Take off, as a topper42 About 300,000

kilometers (see title)47 Capital before

Brasilia48 Don't drop49 Certain forest edge51 Internists' org.53 __-mo54 ''Grey's Anatomy''

setting (see title)61 Piece of garlic63 Part of the iris64 What Coppereld isn't

called65 Albertan iceman66 Heliport of a sort67 Column with a slant68 Classmates, e.g.69 Last Stuart monarch70 Noun-forming

ending

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

WEEKLY HOROSCOPES

Aries Cancer Libra Capricorn

Taurus

Gemini Virgo Pisces

Although you're a natural in a support position behind the power brokers, this time

you can do more by being direct and courageous. Step up to help a co-worker who may be struggling or just in need of a hand. It's important to speak up if people are behaving badly. These are easy days if you have clear objectives. The energy is scattered now. It helps to focus on one thing at a time. Try to get reassigned to something more fitting to your abilities and talents.

You could waste time in casual conversations now. This could bring you to the attention of superiors or just leave

you feeling frustrated. This period is lucky for sharing your skills or long-distance networking. The energy now demands a serious and focused approach. It's best to try to do a few things well. You will feel more relaxed soon. Bringing people together for a meal can help build morale.

Expect to be more opinionated than usual and inclined to follow your ideas. You'd be smart to have someone you

trust review what you're doing. This is also a lucky time to train others or travel to help your job prospects. This period demands greater seriousness and a narrower focus. Get as much done as possible. Friends at work help boost morale. This is an ideal time for brainstorming or staff development.

The energy at this time helps you build better relationships on the job or with customers. An upbeat attitude brings

opportunities now. This is a positive time to upgrade the technology you regularly use. You can be an outstanding trainer in any area of interest. If you feel restless or need a new job, this period is powerfully lucky for improving your situation. Stubborn or emotional people could be frustrating now.

This is a lucky time to polish your skills. Look for ways to educate yourself in any area where you want to shine. When

explaining things to others, speak in the simplest terms without talking down to them. This is important to remember, especially when dealing with clients and superiors. Your encouragement and enthusiasm will help any struggling co-worker. Look for ways to honor what others contribute.

This can be an especially creative time for you. Be clear about your long-term goals. This is a period for research if you

think you need to move in a different direction or get more training. Family concerns can be a distraction. Do your best to balance your time and attention. Team building and social contacts to further your career will go well now. Confidently share your ideas. Teamwork is an important aspect of your work.

The best thing for you to do is jump in and get moving. Pay close attention to what

other people say now. At the same time, don't take any criticism personally. Allow others to talk without resisting what they say. This period is lucky for any new start. If you're in a leadership position, the energy can help you build morale. Consider planning some training for new people in your organization. Hold your head high and you will go far.

Leo

This is a strong time for teamwork, travel, or training that supports your career interests. Ask for feedback from

people you respect. The challenge at this time is to set up systems to help co-workers or clients meet or exceed their expectations. Present yourself in as serious and professional a manner as possible. You could sell heaters in the tropics now, so decide carefully where to focus your attention.

Scorpio

You're likely to enjoy the support of people who are as active and direct as you. Talk to people. This is a powerful time to expand

your sphere of influence. Co-workers and clients are more willing to go along with a plan or idea when they feel they have input and ownership of it. These are lucky days for teamwork. Be sure everyone understands the goals and expectations. There is no reason for you to wait any longer just because other people are slacking.

SagittariusYou generally know what you want. You can help morale and your own position by asking questions even

when you know the answers. The best teams are built when everyone feels involved. Draw others out and build morale. Edit and simplify any written work or financial document. Be open to suggestions for modifying your schedule or plans. Avoid insisting on business as usual.

This is a lucky period for work-related travel, training, or anything that expands

your knowledge. Read more, take notes when you get a good idea, and ask questions of people you respect. Do all you can to get along with your boss now. Anything that makes a superior's life easier is in your best interests and will help your prospects. Friends at work can be great fun and a true source of support. You can accomplish much more than you thought possible.

Aquarius

Do your best at this time to start a project or assignment long before the deadline. Careful preparation will save time and

aggravation later. Be aware that office flirtations at this time can make things both exciting and complex. Get enough sleep and stay as calm as possible. Conflict over who is boss may mask a deeper issue. This period is ideal for a group presentation or team-building effort. You have more important things to worry about.

Crossword Solution

24



25



RESUME

BIG PICTURE PERSONALS

STARTUP CAPITAL 200,000 birr

CURRENT CAPITAL Growing

Reasons for starting the business: So many opportunities

Biggest perk of ownership: xxxx

Biggest strength: Hard worker

Biggest challenging: Place of work

Plan: To build a huge shelf producing company

First career: Auto mechanic

Most interested in meeting: Nicholas James Vujicic

Most admired person: Nicholas James Vujicic

Stress reducer: Praying

Favorite past time: With my family

Favorite book: Bible

Favorite destination: China

Favorite automobile: Toyota Land Cruiser

Name: Dawit Fekadu

Education: Diploma in auto-mechanic

Company name: Dave Dixil shelf work

Title: Owner

Founded in: 2017

What it does: Different kinds of steel shelf’s

HQ: Addis Ababa

Number of employees: 4

Pause the moment

Canopy tours can be enjoyed by anyone in moderate shape over the age of 6. The tour consisted of making ascensions with ropes

to get to the top of the trees, staying above the Canopy forest, made us tell you all the properties and significance of these forests for everyone. On the platforms the professional guide spoke to the people about the beautiful landscapes that they were seeing at that moment and then we move to next platform zipping on the cable.

