Tiret Sept 2008

Chairmanrsquos Message

lsquolsquoI wish you all a Joyful and Prosperous New Yearrsquorsquo 

Over the years MIDROC Ethiopia Group Companies have done considerably well in their specific areas of investment and have continued to expand their investment activities to achieve a higher level of return and most importantly be able to contribute to the rapid economic development of Ethiopia

One of my major objectives is to adopt effective and sustainable business practices which could be seen as models and be replicated by other private sector operators for their own benefit and for the benefit of our country

I strongly believe that the more the number of successful business enterprises the better the growth of the private sector and the enhancement of its contribution to the development efforts of Ethiopia The private sector can only be an engine of growth for our country if most business enterprises become successful Hence I plan to do everything within my power to make sure that the private sector flourishes for a meaningful contribution to our countryrsquos development

One of the areas on which I want to focus is the construction industry in Ethiopia Construction nowadays has become very sophisticated and MIDROC Ethiopia has to keep abreast with the latest technology In my determined desire to contribute to the growing construction industry my companies in this sector have acquired the latest machineries for effective and reliable construction activities

The involvement of MIDROC Construction Ethiopia Private Limited Company in the construction of buildings of all types and grades and in building roads is contributing greatly to revolutionize the construction industry in our country

Furthermore MIDROC Foundation Specialist Private Limited Company which is one of the very few companies in Africa dealing with high sophisticated foundation works is also playing a leading role to make large scale construction undertakings a success and provide foundation solutions to many requiring the services

In order to address the current shortage of cement in the construction industry I have made arrangements with multilateral financial institutions I have signed loan agreements with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) of the World Bank the African Development Bank (ADB) the European Investment Bank and the Development Bank of Ethiopia to meet the financial gap for the completion of the Derba Cement Project

Derba Cement Project is expected to play a critical role in improving the supply of cement in the country It will also offer direct and indirect employment opportunities to several thousand citizens who will be involved in the construction activities transportation and distribution of the product and provision of different services Upon completion the Project will provide new and better infrastructural services to the local population and is expected to make significant contribution to the revenue of the Government

It is my greatest desire to invest in Ethiopia and most importantly to contribute to the development of my motherland I am committed to join hands with those who put Ethiopiarsquos interest above their personal interest to see Ethiopia succeed in eradicating poverty and achieve economic growth and social development

I still feel I have not done enough for Ethiopia I can only say I have modestly succeeded when I see all Ethiopians free from the shackles of poverty and underdevelopment

I would like to expand the existing companies and also venture into new area of investment activities In particular human resource development and transfer of new technology are of great interest to me In the world of business and other areas of human endeavor knowledge is indeed a power and offers opportunities for growth and development

Ethiopia offers abundant opportunities for investment and has immense potential for growth and development I urge all within and outside Ethiopia to take advantage of these opportunities

I would once again like to take this opportunity to renew my commitment to work even more to advance the interest of the country by expanding and broadening my investment activities

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Note from the Editor In-Chief

The Ethiopian Millennium which we have just concluded has been an eventful year for all of us at MIDROC Ethiopia

We hope that the Third Millennium will be a time of renewal and of major social and economic transformation of our

country We look to the future with a lot of hope that the times to come will enable us to get rid of the scourges of

poverty and under-development so that every citizen of our country will be able to lead a life of relative abundance

and achieve human fulfillment

In this issue of TIRET we have highlighted some of the major activities of MIDROC Ethiopia Group Companies that

are of significant importance to the economic development of our country

The multi-million Birr loan agreement signed between Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi and the International Financial

Corporation (IFC) of the World Bank The African Development Bank (ADB) European Investment Bank and the

Development Bank of Ethiopia (DBE) to complete the remaining works of the expansion of Derba Cement Project is

a significant event to all MIDROC Ethiopia Group Companies

Such cooperative agreements will go a long way to further stimulate the construction sector by enabling Derba Cement

Project to produce cement in greater quantity and improved quality It is hoped that the shortage of cement now being

experienced in the country will be reduced greatly when the Derba Cement Factory becomes fully operational

Our other focus in this issue is the MIDROC Foundation Specialist Private Limited Company which is actively engaged

in foundation and structural works not only in Ethiopia but also in neighboring countries of Kenya Tanzania and

Sudan

The Editorial Team of TIRET would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Company on its Tenth Anniversary

and for its outstanding contribution to the construction industry in Ethiopia

We shall try our best to bring to our readers an overall picture of the activities of MIDROC Ethiopia Group Companies

We are also trying to make TIRET the best Corporate Magazine that will reflect the endeavors of our Chairman Sheikh

Mohammed H Al-Amoudi in contributing to the economic and social development of our country

We wish all readers of Tiret a Happy and Prosperous New Year    

 Tiret Sept 2008

Contents

TIRET means ldquoeffort in Amharic and is a Magazine produced from MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFYeshimebet Demissie

DEPUTY-EDITOR-IN-CHIEFAselefech Getachew

SECRETARIAL SERVICEHaimanot Negussie

PHOTOGRAPHYBiruk HailuTewodros AberaDegife Tekle

PUBLISHED BYThe Public Relations Department of MIDROC EthiopiaTel +251 11 371 12 77Fax +251 11 371 29 90POBox 6631Email midprethionetet

DESIGN amp PAGE LAYOUTCreative PowerPrinting amp ManufacturingTel +251 11 550 52 31 2 +251 11 550 38 28Fax +251 11 515 19 41 (Roots Africa)POBox 6631Addis Ababa EthiopiaEmail creativeaddisethionetet

COPYRIGHTSept 2008MIDROC EthiopiaAll rights reserved Reproduction in part and or whole is allowed with the written authorization of the publisher

MIDROCMohammed InternatioalDevelopment Research ampOrganisation Companies

MIDROC News and Briefs       7-29 Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi

signed the first loan agreement with an International and Local Financing Agencies the largest ever done in Ethiopia to help build a new Cement Plant at Derba that is meant to curb the current cement shortage in the country Full story appears in along

with updates of major activities of MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group in the last six months

Main Story      30-35ldquoIt is worth noting that the mineral wealth of Ethiopia is not fully tapped helliprdquo says CEO of National Mining Corporation Plc one of the MIDROC Group Companies and explains achievements of his Company as it commemorates its 15th anniversary Cover Story examines in detail the activities of NMiC in the mining Industry

In Focushellip      36-41In this issue TIRET deals with the remarkable construction solutions provided to developers by MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with the introduction of deep foundations based on advanced and efficient technologies in the construction industry

ldquoIncidentallyrdquo        43Yohannes Ruphael featuring on earnings from export of primary commodities brings to the attention of our readers his observations on the export of Chat

Writers Column    44-45Prof Mervyn E King an internationally renowned and distinguished authority in Corporate Governance addressed the National Private Sector Development Conference held in Addis Ababa recently He shares with our readers his views and experiences on the Conference

Axis       47-52Axis Column brings to light an interesting article by John Flinn a Travel Editor on the Beauty of a Language Also a report on the 17th International AIDS Conference that took place in Mexico is included

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi is positive that Derba

Project when completed would address the acute

shortage of cement in Ethiopia and will contribute greatly

to the sustainable economic development of the country

He earlier said that his main objective to build the project

is to reduce dependence on import and avail cement

in abundant quantity so that development in Ethiopia

continues in a sustainable way and expressed hope that

price of cement will reduce to an acceptable level so that

construction be affordable

The plant site with an area of about 123 hectares

accommodates the manufacturing plant including

related facilities such as workers residential complex

public amenities electrical power substation product

storage and dispatch areas The plant will be fed with

raw materials from the quarry in the Mugger Valley via

a 75 kms conveyor belt and a 175 km of treacherous

road both crossing a very difficult sloping terrain which

drops more than 850 m between the plant and quarry

sites The new road with its 120 m span bridge across

the Muger River will be the first and the only access that

connects the residents on both sides of the river

The Project will bring new or better infrastructural

services to the local population and will also be the largest

single source of investment in the country

Derba MIDROC Cement Plant integrates the latest

technology and when completed will have a cement

production capacity of 8000 tons per day or 25 million

tons per annum It is hoped that it will increase the

existing total domestic cement production capacity by at

least 15 times thus significantly reduce or eliminate the

present cement shortage in the country

When completed the plant is expected to create about

500 direct and 10000 indirect job opportunities

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi on behalf of Derba

MIDROC Cement Plc and Mr Sady M Zeidan Manager of

IFC of the World Bank along with the African Development

Bank(ADB) European Investment Bank and Development

Bank of Ethiopia (DBE) have signed on June 23 2008 at

the Sheraton Addis a USD 200 million loan agreement

to help build a new plant aimed at addressing the acute

cement shortage in Ethiopia

According to Mr Sady M Zeidan Manager of IFC the

loan represents IFCrsquos first investment in Ethiopia since

1989 and it is the largest ever in the country He also

said that the loan reflects IFCrsquos confidence in the local

private sector and aligned with IFCrsquos strategy to promote

investments in countries where the private sector is at

the early stage of development

The loan arrangement is a success achieved to bring on

board the International Private Sector Financing Agencies

to work with the Ethiopian Private Sector Developers

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi Owner and Sponsor

of MIDROC Derba Cement Plc has invested USD 151

million for the construction of the project

IFC - Derba MIDROC Sign Loan Agreement

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi and Mr Sady M Zeidan after

signing the loan agreement

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

In keeping with his desire to develop sports in the country Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi has once again generously donated Birr five million to the Ethiopian Olympic Committee as part of his boundless support to the development of Ethiopian sports to help the committee meet the cost of Ethiopian Athletics delegation to the Beijing Olympics

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi granted the Birr five million donation to the Ethiopian Olympic Committee at a ceremony held on May 27 2008 at the Sheraton Addis where the Ethiopian President Ato Girma WGiorgis and Ethiopian Prime Minister Ato Meles Zenawi and other high ranking government officials were in attendance

At the ceremony Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi was honored with a Special Award by the Ethiopian President Ato Girma WGiorgis for his unlimited contributions to the development of athletics in Ethiopia

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudirsquos enthusiasm for sports in general football in particular has earned him admiration from fans near and far The East and Central Africa Challenge Cup Tournament which is held every two years and financed by Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi the incentives he provides to young and upcoming footballers in the various local teams and his pledge to build a modern stadium in Addis Ababa are all testimonies of his devotion to the development of sports in Ethiopia

Officials of the Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council have paid tribute to Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi for his contributions to the success of historical events organized by the Moslem Community

At a ceremony organized on March 28 2008 by the Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council Millennium Office to thank all those who supported it in making the millennium celebrations a success Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi was honored with a Special Award by the Ethiopian President Ato Girma WGiorgis The Award was received by Dr Arega Yirdaw Chief Executive Officer of MIDROC Ethiopia Technology Group on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi Present on the occasion were high ranking Government Officials Ambassadors and other Dignitaries

Oromia Regional State Awarded Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi

The Martyrs Monument built in Adama town by a Birr 50000000 (fifty million) generous donation of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi was inaugurated on March 23 2008

Ato Abadula Gemeda President of Oromia Regional State at the inaugural ceremony awarded a Gold Medal to Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi which was received by Dr Arega Yirdaw Chief Executive Officer of MIDROC Ethiopia Technology Group on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi

Construction of the monument was undertaken by MIDROC Construction Ethiopia PlcHE Ato Abadula Gemeda President of Oromiya Regional State handing

over Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudirsquos Award to CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi Donates to the Ethiopian Olympic Committee

Supreme Council Pays Tribute to Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Derba MIDROC Cement Plc and the Ministry of Mines

and Energy on May 19 2000 signed a Birr 57212000 (fifty

seven million two hundred twelve thousand) agreement

for mining Limestone Marl Gypsum and Sandstone on

a large scale in the Muger Valley locality in North Shewa

Zone Oromia National Regional State

The Agreement was signed by HE Ato Alemayhu Tegenu

Minister of Mines and Energy and Sheikh Mohammed

H Al-Amoudi Owner and Chairman of MIDROC

Investment Group

According to the agreement the licensee has an exclusive

right for a large scale Limestone Marl Gypsum and

Sandstone mining for twenty years to be renewed for

ten years upon the request of the licensee The license

area covers 1928610 m2 of land and is anticipated to

produce 11665000 tons of Limestone 1166000 tons

of Marl 696000 tons of Gypsum and 11387000 tons of

Sandstone

The Project is expected to create job opportunities for

469 people

MIDROC Construction Ethiopia Plc and the Addis Ababa City Roads Authority (AACRA) signed a 6772 million Birr Contract Agreement for the construction of three roads in the city

Eng Fekadu Haile Manager of AACRA and Eng Shimelis Eshete Deputy General Manager of MIDROC Construction Ethiopia Plc signed the agreement on July 7 2008 on behalf of their respective companies

The contract covers a 191 km long of three roads namely Megenagna ndash Ayat 82 km long Gurd Shola ndash Summit Yeka Bole 82 km long and City Tip ndash Bisrate Gebriel Church 27 km long The Megenagna ndash Ayat road includes 14 m carriageway 55 m walkway and 2 m median while the other two roads include 10 m carriageway 45 m walkway and 1 m median each

These projects are expected to provide job opportunities for more than 1000 people

Derba MIDROC Signed Agreement

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi and Ato Alemayehu Tegenu exchanging the Agreement Document

Multi-Million Birr Contract Agreement Signed

 Tiret Sept 2008

MOHA Soft Drinks Industry SC a member of MIDROC

Ethiopia Investment Group has undertaken an expansion

project of Kool Mineral Water at Bure town in the

Amhara Regional State at a cost of over Birr 37 million

An agreement was signed in August 2008 between Ato

Alemayehu Tegenu Minister of Mines and Energy and Ato

Getachew Birbo CEO of MOHA Soft Drinks Industry SC

that provides a license for the expansion project which is

valid for ten years and renewable every five years to work

on a 5679978 sqm land

The factory which was acquired by MOHA four years ago

will have a capacity of producing 24 million cases of Kool

Mineral Water annually upon completion of the expansion

project MOHA has planned to produce 180320000

liters of mineral water in the coming ten years

According to CEO Getachew Birbo the company is

considering to export Kool Mineral Water as there is a

potentially rich market in the Middle East Countries

Since its establishment thirteen years ago MOHA has

invested over Birr 500 million (five hundred million birr)

in soft drinks factories located in different parts of the

country including Bure Kool Mineral Water Factory which

provided job opportunities for 2700 employees

MOHA has currently an annual production capacity

of 20 million cases from its six soft drinks factories at

Gonder Awassa Dessie Summit Plant (under contractual

agreement) and two plants in Addis Ababa covering 55

of the soft drinks demand in the country

Mini Cement Plant Begins Production

Dashen Cement Plant located in the outskirts of Dejen town North West of Amhara Regional State has been completed

and started producing cement recently

The mini plant is initially established to supply cement to private contractors and the government and to the construction

of the bigger Derba MIDROC Cement Project

Investment cost for Dashen Cement Plant stands at Birr 200000000 (two hundred million birr) and has a capacity of

producing 400 tons of cement per day

MOHA Undertakes Expansion Work

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The annual Customers Family and  Employees (company) Day initiated by the Chief Executive Officer of the MIDROC Ethiopia Technology Group was celebrated for the sixth time at the Millennium Hall on May 25 2008 in the presence of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi Chairman and Owner of MIDROC Ethiopia

According to MIDROC Technology Group the Annual Celebration of Customers Family and Employees (company) Day is held every year to acknowledge and show the gratefulness of the group to the Owners Customers Employees as well as Family Members for their contributions to the success of their respective companies

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi addressing at the celebration expressed his pleasure and gratitude and urged employees to work even harder and try to demonstrate more achievement CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw on his part articulated his appreciation to the employees for their efforts exerted for productivity and expressed hope that this hard work would be pronounced and developed in due course as a culture

Consequently 43 Best Customers of the MIDROC Ethiopia Technology Group both foreign and local were honored by Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi with Best Customers Award at the ceremony organized by the Technology Group at the Millennium Hall on May 25 2008

Wrt Etsehiwot Dinku Officer in Charge (OIC) for Production Marketing and Business Development Services at the Office of the CEO on the occasion presented a brief explanation of the products of each of the companies

Following the Sixth Annual Customers Family and Employees (company) Day Celebration Special Awards were presented to the Best Company and Best Performers of the year at the Millennium Hall in the presence of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi He addressed the gathering first and presented the Special Award to the Best Company of the Year Modern Building Industry (MBI) and the Best Performers Of The Year were also awarded

CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw on the occasion received a Special Award from the employees and families in the name of all the employees of the Group which he took from the hands of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi He was also awarded with a Special Certificate for his remarkable services in the Technology Group and other businesses of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi in the last ten years

Prior to Customers Family and Employees (company) Day the annual sports competition of employees of the Technology Group was carried out as part of the annual ceremony Winners in all competitions received gold bronze and silver medals from the hands of CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw

Customers Family and Employees (company) Day Commemorated

CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw receiving the Award from

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi

Mr Abdullah H Al-Amoudi receiving Best Foreign

Customers Award from the Chairman

 Tiret Sept 2008

The two days Second Annual ldquoOffsiterdquo Workshop where

CEOs and General Managers of the MIDROC Ethiopia

Technology Group took part was held on April 12 ndash 13

2008 at the Sheraton Addis Dr Arega Yirdaw Chief

Executive Officer of the Group opening the workshop

took into account the first Annual Workshop that was held

in Kombolcha and said that this yearrsquos venue provides more

opportunity for a considerable number of management

members to participate

While Dr Aregarsquos presentation to the Workshop focused

on ldquoEffective Marketing for Enhancement of

Business Developmentrdquo General Managers presented

comprehensive reports of their respective companies

MIDROC Ethiopia Training Department Holds Seminars

The MIDROC Ethiopia Training Department as part of  its  training activities holds various seminars for both senior managers and second level management tier every fiscal year During the last six months ldquoPositive Thinkingrdquo ldquoCorporate Social Responsibilitiesrdquo and ldquoICT Security and privacyrdquo were the issues for the seminars that the department carried out              

 Seminar on Positive Thinking

Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu Director of Training of MIDROC Ethiopia in his introductory remark on ldquoPositive Thinkingrdquo seminar that took place at the Sheraton Addis on April 11 2008 and attended by general managers and senior members of the Investment Group introduced the resource person Ato Robel Kidane as a ldquomotivational speakerrdquo and ldquolife-cycle trainerrdquo from Sweden

Emeritus Prof Johannes said that this topic is chosen because of a feeling that the current period and situations exhibited dynamic changes that were a burden to bear for many people who he said were ldquoeasily swayed to think negativelyrdquo He also quoted the Chairman and Owner of MIDROC Ethiopia Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi as saying ldquoWhat is the benefit of talking of bad

ldquoOffsiterdquo Workshop Held 

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Robel Kidane the resource person delivering his presentation at the seminar

 Tiret Sept 2008

The seminar for second level management personnel held on June 12 2008 on ICT Security and Privacy was attended by 31 participants from MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group Companies and the Head Office in the MIDROC Ethiopia Auditorium The seminar which was part of MIDROC Ethiopiarsquos attempt to keep abreast with ICT Development was opened by Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu who stressed in his brief remarks the need for concern to the protection of data and information and regulating the use of ICT

Also speaking on the occasion was Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting and Chairman of Training Committee who said that training helps to discover various means for success People he noted learn at work place and from challenges He stressed that the technology age called for adaptation of new thoughts and practices while requiring readiness to do ldquoWhat we can with what we haverdquo

The seminar which discussed various issues related to ICT was closed by Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu

 Seminar on ICT Security and Privacy

A view of participants of the seminar

things or difficulties onlyrdquo Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting of MIDROC Ethiopia and Chairman of Training Committee in his opening remark stated that positive thinking was a new scientific subject where investors CEOs and others in various capacities were inspired and motivated to create awareness to their colleagues and to remove all thoughts

of dark shadows from their minds He noted that positive thinking among CEOrsquos and subordinates was required and stressed that self-confidence was one of the prime factors for success in life and hence needed to be maintainedAto Robel Kidane covered a variety of interesting issues related to positive thinking in his presentation after which participants discussed on several importnat issues

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Teklu Haile opening the Seminar

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The seminar on ldquoCorporate Social Responsibilityrdquo

for second level management tier took place on March 27

2008 at the MIDROC Ethiopia Auditorium and attended

by 27 participants from 12 group companies

In accordance with the call to plant ldquoThree Trees in the Third Millenniumrdquo volunteers from MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group and Head Office on August 2007 replanted trees on the Entoto Mountain situated north of the capital city Addis Ababa It is to be recalled that members of MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group under the motto ldquo Two Trees in 2000 Ethiopian Millenniumrdquo have participated in planting trees at the same location last year

Organized again by the MIDROC Ethiopia Public Relations the call for replanting was enthusiastically received by volunteers who went back to the area to replace those trees planted by employees of the Investment Group last year and did not take root and withered

Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting supported and encouraged volunteers of MIDROC Ethiopia and reminded them of the saying - ldquoten thousand dedicated soldiers are better than one million dubious soldiersrdquo and appreciated all the volunteers for actively participating in the tree replanting activity

Seminar on Corporate Social Responsibility

Participants at the seminar Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu delivering his presentation

Volunteers going up the mountain for replanting

Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting Department of MIDROC Ethiopia and Chairman of Training Committee in his opening remarks stressed the importance of participation in community affairs by all Group Companies and cited Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi as a shinning example in playing an active

role in social activities He called on all to strive hard to change the negative image of the country and build a better Ethiopia free from poverty hunger and disease Various papers were presented ensuing fruitful discussions on the above issues

MIDROC Ethiopia Volunteers Participate in Replanting Trees

 Tiret Sept 2008

Equatorial Business Group General Manager Ato Tadelle

Teferra Deputy General Manager Ato Mekuria Ayele and

Automotive Business Senior Director Ato Daniel Seyoum

participated a weeklong Dealerrsquos Conference that was

staged in Cape Town South Africa in February this year

According to Ato Daniel Seyoum around 75 business

leaders from Europe the Middle East Asia and Africa

participated at the Conference Issues discussed included

regional international business concerns VOLVOrsquos strategy

development VOLVO CE business update introduction to

new VOLVO road machinery and other related business

matters Dealersrsquo Conference is an annual event to bring

together leaders in the VOLVO Construction Equipment

business from nearly all over the world for a pull effect

particularly to companies like EBG to provide further

opportunity in the Automotive Industry

EBG is an exclusive dealer in Ethiopia for VOLVO brand

products

Company Observes its 15th Anniversary

A group picture of Dealers Conference participants

EBGrsquos Managers Attended Dealers Conference

Equatorial Business Group (EBG) colorfully observed its 15th Anniversary on April 30 2008 Ato Tadelle Teferra

General Manager of the Company addressing the management and employees expressed gratitude and appreciation

to the Owners of the Company and to the Employees who worked hard since its establishment and urged all company

staff to work with an even more commitment and dedication

Ato Tadelle on the occasion disclosed the implementation of the reform packages that started recently and expressed

hope that the reform packages would bring EBG to a better competitive and profitable position The reform introduces

MIS QMS and companyrsquos new restructuring and other associated jobs

Three employees who served EBG for 15 years were honored with Special Certificates and several employees from

the various businesses and support services of the company were awarded for Best Performances during the year

200607

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Tadesse Haile State Minister of the Ministry of Trade and Industry visited Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc and held discussions with senior members on issues pertaining to the activities of the factory Ato Ahmed Hassen General Manager of the Factory explained to the State Minister that the factory would make all efforts to produce quality products in large quantity so as to reduce import from abroad He however expressed his wish that the government reduces tax on raw materials which are essential for the production of soap and detergent

Ato Tadesse disclosed during the discussion that extensive studies that include soap industries in the country are underway with the aim to strengthen the chemical industry in which the concern would be addressed in the near future He further said that there is a plan to connect the various regions of the country to the port by

EBG was announced First Order Winner for Best Stand in the 12th International Millennium Trade Fair organized by the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations held at the Exhibition Center in February 2008

EBGrsquos stand was visited by large number of visitors including the honorable World Laureate Metre Artist Afework Tekle who not only showed interest in the products and services of EBG but also expressed his appreciation to the Company in his comments while signing in the Special Guest Book

EBG Awarded for Best Stand

Star Soap and Detergent Factory Visited

The Most Honorable Maritre World Laureate Artist

Afework Tekle signing in the Visitors Book at the Trade Fair

Ato Tadesse Haile visiting the Production Unit with Ato Ahmed Hassen General Manager and Ato Seid Ahmed Plant Manager of the Factory

rail within the coming five years for the speedy delivery of export and import of goods which will have a great impact on sales

Ato Tadesse Haile finally appreciated the activities of the factory and said that Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc is capable of being a model in the sector and wished the lsquoBest of Luckrsquo for the management and the staff and affirmed that his Ministry would always support on all their endeavors

Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc is a member of the MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group established at an investment capital of Birr 80 million The factory is one of the biggest in the sector and equipped with the latest machinery and manufactures best quality laundry and toilet soaps liquid and synthetic detergents powder and bar soaps

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the most dedicated health care professionals and support staff SalaM Employees Clinic the Clinic that provides health care services to employees of MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group Companies and affiliates in its efforts to upgrade and improve its services has added to its modern list of medical equipment a Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor an advanced medical equipment Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor is one of the new advanced machineries that the clinic acquired recently which is used for the diagnosis of refraction errors of the eye

The Clinic provides medical and surgical services with sub-specialists in gynecological ophthalmological dermatological and ENT employing advanced diagnostic equipment such as radiography endoscopy and colonoscopy supported by video camera ultrasound and ECG Machines It has a well stocked pharmacy with essential medicines and also provides laboratory diagnostic services

The Clinic recently has moved from its previous location to a large and ideal villa with more rooms and a convenient location near the Genet Hotel and is open 24 hours

SalaM Employees Clinic was established by Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi in 1996 for employees of the Investment Group with an investment capital of over Birr 4 million under the SalaM Health Care Plc He later on increased the investment a lot more

Apart from providing services to the employees of the MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group SalaM Employees Clinic is rendering efficient services to the public as well

Dr Amare Abebe Medical Director of the clinic conducting an examination using endoscopy machine

Employees Clinic Secures Equipment

The Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor which the clinic acquired recently

The front view of the Clinic

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Three delegates from Ethiopia Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu MIDROC Ethiopia Training Director Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch Ato Asfaw Alemu Credit Manager of Dashen Bank attended the International Society of Business Economics and Ethics World Congress under the theme ldquoGlobal Fairness Local Integrityrdquo held in Cape Town from July 13 ndash 20 2008 and organized by BEN-Africa

The ISBEE World Congress is held every four years and is affectionately referred to as the Olympics of Business Ethics It always succeeds in attracting the best minds in the field of ethics of business and economics This yearrsquos Congress was attended by over 400 participants from all corners of the world Top notch world speakers among others Prof Mervyn E King SC Prof Deon Rossow Prof Joka Iwao Prof Georges Enderle Prof Paul Collies and Prof Tom Donaldson attended the Congress and over 80 papers were presented in three plenary sessions on topical international business issues

Ethiopian Delegation Participates at World ISBEE World Congress

Participants of ISBEE Congress Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu (left) Ato Lulseged Teferi (middle) Ato Asfaw Alemu

A Special Certificate of Recognition was awarded to Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu of MIDROC Ethiopia Prof Deon Rossow ndash former President of BEN-Africa and Ms Korien Sander the outgoing Executive Secretary of BEN-Africa

Emeritus Prof Johannes in his brief statement after receiving the certificate said that he accepted the certificate on behalf of those institutions and individuals in Ethiopia who have been behind the BEN-Africa Conference held in Ethiopia

It is to be recalled that MIDROC Ethiopia Corporate Office Dashen Bank the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch and Ato Teklu Haile Manager of Treasury Finance and Accounting of MIDROC Ethiopia played a great role for the successful completion of the ldquo7th Annual BEN-Africa Conferencerdquo held in Addis Ababa in August 2007

 Tiret Sept 2008

MIDROC Ethiopia is involved in the development of

mining and exploration of gold building of heavy mining

industries in central and eastern parts of the country

like cement plants filler plants etc Coal exploration is

also a potential area that is being explored by different

companies including MIDROC Ethiopia for use in the

cement plant power generation and fertilizer Soda ash

being used as a major input in glass soap detergent and

other industrial input is also one area of mining A lot of

investors are involved in gemstones

In an effort to exploit these resources and put them

to good use for the development of Ethiopia one of

MIDROC Ethiopia Group Companies the National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) has since its establishment in

March 1993 been actively engaged in the exploration of

gold and base metals in the various parts of the country

ldquoIt is worth noting that the mineral wealth of Ethiopia is

not fully tapped yet and needs to be given due attention

as it can be the backbone of the economy together with

agriculturerdquo says Ato Melaku Beza CEO of National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) He assertively told TIRET in

an interview at his office regarding the activities and

contributions of NMiC to the mining industry and that

his Company is working hard for a better achievement as

it has commemorated its 15th anniversary recently

He said that NMiC is currently engaged in the exploration

of gold base metals at Dawa Digati and Werri areas in the

Oromia and Tigray Administrative Regions and base metals

in Dire Dawa and Benshangul Gumuz Administrative

Regions It is also engaged in mining of marble and

limestone processing of quarried blocks and on the way

to develop the Abiyata Soda Ash in Southern Ethiopia

The Company in its venture in the development of Soda

Ash has embarked upon a joint investment agreement

with the Public Enterprise Supervising Agency (PPESA)

for a 54 percent share in which PPESArsquos 46 percent share

dilutes while NMICrsquos share shall increase in the process of

implementing tasks set in two phases

Mining Corporation on the Move

Ato Melaku Beza CEO NMiC

Dawa Digati Gold exploration drilling

The potential of the mining industry for the development of the Ethiopian economy is immense as witnessed by the ongoing development activities in the country This includes exploration of petroleum in the Ogaden Gambela and other areas by different companies exploration of gold in different parts of the country and potash exploration in Dallol where there is an estimated of 160 millions of tons of proven reserves

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Melaku stated that NMIC has invested Birr

160817912 (one hundred sixty million eight hundred

seventeen thousand nine hundred twelve) for exploration

and mining activities adding that the size of investment for

soda ash will be in the order of Birr 1150000000 (one

billion one hundred fifty million)

The first phase will cost Birr 640000000 (six hundred

forty million) and the second phase will be Birr 500000000

(five hundred million)

National Mining Corporation Plc is a pioneer in opening

and developing quarrying of marble and limestone using

the latest technology in the field Currently the Companyrsquos

Boka Marble Quarry has six benches and more than

twelve faces that are being worked out at Boka quarry

in the Benshangul Administrative Region In the process

it provides training to quarry workers of other quarry

owners thereby contributing to the development of the

mining culture

The General Manager explained about the processing and

marketing of his Companyrsquos products and said that his

Company applies modern technologies and deploys the

latest equipment in mining that meet export standards

engaging in open pit mining and tunneling for underground

mining which is unique not only in Ethiopia but also in

Africa He further articulated that the Company mines one

of the best quality marble in the industry as evidenced in

Boka multicolor marble once nominated as ldquoThe Stone

of the Yearrdquo by the Marble Institute of America (MIA)

while the blue marble has entered the world market by

a new name ldquoSummer Skyrdquo and is currently being sold

in Italy Samples of both have been tested and analyzed in

American Testing Companies and European Universities

and have proved to be of high quality and suitable both

for internal and external use in the construction industry

These two marbles are unique and are found only in

Ethiopia Also the limestone is of unique colors yellow

white and red which have high demand in the market

The CEO said that the special quality of his Companyrsquos

product that attracts international market is the

uniqueness of the material its beauty (aesthetics) and its

non-absorbent and compact nature

The company has the capacity to supply the export market

with the required quality and size of blocks and slabs both

white and blue marble Export markets include Taiwan

China Italy France USA Africa and the Middle East

In order to improve quality additional modern

state-of-the-art quarry machinery has been injected in the

quarry Plan is underway to replace the old machinery at

the processing plant The Company is also producing its

own ldquoabrasiverdquo used for polishing marble using locally

available minerals and materials

Awash Processing Plant

Blocks at Block Yard

Slabs at Slab Yard in the Awash Processing Plant

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

NMiC holds 40 of the local market share in the construction industry Lots of buildings have been cladded by NMiCrsquos products The Sheraton Addis Bole International Airport Terminal Sunshine Multipurpose Building National Bank of Ethiopia Federal Police Headquarters AUrsquos Building Head Office and the Secretary Generalrsquos Residence Ethiopian Insurance Corporation Worbek Building the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Patriarchrsquos Palace and UNCA Building are some the major buildings in Addis Ababa which are finished with NMiCrsquos products

National Mining Corporation Plc is one of the competent companies in Ethiopia and has contributed to the economy of the country by way of generating hard currency from its exports and saving foreign currency by competing and blocking imports of dimension stones from abroad One word it has added to the Ethiopian economy an amount of over Birr 5000000000 (fifty million) in tax royalties and land rent

NMiC has made valuable studies on the mineral potential areas of the country in dimension stones oil and gas mineral water coal and industrial minerals It has also made sound participation in the employment and training of manpower to the mining sector and has encouraged foreign investors to be involved in exploration of oil and gas and other minerals NMiC provides free training in its quarries and processing plant to new local enterprises coming to the sector The company provides potable water electricity medical services and other financial assistance to the community of its mining areas and has set up HIVAIDS policy for the Company to curb the spread of the pandemic and provides care and support for

those living with the virus

Tunnel Jet Belt Quarrying the latest technology in use at the Eshet Blue Quarry

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

a) Finalizing the work on the exploration phase of the gold and base metals projects both at Dawa Digati and Werri which shall lead to feasibility study and production stage

b) Developing Eshet Blue and Boka Multicolor marble quarries and strengthen export to increase income of foreign currency

c) Supplying blocks to local factories

d) Replacement of machinery at Awash Processing Plant especially to boost production and quality

e) Improve the life of the working force through profit sharing and availing better facilities together with upgrading their knowledge through training

f) Implement the Soda Ash development project

The priority areas of NMiC in its future plan include among others

Asked finally if he was satisfied with his Companyrsquos achievements Ato Melaku Beza CEO of NMiC replied ldquoNot much we could do betterrdquo

Nmic Products

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

ldquoA journey of a thousand miles starts with a single steprdquo

goes the famous Chinese saying as for Bauer MIDROC it

all started 10 years ago with the foundation work of the

construction of the MIDROC Corporate Office (MCO)

commonly known as Nani Building With a single project

at hand Bauer Specialtifbau a German Company ventured

into the slowly budding private construction industry

in equal partnership with MIDROC Ethiopia Although

a small scale business venture in the eyes of both giant

partners MIDROC Ethiopia and Bauer Specialtifbau it

created vast opportunities to the construction sector

with the introduction of a state-of-the-art German based

foundation technology to the Ethiopian market The

miniature move of the two giants opened up a gateway

of possibilities and marked a new construction era for

Ethiopia Over the years changes in shareholders has

led to the current name ldquoMIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plcrdquo with the state-of-the-art foundation solutions still in

place

Several limitations in dealing with unfavorable soil

conditions frequently encountered within Ethiopiarsquos

diverse geological formations most abundantly the

problematic black cotton soil within the city of Addis

Ababa and other parts of the country brought about

several technical barriers when it came to building

massive civil structures Building highrises as well as

massive bridges was inconceivable unless capable soil was

in close vicinity MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with

the introduction of deep foundations based on advanced

and efficient technologies in the construction industry

no doubt brought about remarkable solutions and helped

ease some of these anxieties

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with its fleets of large

diameter drilling rigs and variety of drilling tools capable of

both soil and hard soil formations has made economical

foundation solutions a reality offering developers the

confidence to build high rise buildings without worrying

about the type of soil in Addis Ababa The expertise of

Dedicated Backing for MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is gradually changing

the cityrsquos skyline with the construction of the completed

MCO Building AICAIB Headquarters and KK Building

both to be completed soon and all standing above 20

stories

Entering the city limits through the skyways one can notice

that the Bole Airport has received an entire facelift with

the construction of the International Passenger Terminal

Airport Control Towers the new Cargo Terminal and the

Maintenance Hanger The only thing these landmarks share

other than ownership is that they owe their existence to

foundation solutions of MIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plc As we enter the city limits also the Bole Viaduct

and all the overpasses on the Addis Ababa Ring Road are

comfortably resting still with the construction of the deep

piles by MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc

Drilling of pile with casing

 Tiret Sept 2008

Parallel to pile construction as verification of the

constructed pile capacities is common practice in the

foundation construction industry MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc equipped with the state-of-the-art

automated pile load testing system has recently conducted

1300 metric tons load test at the Derba MIDROC Cement

Factory Project the first of this magnitude in the African

Continent

The introduction of vertical shoring wall systems that

uses reinforced concrete piles and tie back anchors which

is gaining popularity in recent years is another type of

foundation technology solutions made possible in Ethiopia

through MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos expertise

Prior to these shoring system solutions land owners

could not fully utilize their plots at the boundaries for fear

of catastrophic cave-in In fact in most cases plot owners

avoided under ground construction in order to avoid

litigation with next door land owners The utilization of

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos vertical shoring pile

wall system was proposed and implemented in the cases

of Bole Towers and Loli Building In both cases all sides of

the plot were shored exactly at the boundaries without

any land loss In fact the clients gained underground spaces

in the order of two to three times their plot size for

possible parking purpose This has provided developers

with solutions clearing their lumbers from additional

costs for parking facilities

Pile load testing

In line with the construction boom within Addis Ababa

developers are opting to construct on boundary edges

where heavy structures already exist in adjacent plots

In order to excavate at these boundaries the safest and

most economical foundation solution system is shoring

pile wall system These systems were employed at Awash

Bank and Insurance Building KK Building and Orchid

Building

For realization of structures that have to be constructed

below the natural ground water level and or near offshore

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc has construction

approaches that employ waterproof vertical shoring

systems and several options to choose from within

the framework of technical feasibility of foundation

engineering The construction of Diaphragm Wall

Cellular Cofferdam Sheet Pile Wall and Secant

Pile Wall are such solutions to name a few The cost

of construction and the time required for executing the

works is in the order listed above

Anchored pile shoring wall

Foundation Solution

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the equipment already available in the country

MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc has tabled and

implemented an economical and technically feasible

secant pile wall system solution for bridge projects

within Ethiopia If it was not for MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plcrsquos geotechnical solutions construction under

such conditions would have been technically impossible

throughout East Africa

Unlike other options construction of secant pile wall as

waterproof vertical shoring system is not limited to the

soil condition of the site The construction of such high

tech geotechnical engineering solutions by the Company

have been successfully applied on projects like the Omo

River Bridge and on the New Abay Bridge Projects The

application of the secant pile wall system was used for the

construction of the pier foundation on both sides of the

Bridge on the Omo River Bridge Project and one side pier

foundation construction of the New Abay Bridge Project

During the construction of the Omo River Bridge

foundation and substructure works other logistic

challenges non-related to foundation works was

encountered The West Pier and Abutment on the Omo

River Bridge created such a technical impasse On this

side one of the most difficult challenges was to solve the

problem of crossing equipment and construction material

across the 150 m wide river After carefully considering all

the possible alternatives a decision was made to design and

manufacture a water crossing barge using local expertise

and manufacturing capabilities MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc took part in the design manufacturing and

commissioning of this barge and has successfully crossed

a 503 ton drilling rig and other earth moving equipment

With nearly twenty projects within Ethiopia MIDROC

Foundation Specialists Plc is a pioneer in exporting

foundation technology to neighboring Kenya Tanzania

and the Sudan In-house trained Ethiopian experts have

Crossing of drilling rig on Omo River through Barge

 Tiret Sept 2008

Secant pile wall

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Mr Achim Braun General Manager of MIDROC Foundation (left) inspecting a construction site

left their marks on several key projects within those

countries Among the projects successfully carried out in

Tanzania the Songo Songo Offshore Piling Project was the

most challenging and rewarding of all In this Project sixty

per cent of the piles were constructed from a SEWP (Self

Elevating Working Platform) elevated 13 meters from the

sea bed

As the company commemorates the tenth anniversary of

its establishment it is only proper to mark the outstanding

contributions to the construction industry of Ethiopia The

efficiency of the Company and the technology employed

has resulted in creating a broad awareness of foundation

technological solutions in the country particularly

among developers In terms of the spectrum of available

techniques of foundation the projects undertaken so

far are only a tip of the iceberg Although the Company

was confronted with a number of challenges in changing

attitudes and practices the success achieved so far has

been accomplished with great efforts exerted by the

companyrsquos management and its diligent professionals in

the field

Being the only Class I Foundation Specialist Contractors

in the country MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc is now

determined to leap ahead to new and yet un-introduced

foundation construction technologies such as micro 

piles  high  pressure  injection  diaphragm 

walls  slope  protection  and  soil  nailing  As

the countries infrastructure development continues to

reach higher levels MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is

preparing itself to meet the current customer demands

and technological challenges

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Statistics reveal that the country continues to earn hard currency from export of primary commodities such as coffee which tops the list by fetching some 500 million dollars last financial year

Other commodities are hides and skin flowers pulses fruits vegetables and chat

Incidentally it is interesting to note that Chat has fetched over 60 million dollars in foreign currency last fiscal year

The chewing of chat leaves is common in the horn of Africa but in eastern Ethiopia it is big business for some and big worry for others Chat is a major agricultural crop Yet many say it is addictive and harmful to health

In a town where I grew up for instance it is hard to avoid the impact of the stimulant leaf The first thing that strikes you in the main market is the deafening noise The market square is a scene of total chaos as you make your way through a bustling crowd preoccupied with the business of bartering for a prized commodity- the green leafed plant chat

Awadaye market is a market for chat It is estimated that over 25000 kg pass through it daily The buyers and sellers take their jobs seriously shouting to one other They gesture excitedly as they trade thousands of birr daily for the chat which is bought from the local farmers in Awadaye and sent to other areas in Ethiopia It is also exported overseas It is said to be the backbone of the economy as it can be gathered from the revenue it has generated during the current physical year

If you compare chat farmers with other farmers in other parts of the country you will see that their standard of living is so much better

The employment created though chat cultivation is very high as large numbers of people are involved in growing harvesting sorting packing transporting loading and unloading the commodity The wood of the plant is used for fuel and because of its resistance to termites it is also used to make fences Chat is also believed to have medical value being used locally to treat influenza and asthma

Chat farmers used to grow maize sorghum and teff which is the basic Ethiopian staple food but these crops are difficult to grow as they require lots of rain and attention

while chat requires little water or cultivation That is why it is widely believed that its cultivation is expanding at an amazing rate

Chat has now become Ethiopiarsquos biggest export third only to coffee and hides and skin But despite the cash earning and the tradition of chat growing and use among the people many people do not encourage it

They believe that it is addictive and this has a negative impact on the community They allege that people forget about their work commitments and spend hours chewing chat The number of users of chat is increasing particularly among the youth

In urban areas the use of chat combined with alcohol is having an adverse effect on family life Many students chew chat because they say it increases their concentration when they study their lessons

However in some regions where it is widely cultivated business punctuality is a frequent problem as the time after lunch is usually spent chewing chat Even in some regions where the plant has been banned cultivation and usage continue and attempts to replace chat with cash crops like coffee have failed

Regardless of the merit or demerit of chat the country continues to get the much needed hard currency through export of the plant ldquochatrdquo

However many people including development agents are of the opinion that the demerit far out weighs the merit for energy and time is spent chewing the stuff and particularly its negative impact on health especially on the productive force

Another very lucrative business in Ethiopia is the export of leather and leather goods According to recent data export of leather and leather goods registered a surge from 52 million dollars to over 90 million dollars Incidentally ELICO one of MIDROC Ethiopia group companies dealing with finished leather products fetched last financial year over 10 million dollars

In the light of considerable income accrued from export of primary commodities there is a need to do even more by way of establishing more agro-industries that engage in the production of agricultural products for sale locally and internationally

Earning from Export of Primary CommoditiesBy Yohannes Ruphael

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The Third Private Sector Development National Conference ndash 2008 of Ethiopia took place in Addis Ababa on June 30 2008 ndash at the UNECA Conference Center and the draft strategy document and priority strategic issues for improved business environment were discussed by representatives of the Private Sector Development Hub established with basic objectives of coordinating and developing a series of public sector development intervention projects for implementation with international financial support and undertaking related research studies to support the business community in its public and private partnership dialogue The Conference was addressed by an internationally renowned and distinguished authority on Corporate Governance Prof Mervyn E King SC

The Editorial Team of TIRET has taken advantage of communicating with Professor Mervyn E King SC to share his views briefly with our readers

Professor Mervyn E King SC is currently Professor Extraordinaire at the University of South Africa and serves as the Chairperson of the King Committee on Corporate Governance in South Africa He is a Senior Counsel and former Judge of the Supreme Court of South Africa His other credentials include Member of the World Bank Advisory Group on Corporate Governance President of the Commonwealth Association of Corporate Governance Governor of the International Corporate Governance Network President of the South Africa Chamber of Business Vice President of the Institute of Directors of Southern Africa Representatives of South Africa at the International Chamber of Commerce Advisor of Asian Center of Corporate Governance Director of Global Reporting Initiative-Amsterdam Director of Association of business Administrators of South Africa

At the Millennium National Private Sector Development Conference in Addis Ababa recently I spoke about corporate governance in the development of the private sector

Corporate governance is about the principles and practices which guide directors and senior managers in making their decisions to the best interests of their companies It has to be separated from the enterprise side of the business which is about making business judgment calls It is essential that directors and senior managers adopt acceptable principles and practices in steering and directing the company and making business judgment It is about the quality of this governance rather than a quantitative check on whether there has been compliance by the directors and managers with well-known governance practices such as the establishment of a remuneration committee

In my talk I pointed out that the economic value of a company does not equal its book value In Coca Cola for example its book value is approximately 13 of its economic value and its greatest asset is its brand which is dependent on

 Tiret Sept 2008

the companyrsquos reputation Consequentially directors and senior managers of Coca Cola have a duty to protect the companyrsquos brand

In planning for a company the strategic direction needs to be done both short- and long-term If a strategy is developed in which all persons in the corporation at all levels buy-in one can get ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things Unless this is done not even extraordinary people will achieve ordinary things

The important thing for directors to remember is that they have won and maintained the trust and confidence of the stakeholders of the company Consequently they should report at least annually how the company has both positively and negatively affected a communityrsquos economic life through its operations and how it is going to enhance those positive aspects and eradicate or ameliorate the negative aspects in the year ahead

Good governance involves inter alia the approval by the board of the strategy of the company and sustainability can no longer be ignored in developing a long-term strategy

The Private Sector Development Hub (PSD-Hub) has the objective to contribute to the economic development of Ethiopia by improving the entrepreneurial environment and the governance of corporations Consequently the PSD-Hub has held Conferences over the last two years focusing on these issues and on the question of public private partnerships There has also been discussion about expediting the registration of companies the standardization of accounting and auditing capitalization and the finalization of the revision of the Ethiopian Commercial Code Corporate governance has featured prominently in these discussions

Arising out of all the modernization of the registration of companies in Ethiopia has been recognized as a priority

Accounting and auditing standards which should follow IFRS should have legal backing so that everyone in Ethiopia will know the meaning of the reported financial statements

The development of a securities market including an exchange in which not only equities but bonds and derivatives can be bought and sold with the dematerialisation of scrip and electronic settlement is essential

From the above it will be seen that there is much to be done but Ethiopia is striving through the PSD Hub to create platforms on which it can forge ahead in our flat electronic world where capital flows towards those areas where there is good governance and well-regulated markets The Conference at which I spoke was just another step in Ethiopiarsquos endeavours to achieve these goals Positively the essential aspects for creating an entrepreneurial and thriving business environment have been identified and PSD Hub the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other interested bodies are working in partnership with government to achieve them

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Itrsquos a ridiculous

l a n g u a g e rdquo

sputtered the

Englishman at

the next table

his jowls shaking

in anger ldquoA ridiculous languagerdquo

We were sitting in a tiny tea-and-pie shop in Criccieth a

town in northern Wales and everybody but us was speaking

Welsh Like a remarkable number of his countrymen this

man was convinced it was merely a secret code employed

by the local to talk behind the backs of English visitors

ldquoJust you watchrdquo he said ldquoAs soon as we leave theyrsquoll all

go back to speaking Englishrdquo

I rather doubted it And unlike the Englishman I was

thrilled to encounter one of the oldest languages in

Europe a tongue heard in this misty and mountainous

land since the arrival of Roman legions

Being surrounded by people speaking an unfamiliar and

exotic language is to me one of the best things about

travel Just as some people will journey to the Serengeti

to glimpse the rare and endangered white rhino Irsquoll happily

go far out of my way to hear a rare and endangered

language

In the storybook city of Carcassonne in southwest France

I was less thrilled at seeing the towers and turrets than

I was at meeting a man who could speak Occitan the

ancient and fast-vanishing language of the troubadours

As far as I was concerned the most fascinating thing in

Dangriga a coastal town in Belize was the mellifluous

sound of Garifuna a language spoken by the descendants

of shipwrecked slaves from West Africa I once traveled

to Graubunden in eastern Switzerland in the hope of

hearing Romansch a tongue spoken by fewer than one

percent of the nationrsquos residents and said to resemble

Latin I encountered a few signs in the language but no

one who could speak it

According to one oft-cited estimate at least half the

worldrsquos 6000 languages are likely to die out by the end

of this century which means that one is going silent on

average every two weeks

Itrsquos not merely a matter of using different words to express the same thoughts Languages are literally the expressions of cultures and belief systems entirely different ways of making sense of the world And just as we should be concerned about the shrinking diversity of plant and animal species we should also worry about the shrinking diversity of languages