ARENAL VOLCANO ZIP LINE

LETTER OF INVITATION Framework contract for

preventive and corrective maintenance of data center high value assets and electrical power supply, fire-fighting system and air conditioners of the African

Union CommissionProcurement Ref Number: AUC/MIS/NCS/01/2020

1. The African Union Commission (AUC) now invites potential service providers for framework Agreement for preventive and corrective maintenance of data center high value assets and electrical power supply, fire-fighting system and air conditioners of the African Union Commission with procurement ref number: AUC/MIS/NCS/01/2020

2. The African Union Commission (AUC) invites experienced service providers submit their bid for the Implementation of three years framework Agreement for preventive and corrective maintenance of data center high value assets and electrical power supply, fire-fighting system and air conditioners of the African Union Commission. Proposals must be submitted no later than July 10, 2020 3:00pm Addis Ababa time. Email submissions are allowed. Maximum size of the attachment should not be above 10MB.

3. Interested service providers may obtain further information from African Union Commission (AUC) at the address below from 8.00AM up to 5.00PM from Monday to Friday starting from June 9, 2020.

4. Service providers may request for clarifications no less than 10days from the date of proposal submission using the address below.

5. Proposals shall be valid for a period of 90 days. Proposals must be delivered to the address below at or before July 10, 2020 3:00pm Addis Time.

6. Electronic proposals shall be permitted Maximum size of the attachment should not be above 10MB. Late proposal will be rejected. Proposals will be opened in the presence of the service providers representatives who choose to attend in person.

7. Proposals will be opened at AUC meeting Hall July 10, 2020 3:30pm.The Outer envelope should bear the name and address of the service provider and the proposal title.

8. The address for deposit of bids is: ¾ The Chairperson, Tender Board, ¾ African Union Commission, ¾ Building C, 3rd floor, Tender Box ¾ Roosevelt Street. ¾ P. O. Box: 3243, ¾ Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. ., ¾ Telephone number (+251) 11 5517700, Ext 4371, ¾ Email [email protected]

Yours sincerely

26



Former Ethiopian light heavyweight boxer Seifu Mekonnen “Tibo” died on Monday at the age of 67 from complications from diabetes.

Tibo was diagnosed with diabetes more than 25 years ago and he had been on dialysis treatment since April 2009.His funeral service was held on Saturday, June 20, 2020 at Kidist Mariam Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Los Angeles and the burial service at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.Tibo was born on April 11, 1953, in the Aleltu, Shoa providence of Ethiopia but spent his teenage years in Addis Ababa, the nation’s capitalTibo got into boxing in 1971 while he was a student at Menelik II High School in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia after he was spotted by Edward Simon, an American teacher at the school.Following a few exhibition bouts, Tibo was selected to represent Ethiopia at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games where he lost to the European champion on points. A year later, he won a gold medal at the East & Central African Championship, which was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.Tibo’s next target was the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games. However, there were not enough opponents in his division to train & fight with in the country not to mention the lack of desirable training facilities and well-trained coaches in

Ethiopia at that time So, Tibo made a bold decision to move to neighboring Kenya in 1974 and train there for 2 years with the Kenyan Breweries Boxing team. One of the highlights of his stay there was beating highly rated S. Onyango, who at that time was a 4-time Kenyan champion. Tibo fought 16 fights for Breweries and his record was 15 wins and 1 defeat.Tibo was well prepared for his second Olympics’ participation but unfortunately, Ethiopia together with 27 other African countries, boycotted the Montreal Games after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) refused to exclude New Zealand, whose rugby team took part in a tour of apartheid-era South Africa. This was indeed a sad moment for Tibo and several other athletes who worked so hard and were looking forward for the Games in Montreal only to see their hopes & dreams squashed by politics.The sport of boxing gave him the opportunities to represent his country both as a boxer and a trainer; and he was able to travel to so many countries. He also had the opportunity to meet a number of African leaders including Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya, Idi Amin of Uganda and Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia.Tibo was named head coach of the Ethiopian national boxing team and served for two years before he moved to United States in 1979.

Renowned former Ethiopian Boxer Seifu “Tibo” died

AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS set to be postponed to 2022AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS set to be postponed to 2022

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) is set to postpone its Africa Cup of Nations from 2021 to 2022 due to the ongoing issues surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to RMC Sports, a source said it is expected to move the competition which is scheduled to take place from January 9 to February 6 2021 in Cameroon.Despite being less than a year away, only the hosts have qualified for the competition with international matches currently put on hold due to the pandemic.Only two of the six group matches to choose the other 23 teams have been played, with the top two teams in each of the 12 groups qualifying.Cameroon is currently playing within the qualification, but have already counted as one of the two teams to qualify from their group.The source said: "Today the trend is to postpone the tournament to January 2022."Playing the tournament in the summer of 2022 can't be excluded too because the World Cup will take place in November 2022 but we must study the medical process so as not to destabilize African teams at the World Cup."The summer is still on the cards despite CAF announcing in January that the competition would be moved to the winter months due to the unfavorable climate during the African summer.Africa has seen more than 129,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, resulting in the deaths of more than 3,700 people.