Welsh though seems to be holding on despite 700 years

of efforts by the English to exterminate it The BBC has for

some years now carried television and radio programming

in the language and in Wales itrsquos possible to receive your

entire education from preschool to postgraduate in

Welsh About 20 percent of Walesrsquo population speaks

Welsh and the number appears to be growing slightly

It is not as the Englishman said a ridiculous language But

it is to my eyes and ears a wonderfully strange one Dave

Barry once wrote that the ancient Hawaiians arrived on

their islands after perilous canoe voyages in seas so rough

their consonants fell overboard My guess is that the

letters drifted the worldrsquos oceans until they washed up on

the shores of Wales

T h e   B e a u t y   o f   a   L a n g u a g e

 Tiret Sept 2008

How else to explain for example the Welsh word for

beer Itrsquos cwrw It looks like my Scrabble tray when I

donrsquot have a word to pay (In case you ever need to order

one itrsquos pronounced ldquokooroordquo)

And then therersquos the vexing pronunciation of the double-

1 you find at the beginning of it seems two-thirds of the

town names in Wales ldquoJust put your teeth together and

hiss like a duckrdquo explained a helpful woman I met at the

Dylan Thomas Museum in Swansea She also pointed out

that Llareggub the fictional town in Thomasrsquo ldquoUnder the

Milkwood Treerdquo is merely ldquobugger allrdquo spelled backward

I like the besotted poet a whole lot more after learning

that

One dark and drizzly night I went to a little schoolhouse in

the Rhondda Valley to listen to a rehearsal of the Treorchy

Menrsquos Choir made up mostly of unemployed coal miners

ldquoIn the old daysrdquo one of them told me ldquowe used to sing

together in the pitsrdquo

When they opened their mouths to sing as one in Welsh

all the snarky little comments about their language become

moot It was simply one of the most hauntingly beautiful

sounds Irsquove even heard

I got a lesson in the politics of minority languages recently

when I visited Montreal the capital of French ndash speaking

Canada I hadnrsquot been there since a childhood visit to

Exporsquo67 and I remember the province as decidedly

bilingual Everything from traffic signs to toothpaste

tubes was printed in French and English No more A

law passed in 1977 banned the use of English in signs

throughout Quebec Itrsquos an attempt to do linguistically

what they failed for two centuries to do militarily prevent

the English from conquering them

Theyrsquore quite serious about this Hudson Bay Co the

venerable department store chain that dates back to the

fur-trading days is now known as Compagnie de la Baie

drsquoHudson at least in these parts Kentucky Fried Chicken

outlets arenrsquot allowed to use ldquoKFCrdquo on their signs In

Quebec theyrsquore called ldquoPFKrdquo for Poulet Frit Kentucky

The Quebecois are more vigilant even than their famously

Anglophobic counterparts in Paris All stop signs here say

Arret even though the ones in France say ldquoStoprdquo

It all seemed a little silly and excessive to me until I began

talking to French-speaking Montrealers about it ldquoYou

have to understand that wersquore surrounded by English

speakersrdquo a schoolteacher told me ldquoWe have to be very

firm about defending our language or it will disappear

And when it goes so does our way of life

Signs aside most French Canadians I met were bilingual

I quickly discovered that if I first made atleast a fumbling

attempt to speak their language almost everybody was

happy to switch to English ndash very possibly to spare

themselves the trauma of hearing my phrase-book

French which sounds like someone grinding the gears

of an old Citroen ldquoWe have nothing against Englishrdquo the

schoolteacher told me ldquoItrsquos just that we want to speak

French hererdquo

Vive la differenceJohn Flinn -Travel Editor

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Scale up of HIV Prevention Treatment Care and Support Requires Renewed Leadership and Resources

The 17th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) took place in Mexico City from August 3 -8 2008 with an assessment of the situation of the global epidemic at a panel of researchers public health and civil society leaders examined recent progress towards the scale up of treatment and prevention programmes and called for sustained action to eliminate the barriers to universal access

ldquoDespite the progress we have made we are not on course to meet universal access targets and in fact appear to be slipping away from our existing commitmentsrdquo said Dr Pedro Cahn International Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and President of the International AIDS Society and Fundacioacuten Hueacutesped in Buenos Aires Argentina ldquoIt appears that we are poised to accept defeat when victory is still within our grasp Our failure to meet those commitments will have an impact on millions of lives This cannot be allowed to happen It is time for nations to live up to their commitmentsrdquo

ldquoWith only two years to go until the 2010 deadline for universal access set by world leaders we must redouble our commitment to scaling up all proven HIV prevention strategiesrdquo said Dr Luiacutes Soto Ramiacuterez Local Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and Head of the Molecular Virology Unit at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Meacutedicas y Nutricioacuten Salvador Zubiriaacuten and Coordinator of the Clinical Care Committee of CONASIDA Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council ldquoThe fact that last year 27 million people were newly infected with HIV a disease that is entirely preventable is unacceptablerdquo

Dr Jaime Sepulveda (Mexico) founder of Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council who is now with the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation noted that attention to and resources for AIDS are at all-time high including substantially increased funding for the Global Fund and the US Presidentrsquos Emergency Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief According to Sepulveda reaching the goal of 3 million people in low and middle-income countries on treatment at the end of 2007 was a critical step forward but the world has only scratched the surface of possibilities in responding to the epidemic Greater resources more effectively spent and targeted where they can have the greatest effect would have a dramatic impact on the course of the epidemicrsquos Highlighting the fact that more people become infected

with HIV last year than began treatment Sepulveda called for radically increased investments in prevention research evaluation and delivery of services as well as accelerated research on promising prevention methods including a vaccine In conclusion he reiterated that political leadership from all countries and accountability at all levels are essential for stopping the epidemic

Citing the results in both treatment and prevention scale up in countries with sustained leadership such as Rwanda and Tanzania Alex Coutinho (Uganda) of the Infectious Disease Institute of Makerere University made a passionate call for greater leadership as a path toward meeting the challenges ahead In looking at progress to date Coutinho highlighted increased access to HIV testing and counseling to prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and to pediatric care and treatment as well as the effectiveness of male circumcision as a prevention intervention In contrast he noted that most countries will not achieve universal access by 2010 and that the majority of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are still unaware of their HIV status In his call to action Coutinho urged greater investment in prevention and financial resources flexible enough to support health systems and systems that reach into rural and other hard-to-reach areas and fully embrace PLHIV as partners He also urged outreach to and support of marginalized and at-risk communities as well as the greater involvement of PLHIV as a catalyst for change

Elisabet Fadul (Dominican Republic) of the Dominican Network for Youth RightsGlobal Youth Partners outlined a broad and urgent youth HIVAIDS agenda calling for comprehensive rights ndash and evidence-based plans to provide access for young people Highlighting the 40 of new infections worldwide among young people between the ages of 15-24 Fadul noted that HIV prevention and treatment programmes are failing to effectively reach young people with the most vulnerable and marginalized being stigmatized criminalized or forgotten by many of these programmes

To reverse this course she called for actions and policies that engage youth especially young people living with HIVAIDS as respected partners in developing and implementing programmes that forthrightly address their

needs and diversity

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Note from the Editor In-Chief

The Ethiopian Millennium which we have just concluded has been an eventful year for all of us at MIDROC Ethiopia

We hope that the Third Millennium will be a time of renewal and of major social and economic transformation of our

country We look to the future with a lot of hope that the times to come will enable us to get rid of the scourges of

poverty and under-development so that every citizen of our country will be able to lead a life of relative abundance

and achieve human fulfillment

In this issue of TIRET we have highlighted some of the major activities of MIDROC Ethiopia Group Companies that

are of significant importance to the economic development of our country

The multi-million Birr loan agreement signed between Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi and the International Financial

Corporation (IFC) of the World Bank The African Development Bank (ADB) European Investment Bank and the

Development Bank of Ethiopia (DBE) to complete the remaining works of the expansion of Derba Cement Project is

a significant event to all MIDROC Ethiopia Group Companies

Such cooperative agreements will go a long way to further stimulate the construction sector by enabling Derba Cement

Project to produce cement in greater quantity and improved quality It is hoped that the shortage of cement now being

experienced in the country will be reduced greatly when the Derba Cement Factory becomes fully operational

Our other focus in this issue is the MIDROC Foundation Specialist Private Limited Company which is actively engaged

in foundation and structural works not only in Ethiopia but also in neighboring countries of Kenya Tanzania and

Sudan

The Editorial Team of TIRET would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Company on its Tenth Anniversary

and for its outstanding contribution to the construction industry in Ethiopia

We shall try our best to bring to our readers an overall picture of the activities of MIDROC Ethiopia Group Companies

We are also trying to make TIRET the best Corporate Magazine that will reflect the endeavors of our Chairman Sheikh

Mohammed H Al-Amoudi in contributing to the economic and social development of our country

We wish all readers of Tiret a Happy and Prosperous New Year    

 Tiret Sept 2008

Contents

TIRET means ldquoeffort in Amharic and is a Magazine produced from MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFYeshimebet Demissie

DEPUTY-EDITOR-IN-CHIEFAselefech Getachew

SECRETARIAL SERVICEHaimanot Negussie

PHOTOGRAPHYBiruk HailuTewodros AberaDegife Tekle

PUBLISHED BYThe Public Relations Department of MIDROC EthiopiaTel +251 11 371 12 77Fax +251 11 371 29 90POBox 6631Email midprethionetet

DESIGN amp PAGE LAYOUTCreative PowerPrinting amp ManufacturingTel +251 11 550 52 31 2 +251 11 550 38 28Fax +251 11 515 19 41 (Roots Africa)POBox 6631Addis Ababa EthiopiaEmail creativeaddisethionetet

COPYRIGHTSept 2008MIDROC EthiopiaAll rights reserved Reproduction in part and or whole is allowed with the written authorization of the publisher

MIDROCMohammed InternatioalDevelopment Research ampOrganisation Companies

MIDROC News and Briefs       7-29 Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi

signed the first loan agreement with an International and Local Financing Agencies the largest ever done in Ethiopia to help build a new Cement Plant at Derba that is meant to curb the current cement shortage in the country Full story appears in along

with updates of major activities of MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group in the last six months

Main Story      30-35ldquoIt is worth noting that the mineral wealth of Ethiopia is not fully tapped helliprdquo says CEO of National Mining Corporation Plc one of the MIDROC Group Companies and explains achievements of his Company as it commemorates its 15th anniversary Cover Story examines in detail the activities of NMiC in the mining Industry

In Focushellip      36-41In this issue TIRET deals with the remarkable construction solutions provided to developers by MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with the introduction of deep foundations based on advanced and efficient technologies in the construction industry

ldquoIncidentallyrdquo        43Yohannes Ruphael featuring on earnings from export of primary commodities brings to the attention of our readers his observations on the export of Chat

Writers Column    44-45Prof Mervyn E King an internationally renowned and distinguished authority in Corporate Governance addressed the National Private Sector Development Conference held in Addis Ababa recently He shares with our readers his views and experiences on the Conference

Axis       47-52Axis Column brings to light an interesting article by John Flinn a Travel Editor on the Beauty of a Language Also a report on the 17th International AIDS Conference that took place in Mexico is included

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi is positive that Derba

Project when completed would address the acute

shortage of cement in Ethiopia and will contribute greatly

to the sustainable economic development of the country

He earlier said that his main objective to build the project

is to reduce dependence on import and avail cement

in abundant quantity so that development in Ethiopia

continues in a sustainable way and expressed hope that

price of cement will reduce to an acceptable level so that

construction be affordable

The plant site with an area of about 123 hectares

accommodates the manufacturing plant including

related facilities such as workers residential complex

public amenities electrical power substation product

storage and dispatch areas The plant will be fed with

raw materials from the quarry in the Mugger Valley via

a 75 kms conveyor belt and a 175 km of treacherous

road both crossing a very difficult sloping terrain which

drops more than 850 m between the plant and quarry

sites The new road with its 120 m span bridge across

the Muger River will be the first and the only access that

connects the residents on both sides of the river

The Project will bring new or better infrastructural

services to the local population and will also be the largest

single source of investment in the country

Derba MIDROC Cement Plant integrates the latest

technology and when completed will have a cement

production capacity of 8000 tons per day or 25 million

tons per annum It is hoped that it will increase the

existing total domestic cement production capacity by at

least 15 times thus significantly reduce or eliminate the

present cement shortage in the country

When completed the plant is expected to create about

500 direct and 10000 indirect job opportunities

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi on behalf of Derba

MIDROC Cement Plc and Mr Sady M Zeidan Manager of

IFC of the World Bank along with the African Development

Bank(ADB) European Investment Bank and Development

Bank of Ethiopia (DBE) have signed on June 23 2008 at

the Sheraton Addis a USD 200 million loan agreement

to help build a new plant aimed at addressing the acute

cement shortage in Ethiopia

According to Mr Sady M Zeidan Manager of IFC the

loan represents IFCrsquos first investment in Ethiopia since

1989 and it is the largest ever in the country He also

said that the loan reflects IFCrsquos confidence in the local

private sector and aligned with IFCrsquos strategy to promote

investments in countries where the private sector is at

the early stage of development

The loan arrangement is a success achieved to bring on

board the International Private Sector Financing Agencies

to work with the Ethiopian Private Sector Developers

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi Owner and Sponsor

of MIDROC Derba Cement Plc has invested USD 151

million for the construction of the project

IFC - Derba MIDROC Sign Loan Agreement

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi and Mr Sady M Zeidan after

signing the loan agreement

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

In keeping with his desire to develop sports in the country Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi has once again generously donated Birr five million to the Ethiopian Olympic Committee as part of his boundless support to the development of Ethiopian sports to help the committee meet the cost of Ethiopian Athletics delegation to the Beijing Olympics

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi granted the Birr five million donation to the Ethiopian Olympic Committee at a ceremony held on May 27 2008 at the Sheraton Addis where the Ethiopian President Ato Girma WGiorgis and Ethiopian Prime Minister Ato Meles Zenawi and other high ranking government officials were in attendance

At the ceremony Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi was honored with a Special Award by the Ethiopian President Ato Girma WGiorgis for his unlimited contributions to the development of athletics in Ethiopia

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudirsquos enthusiasm for sports in general football in particular has earned him admiration from fans near and far The East and Central Africa Challenge Cup Tournament which is held every two years and financed by Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi the incentives he provides to young and upcoming footballers in the various local teams and his pledge to build a modern stadium in Addis Ababa are all testimonies of his devotion to the development of sports in Ethiopia

Officials of the Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council have paid tribute to Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi for his contributions to the success of historical events organized by the Moslem Community

At a ceremony organized on March 28 2008 by the Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council Millennium Office to thank all those who supported it in making the millennium celebrations a success Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi was honored with a Special Award by the Ethiopian President Ato Girma WGiorgis The Award was received by Dr Arega Yirdaw Chief Executive Officer of MIDROC Ethiopia Technology Group on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi Present on the occasion were high ranking Government Officials Ambassadors and other Dignitaries

Oromia Regional State Awarded Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi

The Martyrs Monument built in Adama town by a Birr 50000000 (fifty million) generous donation of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi was inaugurated on March 23 2008

Ato Abadula Gemeda President of Oromia Regional State at the inaugural ceremony awarded a Gold Medal to Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi which was received by Dr Arega Yirdaw Chief Executive Officer of MIDROC Ethiopia Technology Group on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi

Construction of the monument was undertaken by MIDROC Construction Ethiopia PlcHE Ato Abadula Gemeda President of Oromiya Regional State handing

over Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudirsquos Award to CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi Donates to the Ethiopian Olympic Committee

Supreme Council Pays Tribute to Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Derba MIDROC Cement Plc and the Ministry of Mines

and Energy on May 19 2000 signed a Birr 57212000 (fifty

seven million two hundred twelve thousand) agreement

for mining Limestone Marl Gypsum and Sandstone on

a large scale in the Muger Valley locality in North Shewa

Zone Oromia National Regional State

The Agreement was signed by HE Ato Alemayhu Tegenu

Minister of Mines and Energy and Sheikh Mohammed

H Al-Amoudi Owner and Chairman of MIDROC

Investment Group

According to the agreement the licensee has an exclusive

right for a large scale Limestone Marl Gypsum and

Sandstone mining for twenty years to be renewed for

ten years upon the request of the licensee The license

area covers 1928610 m2 of land and is anticipated to

produce 11665000 tons of Limestone 1166000 tons

of Marl 696000 tons of Gypsum and 11387000 tons of

Sandstone

The Project is expected to create job opportunities for

469 people

MIDROC Construction Ethiopia Plc and the Addis Ababa City Roads Authority (AACRA) signed a 6772 million Birr Contract Agreement for the construction of three roads in the city

Eng Fekadu Haile Manager of AACRA and Eng Shimelis Eshete Deputy General Manager of MIDROC Construction Ethiopia Plc signed the agreement on July 7 2008 on behalf of their respective companies

The contract covers a 191 km long of three roads namely Megenagna ndash Ayat 82 km long Gurd Shola ndash Summit Yeka Bole 82 km long and City Tip ndash Bisrate Gebriel Church 27 km long The Megenagna ndash Ayat road includes 14 m carriageway 55 m walkway and 2 m median while the other two roads include 10 m carriageway 45 m walkway and 1 m median each

These projects are expected to provide job opportunities for more than 1000 people

Derba MIDROC Signed Agreement

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi and Ato Alemayehu Tegenu exchanging the Agreement Document

Multi-Million Birr Contract Agreement Signed

 Tiret Sept 2008

MOHA Soft Drinks Industry SC a member of MIDROC

Ethiopia Investment Group has undertaken an expansion

project of Kool Mineral Water at Bure town in the

Amhara Regional State at a cost of over Birr 37 million

An agreement was signed in August 2008 between Ato

Alemayehu Tegenu Minister of Mines and Energy and Ato

Getachew Birbo CEO of MOHA Soft Drinks Industry SC

that provides a license for the expansion project which is

valid for ten years and renewable every five years to work

on a 5679978 sqm land

The factory which was acquired by MOHA four years ago

will have a capacity of producing 24 million cases of Kool

Mineral Water annually upon completion of the expansion

project MOHA has planned to produce 180320000

liters of mineral water in the coming ten years

According to CEO Getachew Birbo the company is

considering to export Kool Mineral Water as there is a

potentially rich market in the Middle East Countries

Since its establishment thirteen years ago MOHA has

invested over Birr 500 million (five hundred million birr)

in soft drinks factories located in different parts of the

country including Bure Kool Mineral Water Factory which

provided job opportunities for 2700 employees

MOHA has currently an annual production capacity

of 20 million cases from its six soft drinks factories at

Gonder Awassa Dessie Summit Plant (under contractual

agreement) and two plants in Addis Ababa covering 55

of the soft drinks demand in the country

Mini Cement Plant Begins Production

Dashen Cement Plant located in the outskirts of Dejen town North West of Amhara Regional State has been completed

and started producing cement recently

The mini plant is initially established to supply cement to private contractors and the government and to the construction

of the bigger Derba MIDROC Cement Project

Investment cost for Dashen Cement Plant stands at Birr 200000000 (two hundred million birr) and has a capacity of

producing 400 tons of cement per day

MOHA Undertakes Expansion Work

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The annual Customers Family and  Employees (company) Day initiated by the Chief Executive Officer of the MIDROC Ethiopia Technology Group was celebrated for the sixth time at the Millennium Hall on May 25 2008 in the presence of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi Chairman and Owner of MIDROC Ethiopia

According to MIDROC Technology Group the Annual Celebration of Customers Family and Employees (company) Day is held every year to acknowledge and show the gratefulness of the group to the Owners Customers Employees as well as Family Members for their contributions to the success of their respective companies

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi addressing at the celebration expressed his pleasure and gratitude and urged employees to work even harder and try to demonstrate more achievement CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw on his part articulated his appreciation to the employees for their efforts exerted for productivity and expressed hope that this hard work would be pronounced and developed in due course as a culture

Consequently 43 Best Customers of the MIDROC Ethiopia Technology Group both foreign and local were honored by Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi with Best Customers Award at the ceremony organized by the Technology Group at the Millennium Hall on May 25 2008

Wrt Etsehiwot Dinku Officer in Charge (OIC) for Production Marketing and Business Development Services at the Office of the CEO on the occasion presented a brief explanation of the products of each of the companies

Following the Sixth Annual Customers Family and Employees (company) Day Celebration Special Awards were presented to the Best Company and Best Performers of the year at the Millennium Hall in the presence of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi He addressed the gathering first and presented the Special Award to the Best Company of the Year Modern Building Industry (MBI) and the Best Performers Of The Year were also awarded

CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw on the occasion received a Special Award from the employees and families in the name of all the employees of the Group which he took from the hands of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi He was also awarded with a Special Certificate for his remarkable services in the Technology Group and other businesses of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi in the last ten years

Prior to Customers Family and Employees (company) Day the annual sports competition of employees of the Technology Group was carried out as part of the annual ceremony Winners in all competitions received gold bronze and silver medals from the hands of CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw

Customers Family and Employees (company) Day Commemorated

CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw receiving the Award from

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi

Mr Abdullah H Al-Amoudi receiving Best Foreign

Customers Award from the Chairman

 Tiret Sept 2008

The two days Second Annual ldquoOffsiterdquo Workshop where

CEOs and General Managers of the MIDROC Ethiopia

Technology Group took part was held on April 12 ndash 13

2008 at the Sheraton Addis Dr Arega Yirdaw Chief

Executive Officer of the Group opening the workshop

took into account the first Annual Workshop that was held

in Kombolcha and said that this yearrsquos venue provides more

opportunity for a considerable number of management

members to participate

While Dr Aregarsquos presentation to the Workshop focused

on ldquoEffective Marketing for Enhancement of

Business Developmentrdquo General Managers presented

comprehensive reports of their respective companies

MIDROC Ethiopia Training Department Holds Seminars

The MIDROC Ethiopia Training Department as part of  its  training activities holds various seminars for both senior managers and second level management tier every fiscal year During the last six months ldquoPositive Thinkingrdquo ldquoCorporate Social Responsibilitiesrdquo and ldquoICT Security and privacyrdquo were the issues for the seminars that the department carried out              

 Seminar on Positive Thinking

Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu Director of Training of MIDROC Ethiopia in his introductory remark on ldquoPositive Thinkingrdquo seminar that took place at the Sheraton Addis on April 11 2008 and attended by general managers and senior members of the Investment Group introduced the resource person Ato Robel Kidane as a ldquomotivational speakerrdquo and ldquolife-cycle trainerrdquo from Sweden

Emeritus Prof Johannes said that this topic is chosen because of a feeling that the current period and situations exhibited dynamic changes that were a burden to bear for many people who he said were ldquoeasily swayed to think negativelyrdquo He also quoted the Chairman and Owner of MIDROC Ethiopia Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi as saying ldquoWhat is the benefit of talking of bad

ldquoOffsiterdquo Workshop Held 

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Robel Kidane the resource person delivering his presentation at the seminar

 Tiret Sept 2008

The seminar for second level management personnel held on June 12 2008 on ICT Security and Privacy was attended by 31 participants from MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group Companies and the Head Office in the MIDROC Ethiopia Auditorium The seminar which was part of MIDROC Ethiopiarsquos attempt to keep abreast with ICT Development was opened by Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu who stressed in his brief remarks the need for concern to the protection of data and information and regulating the use of ICT

Also speaking on the occasion was Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting and Chairman of Training Committee who said that training helps to discover various means for success People he noted learn at work place and from challenges He stressed that the technology age called for adaptation of new thoughts and practices while requiring readiness to do ldquoWhat we can with what we haverdquo

The seminar which discussed various issues related to ICT was closed by Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu

 Seminar on ICT Security and Privacy

A view of participants of the seminar

things or difficulties onlyrdquo Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting of MIDROC Ethiopia and Chairman of Training Committee in his opening remark stated that positive thinking was a new scientific subject where investors CEOs and others in various capacities were inspired and motivated to create awareness to their colleagues and to remove all thoughts

of dark shadows from their minds He noted that positive thinking among CEOrsquos and subordinates was required and stressed that self-confidence was one of the prime factors for success in life and hence needed to be maintainedAto Robel Kidane covered a variety of interesting issues related to positive thinking in his presentation after which participants discussed on several importnat issues

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Teklu Haile opening the Seminar

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The seminar on ldquoCorporate Social Responsibilityrdquo

for second level management tier took place on March 27

2008 at the MIDROC Ethiopia Auditorium and attended

by 27 participants from 12 group companies

In accordance with the call to plant ldquoThree Trees in the Third Millenniumrdquo volunteers from MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group and Head Office on August 2007 replanted trees on the Entoto Mountain situated north of the capital city Addis Ababa It is to be recalled that members of MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group under the motto ldquo Two Trees in 2000 Ethiopian Millenniumrdquo have participated in planting trees at the same location last year

Organized again by the MIDROC Ethiopia Public Relations the call for replanting was enthusiastically received by volunteers who went back to the area to replace those trees planted by employees of the Investment Group last year and did not take root and withered

Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting supported and encouraged volunteers of MIDROC Ethiopia and reminded them of the saying - ldquoten thousand dedicated soldiers are better than one million dubious soldiersrdquo and appreciated all the volunteers for actively participating in the tree replanting activity

Seminar on Corporate Social Responsibility

Participants at the seminar Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu delivering his presentation

Volunteers going up the mountain for replanting

Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting Department of MIDROC Ethiopia and Chairman of Training Committee in his opening remarks stressed the importance of participation in community affairs by all Group Companies and cited Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi as a shinning example in playing an active

role in social activities He called on all to strive hard to change the negative image of the country and build a better Ethiopia free from poverty hunger and disease Various papers were presented ensuing fruitful discussions on the above issues

MIDROC Ethiopia Volunteers Participate in Replanting Trees

 Tiret Sept 2008

Equatorial Business Group General Manager Ato Tadelle

Teferra Deputy General Manager Ato Mekuria Ayele and

Automotive Business Senior Director Ato Daniel Seyoum

participated a weeklong Dealerrsquos Conference that was

staged in Cape Town South Africa in February this year

According to Ato Daniel Seyoum around 75 business

leaders from Europe the Middle East Asia and Africa

participated at the Conference Issues discussed included

regional international business concerns VOLVOrsquos strategy

development VOLVO CE business update introduction to

new VOLVO road machinery and other related business

matters Dealersrsquo Conference is an annual event to bring

together leaders in the VOLVO Construction Equipment

business from nearly all over the world for a pull effect

particularly to companies like EBG to provide further

opportunity in the Automotive Industry

EBG is an exclusive dealer in Ethiopia for VOLVO brand

products

Company Observes its 15th Anniversary

A group picture of Dealers Conference participants

EBGrsquos Managers Attended Dealers Conference

Equatorial Business Group (EBG) colorfully observed its 15th Anniversary on April 30 2008 Ato Tadelle Teferra

General Manager of the Company addressing the management and employees expressed gratitude and appreciation

to the Owners of the Company and to the Employees who worked hard since its establishment and urged all company

staff to work with an even more commitment and dedication

Ato Tadelle on the occasion disclosed the implementation of the reform packages that started recently and expressed

hope that the reform packages would bring EBG to a better competitive and profitable position The reform introduces

MIS QMS and companyrsquos new restructuring and other associated jobs

Three employees who served EBG for 15 years were honored with Special Certificates and several employees from

the various businesses and support services of the company were awarded for Best Performances during the year

200607

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Tadesse Haile State Minister of the Ministry of Trade and Industry visited Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc and held discussions with senior members on issues pertaining to the activities of the factory Ato Ahmed Hassen General Manager of the Factory explained to the State Minister that the factory would make all efforts to produce quality products in large quantity so as to reduce import from abroad He however expressed his wish that the government reduces tax on raw materials which are essential for the production of soap and detergent

Ato Tadesse disclosed during the discussion that extensive studies that include soap industries in the country are underway with the aim to strengthen the chemical industry in which the concern would be addressed in the near future He further said that there is a plan to connect the various regions of the country to the port by

EBG was announced First Order Winner for Best Stand in the 12th International Millennium Trade Fair organized by the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations held at the Exhibition Center in February 2008

EBGrsquos stand was visited by large number of visitors including the honorable World Laureate Metre Artist Afework Tekle who not only showed interest in the products and services of EBG but also expressed his appreciation to the Company in his comments while signing in the Special Guest Book

EBG Awarded for Best Stand

Star Soap and Detergent Factory Visited

The Most Honorable Maritre World Laureate Artist

Afework Tekle signing in the Visitors Book at the Trade Fair

Ato Tadesse Haile visiting the Production Unit with Ato Ahmed Hassen General Manager and Ato Seid Ahmed Plant Manager of the Factory

rail within the coming five years for the speedy delivery of export and import of goods which will have a great impact on sales

Ato Tadesse Haile finally appreciated the activities of the factory and said that Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc is capable of being a model in the sector and wished the lsquoBest of Luckrsquo for the management and the staff and affirmed that his Ministry would always support on all their endeavors

Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc is a member of the MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group established at an investment capital of Birr 80 million The factory is one of the biggest in the sector and equipped with the latest machinery and manufactures best quality laundry and toilet soaps liquid and synthetic detergents powder and bar soaps

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the most dedicated health care professionals and support staff SalaM Employees Clinic the Clinic that provides health care services to employees of MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group Companies and affiliates in its efforts to upgrade and improve its services has added to its modern list of medical equipment a Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor an advanced medical equipment Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor is one of the new advanced machineries that the clinic acquired recently which is used for the diagnosis of refraction errors of the eye

The Clinic provides medical and surgical services with sub-specialists in gynecological ophthalmological dermatological and ENT employing advanced diagnostic equipment such as radiography endoscopy and colonoscopy supported by video camera ultrasound and ECG Machines It has a well stocked pharmacy with essential medicines and also provides laboratory diagnostic services

The Clinic recently has moved from its previous location to a large and ideal villa with more rooms and a convenient location near the Genet Hotel and is open 24 hours

SalaM Employees Clinic was established by Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi in 1996 for employees of the Investment Group with an investment capital of over Birr 4 million under the SalaM Health Care Plc He later on increased the investment a lot more

Apart from providing services to the employees of the MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group SalaM Employees Clinic is rendering efficient services to the public as well

Dr Amare Abebe Medical Director of the clinic conducting an examination using endoscopy machine

Employees Clinic Secures Equipment

The Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor which the clinic acquired recently

The front view of the Clinic

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Three delegates from Ethiopia Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu MIDROC Ethiopia Training Director Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch Ato Asfaw Alemu Credit Manager of Dashen Bank attended the International Society of Business Economics and Ethics World Congress under the theme ldquoGlobal Fairness Local Integrityrdquo held in Cape Town from July 13 ndash 20 2008 and organized by BEN-Africa

The ISBEE World Congress is held every four years and is affectionately referred to as the Olympics of Business Ethics It always succeeds in attracting the best minds in the field of ethics of business and economics This yearrsquos Congress was attended by over 400 participants from all corners of the world Top notch world speakers among others Prof Mervyn E King SC Prof Deon Rossow Prof Joka Iwao Prof Georges Enderle Prof Paul Collies and Prof Tom Donaldson attended the Congress and over 80 papers were presented in three plenary sessions on topical international business issues

Ethiopian Delegation Participates at World ISBEE World Congress

Participants of ISBEE Congress Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu (left) Ato Lulseged Teferi (middle) Ato Asfaw Alemu

A Special Certificate of Recognition was awarded to Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu of MIDROC Ethiopia Prof Deon Rossow ndash former President of BEN-Africa and Ms Korien Sander the outgoing Executive Secretary of BEN-Africa

Emeritus Prof Johannes in his brief statement after receiving the certificate said that he accepted the certificate on behalf of those institutions and individuals in Ethiopia who have been behind the BEN-Africa Conference held in Ethiopia

It is to be recalled that MIDROC Ethiopia Corporate Office Dashen Bank the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch and Ato Teklu Haile Manager of Treasury Finance and Accounting of MIDROC Ethiopia played a great role for the successful completion of the ldquo7th Annual BEN-Africa Conferencerdquo held in Addis Ababa in August 2007

 Tiret Sept 2008

MIDROC Ethiopia is involved in the development of

mining and exploration of gold building of heavy mining

industries in central and eastern parts of the country

like cement plants filler plants etc Coal exploration is

also a potential area that is being explored by different

companies including MIDROC Ethiopia for use in the

cement plant power generation and fertilizer Soda ash

being used as a major input in glass soap detergent and

other industrial input is also one area of mining A lot of

investors are involved in gemstones

In an effort to exploit these resources and put them

to good use for the development of Ethiopia one of

MIDROC Ethiopia Group Companies the National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) has since its establishment in

March 1993 been actively engaged in the exploration of

gold and base metals in the various parts of the country

ldquoIt is worth noting that the mineral wealth of Ethiopia is

not fully tapped yet and needs to be given due attention

as it can be the backbone of the economy together with

agriculturerdquo says Ato Melaku Beza CEO of National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) He assertively told TIRET in

an interview at his office regarding the activities and

contributions of NMiC to the mining industry and that

his Company is working hard for a better achievement as

it has commemorated its 15th anniversary recently

He said that NMiC is currently engaged in the exploration

of gold base metals at Dawa Digati and Werri areas in the

Oromia and Tigray Administrative Regions and base metals

in Dire Dawa and Benshangul Gumuz Administrative

Regions It is also engaged in mining of marble and

limestone processing of quarried blocks and on the way

to develop the Abiyata Soda Ash in Southern Ethiopia

The Company in its venture in the development of Soda

Ash has embarked upon a joint investment agreement

with the Public Enterprise Supervising Agency (PPESA)

for a 54 percent share in which PPESArsquos 46 percent share

dilutes while NMICrsquos share shall increase in the process of

implementing tasks set in two phases

Mining Corporation on the Move

Ato Melaku Beza CEO NMiC

Dawa Digati Gold exploration drilling

The potential of the mining industry for the development of the Ethiopian economy is immense as witnessed by the ongoing development activities in the country This includes exploration of petroleum in the Ogaden Gambela and other areas by different companies exploration of gold in different parts of the country and potash exploration in Dallol where there is an estimated of 160 millions of tons of proven reserves

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Melaku stated that NMIC has invested Birr

160817912 (one hundred sixty million eight hundred

seventeen thousand nine hundred twelve) for exploration

and mining activities adding that the size of investment for

soda ash will be in the order of Birr 1150000000 (one

billion one hundred fifty million)

The first phase will cost Birr 640000000 (six hundred

forty million) and the second phase will be Birr 500000000

(five hundred million)

National Mining Corporation Plc is a pioneer in opening

and developing quarrying of marble and limestone using

the latest technology in the field Currently the Companyrsquos

Boka Marble Quarry has six benches and more than

twelve faces that are being worked out at Boka quarry

in the Benshangul Administrative Region In the process

it provides training to quarry workers of other quarry

owners thereby contributing to the development of the

mining culture

The General Manager explained about the processing and

marketing of his Companyrsquos products and said that his

Company applies modern technologies and deploys the

latest equipment in mining that meet export standards

engaging in open pit mining and tunneling for underground

mining which is unique not only in Ethiopia but also in

Africa He further articulated that the Company mines one

of the best quality marble in the industry as evidenced in

Boka multicolor marble once nominated as ldquoThe Stone

of the Yearrdquo by the Marble Institute of America (MIA)

while the blue marble has entered the world market by

a new name ldquoSummer Skyrdquo and is currently being sold

in Italy Samples of both have been tested and analyzed in

American Testing Companies and European Universities

and have proved to be of high quality and suitable both

for internal and external use in the construction industry

These two marbles are unique and are found only in

Ethiopia Also the limestone is of unique colors yellow

white and red which have high demand in the market

The CEO said that the special quality of his Companyrsquos

product that attracts international market is the

uniqueness of the material its beauty (aesthetics) and its

non-absorbent and compact nature

The company has the capacity to supply the export market

with the required quality and size of blocks and slabs both

white and blue marble Export markets include Taiwan

China Italy France USA Africa and the Middle East

In order to improve quality additional modern

state-of-the-art quarry machinery has been injected in the

quarry Plan is underway to replace the old machinery at

the processing plant The Company is also producing its

own ldquoabrasiverdquo used for polishing marble using locally

available minerals and materials

Awash Processing Plant

Blocks at Block Yard

Slabs at Slab Yard in the Awash Processing Plant

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

NMiC holds 40 of the local market share in the construction industry Lots of buildings have been cladded by NMiCrsquos products The Sheraton Addis Bole International Airport Terminal Sunshine Multipurpose Building National Bank of Ethiopia Federal Police Headquarters AUrsquos Building Head Office and the Secretary Generalrsquos Residence Ethiopian Insurance Corporation Worbek Building the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Patriarchrsquos Palace and UNCA Building are some the major buildings in Addis Ababa which are finished with NMiCrsquos products

National Mining Corporation Plc is one of the competent companies in Ethiopia and has contributed to the economy of the country by way of generating hard currency from its exports and saving foreign currency by competing and blocking imports of dimension stones from abroad One word it has added to the Ethiopian economy an amount of over Birr 5000000000 (fifty million) in tax royalties and land rent

NMiC has made valuable studies on the mineral potential areas of the country in dimension stones oil and gas mineral water coal and industrial minerals It has also made sound participation in the employment and training of manpower to the mining sector and has encouraged foreign investors to be involved in exploration of oil and gas and other minerals NMiC provides free training in its quarries and processing plant to new local enterprises coming to the sector The company provides potable water electricity medical services and other financial assistance to the community of its mining areas and has set up HIVAIDS policy for the Company to curb the spread of the pandemic and provides care and support for

those living with the virus

Tunnel Jet Belt Quarrying the latest technology in use at the Eshet Blue Quarry

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

a) Finalizing the work on the exploration phase of the gold and base metals projects both at Dawa Digati and Werri which shall lead to feasibility study and production stage

b) Developing Eshet Blue and Boka Multicolor marble quarries and strengthen export to increase income of foreign currency

c) Supplying blocks to local factories

d) Replacement of machinery at Awash Processing Plant especially to boost production and quality

e) Improve the life of the working force through profit sharing and availing better facilities together with upgrading their knowledge through training

f) Implement the Soda Ash development project

The priority areas of NMiC in its future plan include among others

Asked finally if he was satisfied with his Companyrsquos achievements Ato Melaku Beza CEO of NMiC replied ldquoNot much we could do betterrdquo

Nmic Products

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

ldquoA journey of a thousand miles starts with a single steprdquo

goes the famous Chinese saying as for Bauer MIDROC it

all started 10 years ago with the foundation work of the

construction of the MIDROC Corporate Office (MCO)

commonly known as Nani Building With a single project

at hand Bauer Specialtifbau a German Company ventured

into the slowly budding private construction industry

in equal partnership with MIDROC Ethiopia Although

a small scale business venture in the eyes of both giant

partners MIDROC Ethiopia and Bauer Specialtifbau it

created vast opportunities to the construction sector

with the introduction of a state-of-the-art German based

foundation technology to the Ethiopian market The

miniature move of the two giants opened up a gateway

of possibilities and marked a new construction era for

Ethiopia Over the years changes in shareholders has

led to the current name ldquoMIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plcrdquo with the state-of-the-art foundation solutions still in

place

Several limitations in dealing with unfavorable soil

conditions frequently encountered within Ethiopiarsquos

diverse geological formations most abundantly the

problematic black cotton soil within the city of Addis

Ababa and other parts of the country brought about

several technical barriers when it came to building

massive civil structures Building highrises as well as

massive bridges was inconceivable unless capable soil was

in close vicinity MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with

the introduction of deep foundations based on advanced

and efficient technologies in the construction industry

no doubt brought about remarkable solutions and helped

ease some of these anxieties

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with its fleets of large

diameter drilling rigs and variety of drilling tools capable of

both soil and hard soil formations has made economical

foundation solutions a reality offering developers the

confidence to build high rise buildings without worrying

about the type of soil in Addis Ababa The expertise of

Dedicated Backing for MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is gradually changing

the cityrsquos skyline with the construction of the completed

MCO Building AICAIB Headquarters and KK Building

both to be completed soon and all standing above 20

stories

Entering the city limits through the skyways one can notice

that the Bole Airport has received an entire facelift with

the construction of the International Passenger Terminal

Airport Control Towers the new Cargo Terminal and the

Maintenance Hanger The only thing these landmarks share

other than ownership is that they owe their existence to

foundation solutions of MIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plc As we enter the city limits also the Bole Viaduct

and all the overpasses on the Addis Ababa Ring Road are

comfortably resting still with the construction of the deep

piles by MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc

Drilling of pile with casing

 Tiret Sept 2008

Parallel to pile construction as verification of the

constructed pile capacities is common practice in the

foundation construction industry MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc equipped with the state-of-the-art

automated pile load testing system has recently conducted

1300 metric tons load test at the Derba MIDROC Cement

Factory Project the first of this magnitude in the African

Continent

The introduction of vertical shoring wall systems that

uses reinforced concrete piles and tie back anchors which

is gaining popularity in recent years is another type of

foundation technology solutions made possible in Ethiopia

through MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos expertise

Prior to these shoring system solutions land owners

could not fully utilize their plots at the boundaries for fear

of catastrophic cave-in In fact in most cases plot owners

avoided under ground construction in order to avoid

litigation with next door land owners The utilization of

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos vertical shoring pile

wall system was proposed and implemented in the cases

of Bole Towers and Loli Building In both cases all sides of

the plot were shored exactly at the boundaries without

any land loss In fact the clients gained underground spaces

in the order of two to three times their plot size for

possible parking purpose This has provided developers

with solutions clearing their lumbers from additional

costs for parking facilities

Pile load testing

In line with the construction boom within Addis Ababa

developers are opting to construct on boundary edges

where heavy structures already exist in adjacent plots

In order to excavate at these boundaries the safest and

most economical foundation solution system is shoring

pile wall system These systems were employed at Awash

Bank and Insurance Building KK Building and Orchid

Building

For realization of structures that have to be constructed

below the natural ground water level and or near offshore

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc has construction

approaches that employ waterproof vertical shoring

systems and several options to choose from within

the framework of technical feasibility of foundation

engineering The construction of Diaphragm Wall

Cellular Cofferdam Sheet Pile Wall and Secant

Pile Wall are such solutions to name a few The cost

of construction and the time required for executing the

works is in the order listed above

Anchored pile shoring wall

Foundation Solution

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the equipment already available in the country

MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc has tabled and

implemented an economical and technically feasible

secant pile wall system solution for bridge projects

within Ethiopia If it was not for MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plcrsquos geotechnical solutions construction under

such conditions would have been technically impossible

throughout East Africa

Unlike other options construction of secant pile wall as

waterproof vertical shoring system is not limited to the

soil condition of the site The construction of such high

tech geotechnical engineering solutions by the Company

have been successfully applied on projects like the Omo

River Bridge and on the New Abay Bridge Projects The

application of the secant pile wall system was used for the

construction of the pier foundation on both sides of the

Bridge on the Omo River Bridge Project and one side pier

foundation construction of the New Abay Bridge Project

During the construction of the Omo River Bridge

foundation and substructure works other logistic

challenges non-related to foundation works was

encountered The West Pier and Abutment on the Omo

River Bridge created such a technical impasse On this

side one of the most difficult challenges was to solve the

problem of crossing equipment and construction material

across the 150 m wide river After carefully considering all

the possible alternatives a decision was made to design and

manufacture a water crossing barge using local expertise

and manufacturing capabilities MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc took part in the design manufacturing and

commissioning of this barge and has successfully crossed

a 503 ton drilling rig and other earth moving equipment

With nearly twenty projects within Ethiopia MIDROC

Foundation Specialists Plc is a pioneer in exporting

foundation technology to neighboring Kenya Tanzania

and the Sudan In-house trained Ethiopian experts have

Crossing of drilling rig on Omo River through Barge

 Tiret Sept 2008

Secant pile wall

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Mr Achim Braun General Manager of MIDROC Foundation (left) inspecting a construction site

left their marks on several key projects within those

countries Among the projects successfully carried out in

Tanzania the Songo Songo Offshore Piling Project was the

most challenging and rewarding of all In this Project sixty

per cent of the piles were constructed from a SEWP (Self

Elevating Working Platform) elevated 13 meters from the

sea bed

As the company commemorates the tenth anniversary of

its establishment it is only proper to mark the outstanding

contributions to the construction industry of Ethiopia The

efficiency of the Company and the technology employed

has resulted in creating a broad awareness of foundation

technological solutions in the country particularly

among developers In terms of the spectrum of available

techniques of foundation the projects undertaken so

far are only a tip of the iceberg Although the Company

was confronted with a number of challenges in changing

attitudes and practices the success achieved so far has

been accomplished with great efforts exerted by the

companyrsquos management and its diligent professionals in

the field

Being the only Class I Foundation Specialist Contractors

in the country MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc is now

determined to leap ahead to new and yet un-introduced

foundation construction technologies such as micro 

piles  high  pressure  injection  diaphragm 

walls  slope  protection  and  soil  nailing  As

the countries infrastructure development continues to

reach higher levels MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is

preparing itself to meet the current customer demands

and technological challenges

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Statistics reveal that the country continues to earn hard currency from export of primary commodities such as coffee which tops the list by fetching some 500 million dollars last financial year

Other commodities are hides and skin flowers pulses fruits vegetables and chat

Incidentally it is interesting to note that Chat has fetched over 60 million dollars in foreign currency last fiscal year

The chewing of chat leaves is common in the horn of Africa but in eastern Ethiopia it is big business for some and big worry for others Chat is a major agricultural crop Yet many say it is addictive and harmful to health

In a town where I grew up for instance it is hard to avoid the impact of the stimulant leaf The first thing that strikes you in the main market is the deafening noise The market square is a scene of total chaos as you make your way through a bustling crowd preoccupied with the business of bartering for a prized commodity- the green leafed plant chat

Awadaye market is a market for chat It is estimated that over 25000 kg pass through it daily The buyers and sellers take their jobs seriously shouting to one other They gesture excitedly as they trade thousands of birr daily for the chat which is bought from the local farmers in Awadaye and sent to other areas in Ethiopia It is also exported overseas It is said to be the backbone of the economy as it can be gathered from the revenue it has generated during the current physical year

If you compare chat farmers with other farmers in other parts of the country you will see that their standard of living is so much better

The employment created though chat cultivation is very high as large numbers of people are involved in growing harvesting sorting packing transporting loading and unloading the commodity The wood of the plant is used for fuel and because of its resistance to termites it is also used to make fences Chat is also believed to have medical value being used locally to treat influenza and asthma

Chat farmers used to grow maize sorghum and teff which is the basic Ethiopian staple food but these crops are difficult to grow as they require lots of rain and attention

while chat requires little water or cultivation That is why it is widely believed that its cultivation is expanding at an amazing rate

Chat has now become Ethiopiarsquos biggest export third only to coffee and hides and skin But despite the cash earning and the tradition of chat growing and use among the people many people do not encourage it

They believe that it is addictive and this has a negative impact on the community They allege that people forget about their work commitments and spend hours chewing chat The number of users of chat is increasing particularly among the youth

In urban areas the use of chat combined with alcohol is having an adverse effect on family life Many students chew chat because they say it increases their concentration when they study their lessons

However in some regions where it is widely cultivated business punctuality is a frequent problem as the time after lunch is usually spent chewing chat Even in some regions where the plant has been banned cultivation and usage continue and attempts to replace chat with cash crops like coffee have failed

Regardless of the merit or demerit of chat the country continues to get the much needed hard currency through export of the plant ldquochatrdquo

However many people including development agents are of the opinion that the demerit far out weighs the merit for energy and time is spent chewing the stuff and particularly its negative impact on health especially on the productive force

Another very lucrative business in Ethiopia is the export of leather and leather goods According to recent data export of leather and leather goods registered a surge from 52 million dollars to over 90 million dollars Incidentally ELICO one of MIDROC Ethiopia group companies dealing with finished leather products fetched last financial year over 10 million dollars

In the light of considerable income accrued from export of primary commodities there is a need to do even more by way of establishing more agro-industries that engage in the production of agricultural products for sale locally and internationally

Earning from Export of Primary CommoditiesBy Yohannes Ruphael

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The Third Private Sector Development National Conference ndash 2008 of Ethiopia took place in Addis Ababa on June 30 2008 ndash at the UNECA Conference Center and the draft strategy document and priority strategic issues for improved business environment were discussed by representatives of the Private Sector Development Hub established with basic objectives of coordinating and developing a series of public sector development intervention projects for implementation with international financial support and undertaking related research studies to support the business community in its public and private partnership dialogue The Conference was addressed by an internationally renowned and distinguished authority on Corporate Governance Prof Mervyn E King SC

The Editorial Team of TIRET has taken advantage of communicating with Professor Mervyn E King SC to share his views briefly with our readers

Professor Mervyn E King SC is currently Professor Extraordinaire at the University of South Africa and serves as the Chairperson of the King Committee on Corporate Governance in South Africa He is a Senior Counsel and former Judge of the Supreme Court of South Africa His other credentials include Member of the World Bank Advisory Group on Corporate Governance President of the Commonwealth Association of Corporate Governance Governor of the International Corporate Governance Network President of the South Africa Chamber of Business Vice President of the Institute of Directors of Southern Africa Representatives of South Africa at the International Chamber of Commerce Advisor of Asian Center of Corporate Governance Director of Global Reporting Initiative-Amsterdam Director of Association of business Administrators of South Africa

At the Millennium National Private Sector Development Conference in Addis Ababa recently I spoke about corporate governance in the development of the private sector

Corporate governance is about the principles and practices which guide directors and senior managers in making their decisions to the best interests of their companies It has to be separated from the enterprise side of the business which is about making business judgment calls It is essential that directors and senior managers adopt acceptable principles and practices in steering and directing the company and making business judgment It is about the quality of this governance rather than a quantitative check on whether there has been compliance by the directors and managers with well-known governance practices such as the establishment of a remuneration committee

In my talk I pointed out that the economic value of a company does not equal its book value In Coca Cola for example its book value is approximately 13 of its economic value and its greatest asset is its brand which is dependent on

 Tiret Sept 2008

the companyrsquos reputation Consequentially directors and senior managers of Coca Cola have a duty to protect the companyrsquos brand

In planning for a company the strategic direction needs to be done both short- and long-term If a strategy is developed in which all persons in the corporation at all levels buy-in one can get ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things Unless this is done not even extraordinary people will achieve ordinary things

The important thing for directors to remember is that they have won and maintained the trust and confidence of the stakeholders of the company Consequently they should report at least annually how the company has both positively and negatively affected a communityrsquos economic life through its operations and how it is going to enhance those positive aspects and eradicate or ameliorate the negative aspects in the year ahead

Good governance involves inter alia the approval by the board of the strategy of the company and sustainability can no longer be ignored in developing a long-term strategy

The Private Sector Development Hub (PSD-Hub) has the objective to contribute to the economic development of Ethiopia by improving the entrepreneurial environment and the governance of corporations Consequently the PSD-Hub has held Conferences over the last two years focusing on these issues and on the question of public private partnerships There has also been discussion about expediting the registration of companies the standardization of accounting and auditing capitalization and the finalization of the revision of the Ethiopian Commercial Code Corporate governance has featured prominently in these discussions

Arising out of all the modernization of the registration of companies in Ethiopia has been recognized as a priority

Accounting and auditing standards which should follow IFRS should have legal backing so that everyone in Ethiopia will know the meaning of the reported financial statements

The development of a securities market including an exchange in which not only equities but bonds and derivatives can be bought and sold with the dematerialisation of scrip and electronic settlement is essential

From the above it will be seen that there is much to be done but Ethiopia is striving through the PSD Hub to create platforms on which it can forge ahead in our flat electronic world where capital flows towards those areas where there is good governance and well-regulated markets The Conference at which I spoke was just another step in Ethiopiarsquos endeavours to achieve these goals Positively the essential aspects for creating an entrepreneurial and thriving business environment have been identified and PSD Hub the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other interested bodies are working in partnership with government to achieve them

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Itrsquos a ridiculous

l a n g u a g e rdquo

sputtered the

Englishman at

the next table

his jowls shaking

in anger ldquoA ridiculous languagerdquo

We were sitting in a tiny tea-and-pie shop in Criccieth a

town in northern Wales and everybody but us was speaking

Welsh Like a remarkable number of his countrymen this

man was convinced it was merely a secret code employed

by the local to talk behind the backs of English visitors

ldquoJust you watchrdquo he said ldquoAs soon as we leave theyrsquoll all

go back to speaking Englishrdquo

I rather doubted it And unlike the Englishman I was

thrilled to encounter one of the oldest languages in

Europe a tongue heard in this misty and mountainous

land since the arrival of Roman legions

Being surrounded by people speaking an unfamiliar and

exotic language is to me one of the best things about

travel Just as some people will journey to the Serengeti

to glimpse the rare and endangered white rhino Irsquoll happily

go far out of my way to hear a rare and endangered

language

In the storybook city of Carcassonne in southwest France

I was less thrilled at seeing the towers and turrets than

I was at meeting a man who could speak Occitan the

ancient and fast-vanishing language of the troubadours

As far as I was concerned the most fascinating thing in

Dangriga a coastal town in Belize was the mellifluous

sound of Garifuna a language spoken by the descendants

of shipwrecked slaves from West Africa I once traveled

to Graubunden in eastern Switzerland in the hope of

hearing Romansch a tongue spoken by fewer than one

percent of the nationrsquos residents and said to resemble

Latin I encountered a few signs in the language but no

one who could speak it

According to one oft-cited estimate at least half the

worldrsquos 6000 languages are likely to die out by the end

of this century which means that one is going silent on

average every two weeks

Itrsquos not merely a matter of using different words to express the same thoughts Languages are literally the expressions of cultures and belief systems entirely different ways of making sense of the world And just as we should be concerned about the shrinking diversity of plant and animal species we should also worry about the shrinking diversity of languages

Welsh though seems to be holding on despite 700 years

of efforts by the English to exterminate it The BBC has for

some years now carried television and radio programming

in the language and in Wales itrsquos possible to receive your

entire education from preschool to postgraduate in

Welsh About 20 percent of Walesrsquo population speaks

Welsh and the number appears to be growing slightly

It is not as the Englishman said a ridiculous language But

it is to my eyes and ears a wonderfully strange one Dave

Barry once wrote that the ancient Hawaiians arrived on

their islands after perilous canoe voyages in seas so rough

their consonants fell overboard My guess is that the

letters drifted the worldrsquos oceans until they washed up on

the shores of Wales

T h e   B e a u t y   o f   a   L a n g u a g e

 Tiret Sept 2008

How else to explain for example the Welsh word for

beer Itrsquos cwrw It looks like my Scrabble tray when I

donrsquot have a word to pay (In case you ever need to order

one itrsquos pronounced ldquokooroordquo)

And then therersquos the vexing pronunciation of the double-

1 you find at the beginning of it seems two-thirds of the

town names in Wales ldquoJust put your teeth together and

hiss like a duckrdquo explained a helpful woman I met at the

Dylan Thomas Museum in Swansea She also pointed out

that Llareggub the fictional town in Thomasrsquo ldquoUnder the

Milkwood Treerdquo is merely ldquobugger allrdquo spelled backward

I like the besotted poet a whole lot more after learning

that

One dark and drizzly night I went to a little schoolhouse in

the Rhondda Valley to listen to a rehearsal of the Treorchy

Menrsquos Choir made up mostly of unemployed coal miners

ldquoIn the old daysrdquo one of them told me ldquowe used to sing

together in the pitsrdquo

When they opened their mouths to sing as one in Welsh

all the snarky little comments about their language become

moot It was simply one of the most hauntingly beautiful

sounds Irsquove even heard

I got a lesson in the politics of minority languages recently

when I visited Montreal the capital of French ndash speaking

Canada I hadnrsquot been there since a childhood visit to

Exporsquo67 and I remember the province as decidedly

bilingual Everything from traffic signs to toothpaste

tubes was printed in French and English No more A

law passed in 1977 banned the use of English in signs

throughout Quebec Itrsquos an attempt to do linguistically

what they failed for two centuries to do militarily prevent

the English from conquering them

Theyrsquore quite serious about this Hudson Bay Co the

venerable department store chain that dates back to the

fur-trading days is now known as Compagnie de la Baie

drsquoHudson at least in these parts Kentucky Fried Chicken

outlets arenrsquot allowed to use ldquoKFCrdquo on their signs In

Quebec theyrsquore called ldquoPFKrdquo for Poulet Frit Kentucky

The Quebecois are more vigilant even than their famously

Anglophobic counterparts in Paris All stop signs here say

Arret even though the ones in France say ldquoStoprdquo

It all seemed a little silly and excessive to me until I began

talking to French-speaking Montrealers about it ldquoYou

have to understand that wersquore surrounded by English

speakersrdquo a schoolteacher told me ldquoWe have to be very

firm about defending our language or it will disappear

And when it goes so does our way of life

Signs aside most French Canadians I met were bilingual

I quickly discovered that if I first made atleast a fumbling

attempt to speak their language almost everybody was

happy to switch to English ndash very possibly to spare

themselves the trauma of hearing my phrase-book

French which sounds like someone grinding the gears

of an old Citroen ldquoWe have nothing against Englishrdquo the

schoolteacher told me ldquoItrsquos just that we want to speak

French hererdquo

Vive la differenceJohn Flinn -Travel Editor

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Scale up of HIV Prevention Treatment Care and Support Requires Renewed Leadership and Resources

The 17th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) took place in Mexico City from August 3 -8 2008 with an assessment of the situation of the global epidemic at a panel of researchers public health and civil society leaders examined recent progress towards the scale up of treatment and prevention programmes and called for sustained action to eliminate the barriers to universal access

ldquoDespite the progress we have made we are not on course to meet universal access targets and in fact appear to be slipping away from our existing commitmentsrdquo said Dr Pedro Cahn International Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and President of the International AIDS Society and Fundacioacuten Hueacutesped in Buenos Aires Argentina ldquoIt appears that we are poised to accept defeat when victory is still within our grasp Our failure to meet those commitments will have an impact on millions of lives This cannot be allowed to happen It is time for nations to live up to their commitmentsrdquo

ldquoWith only two years to go until the 2010 deadline for universal access set by world leaders we must redouble our commitment to scaling up all proven HIV prevention strategiesrdquo said Dr Luiacutes Soto Ramiacuterez Local Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and Head of the Molecular Virology Unit at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Meacutedicas y Nutricioacuten Salvador Zubiriaacuten and Coordinator of the Clinical Care Committee of CONASIDA Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council ldquoThe fact that last year 27 million people were newly infected with HIV a disease that is entirely preventable is unacceptablerdquo

Dr Jaime Sepulveda (Mexico) founder of Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council who is now with the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation noted that attention to and resources for AIDS are at all-time high including substantially increased funding for the Global Fund and the US Presidentrsquos Emergency Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief According to Sepulveda reaching the goal of 3 million people in low and middle-income countries on treatment at the end of 2007 was a critical step forward but the world has only scratched the surface of possibilities in responding to the epidemic Greater resources more effectively spent and targeted where they can have the greatest effect would have a dramatic impact on the course of the epidemicrsquos Highlighting the fact that more people become infected

with HIV last year than began treatment Sepulveda called for radically increased investments in prevention research evaluation and delivery of services as well as accelerated research on promising prevention methods including a vaccine In conclusion he reiterated that political leadership from all countries and accountability at all levels are essential for stopping the epidemic

Citing the results in both treatment and prevention scale up in countries with sustained leadership such as Rwanda and Tanzania Alex Coutinho (Uganda) of the Infectious Disease Institute of Makerere University made a passionate call for greater leadership as a path toward meeting the challenges ahead In looking at progress to date Coutinho highlighted increased access to HIV testing and counseling to prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and to pediatric care and treatment as well as the effectiveness of male circumcision as a prevention intervention In contrast he noted that most countries will not achieve universal access by 2010 and that the majority of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are still unaware of their HIV status In his call to action Coutinho urged greater investment in prevention and financial resources flexible enough to support health systems and systems that reach into rural and other hard-to-reach areas and fully embrace PLHIV as partners He also urged outreach to and support of marginalized and at-risk communities as well as the greater involvement of PLHIV as a catalyst for change

Elisabet Fadul (Dominican Republic) of the Dominican Network for Youth RightsGlobal Youth Partners outlined a broad and urgent youth HIVAIDS agenda calling for comprehensive rights ndash and evidence-based plans to provide access for young people Highlighting the 40 of new infections worldwide among young people between the ages of 15-24 Fadul noted that HIV prevention and treatment programmes are failing to effectively reach young people with the most vulnerable and marginalized being stigmatized criminalized or forgotten by many of these programmes

To reverse this course she called for actions and policies that engage youth especially young people living with HIVAIDS as respected partners in developing and implementing programmes that forthrightly address their

needs and diversity

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Note from the Editor In-Chief

The Ethiopian Millennium which we have just concluded has been an eventful year for all of us at MIDROC Ethiopia

We hope that the Third Millennium will be a time of renewal and of major social and economic transformation of our

country We look to the future with a lot of hope that the times to come will enable us to get rid of the scourges of

poverty and under-development so that every citizen of our country will be able to lead a life of relative abundance

and achieve human fulfillment

In this issue of TIRET we have highlighted some of the major activities of MIDROC Ethiopia Group Companies that

are of significant importance to the economic development of our country

The multi-million Birr loan agreement signed between Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi and the International Financial

Corporation (IFC) of the World Bank The African Development Bank (ADB) European Investment Bank and the

Development Bank of Ethiopia (DBE) to complete the remaining works of the expansion of Derba Cement Project is

a significant event to all MIDROC Ethiopia Group Companies

Such cooperative agreements will go a long way to further stimulate the construction sector by enabling Derba Cement

Project to produce cement in greater quantity and improved quality It is hoped that the shortage of cement now being

experienced in the country will be reduced greatly when the Derba Cement Factory becomes fully operational

Our other focus in this issue is the MIDROC Foundation Specialist Private Limited Company which is actively engaged

in foundation and structural works not only in Ethiopia but also in neighboring countries of Kenya Tanzania and

Sudan

The Editorial Team of TIRET would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Company on its Tenth Anniversary

and for its outstanding contribution to the construction industry in Ethiopia

We shall try our best to bring to our readers an overall picture of the activities of MIDROC Ethiopia Group Companies

We are also trying to make TIRET the best Corporate Magazine that will reflect the endeavors of our Chairman Sheikh

Mohammed H Al-Amoudi in contributing to the economic and social development of our country

We wish all readers of Tiret a Happy and Prosperous New Year    

 Tiret Sept 2008

Contents

TIRET means ldquoeffort in Amharic and is a Magazine produced from MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFYeshimebet Demissie

DEPUTY-EDITOR-IN-CHIEFAselefech Getachew

SECRETARIAL SERVICEHaimanot Negussie

PHOTOGRAPHYBiruk HailuTewodros AberaDegife Tekle

PUBLISHED BYThe Public Relations Department of MIDROC EthiopiaTel +251 11 371 12 77Fax +251 11 371 29 90POBox 6631Email midprethionetet

DESIGN amp PAGE LAYOUTCreative PowerPrinting amp ManufacturingTel +251 11 550 52 31 2 +251 11 550 38 28Fax +251 11 515 19 41 (Roots Africa)POBox 6631Addis Ababa EthiopiaEmail creativeaddisethionetet

COPYRIGHTSept 2008MIDROC EthiopiaAll rights reserved Reproduction in part and or whole is allowed with the written authorization of the publisher

MIDROCMohammed InternatioalDevelopment Research ampOrganisation Companies

MIDROC News and Briefs       7-29 Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi

signed the first loan agreement with an International and Local Financing Agencies the largest ever done in Ethiopia to help build a new Cement Plant at Derba that is meant to curb the current cement shortage in the country Full story appears in along

with updates of major activities of MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group in the last six months

Main Story      30-35ldquoIt is worth noting that the mineral wealth of Ethiopia is not fully tapped helliprdquo says CEO of National Mining Corporation Plc one of the MIDROC Group Companies and explains achievements of his Company as it commemorates its 15th anniversary Cover Story examines in detail the activities of NMiC in the mining Industry

In Focushellip      36-41In this issue TIRET deals with the remarkable construction solutions provided to developers by MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with the introduction of deep foundations based on advanced and efficient technologies in the construction industry

ldquoIncidentallyrdquo        43Yohannes Ruphael featuring on earnings from export of primary commodities brings to the attention of our readers his observations on the export of Chat

Writers Column    44-45Prof Mervyn E King an internationally renowned and distinguished authority in Corporate Governance addressed the National Private Sector Development Conference held in Addis Ababa recently He shares with our readers his views and experiences on the Conference

Axis       47-52Axis Column brings to light an interesting article by John Flinn a Travel Editor on the Beauty of a Language Also a report on the 17th International AIDS Conference that took place in Mexico is included

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi is positive that Derba

Project when completed would address the acute

shortage of cement in Ethiopia and will contribute greatly

to the sustainable economic development of the country

He earlier said that his main objective to build the project

is to reduce dependence on import and avail cement

in abundant quantity so that development in Ethiopia

continues in a sustainable way and expressed hope that

price of cement will reduce to an acceptable level so that

construction be affordable

The plant site with an area of about 123 hectares

accommodates the manufacturing plant including

related facilities such as workers residential complex

public amenities electrical power substation product

storage and dispatch areas The plant will be fed with

raw materials from the quarry in the Mugger Valley via

a 75 kms conveyor belt and a 175 km of treacherous

road both crossing a very difficult sloping terrain which

drops more than 850 m between the plant and quarry

sites The new road with its 120 m span bridge across

the Muger River will be the first and the only access that

connects the residents on both sides of the river

The Project will bring new or better infrastructural

services to the local population and will also be the largest

single source of investment in the country

Derba MIDROC Cement Plant integrates the latest

technology and when completed will have a cement

production capacity of 8000 tons per day or 25 million

tons per annum It is hoped that it will increase the

existing total domestic cement production capacity by at

least 15 times thus significantly reduce or eliminate the

present cement shortage in the country

When completed the plant is expected to create about

500 direct and 10000 indirect job opportunities

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi on behalf of Derba

MIDROC Cement Plc and Mr Sady M Zeidan Manager of

IFC of the World Bank along with the African Development

Bank(ADB) European Investment Bank and Development

Bank of Ethiopia (DBE) have signed on June 23 2008 at

the Sheraton Addis a USD 200 million loan agreement

to help build a new plant aimed at addressing the acute

cement shortage in Ethiopia

According to Mr Sady M Zeidan Manager of IFC the

loan represents IFCrsquos first investment in Ethiopia since

1989 and it is the largest ever in the country He also

said that the loan reflects IFCrsquos confidence in the local

private sector and aligned with IFCrsquos strategy to promote

investments in countries where the private sector is at

the early stage of development

The loan arrangement is a success achieved to bring on

board the International Private Sector Financing Agencies

to work with the Ethiopian Private Sector Developers

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi Owner and Sponsor

of MIDROC Derba Cement Plc has invested USD 151

million for the construction of the project

IFC - Derba MIDROC Sign Loan Agreement

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi and Mr Sady M Zeidan after

signing the loan agreement

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

In keeping with his desire to develop sports in the country Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi has once again generously donated Birr five million to the Ethiopian Olympic Committee as part of his boundless support to the development of Ethiopian sports to help the committee meet the cost of Ethiopian Athletics delegation to the Beijing Olympics

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi granted the Birr five million donation to the Ethiopian Olympic Committee at a ceremony held on May 27 2008 at the Sheraton Addis where the Ethiopian President Ato Girma WGiorgis and Ethiopian Prime Minister Ato Meles Zenawi and other high ranking government officials were in attendance

At the ceremony Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi was honored with a Special Award by the Ethiopian President Ato Girma WGiorgis for his unlimited contributions to the development of athletics in Ethiopia

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudirsquos enthusiasm for sports in general football in particular has earned him admiration from fans near and far The East and Central Africa Challenge Cup Tournament which is held every two years and financed by Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi the incentives he provides to young and upcoming footballers in the various local teams and his pledge to build a modern stadium in Addis Ababa are all testimonies of his devotion to the development of sports in Ethiopia

Officials of the Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council have paid tribute to Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi for his contributions to the success of historical events organized by the Moslem Community

At a ceremony organized on March 28 2008 by the Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council Millennium Office to thank all those who supported it in making the millennium celebrations a success Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi was honored with a Special Award by the Ethiopian President Ato Girma WGiorgis The Award was received by Dr Arega Yirdaw Chief Executive Officer of MIDROC Ethiopia Technology Group on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi Present on the occasion were high ranking Government Officials Ambassadors and other Dignitaries

Oromia Regional State Awarded Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi

The Martyrs Monument built in Adama town by a Birr 50000000 (fifty million) generous donation of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi was inaugurated on March 23 2008

Ato Abadula Gemeda President of Oromia Regional State at the inaugural ceremony awarded a Gold Medal to Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi which was received by Dr Arega Yirdaw Chief Executive Officer of MIDROC Ethiopia Technology Group on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi

Construction of the monument was undertaken by MIDROC Construction Ethiopia PlcHE Ato Abadula Gemeda President of Oromiya Regional State handing

over Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudirsquos Award to CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi Donates to the Ethiopian Olympic Committee

Supreme Council Pays Tribute to Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Derba MIDROC Cement Plc and the Ministry of Mines

and Energy on May 19 2000 signed a Birr 57212000 (fifty

seven million two hundred twelve thousand) agreement

for mining Limestone Marl Gypsum and Sandstone on

a large scale in the Muger Valley locality in North Shewa

Zone Oromia National Regional State

The Agreement was signed by HE Ato Alemayhu Tegenu

Minister of Mines and Energy and Sheikh Mohammed

H Al-Amoudi Owner and Chairman of MIDROC

Investment Group

According to the agreement the licensee has an exclusive

right for a large scale Limestone Marl Gypsum and

Sandstone mining for twenty years to be renewed for

ten years upon the request of the licensee The license

area covers 1928610 m2 of land and is anticipated to

produce 11665000 tons of Limestone 1166000 tons

of Marl 696000 tons of Gypsum and 11387000 tons of

Sandstone

The Project is expected to create job opportunities for

469 people

MIDROC Construction Ethiopia Plc and the Addis Ababa City Roads Authority (AACRA) signed a 6772 million Birr Contract Agreement for the construction of three roads in the city

Eng Fekadu Haile Manager of AACRA and Eng Shimelis Eshete Deputy General Manager of MIDROC Construction Ethiopia Plc signed the agreement on July 7 2008 on behalf of their respective companies

The contract covers a 191 km long of three roads namely Megenagna ndash Ayat 82 km long Gurd Shola ndash Summit Yeka Bole 82 km long and City Tip ndash Bisrate Gebriel Church 27 km long The Megenagna ndash Ayat road includes 14 m carriageway 55 m walkway and 2 m median while the other two roads include 10 m carriageway 45 m walkway and 1 m median each

These projects are expected to provide job opportunities for more than 1000 people

Derba MIDROC Signed Agreement

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi and Ato Alemayehu Tegenu exchanging the Agreement Document

Multi-Million Birr Contract Agreement Signed

 Tiret Sept 2008

MOHA Soft Drinks Industry SC a member of MIDROC

Ethiopia Investment Group has undertaken an expansion

project of Kool Mineral Water at Bure town in the

Amhara Regional State at a cost of over Birr 37 million

An agreement was signed in August 2008 between Ato

Alemayehu Tegenu Minister of Mines and Energy and Ato

Getachew Birbo CEO of MOHA Soft Drinks Industry SC

that provides a license for the expansion project which is

valid for ten years and renewable every five years to work

on a 5679978 sqm land

The factory which was acquired by MOHA four years ago

will have a capacity of producing 24 million cases of Kool

Mineral Water annually upon completion of the expansion

project MOHA has planned to produce 180320000

liters of mineral water in the coming ten years

According to CEO Getachew Birbo the company is

considering to export Kool Mineral Water as there is a

potentially rich market in the Middle East Countries

Since its establishment thirteen years ago MOHA has

invested over Birr 500 million (five hundred million birr)

in soft drinks factories located in different parts of the

country including Bure Kool Mineral Water Factory which

provided job opportunities for 2700 employees

MOHA has currently an annual production capacity

of 20 million cases from its six soft drinks factories at

Gonder Awassa Dessie Summit Plant (under contractual

agreement) and two plants in Addis Ababa covering 55

of the soft drinks demand in the country

Mini Cement Plant Begins Production

Dashen Cement Plant located in the outskirts of Dejen town North West of Amhara Regional State has been completed

and started producing cement recently

The mini plant is initially established to supply cement to private contractors and the government and to the construction

of the bigger Derba MIDROC Cement Project

Investment cost for Dashen Cement Plant stands at Birr 200000000 (two hundred million birr) and has a capacity of

producing 400 tons of cement per day

MOHA Undertakes Expansion Work

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The annual Customers Family and  Employees (company) Day initiated by the Chief Executive Officer of the MIDROC Ethiopia Technology Group was celebrated for the sixth time at the Millennium Hall on May 25 2008 in the presence of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi Chairman and Owner of MIDROC Ethiopia

According to MIDROC Technology Group the Annual Celebration of Customers Family and Employees (company) Day is held every year to acknowledge and show the gratefulness of the group to the Owners Customers Employees as well as Family Members for their contributions to the success of their respective companies

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi addressing at the celebration expressed his pleasure and gratitude and urged employees to work even harder and try to demonstrate more achievement CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw on his part articulated his appreciation to the employees for their efforts exerted for productivity and expressed hope that this hard work would be pronounced and developed in due course as a culture

Consequently 43 Best Customers of the MIDROC Ethiopia Technology Group both foreign and local were honored by Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi with Best Customers Award at the ceremony organized by the Technology Group at the Millennium Hall on May 25 2008

Wrt Etsehiwot Dinku Officer in Charge (OIC) for Production Marketing and Business Development Services at the Office of the CEO on the occasion presented a brief explanation of the products of each of the companies

Following the Sixth Annual Customers Family and Employees (company) Day Celebration Special Awards were presented to the Best Company and Best Performers of the year at the Millennium Hall in the presence of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi He addressed the gathering first and presented the Special Award to the Best Company of the Year Modern Building Industry (MBI) and the Best Performers Of The Year were also awarded

CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw on the occasion received a Special Award from the employees and families in the name of all the employees of the Group which he took from the hands of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi He was also awarded with a Special Certificate for his remarkable services in the Technology Group and other businesses of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi in the last ten years