27



Former IAAF chief Lamine Diack could die in jail


Open for LOCAL Companies

Topic- UNICEF (Ethiopia) wishes to request eligible bidders to participate in a Invitation to Bid (LITB-2020-9159174:) for the procurement of 200 UPS 750VA.Details of the requirements for this bid and eligibility criteria etc. can be found in the bid document. Interested and eligible bidders from local companies can get the bid document in the link https://2merkato.com/images/downloads/UNICEF/LITB-9159174-UPS.pdfAny query or clarification with regard to this bid shall be send through an email to [email protected]. Bid clarification will be posted on the same websites mentioned above to all bidders. While sending your request for clarification, please ensure that you specify the LITB number in the subject email, provide the name of the company, contact person, email and mobile number. The due date for submission of proposals/Bid to UNICEF Ethiopia Office, Addis Ababa is on or before 2:00 pm (East African Time) 25th June 2020 (TURASDAY). Please read the LITB and the annexes for detailed requirements, Eligibility Criteria and due dates.Please quote the LITB-2020-9159174 in all your correspondences. UNICEF reserves the right to accept or reject part or all of any or all bids.

ADDRESSUNICEF Ethiopia, UNECA Compound, Zambezi

Building, 2nd floor Supply Section, TEL: +251-11 518 4000, Extension# 4142,

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Former IAAF chief Lamine Diack could die in jail

Lawyers for former world athletics chief Lamine Diack, who is on trial for corruption, protested their client’s innocence and said the 87-year-old would die in jail if sentenced to a prison term.French financial prosecutors sought a four-year jail sentence for

Senegalese Diack, saying he and his son, Papa Massata Diack, were at the heart of a scheme that solicited bribes worth millions of euros from Russian athletes to cover up failed doping tests and allow them to continue competing.Prosecutors had sought a five-year sentence for Papa Massata Diack.Lamine Diack’s lawyers on Thursday said there were “no tangible elements” proving Lamine Diack’s participation in the scheme, and put the

blame on his absent son.“One has to distinguish between the son and the father,” said defense lawyer Simon Ndiaye, adding that Diack’s main fault had been to hire his son as a marketing consultant for the Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), a position that he abused. The IAAF is now known as World Athletics.Stressing the fragile health of Lamine Diack, his second defense lawyer William Bourdon said: “Sending him to the jails of the Republic can only be a death accelerator”.Friday was the last day of the trial. The verdict is slated for 16 September.

Open for LOCAL Companies Topic- UNICEF (Ethiopia) wishes to request eligible bidders to participate in a Invitation to Bid (LITB-2020-9159242:) for the procurement of Surface pumps.Details of the requirements for this bid and eligibility criteria etc. can be found in the bid document. Interested and eligible bidders from local companies can get the bid document in the link https://2merkato.com/ images/downloads/UNICEF/LIT-9159242-SUBMERSIBLE-PUMPS.pdf Any query or clarification with regard to this bid shall be send through an email to [email protected]. Bid clarification will be posted on the same websites mentioned above to all bidders. While sending your request for clarification, please ensure that you specify the LITB number in the subject email, provide the name of the company, contact person, email and mobile number. The due date for submission of proposals/Bid to UNICEF Ethiopia Office, Addis Ababa is on or before 2:00 pm (East African Time) 26th June 2020 (Friday). Please read the LITB and the annexes for detailed requirements, Eligibility Criteria and due dates.Please quote the LITB-2020-9159242 in all your correspondences. UNICEF reserves the right to accept or reject part or all of any or all bids.