Prior to Customers Family and Employees (company) Day the annual sports competition of employees of the Technology Group was carried out as part of the annual ceremony Winners in all competitions received gold bronze and silver medals from the hands of CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw

Customers Family and Employees (company) Day Commemorated

CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw receiving the Award from

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi

Mr Abdullah H Al-Amoudi receiving Best Foreign

Customers Award from the Chairman

 Tiret Sept 2008

The two days Second Annual ldquoOffsiterdquo Workshop where

CEOs and General Managers of the MIDROC Ethiopia

Technology Group took part was held on April 12 ndash 13

2008 at the Sheraton Addis Dr Arega Yirdaw Chief

Executive Officer of the Group opening the workshop

took into account the first Annual Workshop that was held

in Kombolcha and said that this yearrsquos venue provides more

opportunity for a considerable number of management

members to participate

While Dr Aregarsquos presentation to the Workshop focused

on ldquoEffective Marketing for Enhancement of

Business Developmentrdquo General Managers presented

comprehensive reports of their respective companies

MIDROC Ethiopia Training Department Holds Seminars

The MIDROC Ethiopia Training Department as part of  its  training activities holds various seminars for both senior managers and second level management tier every fiscal year During the last six months ldquoPositive Thinkingrdquo ldquoCorporate Social Responsibilitiesrdquo and ldquoICT Security and privacyrdquo were the issues for the seminars that the department carried out              

 Seminar on Positive Thinking

Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu Director of Training of MIDROC Ethiopia in his introductory remark on ldquoPositive Thinkingrdquo seminar that took place at the Sheraton Addis on April 11 2008 and attended by general managers and senior members of the Investment Group introduced the resource person Ato Robel Kidane as a ldquomotivational speakerrdquo and ldquolife-cycle trainerrdquo from Sweden

Emeritus Prof Johannes said that this topic is chosen because of a feeling that the current period and situations exhibited dynamic changes that were a burden to bear for many people who he said were ldquoeasily swayed to think negativelyrdquo He also quoted the Chairman and Owner of MIDROC Ethiopia Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi as saying ldquoWhat is the benefit of talking of bad

ldquoOffsiterdquo Workshop Held 

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Robel Kidane the resource person delivering his presentation at the seminar

 Tiret Sept 2008

The seminar for second level management personnel held on June 12 2008 on ICT Security and Privacy was attended by 31 participants from MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group Companies and the Head Office in the MIDROC Ethiopia Auditorium The seminar which was part of MIDROC Ethiopiarsquos attempt to keep abreast with ICT Development was opened by Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu who stressed in his brief remarks the need for concern to the protection of data and information and regulating the use of ICT

Also speaking on the occasion was Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting and Chairman of Training Committee who said that training helps to discover various means for success People he noted learn at work place and from challenges He stressed that the technology age called for adaptation of new thoughts and practices while requiring readiness to do ldquoWhat we can with what we haverdquo

The seminar which discussed various issues related to ICT was closed by Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu

 Seminar on ICT Security and Privacy

A view of participants of the seminar

things or difficulties onlyrdquo Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting of MIDROC Ethiopia and Chairman of Training Committee in his opening remark stated that positive thinking was a new scientific subject where investors CEOs and others in various capacities were inspired and motivated to create awareness to their colleagues and to remove all thoughts

of dark shadows from their minds He noted that positive thinking among CEOrsquos and subordinates was required and stressed that self-confidence was one of the prime factors for success in life and hence needed to be maintainedAto Robel Kidane covered a variety of interesting issues related to positive thinking in his presentation after which participants discussed on several importnat issues

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Teklu Haile opening the Seminar

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The seminar on ldquoCorporate Social Responsibilityrdquo

for second level management tier took place on March 27

2008 at the MIDROC Ethiopia Auditorium and attended

by 27 participants from 12 group companies

In accordance with the call to plant ldquoThree Trees in the Third Millenniumrdquo volunteers from MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group and Head Office on August 2007 replanted trees on the Entoto Mountain situated north of the capital city Addis Ababa It is to be recalled that members of MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group under the motto ldquo Two Trees in 2000 Ethiopian Millenniumrdquo have participated in planting trees at the same location last year

Organized again by the MIDROC Ethiopia Public Relations the call for replanting was enthusiastically received by volunteers who went back to the area to replace those trees planted by employees of the Investment Group last year and did not take root and withered

Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting supported and encouraged volunteers of MIDROC Ethiopia and reminded them of the saying - ldquoten thousand dedicated soldiers are better than one million dubious soldiersrdquo and appreciated all the volunteers for actively participating in the tree replanting activity

Seminar on Corporate Social Responsibility

Participants at the seminar Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu delivering his presentation

Volunteers going up the mountain for replanting

Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting Department of MIDROC Ethiopia and Chairman of Training Committee in his opening remarks stressed the importance of participation in community affairs by all Group Companies and cited Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi as a shinning example in playing an active

role in social activities He called on all to strive hard to change the negative image of the country and build a better Ethiopia free from poverty hunger and disease Various papers were presented ensuing fruitful discussions on the above issues

MIDROC Ethiopia Volunteers Participate in Replanting Trees

 Tiret Sept 2008

Equatorial Business Group General Manager Ato Tadelle

Teferra Deputy General Manager Ato Mekuria Ayele and

Automotive Business Senior Director Ato Daniel Seyoum

participated a weeklong Dealerrsquos Conference that was

staged in Cape Town South Africa in February this year

According to Ato Daniel Seyoum around 75 business

leaders from Europe the Middle East Asia and Africa

participated at the Conference Issues discussed included

regional international business concerns VOLVOrsquos strategy

development VOLVO CE business update introduction to

new VOLVO road machinery and other related business

matters Dealersrsquo Conference is an annual event to bring

together leaders in the VOLVO Construction Equipment

business from nearly all over the world for a pull effect

particularly to companies like EBG to provide further

opportunity in the Automotive Industry

EBG is an exclusive dealer in Ethiopia for VOLVO brand

products

Company Observes its 15th Anniversary

A group picture of Dealers Conference participants

EBGrsquos Managers Attended Dealers Conference

Equatorial Business Group (EBG) colorfully observed its 15th Anniversary on April 30 2008 Ato Tadelle Teferra

General Manager of the Company addressing the management and employees expressed gratitude and appreciation

to the Owners of the Company and to the Employees who worked hard since its establishment and urged all company

staff to work with an even more commitment and dedication

Ato Tadelle on the occasion disclosed the implementation of the reform packages that started recently and expressed

hope that the reform packages would bring EBG to a better competitive and profitable position The reform introduces

MIS QMS and companyrsquos new restructuring and other associated jobs

Three employees who served EBG for 15 years were honored with Special Certificates and several employees from

the various businesses and support services of the company were awarded for Best Performances during the year

200607

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Tadesse Haile State Minister of the Ministry of Trade and Industry visited Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc and held discussions with senior members on issues pertaining to the activities of the factory Ato Ahmed Hassen General Manager of the Factory explained to the State Minister that the factory would make all efforts to produce quality products in large quantity so as to reduce import from abroad He however expressed his wish that the government reduces tax on raw materials which are essential for the production of soap and detergent

Ato Tadesse disclosed during the discussion that extensive studies that include soap industries in the country are underway with the aim to strengthen the chemical industry in which the concern would be addressed in the near future He further said that there is a plan to connect the various regions of the country to the port by

EBG was announced First Order Winner for Best Stand in the 12th International Millennium Trade Fair organized by the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations held at the Exhibition Center in February 2008

EBGrsquos stand was visited by large number of visitors including the honorable World Laureate Metre Artist Afework Tekle who not only showed interest in the products and services of EBG but also expressed his appreciation to the Company in his comments while signing in the Special Guest Book

EBG Awarded for Best Stand

Star Soap and Detergent Factory Visited

The Most Honorable Maritre World Laureate Artist

Afework Tekle signing in the Visitors Book at the Trade Fair

Ato Tadesse Haile visiting the Production Unit with Ato Ahmed Hassen General Manager and Ato Seid Ahmed Plant Manager of the Factory

rail within the coming five years for the speedy delivery of export and import of goods which will have a great impact on sales

Ato Tadesse Haile finally appreciated the activities of the factory and said that Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc is capable of being a model in the sector and wished the lsquoBest of Luckrsquo for the management and the staff and affirmed that his Ministry would always support on all their endeavors

Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc is a member of the MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group established at an investment capital of Birr 80 million The factory is one of the biggest in the sector and equipped with the latest machinery and manufactures best quality laundry and toilet soaps liquid and synthetic detergents powder and bar soaps

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the most dedicated health care professionals and support staff SalaM Employees Clinic the Clinic that provides health care services to employees of MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group Companies and affiliates in its efforts to upgrade and improve its services has added to its modern list of medical equipment a Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor an advanced medical equipment Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor is one of the new advanced machineries that the clinic acquired recently which is used for the diagnosis of refraction errors of the eye

The Clinic provides medical and surgical services with sub-specialists in gynecological ophthalmological dermatological and ENT employing advanced diagnostic equipment such as radiography endoscopy and colonoscopy supported by video camera ultrasound and ECG Machines It has a well stocked pharmacy with essential medicines and also provides laboratory diagnostic services

The Clinic recently has moved from its previous location to a large and ideal villa with more rooms and a convenient location near the Genet Hotel and is open 24 hours

SalaM Employees Clinic was established by Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi in 1996 for employees of the Investment Group with an investment capital of over Birr 4 million under the SalaM Health Care Plc He later on increased the investment a lot more

Apart from providing services to the employees of the MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group SalaM Employees Clinic is rendering efficient services to the public as well

Dr Amare Abebe Medical Director of the clinic conducting an examination using endoscopy machine

Employees Clinic Secures Equipment

The Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor which the clinic acquired recently

The front view of the Clinic

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Three delegates from Ethiopia Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu MIDROC Ethiopia Training Director Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch Ato Asfaw Alemu Credit Manager of Dashen Bank attended the International Society of Business Economics and Ethics World Congress under the theme ldquoGlobal Fairness Local Integrityrdquo held in Cape Town from July 13 ndash 20 2008 and organized by BEN-Africa

The ISBEE World Congress is held every four years and is affectionately referred to as the Olympics of Business Ethics It always succeeds in attracting the best minds in the field of ethics of business and economics This yearrsquos Congress was attended by over 400 participants from all corners of the world Top notch world speakers among others Prof Mervyn E King SC Prof Deon Rossow Prof Joka Iwao Prof Georges Enderle Prof Paul Collies and Prof Tom Donaldson attended the Congress and over 80 papers were presented in three plenary sessions on topical international business issues

Ethiopian Delegation Participates at World ISBEE World Congress

Participants of ISBEE Congress Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu (left) Ato Lulseged Teferi (middle) Ato Asfaw Alemu

A Special Certificate of Recognition was awarded to Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu of MIDROC Ethiopia Prof Deon Rossow ndash former President of BEN-Africa and Ms Korien Sander the outgoing Executive Secretary of BEN-Africa

Emeritus Prof Johannes in his brief statement after receiving the certificate said that he accepted the certificate on behalf of those institutions and individuals in Ethiopia who have been behind the BEN-Africa Conference held in Ethiopia

It is to be recalled that MIDROC Ethiopia Corporate Office Dashen Bank the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch and Ato Teklu Haile Manager of Treasury Finance and Accounting of MIDROC Ethiopia played a great role for the successful completion of the ldquo7th Annual BEN-Africa Conferencerdquo held in Addis Ababa in August 2007

 Tiret Sept 2008

MIDROC Ethiopia is involved in the development of

mining and exploration of gold building of heavy mining

industries in central and eastern parts of the country

like cement plants filler plants etc Coal exploration is

also a potential area that is being explored by different

companies including MIDROC Ethiopia for use in the

cement plant power generation and fertilizer Soda ash

being used as a major input in glass soap detergent and

other industrial input is also one area of mining A lot of

investors are involved in gemstones

In an effort to exploit these resources and put them

to good use for the development of Ethiopia one of

MIDROC Ethiopia Group Companies the National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) has since its establishment in

March 1993 been actively engaged in the exploration of

gold and base metals in the various parts of the country

ldquoIt is worth noting that the mineral wealth of Ethiopia is

not fully tapped yet and needs to be given due attention

as it can be the backbone of the economy together with

agriculturerdquo says Ato Melaku Beza CEO of National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) He assertively told TIRET in

an interview at his office regarding the activities and

contributions of NMiC to the mining industry and that

his Company is working hard for a better achievement as

it has commemorated its 15th anniversary recently

He said that NMiC is currently engaged in the exploration

of gold base metals at Dawa Digati and Werri areas in the

Oromia and Tigray Administrative Regions and base metals

in Dire Dawa and Benshangul Gumuz Administrative

Regions It is also engaged in mining of marble and

limestone processing of quarried blocks and on the way

to develop the Abiyata Soda Ash in Southern Ethiopia

The Company in its venture in the development of Soda

Ash has embarked upon a joint investment agreement

with the Public Enterprise Supervising Agency (PPESA)

for a 54 percent share in which PPESArsquos 46 percent share

dilutes while NMICrsquos share shall increase in the process of

implementing tasks set in two phases

Mining Corporation on the Move

Ato Melaku Beza CEO NMiC

Dawa Digati Gold exploration drilling

The potential of the mining industry for the development of the Ethiopian economy is immense as witnessed by the ongoing development activities in the country This includes exploration of petroleum in the Ogaden Gambela and other areas by different companies exploration of gold in different parts of the country and potash exploration in Dallol where there is an estimated of 160 millions of tons of proven reserves

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Melaku stated that NMIC has invested Birr

160817912 (one hundred sixty million eight hundred

seventeen thousand nine hundred twelve) for exploration

and mining activities adding that the size of investment for

soda ash will be in the order of Birr 1150000000 (one

billion one hundred fifty million)

The first phase will cost Birr 640000000 (six hundred

forty million) and the second phase will be Birr 500000000

(five hundred million)

National Mining Corporation Plc is a pioneer in opening

and developing quarrying of marble and limestone using

the latest technology in the field Currently the Companyrsquos

Boka Marble Quarry has six benches and more than

twelve faces that are being worked out at Boka quarry

in the Benshangul Administrative Region In the process

it provides training to quarry workers of other quarry

owners thereby contributing to the development of the

mining culture

The General Manager explained about the processing and

marketing of his Companyrsquos products and said that his

Company applies modern technologies and deploys the

latest equipment in mining that meet export standards

engaging in open pit mining and tunneling for underground

mining which is unique not only in Ethiopia but also in

Africa He further articulated that the Company mines one

of the best quality marble in the industry as evidenced in

Boka multicolor marble once nominated as ldquoThe Stone

of the Yearrdquo by the Marble Institute of America (MIA)

while the blue marble has entered the world market by

a new name ldquoSummer Skyrdquo and is currently being sold

in Italy Samples of both have been tested and analyzed in

American Testing Companies and European Universities

and have proved to be of high quality and suitable both

for internal and external use in the construction industry

These two marbles are unique and are found only in

Ethiopia Also the limestone is of unique colors yellow

white and red which have high demand in the market

The CEO said that the special quality of his Companyrsquos

product that attracts international market is the

uniqueness of the material its beauty (aesthetics) and its

non-absorbent and compact nature

The company has the capacity to supply the export market

with the required quality and size of blocks and slabs both

white and blue marble Export markets include Taiwan

China Italy France USA Africa and the Middle East

In order to improve quality additional modern

state-of-the-art quarry machinery has been injected in the

quarry Plan is underway to replace the old machinery at

the processing plant The Company is also producing its

own ldquoabrasiverdquo used for polishing marble using locally

available minerals and materials

Awash Processing Plant

Blocks at Block Yard

Slabs at Slab Yard in the Awash Processing Plant

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

NMiC holds 40 of the local market share in the construction industry Lots of buildings have been cladded by NMiCrsquos products The Sheraton Addis Bole International Airport Terminal Sunshine Multipurpose Building National Bank of Ethiopia Federal Police Headquarters AUrsquos Building Head Office and the Secretary Generalrsquos Residence Ethiopian Insurance Corporation Worbek Building the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Patriarchrsquos Palace and UNCA Building are some the major buildings in Addis Ababa which are finished with NMiCrsquos products

National Mining Corporation Plc is one of the competent companies in Ethiopia and has contributed to the economy of the country by way of generating hard currency from its exports and saving foreign currency by competing and blocking imports of dimension stones from abroad One word it has added to the Ethiopian economy an amount of over Birr 5000000000 (fifty million) in tax royalties and land rent

NMiC has made valuable studies on the mineral potential areas of the country in dimension stones oil and gas mineral water coal and industrial minerals It has also made sound participation in the employment and training of manpower to the mining sector and has encouraged foreign investors to be involved in exploration of oil and gas and other minerals NMiC provides free training in its quarries and processing plant to new local enterprises coming to the sector The company provides potable water electricity medical services and other financial assistance to the community of its mining areas and has set up HIVAIDS policy for the Company to curb the spread of the pandemic and provides care and support for

those living with the virus

Tunnel Jet Belt Quarrying the latest technology in use at the Eshet Blue Quarry

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

a) Finalizing the work on the exploration phase of the gold and base metals projects both at Dawa Digati and Werri which shall lead to feasibility study and production stage

b) Developing Eshet Blue and Boka Multicolor marble quarries and strengthen export to increase income of foreign currency

c) Supplying blocks to local factories

d) Replacement of machinery at Awash Processing Plant especially to boost production and quality

e) Improve the life of the working force through profit sharing and availing better facilities together with upgrading their knowledge through training

f) Implement the Soda Ash development project

The priority areas of NMiC in its future plan include among others

Asked finally if he was satisfied with his Companyrsquos achievements Ato Melaku Beza CEO of NMiC replied ldquoNot much we could do betterrdquo

Nmic Products

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

ldquoA journey of a thousand miles starts with a single steprdquo

goes the famous Chinese saying as for Bauer MIDROC it

all started 10 years ago with the foundation work of the

construction of the MIDROC Corporate Office (MCO)

commonly known as Nani Building With a single project

at hand Bauer Specialtifbau a German Company ventured

into the slowly budding private construction industry

in equal partnership with MIDROC Ethiopia Although

a small scale business venture in the eyes of both giant

partners MIDROC Ethiopia and Bauer Specialtifbau it

created vast opportunities to the construction sector

with the introduction of a state-of-the-art German based

foundation technology to the Ethiopian market The

miniature move of the two giants opened up a gateway

of possibilities and marked a new construction era for

Ethiopia Over the years changes in shareholders has

led to the current name ldquoMIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plcrdquo with the state-of-the-art foundation solutions still in

place

Several limitations in dealing with unfavorable soil

conditions frequently encountered within Ethiopiarsquos

diverse geological formations most abundantly the

problematic black cotton soil within the city of Addis

Ababa and other parts of the country brought about

several technical barriers when it came to building

massive civil structures Building highrises as well as

massive bridges was inconceivable unless capable soil was

in close vicinity MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with

the introduction of deep foundations based on advanced

and efficient technologies in the construction industry

no doubt brought about remarkable solutions and helped

ease some of these anxieties

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with its fleets of large

diameter drilling rigs and variety of drilling tools capable of

both soil and hard soil formations has made economical

foundation solutions a reality offering developers the

confidence to build high rise buildings without worrying

about the type of soil in Addis Ababa The expertise of

Dedicated Backing for MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is gradually changing

the cityrsquos skyline with the construction of the completed

MCO Building AICAIB Headquarters and KK Building

both to be completed soon and all standing above 20

stories

Entering the city limits through the skyways one can notice

that the Bole Airport has received an entire facelift with

the construction of the International Passenger Terminal

Airport Control Towers the new Cargo Terminal and the

Maintenance Hanger The only thing these landmarks share

other than ownership is that they owe their existence to

foundation solutions of MIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plc As we enter the city limits also the Bole Viaduct

and all the overpasses on the Addis Ababa Ring Road are

comfortably resting still with the construction of the deep

piles by MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc

Drilling of pile with casing

 Tiret Sept 2008

Parallel to pile construction as verification of the

constructed pile capacities is common practice in the

foundation construction industry MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc equipped with the state-of-the-art

automated pile load testing system has recently conducted

1300 metric tons load test at the Derba MIDROC Cement

Factory Project the first of this magnitude in the African

Continent

The introduction of vertical shoring wall systems that

uses reinforced concrete piles and tie back anchors which

is gaining popularity in recent years is another type of

foundation technology solutions made possible in Ethiopia

through MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos expertise

Prior to these shoring system solutions land owners

could not fully utilize their plots at the boundaries for fear

of catastrophic cave-in In fact in most cases plot owners

avoided under ground construction in order to avoid

litigation with next door land owners The utilization of

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos vertical shoring pile

wall system was proposed and implemented in the cases

of Bole Towers and Loli Building In both cases all sides of

the plot were shored exactly at the boundaries without

any land loss In fact the clients gained underground spaces

in the order of two to three times their plot size for

possible parking purpose This has provided developers

with solutions clearing their lumbers from additional

costs for parking facilities

Pile load testing

In line with the construction boom within Addis Ababa

developers are opting to construct on boundary edges

where heavy structures already exist in adjacent plots

In order to excavate at these boundaries the safest and

most economical foundation solution system is shoring

pile wall system These systems were employed at Awash

Bank and Insurance Building KK Building and Orchid

Building

For realization of structures that have to be constructed

below the natural ground water level and or near offshore

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc has construction

approaches that employ waterproof vertical shoring

systems and several options to choose from within

the framework of technical feasibility of foundation

engineering The construction of Diaphragm Wall

Cellular Cofferdam Sheet Pile Wall and Secant

Pile Wall are such solutions to name a few The cost

of construction and the time required for executing the

works is in the order listed above

Anchored pile shoring wall

Foundation Solution

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the equipment already available in the country

MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc has tabled and

implemented an economical and technically feasible

secant pile wall system solution for bridge projects

within Ethiopia If it was not for MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plcrsquos geotechnical solutions construction under

such conditions would have been technically impossible

throughout East Africa

Unlike other options construction of secant pile wall as

waterproof vertical shoring system is not limited to the

soil condition of the site The construction of such high

tech geotechnical engineering solutions by the Company

have been successfully applied on projects like the Omo

River Bridge and on the New Abay Bridge Projects The

application of the secant pile wall system was used for the

construction of the pier foundation on both sides of the

Bridge on the Omo River Bridge Project and one side pier

foundation construction of the New Abay Bridge Project

During the construction of the Omo River Bridge

foundation and substructure works other logistic

challenges non-related to foundation works was

encountered The West Pier and Abutment on the Omo

River Bridge created such a technical impasse On this

side one of the most difficult challenges was to solve the

problem of crossing equipment and construction material

across the 150 m wide river After carefully considering all

the possible alternatives a decision was made to design and

manufacture a water crossing barge using local expertise

and manufacturing capabilities MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc took part in the design manufacturing and

commissioning of this barge and has successfully crossed

a 503 ton drilling rig and other earth moving equipment

With nearly twenty projects within Ethiopia MIDROC

Foundation Specialists Plc is a pioneer in exporting

foundation technology to neighboring Kenya Tanzania

and the Sudan In-house trained Ethiopian experts have

Crossing of drilling rig on Omo River through Barge

 Tiret Sept 2008

Secant pile wall

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Mr Achim Braun General Manager of MIDROC Foundation (left) inspecting a construction site

left their marks on several key projects within those

countries Among the projects successfully carried out in

Tanzania the Songo Songo Offshore Piling Project was the

most challenging and rewarding of all In this Project sixty

per cent of the piles were constructed from a SEWP (Self

Elevating Working Platform) elevated 13 meters from the

sea bed

As the company commemorates the tenth anniversary of

its establishment it is only proper to mark the outstanding

contributions to the construction industry of Ethiopia The

efficiency of the Company and the technology employed

has resulted in creating a broad awareness of foundation

technological solutions in the country particularly

among developers In terms of the spectrum of available

techniques of foundation the projects undertaken so

far are only a tip of the iceberg Although the Company

was confronted with a number of challenges in changing

attitudes and practices the success achieved so far has

been accomplished with great efforts exerted by the

companyrsquos management and its diligent professionals in

the field

Being the only Class I Foundation Specialist Contractors

in the country MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc is now

determined to leap ahead to new and yet un-introduced

foundation construction technologies such as micro 

piles  high  pressure  injection  diaphragm 

walls  slope  protection  and  soil  nailing  As

the countries infrastructure development continues to

reach higher levels MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is

preparing itself to meet the current customer demands

and technological challenges

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Statistics reveal that the country continues to earn hard currency from export of primary commodities such as coffee which tops the list by fetching some 500 million dollars last financial year

Other commodities are hides and skin flowers pulses fruits vegetables and chat

Incidentally it is interesting to note that Chat has fetched over 60 million dollars in foreign currency last fiscal year

The chewing of chat leaves is common in the horn of Africa but in eastern Ethiopia it is big business for some and big worry for others Chat is a major agricultural crop Yet many say it is addictive and harmful to health

In a town where I grew up for instance it is hard to avoid the impact of the stimulant leaf The first thing that strikes you in the main market is the deafening noise The market square is a scene of total chaos as you make your way through a bustling crowd preoccupied with the business of bartering for a prized commodity- the green leafed plant chat

Awadaye market is a market for chat It is estimated that over 25000 kg pass through it daily The buyers and sellers take their jobs seriously shouting to one other They gesture excitedly as they trade thousands of birr daily for the chat which is bought from the local farmers in Awadaye and sent to other areas in Ethiopia It is also exported overseas It is said to be the backbone of the economy as it can be gathered from the revenue it has generated during the current physical year

If you compare chat farmers with other farmers in other parts of the country you will see that their standard of living is so much better

The employment created though chat cultivation is very high as large numbers of people are involved in growing harvesting sorting packing transporting loading and unloading the commodity The wood of the plant is used for fuel and because of its resistance to termites it is also used to make fences Chat is also believed to have medical value being used locally to treat influenza and asthma

Chat farmers used to grow maize sorghum and teff which is the basic Ethiopian staple food but these crops are difficult to grow as they require lots of rain and attention

while chat requires little water or cultivation That is why it is widely believed that its cultivation is expanding at an amazing rate

Chat has now become Ethiopiarsquos biggest export third only to coffee and hides and skin But despite the cash earning and the tradition of chat growing and use among the people many people do not encourage it

They believe that it is addictive and this has a negative impact on the community They allege that people forget about their work commitments and spend hours chewing chat The number of users of chat is increasing particularly among the youth

In urban areas the use of chat combined with alcohol is having an adverse effect on family life Many students chew chat because they say it increases their concentration when they study their lessons

However in some regions where it is widely cultivated business punctuality is a frequent problem as the time after lunch is usually spent chewing chat Even in some regions where the plant has been banned cultivation and usage continue and attempts to replace chat with cash crops like coffee have failed

Regardless of the merit or demerit of chat the country continues to get the much needed hard currency through export of the plant ldquochatrdquo

However many people including development agents are of the opinion that the demerit far out weighs the merit for energy and time is spent chewing the stuff and particularly its negative impact on health especially on the productive force

Another very lucrative business in Ethiopia is the export of leather and leather goods According to recent data export of leather and leather goods registered a surge from 52 million dollars to over 90 million dollars Incidentally ELICO one of MIDROC Ethiopia group companies dealing with finished leather products fetched last financial year over 10 million dollars

In the light of considerable income accrued from export of primary commodities there is a need to do even more by way of establishing more agro-industries that engage in the production of agricultural products for sale locally and internationally

Earning from Export of Primary CommoditiesBy Yohannes Ruphael

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The Third Private Sector Development National Conference ndash 2008 of Ethiopia took place in Addis Ababa on June 30 2008 ndash at the UNECA Conference Center and the draft strategy document and priority strategic issues for improved business environment were discussed by representatives of the Private Sector Development Hub established with basic objectives of coordinating and developing a series of public sector development intervention projects for implementation with international financial support and undertaking related research studies to support the business community in its public and private partnership dialogue The Conference was addressed by an internationally renowned and distinguished authority on Corporate Governance Prof Mervyn E King SC

The Editorial Team of TIRET has taken advantage of communicating with Professor Mervyn E King SC to share his views briefly with our readers

Professor Mervyn E King SC is currently Professor Extraordinaire at the University of South Africa and serves as the Chairperson of the King Committee on Corporate Governance in South Africa He is a Senior Counsel and former Judge of the Supreme Court of South Africa His other credentials include Member of the World Bank Advisory Group on Corporate Governance President of the Commonwealth Association of Corporate Governance Governor of the International Corporate Governance Network President of the South Africa Chamber of Business Vice President of the Institute of Directors of Southern Africa Representatives of South Africa at the International Chamber of Commerce Advisor of Asian Center of Corporate Governance Director of Global Reporting Initiative-Amsterdam Director of Association of business Administrators of South Africa

At the Millennium National Private Sector Development Conference in Addis Ababa recently I spoke about corporate governance in the development of the private sector

Corporate governance is about the principles and practices which guide directors and senior managers in making their decisions to the best interests of their companies It has to be separated from the enterprise side of the business which is about making business judgment calls It is essential that directors and senior managers adopt acceptable principles and practices in steering and directing the company and making business judgment It is about the quality of this governance rather than a quantitative check on whether there has been compliance by the directors and managers with well-known governance practices such as the establishment of a remuneration committee

In my talk I pointed out that the economic value of a company does not equal its book value In Coca Cola for example its book value is approximately 13 of its economic value and its greatest asset is its brand which is dependent on

 Tiret Sept 2008

the companyrsquos reputation Consequentially directors and senior managers of Coca Cola have a duty to protect the companyrsquos brand

In planning for a company the strategic direction needs to be done both short- and long-term If a strategy is developed in which all persons in the corporation at all levels buy-in one can get ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things Unless this is done not even extraordinary people will achieve ordinary things

The important thing for directors to remember is that they have won and maintained the trust and confidence of the stakeholders of the company Consequently they should report at least annually how the company has both positively and negatively affected a communityrsquos economic life through its operations and how it is going to enhance those positive aspects and eradicate or ameliorate the negative aspects in the year ahead

Good governance involves inter alia the approval by the board of the strategy of the company and sustainability can no longer be ignored in developing a long-term strategy

The Private Sector Development Hub (PSD-Hub) has the objective to contribute to the economic development of Ethiopia by improving the entrepreneurial environment and the governance of corporations Consequently the PSD-Hub has held Conferences over the last two years focusing on these issues and on the question of public private partnerships There has also been discussion about expediting the registration of companies the standardization of accounting and auditing capitalization and the finalization of the revision of the Ethiopian Commercial Code Corporate governance has featured prominently in these discussions

Arising out of all the modernization of the registration of companies in Ethiopia has been recognized as a priority

Accounting and auditing standards which should follow IFRS should have legal backing so that everyone in Ethiopia will know the meaning of the reported financial statements

The development of a securities market including an exchange in which not only equities but bonds and derivatives can be bought and sold with the dematerialisation of scrip and electronic settlement is essential

From the above it will be seen that there is much to be done but Ethiopia is striving through the PSD Hub to create platforms on which it can forge ahead in our flat electronic world where capital flows towards those areas where there is good governance and well-regulated markets The Conference at which I spoke was just another step in Ethiopiarsquos endeavours to achieve these goals Positively the essential aspects for creating an entrepreneurial and thriving business environment have been identified and PSD Hub the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other interested bodies are working in partnership with government to achieve them

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Itrsquos a ridiculous

l a n g u a g e rdquo

sputtered the

Englishman at

the next table

his jowls shaking

in anger ldquoA ridiculous languagerdquo

We were sitting in a tiny tea-and-pie shop in Criccieth a

town in northern Wales and everybody but us was speaking

Welsh Like a remarkable number of his countrymen this

man was convinced it was merely a secret code employed

by the local to talk behind the backs of English visitors

ldquoJust you watchrdquo he said ldquoAs soon as we leave theyrsquoll all

go back to speaking Englishrdquo

I rather doubted it And unlike the Englishman I was

thrilled to encounter one of the oldest languages in

Europe a tongue heard in this misty and mountainous

land since the arrival of Roman legions

Being surrounded by people speaking an unfamiliar and

exotic language is to me one of the best things about

travel Just as some people will journey to the Serengeti

to glimpse the rare and endangered white rhino Irsquoll happily

go far out of my way to hear a rare and endangered

language

In the storybook city of Carcassonne in southwest France

I was less thrilled at seeing the towers and turrets than

I was at meeting a man who could speak Occitan the

ancient and fast-vanishing language of the troubadours

As far as I was concerned the most fascinating thing in

Dangriga a coastal town in Belize was the mellifluous

sound of Garifuna a language spoken by the descendants

of shipwrecked slaves from West Africa I once traveled

to Graubunden in eastern Switzerland in the hope of

hearing Romansch a tongue spoken by fewer than one

percent of the nationrsquos residents and said to resemble

Latin I encountered a few signs in the language but no

one who could speak it

According to one oft-cited estimate at least half the

worldrsquos 6000 languages are likely to die out by the end

of this century which means that one is going silent on

average every two weeks

Itrsquos not merely a matter of using different words to express the same thoughts Languages are literally the expressions of cultures and belief systems entirely different ways of making sense of the world And just as we should be concerned about the shrinking diversity of plant and animal species we should also worry about the shrinking diversity of languages

Welsh though seems to be holding on despite 700 years

of efforts by the English to exterminate it The BBC has for

some years now carried television and radio programming

in the language and in Wales itrsquos possible to receive your

entire education from preschool to postgraduate in

Welsh About 20 percent of Walesrsquo population speaks

Welsh and the number appears to be growing slightly

It is not as the Englishman said a ridiculous language But

it is to my eyes and ears a wonderfully strange one Dave

Barry once wrote that the ancient Hawaiians arrived on

their islands after perilous canoe voyages in seas so rough

their consonants fell overboard My guess is that the

letters drifted the worldrsquos oceans until they washed up on

the shores of Wales

T h e   B e a u t y   o f   a   L a n g u a g e

 Tiret Sept 2008

How else to explain for example the Welsh word for

beer Itrsquos cwrw It looks like my Scrabble tray when I

donrsquot have a word to pay (In case you ever need to order

one itrsquos pronounced ldquokooroordquo)

And then therersquos the vexing pronunciation of the double-

1 you find at the beginning of it seems two-thirds of the

town names in Wales ldquoJust put your teeth together and

hiss like a duckrdquo explained a helpful woman I met at the

Dylan Thomas Museum in Swansea She also pointed out

that Llareggub the fictional town in Thomasrsquo ldquoUnder the

Milkwood Treerdquo is merely ldquobugger allrdquo spelled backward

I like the besotted poet a whole lot more after learning

that

One dark and drizzly night I went to a little schoolhouse in

the Rhondda Valley to listen to a rehearsal of the Treorchy

Menrsquos Choir made up mostly of unemployed coal miners

ldquoIn the old daysrdquo one of them told me ldquowe used to sing

together in the pitsrdquo

When they opened their mouths to sing as one in Welsh

all the snarky little comments about their language become

moot It was simply one of the most hauntingly beautiful

sounds Irsquove even heard

I got a lesson in the politics of minority languages recently

when I visited Montreal the capital of French ndash speaking

Canada I hadnrsquot been there since a childhood visit to

Exporsquo67 and I remember the province as decidedly

bilingual Everything from traffic signs to toothpaste

tubes was printed in French and English No more A

law passed in 1977 banned the use of English in signs

throughout Quebec Itrsquos an attempt to do linguistically

what they failed for two centuries to do militarily prevent

the English from conquering them

Theyrsquore quite serious about this Hudson Bay Co the

venerable department store chain that dates back to the

fur-trading days is now known as Compagnie de la Baie

drsquoHudson at least in these parts Kentucky Fried Chicken

outlets arenrsquot allowed to use ldquoKFCrdquo on their signs In

Quebec theyrsquore called ldquoPFKrdquo for Poulet Frit Kentucky

The Quebecois are more vigilant even than their famously

Anglophobic counterparts in Paris All stop signs here say

Arret even though the ones in France say ldquoStoprdquo

It all seemed a little silly and excessive to me until I began

talking to French-speaking Montrealers about it ldquoYou

have to understand that wersquore surrounded by English

speakersrdquo a schoolteacher told me ldquoWe have to be very

firm about defending our language or it will disappear

And when it goes so does our way of life

Signs aside most French Canadians I met were bilingual

I quickly discovered that if I first made atleast a fumbling

attempt to speak their language almost everybody was

happy to switch to English ndash very possibly to spare

themselves the trauma of hearing my phrase-book

French which sounds like someone grinding the gears

of an old Citroen ldquoWe have nothing against Englishrdquo the

schoolteacher told me ldquoItrsquos just that we want to speak

French hererdquo

Vive la differenceJohn Flinn -Travel Editor

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Scale up of HIV Prevention Treatment Care and Support Requires Renewed Leadership and Resources

The 17th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) took place in Mexico City from August 3 -8 2008 with an assessment of the situation of the global epidemic at a panel of researchers public health and civil society leaders examined recent progress towards the scale up of treatment and prevention programmes and called for sustained action to eliminate the barriers to universal access

ldquoDespite the progress we have made we are not on course to meet universal access targets and in fact appear to be slipping away from our existing commitmentsrdquo said Dr Pedro Cahn International Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and President of the International AIDS Society and Fundacioacuten Hueacutesped in Buenos Aires Argentina ldquoIt appears that we are poised to accept defeat when victory is still within our grasp Our failure to meet those commitments will have an impact on millions of lives This cannot be allowed to happen It is time for nations to live up to their commitmentsrdquo

ldquoWith only two years to go until the 2010 deadline for universal access set by world leaders we must redouble our commitment to scaling up all proven HIV prevention strategiesrdquo said Dr Luiacutes Soto Ramiacuterez Local Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and Head of the Molecular Virology Unit at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Meacutedicas y Nutricioacuten Salvador Zubiriaacuten and Coordinator of the Clinical Care Committee of CONASIDA Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council ldquoThe fact that last year 27 million people were newly infected with HIV a disease that is entirely preventable is unacceptablerdquo

Dr Jaime Sepulveda (Mexico) founder of Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council who is now with the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation noted that attention to and resources for AIDS are at all-time high including substantially increased funding for the Global Fund and the US Presidentrsquos Emergency Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief According to Sepulveda reaching the goal of 3 million people in low and middle-income countries on treatment at the end of 2007 was a critical step forward but the world has only scratched the surface of possibilities in responding to the epidemic Greater resources more effectively spent and targeted where they can have the greatest effect would have a dramatic impact on the course of the epidemicrsquos Highlighting the fact that more people become infected

with HIV last year than began treatment Sepulveda called for radically increased investments in prevention research evaluation and delivery of services as well as accelerated research on promising prevention methods including a vaccine In conclusion he reiterated that political leadership from all countries and accountability at all levels are essential for stopping the epidemic

Citing the results in both treatment and prevention scale up in countries with sustained leadership such as Rwanda and Tanzania Alex Coutinho (Uganda) of the Infectious Disease Institute of Makerere University made a passionate call for greater leadership as a path toward meeting the challenges ahead In looking at progress to date Coutinho highlighted increased access to HIV testing and counseling to prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and to pediatric care and treatment as well as the effectiveness of male circumcision as a prevention intervention In contrast he noted that most countries will not achieve universal access by 2010 and that the majority of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are still unaware of their HIV status In his call to action Coutinho urged greater investment in prevention and financial resources flexible enough to support health systems and systems that reach into rural and other hard-to-reach areas and fully embrace PLHIV as partners He also urged outreach to and support of marginalized and at-risk communities as well as the greater involvement of PLHIV as a catalyst for change

Elisabet Fadul (Dominican Republic) of the Dominican Network for Youth RightsGlobal Youth Partners outlined a broad and urgent youth HIVAIDS agenda calling for comprehensive rights ndash and evidence-based plans to provide access for young people Highlighting the 40 of new infections worldwide among young people between the ages of 15-24 Fadul noted that HIV prevention and treatment programmes are failing to effectively reach young people with the most vulnerable and marginalized being stigmatized criminalized or forgotten by many of these programmes

To reverse this course she called for actions and policies that engage youth especially young people living with HIVAIDS as respected partners in developing and implementing programmes that forthrightly address their

needs and diversity

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Contents

TIRET means ldquoeffort in Amharic and is a Magazine produced from MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFYeshimebet Demissie

DEPUTY-EDITOR-IN-CHIEFAselefech Getachew

SECRETARIAL SERVICEHaimanot Negussie

PHOTOGRAPHYBiruk HailuTewodros AberaDegife Tekle

PUBLISHED BYThe Public Relations Department of MIDROC EthiopiaTel +251 11 371 12 77Fax +251 11 371 29 90POBox 6631Email midprethionetet

DESIGN amp PAGE LAYOUTCreative PowerPrinting amp ManufacturingTel +251 11 550 52 31 2 +251 11 550 38 28Fax +251 11 515 19 41 (Roots Africa)POBox 6631Addis Ababa EthiopiaEmail creativeaddisethionetet

COPYRIGHTSept 2008MIDROC EthiopiaAll rights reserved Reproduction in part and or whole is allowed with the written authorization of the publisher

MIDROCMohammed InternatioalDevelopment Research ampOrganisation Companies

MIDROC News and Briefs       7-29 Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi

signed the first loan agreement with an International and Local Financing Agencies the largest ever done in Ethiopia to help build a new Cement Plant at Derba that is meant to curb the current cement shortage in the country Full story appears in along

with updates of major activities of MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group in the last six months

Main Story      30-35ldquoIt is worth noting that the mineral wealth of Ethiopia is not fully tapped helliprdquo says CEO of National Mining Corporation Plc one of the MIDROC Group Companies and explains achievements of his Company as it commemorates its 15th anniversary Cover Story examines in detail the activities of NMiC in the mining Industry

In Focushellip      36-41In this issue TIRET deals with the remarkable construction solutions provided to developers by MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with the introduction of deep foundations based on advanced and efficient technologies in the construction industry

ldquoIncidentallyrdquo        43Yohannes Ruphael featuring on earnings from export of primary commodities brings to the attention of our readers his observations on the export of Chat

Writers Column    44-45Prof Mervyn E King an internationally renowned and distinguished authority in Corporate Governance addressed the National Private Sector Development Conference held in Addis Ababa recently He shares with our readers his views and experiences on the Conference

Axis       47-52Axis Column brings to light an interesting article by John Flinn a Travel Editor on the Beauty of a Language Also a report on the 17th International AIDS Conference that took place in Mexico is included

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi is positive that Derba

Project when completed would address the acute

shortage of cement in Ethiopia and will contribute greatly

to the sustainable economic development of the country

He earlier said that his main objective to build the project

is to reduce dependence on import and avail cement

in abundant quantity so that development in Ethiopia

continues in a sustainable way and expressed hope that

price of cement will reduce to an acceptable level so that

construction be affordable

The plant site with an area of about 123 hectares

accommodates the manufacturing plant including

related facilities such as workers residential complex

public amenities electrical power substation product

storage and dispatch areas The plant will be fed with

raw materials from the quarry in the Mugger Valley via

a 75 kms conveyor belt and a 175 km of treacherous

road both crossing a very difficult sloping terrain which

drops more than 850 m between the plant and quarry

sites The new road with its 120 m span bridge across

the Muger River will be the first and the only access that

connects the residents on both sides of the river

The Project will bring new or better infrastructural

services to the local population and will also be the largest

single source of investment in the country

Derba MIDROC Cement Plant integrates the latest

technology and when completed will have a cement

production capacity of 8000 tons per day or 25 million

tons per annum It is hoped that it will increase the

existing total domestic cement production capacity by at

least 15 times thus significantly reduce or eliminate the

present cement shortage in the country

When completed the plant is expected to create about

500 direct and 10000 indirect job opportunities

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi on behalf of Derba

MIDROC Cement Plc and Mr Sady M Zeidan Manager of

IFC of the World Bank along with the African Development

Bank(ADB) European Investment Bank and Development

Bank of Ethiopia (DBE) have signed on June 23 2008 at

the Sheraton Addis a USD 200 million loan agreement

to help build a new plant aimed at addressing the acute

cement shortage in Ethiopia

According to Mr Sady M Zeidan Manager of IFC the

loan represents IFCrsquos first investment in Ethiopia since

1989 and it is the largest ever in the country He also

said that the loan reflects IFCrsquos confidence in the local

private sector and aligned with IFCrsquos strategy to promote

investments in countries where the private sector is at

the early stage of development

The loan arrangement is a success achieved to bring on

board the International Private Sector Financing Agencies

to work with the Ethiopian Private Sector Developers

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi Owner and Sponsor

of MIDROC Derba Cement Plc has invested USD 151

million for the construction of the project

IFC - Derba MIDROC Sign Loan Agreement

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi and Mr Sady M Zeidan after

signing the loan agreement

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

In keeping with his desire to develop sports in the country Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi has once again generously donated Birr five million to the Ethiopian Olympic Committee as part of his boundless support to the development of Ethiopian sports to help the committee meet the cost of Ethiopian Athletics delegation to the Beijing Olympics

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi granted the Birr five million donation to the Ethiopian Olympic Committee at a ceremony held on May 27 2008 at the Sheraton Addis where the Ethiopian President Ato Girma WGiorgis and Ethiopian Prime Minister Ato Meles Zenawi and other high ranking government officials were in attendance

At the ceremony Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi was honored with a Special Award by the Ethiopian President Ato Girma WGiorgis for his unlimited contributions to the development of athletics in Ethiopia

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudirsquos enthusiasm for sports in general football in particular has earned him admiration from fans near and far The East and Central Africa Challenge Cup Tournament which is held every two years and financed by Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi the incentives he provides to young and upcoming footballers in the various local teams and his pledge to build a modern stadium in Addis Ababa are all testimonies of his devotion to the development of sports in Ethiopia

Officials of the Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council have paid tribute to Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi for his contributions to the success of historical events organized by the Moslem Community

At a ceremony organized on March 28 2008 by the Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council Millennium Office to thank all those who supported it in making the millennium celebrations a success Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi was honored with a Special Award by the Ethiopian President Ato Girma WGiorgis The Award was received by Dr Arega Yirdaw Chief Executive Officer of MIDROC Ethiopia Technology Group on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi Present on the occasion were high ranking Government Officials Ambassadors and other Dignitaries

Oromia Regional State Awarded Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi

The Martyrs Monument built in Adama town by a Birr 50000000 (fifty million) generous donation of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi was inaugurated on March 23 2008

Ato Abadula Gemeda President of Oromia Regional State at the inaugural ceremony awarded a Gold Medal to Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi which was received by Dr Arega Yirdaw Chief Executive Officer of MIDROC Ethiopia Technology Group on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi

Construction of the monument was undertaken by MIDROC Construction Ethiopia PlcHE Ato Abadula Gemeda President of Oromiya Regional State handing

over Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudirsquos Award to CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi Donates to the Ethiopian Olympic Committee

Supreme Council Pays Tribute to Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Derba MIDROC Cement Plc and the Ministry of Mines

and Energy on May 19 2000 signed a Birr 57212000 (fifty

seven million two hundred twelve thousand) agreement

for mining Limestone Marl Gypsum and Sandstone on

a large scale in the Muger Valley locality in North Shewa

Zone Oromia National Regional State

The Agreement was signed by HE Ato Alemayhu Tegenu

Minister of Mines and Energy and Sheikh Mohammed

H Al-Amoudi Owner and Chairman of MIDROC

Investment Group

According to the agreement the licensee has an exclusive

right for a large scale Limestone Marl Gypsum and

Sandstone mining for twenty years to be renewed for

ten years upon the request of the licensee The license

area covers 1928610 m2 of land and is anticipated to

produce 11665000 tons of Limestone 1166000 tons

of Marl 696000 tons of Gypsum and 11387000 tons of

Sandstone

The Project is expected to create job opportunities for

469 people

MIDROC Construction Ethiopia Plc and the Addis Ababa City Roads Authority (AACRA) signed a 6772 million Birr Contract Agreement for the construction of three roads in the city

Eng Fekadu Haile Manager of AACRA and Eng Shimelis Eshete Deputy General Manager of MIDROC Construction Ethiopia Plc signed the agreement on July 7 2008 on behalf of their respective companies

The contract covers a 191 km long of three roads namely Megenagna ndash Ayat 82 km long Gurd Shola ndash Summit Yeka Bole 82 km long and City Tip ndash Bisrate Gebriel Church 27 km long The Megenagna ndash Ayat road includes 14 m carriageway 55 m walkway and 2 m median while the other two roads include 10 m carriageway 45 m walkway and 1 m median each

These projects are expected to provide job opportunities for more than 1000 people

Derba MIDROC Signed Agreement

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi and Ato Alemayehu Tegenu exchanging the Agreement Document

Multi-Million Birr Contract Agreement Signed

 Tiret Sept 2008

MOHA Soft Drinks Industry SC a member of MIDROC

Ethiopia Investment Group has undertaken an expansion

project of Kool Mineral Water at Bure town in the

Amhara Regional State at a cost of over Birr 37 million

An agreement was signed in August 2008 between Ato

Alemayehu Tegenu Minister of Mines and Energy and Ato

Getachew Birbo CEO of MOHA Soft Drinks Industry SC

that provides a license for the expansion project which is

valid for ten years and renewable every five years to work

on a 5679978 sqm land

The factory which was acquired by MOHA four years ago

will have a capacity of producing 24 million cases of Kool

Mineral Water annually upon completion of the expansion

project MOHA has planned to produce 180320000

liters of mineral water in the coming ten years

According to CEO Getachew Birbo the company is

considering to export Kool Mineral Water as there is a

potentially rich market in the Middle East Countries

Since its establishment thirteen years ago MOHA has

invested over Birr 500 million (five hundred million birr)

in soft drinks factories located in different parts of the

country including Bure Kool Mineral Water Factory which

provided job opportunities for 2700 employees

MOHA has currently an annual production capacity

of 20 million cases from its six soft drinks factories at

Gonder Awassa Dessie Summit Plant (under contractual

agreement) and two plants in Addis Ababa covering 55

of the soft drinks demand in the country

Mini Cement Plant Begins Production

Dashen Cement Plant located in the outskirts of Dejen town North West of Amhara Regional State has been completed

and started producing cement recently

The mini plant is initially established to supply cement to private contractors and the government and to the construction

of the bigger Derba MIDROC Cement Project

Investment cost for Dashen Cement Plant stands at Birr 200000000 (two hundred million birr) and has a capacity of

producing 400 tons of cement per day

MOHA Undertakes Expansion Work

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The annual Customers Family and  Employees (company) Day initiated by the Chief Executive Officer of the MIDROC Ethiopia Technology Group was celebrated for the sixth time at the Millennium Hall on May 25 2008 in the presence of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi Chairman and Owner of MIDROC Ethiopia