ADDRESS UNICEF Ethiopia, UNECA Compound, Zambezi

Building, 2nd floor Supply Section, TEL: +251-11 518 4000, Extension# 4142,

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

28




Alazar Kebede

The COVID 19 pandemic is revealing the stark contrast in how working men and women are being treated in the United States and Germany. What follows is not so much a tale about differing economic performances in times of unemployment. It is fundamentally a story about very different ways to organize a society and economy. And, to be sure, amidst the current Depression-era increase in the United States level of unemployment, this dramatizes the reality that the United States economic model is a victim of its pay-to-play politics dominated by lavish donors. Put conversely, the question is what good does it do a society if it organizes itself in such a manner that its elites always do well, with its broader population prospering less than comparable cohorts abroad.Let’s start with the numbers. George Tyler, an economist and the author of "What Went Wrong" and "Billionaire Democracy: The Hijacking of the American Political System" Stated that such difference is symbolized by the major disparity in current unemployment levels. While German joblessness increased from 5% to 5.8% in April, the first full month of the COVID 19 pandemic, United States unemployment jumped from 4.4% to 14.7%. As in the United States, the German economic outlook is weakening. But despite comparable government assistance (about 20% of GDP), United States unemployment is more than double that in Germany. George Tyler, in his book "What Went Wrong" stressed that this picture is replicating the experience of the 2008-9 global financial crisis. At the time, the German government’s policies and supportive German corporations proved remarkably effective in moderating its impact on workers. Job loss in Germany was only one-third that of the United States and Germany’s economic recovery more than twice as fast. German unemployment bottomed out during the Great Recession at 7.1% in the 3rd and 4th quarters of 2008. It rose to peak at 7.8% in the 2d and 3d quarters of 2009. But policies tempered the downturn and the rate had fallen back to 7% by the 2d quarter of 2010, less than two years later. In contrast, United States unemployment back then doubled, rising from 4.8% in the 4th quarter of 2007 to peak at 9.9% two years later in the 4th quarter of 2009. Moreover, the United States recovery was sluggish: It took four years for the United States rate to drop below 7%, reaching 6.9% in the 4th quarter of 2013, and six years to hit 5% again. George Tyler noted that hopefully, the economic impact on Americans in the months ahead will be less severe than suggested by the unemployment figures. Most are receiving cash benefits from state unemployment programs and Federal assistance under the CARES Act including the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program for the self-employed. And most Americans filing for benefits in last April were actually furloughed rather than laid off, with many continuing for the moment to receive employer-provided benefits. Barry Wood, a Washington writer, broadcaster and author stated that the distribution of these benefits has not been a smooth process. One study by analysts at the Economic Policy Institute, for instance, found only half of potential eligible workers are receiving unemployment benefits. And the Brookings Institution has suggested the data fail to capture the full extent of skyrocketing unemployment. Moreover, the benefits themselves are the subject of bitter partisan debate with Republican officials such as Senator Lindsey Graham vowing to eliminate them. Barry Wood, in his new book “Exploring New Europe, a Bicycle Journey” argued that the ad hoc rush underway to paper over wide cracks in the unemployment system is rooted

Is the United States rooted in unfairness?in the United States corporate governance system that economists’ term shareholder capitalism. United States corporate boards prioritize shareholders at the expense of employees, favoring share buybacks and hefty dividends over labor compensation. It’s why only a stunning 26% of American workers age 50-62 approaching retirement enjoy health and retirement benefits. It is why 44% of all working Americans earn a median pay of just $10.22 an hour. And, of course, it is why 40% of adults entered the COVID 19 recession unable to mobilize $400 in savings. Meanwhile, United States firms such as Caterpillar, Levi Strauss and others are laying-off and furloughing thousands of employees while simultaneously paying $700 million to shareholders in cash dividends. According to Barry Wood, the worker/employer relationship in the United States is mostly transactional, with the OECD documenting scant rights for employees. Lacking links to Main Street and households, United States corporate boards and top executives mostly work in a cloud of like-minded people. When under stress as in the Great Recession, they have proven notoriously quick to fire and loath to hire. They exhibit the famous French “sauve qui peut” mindset of elites – and mostly focus on protecting their own economic position and finances. That is the logical consequence of their compensation being tied very tightly to profits and the share price. Amid rampant plant-wide COVID

19 infections, this attitude shows its really ugly face. Too many top managers and Republican Party politicians are hostile to employees, opposing unemployment benefits with some requiring them to work without adequate safeguards.According to George Tyler, as much as things are out of whack in the United States, it is very much possible to be a successful nation economically and to operate within a capitalist framework that is fair and balanced, and not organized to put the interest of shareholders and CEOs above that of Main Street. Capitalism can succeed with a framework where employers nurture rather than abandon employees during periods of stress. The German example underscores that. The country reflects a history of strong labor movements, with larger corporations practicing codetermination. The presence of employee representatives on their corporate boards ensures that enterprise decisions give the same weight to firm sustainability, local communities, workers and suppliers as given to shareholders. George Tyler further stressed that during recessions, Germany workers participate as full partners in government short-work policies called Kurzarbeit which are designed to protect employee incomes. The objective is to sustain a middle-class standard of living and minimize the externalities displayed in the United States of social disarray and deaths of despair. These time-tested government programs

keep a lid on unemployment. They do that by spreading available work, with firms providing paid-leave rather than pink slips. Uwe Bott, New York based senior Economist stated that redundant private, government and freelance gig workers are receiving paid furloughs funded with social insurance balances accumulated from payroll taxes. The automatic German benefits being paid now are up to 77% of usual pay (and up to 70% in Spain, 80% in France and Britain, and 90% in Denmark). Unlike the United States, this framework balances the interests of all economic classes including Main Street and shareholders.Uwe Bott further noted that as the COVID 19 crisis continues to unfold in the months ahead, United States workers and communities will find themselves penalized by a corporate governance structure cunningly crafted to steadily transfer income from them to shareholders. This is debilitating, especially considering who is running the greatest personal risks now in sustaining corporations amid the crisis. In a higher quality democracy without pay-to-play, the disjointed United States emergency support systems on display would lead to significant changes in policymaking. In the United States, such hopes, despite the current crisis, may prove elusive. The political reality is that its government economic relief programs are manned by senior government officials too often openly hostile to preserving family incomes.

COVID-19 jeopardises progresses made towards protecting women and girls from violence and harmful practices

By Justine Coulson (UNFPA), Roberta Clarke (UN Women) and Mohamed M. Fall (UNICEF)

The passing of laws to end child marriage resulted in blocking thousands of child marriages and enabling second chance education for girls. However, these gains made over the years are in jeopardy in the age of COVID-19. In Malawi because of cases brought to court, child marriages were annulled, and girls had the opportunity to return to school. Fewer adolescents experienced female genital mutilation (FGM) compared with older generations. In Ethiopia, for instance, 47 per cent of girls aged 15 to 19 years have undergone FGM compared to 75 per cent of women aged 35 to 49 years. The same trend has been observed for child marriage, with a decline from 58 per cent of women aged 25 to 49 years compared to 40 per cent of women aged 20 to 24 years. These changes were supported by United Nations (UN) global and regional joint programmes, including the UN and European Union Spotlight Initiative to eliminate violence against women and girls and harmful practices such as child marriage and FGM. However, health crisis such as the Ebola and now the COVID-19 crisis undermine strategies to end sexual and gender-based violence (GBV) and other harmful practices and poses a serious threat to the significant progress made over the past decade. Livelihoods are lost, social support networks are disrupted, and we are witnessing a reduction of access to reproductive health information and services. This will inevitably result in an increase in unintended pregnancies, child marriage, school dropouts and sometimes, maternal mortality.In East and Southern Africa, there are reports of increases in the incidents of sexual and gender-based violence including child marriage and FGM. Countries in the region, already rated as the poorest and most unequal in the world, are further grappling with the effects of the pandemic with communities sinking further into poverty. In these financially-fragile homes, increases in child labour and sexual exploitation and abuse of women and girls are likely unless prevented. Women and girls trapped in their homes with their abusers are isolated from the services and resources. Additionally, shrinking peer support networks increase a girl’s social isolation and vulnerability. Projections estimate that 31 million additional cases of gender-based violence will occur globally if the lockdown

continues for at least six months. Among the most vulnerable are adolescent girls aged 10 to 19 years with their limited negotiation skills within the family. Many are likely to fall victim to child marriage; a practice to reduce the family’s economic burden and to increase income through dowry and bride price. The lockdowns have temporarily shut down schools and other safe spaces for girls, and blocked access to mentorship programmes. Widespread closure of schools has interrupted the education of more than 1 billion children globally, exposing girls to a greater risk of GBV, child marriage, FGM, unintended pregnancies, and HIV infection. Even prior to the pandemic, adolescent girls were already left behind. With today’s crisis, pre-existing gender inequalities exacerbate their vulnerability. Girls need to return to school to complete their education and create for themselves an empowered future. Post-COVID-19, families may need a financial push, and countries need to make the right investments in young people. The education of girls, second chance education for survivors of GBV, Child Marriage, and the demographic dividend should be the priority of the governments in the rebuilding efforts.Failing to pay particular attention to the specific needs of women and girls in times of crisis will undermine their basic rights. It is imperative that public policy efforts and programmes for the elimination of child marriage and FGM are implemented during the pandemic and beyond. This means continued investment on resources that commensurate to the needs of the most left behind girls—for prevention, for education, and for lifesaving SRHR and GBV services and protection. UNFPA, UNICEF and UN Women remain strongly committed to work with governments and all stakeholders to build societies where women and girls are free of violence and all form of discrimination by 2030. When women and girls can have access to the right information and support and when the governments prioritize their access to services and the justice system, the communities will prosper.

Justine Coulson is the Acting Regional Director for UNFPA East and Southern Africa; Roberta Clarke, is a Senior Advisor

and is the Acting Regional Director of UN Women, Eastern and Southern Africa, while Mohamed M Fall @MohamedFall is the

Regional Director for UNICEF Eastern & Southern Africa.

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reported that there are multiple high-tech crimes /cybercrime attempts took place in the last few years. If Ethiopia needs to make its development safe and secure, mastering technology is a must. If not the historical and secretive enemies might use it as a weapon to weaken and slow down the fast development endeavor. In the coming few years, the country needs to work to advance dam engineering and technology and farming technology. There is also a need to advance in military technology, artificial intelligence, geotargeting, automation, nuclear science and technology, spy satellites, and other intelligence technologies. It is also highly recommended to advance in cybersecurity, space technology, and other advancements in technological evolution. Arab League (AL) is one of the oldest regional organizations in the world. When one assesses the function of the organization, it's apparent that it is an undercover Department of Egyptian foreign ministry. In its long history, the organization leads almost by the Egyptian secretaries-general apart from a single occasion. 7 out of 8 secretaries-general until now are Egyptians and the majority of them are the former foreign minister of Egypt. Is this organization a catalyst or a threat to peace and security? Egypt's recent actions on Libya and Ethiopia proved that they are a threat to international peace and security. The UN and international community tried to assist the legitimate government in Libya while Egypt and its extension, the Arab League is tired to assist the warlord Haftar that works hard to ensure the birth of second Syria. When Egypt planned to stop the peaceful negotiation with Ethiopia, AL became an echo for Egypt's coercive control rhetoric. It is time for Ethiopia and other non-AL nations like Turkey to be stepped up and resist the evil work of Egypt. Egypt used AL as a tool to propagate its wicked agendas. If you see the Egypt attempt to make all Ethiopian neighbors as AL members, anyone senses something smells fishy. For example, South Sudan is a Christian nation and no one speaks the language of Arabic, which is one of the criteria to be admitted as a member. This is the kind of thing that discredits the organization's mission and purpose. Now is the time to test, whether the AL admissible criteria functional for any nation or not. Ethiopia since it has a geopolitical concern and Egypt relentless attempt to ruin the reputation of Ethiopia in the Arab world; it is time for Ethiopia to ask the observer status in the league. The Arab League (AL) opens the observer door for the farthest countries like Brazil and Venezuela. In contrast, it will likely close its door for the closest and intertwined country, Ethiopia. Egypt until recently survives, through this kind of organization and from its dirty trick which based on false accusations and deliberate attacks. Thus, the only option left for Ethiopia is to strengthen its bilateral relationship with members of the AL. If there is an opportunity to assist Libya through the UN mechanism, Ethiopia needs to be part of it. This will give an opportunity to establish a strategic relationship with Libya. It will also give an opportunity to understand the desert military geography. Additionally, it is good to evaluate the conflict of interest among Ethiopian neighbors that partake in AL. It is wise to formulate counteract strategies and act accordingly. Negative effects can come to pass as an individual or as a nation if there is a poor controlling mechanism. It can be manifested from the day to day communication to the recent highly expected Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is the individual or the country's responsibility to limit or reduce its effect. The government needs to sift the possible negative effects of SDGs or other social policies. In the shared destiny like a nation,

it is the responsibility of a citizen and a state to single out any negative attitude and stop it. As a lot of research pointed out, negative thoughts or negative words have a faster and stronger negative impact than a positive one. It is easy to think negatively. It is also easy to mobilize many innocents through a negative utterance. The so-called ethnic-based activists or tribal politicians in Ethiopia used this method to attain their get-power-quick scheme. As long as these groups satisfied their basic needs and ego, they don’t have a concern for the general public. They keep up feeding negative thoughts as fuel to continue their motion. As many scholars in clinical psychology agreed, the chronic low self-esteem or inferiority complex is the result of the collection of negative thoughts. It is hard to attain a great destiny as an individual or as a nation with negative thoughts. It makes society to get stuck at some point. Ethiopia is a good example of this. The old politicians and their disciples developed hate-based politics from their Pseudohistory. They also tried to spread this poisoning thought to the general public. As a result, this great nation trapped for limitless barren years. There is no better time than now to stop this destructive negative utterance and stand in the spirit of hope. It is time to influence the Ethiopian air, earth, plant, animal, lake, river, birds, fish, citizens, et cetera with the message of love, hope, faith, prosperity, and peace. It is time to stop the negative thoughts and energy that see its destiny as separate or set apart. Ethiopians, we don’t have independent destinies. Let us shake off the dust and arise to build a great nation with a positive attitude. Dams have played a pivotal role in the development of many nations. Across the world, there are over 240 international rivers and numerous dams build around them. China and the USA took the biggest share of the world dams. In China, there are over 87,000 dams while in the USA, it is 84,000. Brazil, in the Amazon river alone, has over 412 dams. Recently Turkey actively engages in building mega-dam projects, and it succeeds in building 635 large dams within its territory. Whereas, Ethiopia still counts, dam construction on the fingers of one hand. Though Egypt took the biggest share on limiting this number, the former leaders of Ethiopia didn’t take proper and proactive measures. The dam projects in Ethiopia would have been a solution for the long term challenge of this country, namely poverty, hunger, lack of potable water in urban and rural areas, lack of clean energy for industries, unemployment, inhuman living conditions of rural and urban people, and lack of electricity. Ethiopia is one of the countries in Africa that have a great potential in hydropower and irrigation project, particularly in Afar, Gambela, and Somalia regions. However, until now Ethiopia used less than 1 % of its potential. This country is one of the least users of water. Ethiopia's per capita water consumption is 125 m3 per year, which is very tiny compared to the global average which is 1000 m3. In Ethiopia, only 2% of the rural population have access to electricity; while the proportion of this segment is 84% of the total population. Ethiopia's national energy production capacity is 4000 Megawatts. Whereas, Egypt generates 55,000 Megawatts of electricity per day, which is 3000 Megawatts higher than South Africa. Therefore, it is high time for the government of Ethiopia and its stakeholders to untapped this untouched potential. Ethiopia needs to work hard to compensate for the wasted time by formulating various short and long term strategies. In the coming few years, Ethiopia needs to build thousands of multipurpose Dams across the nation. As long as Ethiopia applied don’t harm principle, it is highly recommended to fasten this process. In this regard, China

Ethiopia Shake off your . . . Continued from page 19

and Turkey could be a good example and mentor to excel in the field of hydropower and dam industry. Universal Declaration of Human Rights is one of the breakthroughs that occurred in the history of humanity. The first time countries agreed enormously to this declaration. It is all about restoring the dignity of human beings and the spirit of brotherhood. Ethiopia needs to strive to achieve the common standard of this declaration. Sustainable development without a practical practice of human rights in a country like Ethiopia is an illusion. Ethiopia is one of the first 48 nations that voted in favor of the universal declaration. However, until recently the history of Ethiopia, in terms of human rights, has been shockingly evil and vile. Nowadays, there is a tangible action undertaken in the leadership of the young and visionary prime- minister. However, this effort draws multiple enemies from inside and outside. It is sad some human rights groups, and international media that suppose to be a backbone of these efforts rather became a source of obstacles. The recent biased report of Amnesty International on Ethiopia has shown how this organization is hijacked for some counterfeit causes which are against its mission. They have cooked up such fallacies and ignored the context to show us how they organized with the separatist groups to mess up the country. There are also some international media that work below their standard and became a regular communication channel of the illicit groups like that of tribe based mushroom amateur media. All in all, Ethiopia needs to be vigilant and work hard to establish credible institutes that aimed to inform, educate, and council its citizens, and to protect its people from any anecdote threat. The strong government institutes will have the capacity to expose the voice of conflict and destruction. No country builds

with the support of international media, human rights groups, or humanitarian organizations. A prosperous nation crops up only through the right leadership and genuine commitment of its citizens.Power takes a fair share to guarantee any national rights in this temporary world. Ethiopia needs to build better economic, military, and academic power than Egypt. This is a master key for stoping the unceasing ‘dirty game’ of Egypt. When Egypt claims they have a historical right on the Nile River, i.e. a concealed expression of ‘we are lifetime enemy of Ethiopia’. Thus, their wicked actions will not stop until the democratically elected leader, who believes in a win-win scenario, takes the post of Egypt presidency. On top of economic, military, and academic power, bargaining power is also key in deciding the fate of the Nile River. For example, some upper riparian states are under the control of Egypt. The Nile Initiative is not yet ratified by Kenya and Burundi. South-Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) didn't sign the agreement. How these vital causes for their citizens take such long times? Why it is hard to overcome the mischief diplomacy of Egypt for the sake of its nationals? Why it's hard for the concerned bodies to disseminate the fact to all stakeholders in these nations? Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, and Tanzania need to take the leading role in ensuring this crucial step. The success of the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) on the Cooperative Framework Agreement (Software part) as important as the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (hardware part). The hardware without the software could not function as perfectly as the whole package. It is true, Ethiopia always works out for a united and prosperous Africa while Egypt craves for a scattered and ‘shit-hole East Africa countries’. Thus let Ethiopians STAND UP!

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Facts about . . . Continued from page 2

CURRENCY BUYING SELLING

KUWAITI DINAR 106.7921 108.927942

SOUTH AFRICAN R 2.0629 2.104158

SDR 47.7353 48.690006

CHINESE YUAN 4.4081 4.496262

AUSTRALIAN DOLL 21.6064 22.038528

UAE DIRHAM 8.4799 8.649498

SAUDI RIYAL 8.3015 8.46753

EURO 39.161 39.94422

INDIAN RUPEE 0.4545 0.46359

KENYAN SHILLING 0.3226 0.329052

JAPANESE YEN 0.2911 0.296922

CANADIAN DOLLAR 23.1367 23.599434

DJIBOUTI FRANC 0.1912 0.195024

DANISH KRONER 4.7545 4.84959

SWIDISH KRONER 3.3806 3.448212

NORWIGIAN KRONE 3.3205 3.38691

SWISS FRANC 34.8777 35.575254

POUND STERLING 41.7017 42.535734

US DOLLAR 34.4212 35.109624

EXCHANGE RATE6-9-2020

patients, which is partly done out of fear of spreading the virus, is in fact often counterproductive and damaging to the lungs.

16. Contrary to original assumptions, various studies have shown that there is no evidence of the virus spreading through aerosols (i.e. tiny particles floating in the air) or through smear infections(e.g. on door handles or smartphones). The main modes of transmission are direct contact and droplets produced when coughing or sneezing.

17. There is also no scientific evidence for the effectiveness of face masks in healthy or asymptomaticindividuals. On the contrary, experts warn that such masks interfere with normal breathing and may become “germ carriers”. Leading doctors called them a “media hype” and “ridiculous”.

18. Many clinics in Europe and the US remained strongly underutilized or almost empty during the Covid19 peak and in some cases had to send staff home. Millions of surgeries and therapies were cancelled, including many cancer screenings and organ transplants.

19. Several media were caught trying to dramatize the situation in hospitals, sometimes even with manipulative images and videos. In general, the unprofessional reporting of many media maximized fear and panic in the population.

20. The virus test kits used internationally are prone to errors and can produce false positive and false negative results. Moreover, the official virus test was not clinically validated due to time pressure and may sometimes react positive to other coronaviruses.

21. Numerous internationally renowned experts in the fields of virology, immunology and epidemiology consider the measures taken to be counterproductive and recommend rapid natural immunisation of the general population and protection of risk groups.

22. At no time was there a medical reason for the closure of schools, as the risk of disease and transmission in children is extremely low. There is also no medical reason for small classes, masks or ‘social distancing’ rules in schools.

23. The claim that only (severe) Covid-19 but not influenza may cause venous thrombosis and pulmonary (lung) embolism is not true, as it has been known for 50

years that severe influenza greatly increases the risk of thrombosis and embolism, too.

24. Several medical experts described express coronavirus vaccines as unnecessary or even dangerous. Indeed, the vaccine against the so-called swine flu of 2009, for example, led to sometimes severe neurological damage and lawsuits in the millions. In the testing of new coronavirus vaccines, too, serious complications and failures have already occurred.

25. A global influenza or corona pandemic can indeed extend over several seasons, but many studies of a “second wave” are based on very unrealistic assumptions, such as a constant risk of illness and death across all age groups.

26. Several nurses, e.g. in New York City, described an oftentimes fatal medical mis¬manage¬ment of Covid patients due to questionable financial incentives or inappropriate medical protocols.

27. The number of people suffering from unemployment, depressions and domestic violence as a result of the measures has reached historic record values. Several experts predict that the measures will claim far more lives than the virus itself. According to the UN 1.6 billion peoplearound the world are at immediate risk of losing their livelihood.

28. NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden warned that the “corona crisis” will be used for the permanent expansion of global surveillance. Renowned virologist Pablo Goldschmidt spoke of a “global media terror” and “totalitarian measures”. Leading British virologist Professor John Oxford spoke of a “media epidemic”.

29. More than 600 scientists have warned of an “unprecedented surveillance of society” through problematic apps for “contact tracing”. In some countries, such “contact tracing” is already carried out directly by the secret service. In several parts of the world, the population is already being monitored by drones and facing serious police overreach.

30. A 2019 WHO study on public health measures against pandemic influenza found that from a medical perspective, “contact tracing” is “not recommended in any circumstances”. Nevertheless, contact tracing apps have already become partially mandatory in several countries.

By The Hutch Report

Of all the principle forces that hold our world together the one that acts as the glue of society is called trust. Trust is what keeps relationships in tact by allowing people to live together, work together, feel safe and belong to a group. Trust in our leaders allows organizations and communities to flourish, while the absence of trust can cause fragmentation, conflict and war.Confidence is the feeling or belief that one can have trust in or rely on someone or something. When trust deteriorates so does confidence, and it is more prevalent in our functioning society than people realise.Think about the simple act of driving a car. The reason why we even get in one at all is because we have a high level of confidence that the car driving towards us on the same road, at 100km an hour, will not suddenly cross over into our lane and cause a deadly head on collision. Think of airplane travel. Everytime we decide to fly we have confidence in the ability of the pilot to get us from point A to point B safetly. Yet on 24 March 2015 the passengers of a Germanwings aircraft were deceived. The Airbus A320-211, crashed 100 km (62 mi; 54 nmi) north-west of Nice in the French Alps. All 144 passengers and six crew members were killed. It was Germanwings’ first fatal crash in the 18-year history of the company. The investigation determined that the crash was caused deliberately by the co-pilot, Andreas

Lubitz, who had previously been treated for suicidal tendencies and declared “unfit to work” by his doctor. Lubitz kept this information from his employer and instead reported for duty. Shortly after reaching cruise altitude and while the captain was out of the cockpit, he locked the cockpit door and initiated a controlled descent that continued until the aircraft impacted a mountainside.Following the incident, Lufthansa and Germanwings said that the crash has not had an impact on booking numbers and many analysts expected only a brief short-term hit and then demand to recover quickly. So as catastrophic as this event was, it did not deter millions of passengers from taking a flight that same day or any other following day. So this prompts the question, “How much deception and mistrust does a person have to endure before they lose confidence in that something or someone?” We find ourselves in a situation where trust seems to be deteriorating on a number of levels. There is lack of trust in the government, news organizations, international organizations, science, banks, business leaders, health organizations and the list goes on. In fact, seeding distrust among the masses has proven to be an effective weapon against others. But we can’t identify the tipping point.The financial crisis of 2008 battered the level of trust of the population in their financial system. That loss of confidence created a

run on many banks and spawned “Occupy Wall Street.” Eventually the leaders managed to regain a certain amount of trust for the financial system to start working again. The anger dissipated and the Occupy Wall Street movement disappeared. However, confidence in the system was weakened and that distrust and skepticism in our leaders to do what is in the best interest of the population still remains today. Seeing bankrupt company leaders receive enormous bonuses, or watch the Federal Reserve state how strong the economy is while justifying printing trillions of dollars to support it are contradictions that are According to Edelman’s Trust Barometer, 66% of those surveyed do not have confidence that, “Our current leaders will be able to successfully address our country’s challenges.” We began by saying that trust and confidence are essentially what keeps our society glued together. What we don’t know is how much confidence and trust has to be lost before society becomes unglued. That lack of information makes the potential for disaster that much greater. I was speaking with a fund manager recently about the current actions of the Federal Reserve, bankers and our leaders in general. I asked him what worried him most. He told me his biggest fear was the next potential crisis which promises to be the greatest crisis of all…..a crisis of confidence.

The Ticking Trust BombComment

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