According to MIDROC Technology Group the Annual Celebration of Customers Family and Employees (company) Day is held every year to acknowledge and show the gratefulness of the group to the Owners Customers Employees as well as Family Members for their contributions to the success of their respective companies

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi addressing at the celebration expressed his pleasure and gratitude and urged employees to work even harder and try to demonstrate more achievement CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw on his part articulated his appreciation to the employees for their efforts exerted for productivity and expressed hope that this hard work would be pronounced and developed in due course as a culture

Consequently 43 Best Customers of the MIDROC Ethiopia Technology Group both foreign and local were honored by Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi with Best Customers Award at the ceremony organized by the Technology Group at the Millennium Hall on May 25 2008

Wrt Etsehiwot Dinku Officer in Charge (OIC) for Production Marketing and Business Development Services at the Office of the CEO on the occasion presented a brief explanation of the products of each of the companies

Following the Sixth Annual Customers Family and Employees (company) Day Celebration Special Awards were presented to the Best Company and Best Performers of the year at the Millennium Hall in the presence of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi He addressed the gathering first and presented the Special Award to the Best Company of the Year Modern Building Industry (MBI) and the Best Performers Of The Year were also awarded

CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw on the occasion received a Special Award from the employees and families in the name of all the employees of the Group which he took from the hands of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi He was also awarded with a Special Certificate for his remarkable services in the Technology Group and other businesses of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi in the last ten years

Prior to Customers Family and Employees (company) Day the annual sports competition of employees of the Technology Group was carried out as part of the annual ceremony Winners in all competitions received gold bronze and silver medals from the hands of CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw

Customers Family and Employees (company) Day Commemorated

CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw receiving the Award from

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi

Mr Abdullah H Al-Amoudi receiving Best Foreign

Customers Award from the Chairman

 Tiret Sept 2008

The two days Second Annual ldquoOffsiterdquo Workshop where

CEOs and General Managers of the MIDROC Ethiopia

Technology Group took part was held on April 12 ndash 13

2008 at the Sheraton Addis Dr Arega Yirdaw Chief

Executive Officer of the Group opening the workshop

took into account the first Annual Workshop that was held

in Kombolcha and said that this yearrsquos venue provides more

opportunity for a considerable number of management

members to participate

While Dr Aregarsquos presentation to the Workshop focused

on ldquoEffective Marketing for Enhancement of

Business Developmentrdquo General Managers presented

comprehensive reports of their respective companies

MIDROC Ethiopia Training Department Holds Seminars

The MIDROC Ethiopia Training Department as part of  its  training activities holds various seminars for both senior managers and second level management tier every fiscal year During the last six months ldquoPositive Thinkingrdquo ldquoCorporate Social Responsibilitiesrdquo and ldquoICT Security and privacyrdquo were the issues for the seminars that the department carried out              

 Seminar on Positive Thinking

Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu Director of Training of MIDROC Ethiopia in his introductory remark on ldquoPositive Thinkingrdquo seminar that took place at the Sheraton Addis on April 11 2008 and attended by general managers and senior members of the Investment Group introduced the resource person Ato Robel Kidane as a ldquomotivational speakerrdquo and ldquolife-cycle trainerrdquo from Sweden

Emeritus Prof Johannes said that this topic is chosen because of a feeling that the current period and situations exhibited dynamic changes that were a burden to bear for many people who he said were ldquoeasily swayed to think negativelyrdquo He also quoted the Chairman and Owner of MIDROC Ethiopia Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi as saying ldquoWhat is the benefit of talking of bad

ldquoOffsiterdquo Workshop Held 

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Robel Kidane the resource person delivering his presentation at the seminar

 Tiret Sept 2008

The seminar for second level management personnel held on June 12 2008 on ICT Security and Privacy was attended by 31 participants from MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group Companies and the Head Office in the MIDROC Ethiopia Auditorium The seminar which was part of MIDROC Ethiopiarsquos attempt to keep abreast with ICT Development was opened by Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu who stressed in his brief remarks the need for concern to the protection of data and information and regulating the use of ICT

Also speaking on the occasion was Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting and Chairman of Training Committee who said that training helps to discover various means for success People he noted learn at work place and from challenges He stressed that the technology age called for adaptation of new thoughts and practices while requiring readiness to do ldquoWhat we can with what we haverdquo

The seminar which discussed various issues related to ICT was closed by Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu

 Seminar on ICT Security and Privacy

A view of participants of the seminar

things or difficulties onlyrdquo Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting of MIDROC Ethiopia and Chairman of Training Committee in his opening remark stated that positive thinking was a new scientific subject where investors CEOs and others in various capacities were inspired and motivated to create awareness to their colleagues and to remove all thoughts

of dark shadows from their minds He noted that positive thinking among CEOrsquos and subordinates was required and stressed that self-confidence was one of the prime factors for success in life and hence needed to be maintainedAto Robel Kidane covered a variety of interesting issues related to positive thinking in his presentation after which participants discussed on several importnat issues

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Teklu Haile opening the Seminar

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The seminar on ldquoCorporate Social Responsibilityrdquo

for second level management tier took place on March 27

2008 at the MIDROC Ethiopia Auditorium and attended

by 27 participants from 12 group companies

In accordance with the call to plant ldquoThree Trees in the Third Millenniumrdquo volunteers from MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group and Head Office on August 2007 replanted trees on the Entoto Mountain situated north of the capital city Addis Ababa It is to be recalled that members of MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group under the motto ldquo Two Trees in 2000 Ethiopian Millenniumrdquo have participated in planting trees at the same location last year

Organized again by the MIDROC Ethiopia Public Relations the call for replanting was enthusiastically received by volunteers who went back to the area to replace those trees planted by employees of the Investment Group last year and did not take root and withered

Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting supported and encouraged volunteers of MIDROC Ethiopia and reminded them of the saying - ldquoten thousand dedicated soldiers are better than one million dubious soldiersrdquo and appreciated all the volunteers for actively participating in the tree replanting activity

Seminar on Corporate Social Responsibility

Participants at the seminar Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu delivering his presentation

Volunteers going up the mountain for replanting

Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting Department of MIDROC Ethiopia and Chairman of Training Committee in his opening remarks stressed the importance of participation in community affairs by all Group Companies and cited Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi as a shinning example in playing an active

role in social activities He called on all to strive hard to change the negative image of the country and build a better Ethiopia free from poverty hunger and disease Various papers were presented ensuing fruitful discussions on the above issues

MIDROC Ethiopia Volunteers Participate in Replanting Trees

 Tiret Sept 2008

Equatorial Business Group General Manager Ato Tadelle

Teferra Deputy General Manager Ato Mekuria Ayele and

Automotive Business Senior Director Ato Daniel Seyoum

participated a weeklong Dealerrsquos Conference that was

staged in Cape Town South Africa in February this year

According to Ato Daniel Seyoum around 75 business

leaders from Europe the Middle East Asia and Africa

participated at the Conference Issues discussed included

regional international business concerns VOLVOrsquos strategy

development VOLVO CE business update introduction to

new VOLVO road machinery and other related business

matters Dealersrsquo Conference is an annual event to bring

together leaders in the VOLVO Construction Equipment

business from nearly all over the world for a pull effect

particularly to companies like EBG to provide further

opportunity in the Automotive Industry

EBG is an exclusive dealer in Ethiopia for VOLVO brand

products

Company Observes its 15th Anniversary

A group picture of Dealers Conference participants

EBGrsquos Managers Attended Dealers Conference

Equatorial Business Group (EBG) colorfully observed its 15th Anniversary on April 30 2008 Ato Tadelle Teferra

General Manager of the Company addressing the management and employees expressed gratitude and appreciation

to the Owners of the Company and to the Employees who worked hard since its establishment and urged all company

staff to work with an even more commitment and dedication

Ato Tadelle on the occasion disclosed the implementation of the reform packages that started recently and expressed

hope that the reform packages would bring EBG to a better competitive and profitable position The reform introduces

MIS QMS and companyrsquos new restructuring and other associated jobs

Three employees who served EBG for 15 years were honored with Special Certificates and several employees from

the various businesses and support services of the company were awarded for Best Performances during the year

200607

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Tadesse Haile State Minister of the Ministry of Trade and Industry visited Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc and held discussions with senior members on issues pertaining to the activities of the factory Ato Ahmed Hassen General Manager of the Factory explained to the State Minister that the factory would make all efforts to produce quality products in large quantity so as to reduce import from abroad He however expressed his wish that the government reduces tax on raw materials which are essential for the production of soap and detergent

Ato Tadesse disclosed during the discussion that extensive studies that include soap industries in the country are underway with the aim to strengthen the chemical industry in which the concern would be addressed in the near future He further said that there is a plan to connect the various regions of the country to the port by

EBG was announced First Order Winner for Best Stand in the 12th International Millennium Trade Fair organized by the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations held at the Exhibition Center in February 2008

EBGrsquos stand was visited by large number of visitors including the honorable World Laureate Metre Artist Afework Tekle who not only showed interest in the products and services of EBG but also expressed his appreciation to the Company in his comments while signing in the Special Guest Book

EBG Awarded for Best Stand

Star Soap and Detergent Factory Visited

The Most Honorable Maritre World Laureate Artist

Afework Tekle signing in the Visitors Book at the Trade Fair

Ato Tadesse Haile visiting the Production Unit with Ato Ahmed Hassen General Manager and Ato Seid Ahmed Plant Manager of the Factory

rail within the coming five years for the speedy delivery of export and import of goods which will have a great impact on sales

Ato Tadesse Haile finally appreciated the activities of the factory and said that Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc is capable of being a model in the sector and wished the lsquoBest of Luckrsquo for the management and the staff and affirmed that his Ministry would always support on all their endeavors

Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc is a member of the MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group established at an investment capital of Birr 80 million The factory is one of the biggest in the sector and equipped with the latest machinery and manufactures best quality laundry and toilet soaps liquid and synthetic detergents powder and bar soaps

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the most dedicated health care professionals and support staff SalaM Employees Clinic the Clinic that provides health care services to employees of MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group Companies and affiliates in its efforts to upgrade and improve its services has added to its modern list of medical equipment a Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor an advanced medical equipment Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor is one of the new advanced machineries that the clinic acquired recently which is used for the diagnosis of refraction errors of the eye

The Clinic provides medical and surgical services with sub-specialists in gynecological ophthalmological dermatological and ENT employing advanced diagnostic equipment such as radiography endoscopy and colonoscopy supported by video camera ultrasound and ECG Machines It has a well stocked pharmacy with essential medicines and also provides laboratory diagnostic services

The Clinic recently has moved from its previous location to a large and ideal villa with more rooms and a convenient location near the Genet Hotel and is open 24 hours

SalaM Employees Clinic was established by Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi in 1996 for employees of the Investment Group with an investment capital of over Birr 4 million under the SalaM Health Care Plc He later on increased the investment a lot more

Apart from providing services to the employees of the MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group SalaM Employees Clinic is rendering efficient services to the public as well

Dr Amare Abebe Medical Director of the clinic conducting an examination using endoscopy machine

Employees Clinic Secures Equipment

The Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor which the clinic acquired recently

The front view of the Clinic

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Three delegates from Ethiopia Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu MIDROC Ethiopia Training Director Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch Ato Asfaw Alemu Credit Manager of Dashen Bank attended the International Society of Business Economics and Ethics World Congress under the theme ldquoGlobal Fairness Local Integrityrdquo held in Cape Town from July 13 ndash 20 2008 and organized by BEN-Africa

The ISBEE World Congress is held every four years and is affectionately referred to as the Olympics of Business Ethics It always succeeds in attracting the best minds in the field of ethics of business and economics This yearrsquos Congress was attended by over 400 participants from all corners of the world Top notch world speakers among others Prof Mervyn E King SC Prof Deon Rossow Prof Joka Iwao Prof Georges Enderle Prof Paul Collies and Prof Tom Donaldson attended the Congress and over 80 papers were presented in three plenary sessions on topical international business issues

Ethiopian Delegation Participates at World ISBEE World Congress

Participants of ISBEE Congress Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu (left) Ato Lulseged Teferi (middle) Ato Asfaw Alemu

A Special Certificate of Recognition was awarded to Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu of MIDROC Ethiopia Prof Deon Rossow ndash former President of BEN-Africa and Ms Korien Sander the outgoing Executive Secretary of BEN-Africa

Emeritus Prof Johannes in his brief statement after receiving the certificate said that he accepted the certificate on behalf of those institutions and individuals in Ethiopia who have been behind the BEN-Africa Conference held in Ethiopia

It is to be recalled that MIDROC Ethiopia Corporate Office Dashen Bank the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch and Ato Teklu Haile Manager of Treasury Finance and Accounting of MIDROC Ethiopia played a great role for the successful completion of the ldquo7th Annual BEN-Africa Conferencerdquo held in Addis Ababa in August 2007

 Tiret Sept 2008

MIDROC Ethiopia is involved in the development of

mining and exploration of gold building of heavy mining

industries in central and eastern parts of the country

like cement plants filler plants etc Coal exploration is

also a potential area that is being explored by different

companies including MIDROC Ethiopia for use in the

cement plant power generation and fertilizer Soda ash

being used as a major input in glass soap detergent and

other industrial input is also one area of mining A lot of

investors are involved in gemstones

In an effort to exploit these resources and put them

to good use for the development of Ethiopia one of

MIDROC Ethiopia Group Companies the National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) has since its establishment in

March 1993 been actively engaged in the exploration of

gold and base metals in the various parts of the country

ldquoIt is worth noting that the mineral wealth of Ethiopia is

not fully tapped yet and needs to be given due attention

as it can be the backbone of the economy together with

agriculturerdquo says Ato Melaku Beza CEO of National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) He assertively told TIRET in

an interview at his office regarding the activities and

contributions of NMiC to the mining industry and that

his Company is working hard for a better achievement as

it has commemorated its 15th anniversary recently

He said that NMiC is currently engaged in the exploration

of gold base metals at Dawa Digati and Werri areas in the

Oromia and Tigray Administrative Regions and base metals

in Dire Dawa and Benshangul Gumuz Administrative

Regions It is also engaged in mining of marble and

limestone processing of quarried blocks and on the way

to develop the Abiyata Soda Ash in Southern Ethiopia

The Company in its venture in the development of Soda

Ash has embarked upon a joint investment agreement

with the Public Enterprise Supervising Agency (PPESA)

for a 54 percent share in which PPESArsquos 46 percent share

dilutes while NMICrsquos share shall increase in the process of

implementing tasks set in two phases

Mining Corporation on the Move

Ato Melaku Beza CEO NMiC

Dawa Digati Gold exploration drilling

The potential of the mining industry for the development of the Ethiopian economy is immense as witnessed by the ongoing development activities in the country This includes exploration of petroleum in the Ogaden Gambela and other areas by different companies exploration of gold in different parts of the country and potash exploration in Dallol where there is an estimated of 160 millions of tons of proven reserves

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Melaku stated that NMIC has invested Birr

160817912 (one hundred sixty million eight hundred

seventeen thousand nine hundred twelve) for exploration

and mining activities adding that the size of investment for

soda ash will be in the order of Birr 1150000000 (one

billion one hundred fifty million)

The first phase will cost Birr 640000000 (six hundred

forty million) and the second phase will be Birr 500000000

(five hundred million)

National Mining Corporation Plc is a pioneer in opening

and developing quarrying of marble and limestone using

the latest technology in the field Currently the Companyrsquos

Boka Marble Quarry has six benches and more than

twelve faces that are being worked out at Boka quarry

in the Benshangul Administrative Region In the process

it provides training to quarry workers of other quarry

owners thereby contributing to the development of the

mining culture

The General Manager explained about the processing and

marketing of his Companyrsquos products and said that his

Company applies modern technologies and deploys the

latest equipment in mining that meet export standards

engaging in open pit mining and tunneling for underground

mining which is unique not only in Ethiopia but also in

Africa He further articulated that the Company mines one

of the best quality marble in the industry as evidenced in

Boka multicolor marble once nominated as ldquoThe Stone

of the Yearrdquo by the Marble Institute of America (MIA)

while the blue marble has entered the world market by

a new name ldquoSummer Skyrdquo and is currently being sold

in Italy Samples of both have been tested and analyzed in

American Testing Companies and European Universities

and have proved to be of high quality and suitable both

for internal and external use in the construction industry

These two marbles are unique and are found only in

Ethiopia Also the limestone is of unique colors yellow

white and red which have high demand in the market

The CEO said that the special quality of his Companyrsquos

product that attracts international market is the

uniqueness of the material its beauty (aesthetics) and its

non-absorbent and compact nature

The company has the capacity to supply the export market

with the required quality and size of blocks and slabs both

white and blue marble Export markets include Taiwan

China Italy France USA Africa and the Middle East

In order to improve quality additional modern

state-of-the-art quarry machinery has been injected in the

quarry Plan is underway to replace the old machinery at

the processing plant The Company is also producing its

own ldquoabrasiverdquo used for polishing marble using locally

available minerals and materials

Awash Processing Plant

Blocks at Block Yard

Slabs at Slab Yard in the Awash Processing Plant

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

NMiC holds 40 of the local market share in the construction industry Lots of buildings have been cladded by NMiCrsquos products The Sheraton Addis Bole International Airport Terminal Sunshine Multipurpose Building National Bank of Ethiopia Federal Police Headquarters AUrsquos Building Head Office and the Secretary Generalrsquos Residence Ethiopian Insurance Corporation Worbek Building the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Patriarchrsquos Palace and UNCA Building are some the major buildings in Addis Ababa which are finished with NMiCrsquos products

National Mining Corporation Plc is one of the competent companies in Ethiopia and has contributed to the economy of the country by way of generating hard currency from its exports and saving foreign currency by competing and blocking imports of dimension stones from abroad One word it has added to the Ethiopian economy an amount of over Birr 5000000000 (fifty million) in tax royalties and land rent

NMiC has made valuable studies on the mineral potential areas of the country in dimension stones oil and gas mineral water coal and industrial minerals It has also made sound participation in the employment and training of manpower to the mining sector and has encouraged foreign investors to be involved in exploration of oil and gas and other minerals NMiC provides free training in its quarries and processing plant to new local enterprises coming to the sector The company provides potable water electricity medical services and other financial assistance to the community of its mining areas and has set up HIVAIDS policy for the Company to curb the spread of the pandemic and provides care and support for

those living with the virus

Tunnel Jet Belt Quarrying the latest technology in use at the Eshet Blue Quarry

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

a) Finalizing the work on the exploration phase of the gold and base metals projects both at Dawa Digati and Werri which shall lead to feasibility study and production stage

b) Developing Eshet Blue and Boka Multicolor marble quarries and strengthen export to increase income of foreign currency

c) Supplying blocks to local factories

d) Replacement of machinery at Awash Processing Plant especially to boost production and quality

e) Improve the life of the working force through profit sharing and availing better facilities together with upgrading their knowledge through training

f) Implement the Soda Ash development project

The priority areas of NMiC in its future plan include among others

Asked finally if he was satisfied with his Companyrsquos achievements Ato Melaku Beza CEO of NMiC replied ldquoNot much we could do betterrdquo

Nmic Products

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

ldquoA journey of a thousand miles starts with a single steprdquo

goes the famous Chinese saying as for Bauer MIDROC it

all started 10 years ago with the foundation work of the

construction of the MIDROC Corporate Office (MCO)

commonly known as Nani Building With a single project

at hand Bauer Specialtifbau a German Company ventured

into the slowly budding private construction industry

in equal partnership with MIDROC Ethiopia Although

a small scale business venture in the eyes of both giant

partners MIDROC Ethiopia and Bauer Specialtifbau it

created vast opportunities to the construction sector

with the introduction of a state-of-the-art German based

foundation technology to the Ethiopian market The

miniature move of the two giants opened up a gateway

of possibilities and marked a new construction era for

Ethiopia Over the years changes in shareholders has

led to the current name ldquoMIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plcrdquo with the state-of-the-art foundation solutions still in

place

Several limitations in dealing with unfavorable soil

conditions frequently encountered within Ethiopiarsquos

diverse geological formations most abundantly the

problematic black cotton soil within the city of Addis

Ababa and other parts of the country brought about

several technical barriers when it came to building

massive civil structures Building highrises as well as

massive bridges was inconceivable unless capable soil was

in close vicinity MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with

the introduction of deep foundations based on advanced

and efficient technologies in the construction industry

no doubt brought about remarkable solutions and helped

ease some of these anxieties

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with its fleets of large

diameter drilling rigs and variety of drilling tools capable of

both soil and hard soil formations has made economical

foundation solutions a reality offering developers the

confidence to build high rise buildings without worrying

about the type of soil in Addis Ababa The expertise of

Dedicated Backing for MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is gradually changing

the cityrsquos skyline with the construction of the completed

MCO Building AICAIB Headquarters and KK Building

both to be completed soon and all standing above 20

stories

Entering the city limits through the skyways one can notice

that the Bole Airport has received an entire facelift with

the construction of the International Passenger Terminal

Airport Control Towers the new Cargo Terminal and the

Maintenance Hanger The only thing these landmarks share

other than ownership is that they owe their existence to

foundation solutions of MIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plc As we enter the city limits also the Bole Viaduct

and all the overpasses on the Addis Ababa Ring Road are

comfortably resting still with the construction of the deep

piles by MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc

Drilling of pile with casing

 Tiret Sept 2008

Parallel to pile construction as verification of the

constructed pile capacities is common practice in the

foundation construction industry MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc equipped with the state-of-the-art

automated pile load testing system has recently conducted

1300 metric tons load test at the Derba MIDROC Cement

Factory Project the first of this magnitude in the African

Continent

The introduction of vertical shoring wall systems that

uses reinforced concrete piles and tie back anchors which

is gaining popularity in recent years is another type of

foundation technology solutions made possible in Ethiopia

through MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos expertise

Prior to these shoring system solutions land owners

could not fully utilize their plots at the boundaries for fear

of catastrophic cave-in In fact in most cases plot owners

avoided under ground construction in order to avoid

litigation with next door land owners The utilization of

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos vertical shoring pile

wall system was proposed and implemented in the cases

of Bole Towers and Loli Building In both cases all sides of

the plot were shored exactly at the boundaries without

any land loss In fact the clients gained underground spaces

in the order of two to three times their plot size for

possible parking purpose This has provided developers

with solutions clearing their lumbers from additional

costs for parking facilities

Pile load testing

In line with the construction boom within Addis Ababa

developers are opting to construct on boundary edges

where heavy structures already exist in adjacent plots

In order to excavate at these boundaries the safest and

most economical foundation solution system is shoring

pile wall system These systems were employed at Awash

Bank and Insurance Building KK Building and Orchid

Building

For realization of structures that have to be constructed

below the natural ground water level and or near offshore

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc has construction

approaches that employ waterproof vertical shoring

systems and several options to choose from within

the framework of technical feasibility of foundation

engineering The construction of Diaphragm Wall

Cellular Cofferdam Sheet Pile Wall and Secant

Pile Wall are such solutions to name a few The cost

of construction and the time required for executing the

works is in the order listed above

Anchored pile shoring wall

Foundation Solution

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the equipment already available in the country

MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc has tabled and

implemented an economical and technically feasible

secant pile wall system solution for bridge projects

within Ethiopia If it was not for MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plcrsquos geotechnical solutions construction under

such conditions would have been technically impossible

throughout East Africa

Unlike other options construction of secant pile wall as

waterproof vertical shoring system is not limited to the

soil condition of the site The construction of such high

tech geotechnical engineering solutions by the Company

have been successfully applied on projects like the Omo

River Bridge and on the New Abay Bridge Projects The

application of the secant pile wall system was used for the

construction of the pier foundation on both sides of the

Bridge on the Omo River Bridge Project and one side pier

foundation construction of the New Abay Bridge Project

During the construction of the Omo River Bridge

foundation and substructure works other logistic

challenges non-related to foundation works was

encountered The West Pier and Abutment on the Omo

River Bridge created such a technical impasse On this

side one of the most difficult challenges was to solve the

problem of crossing equipment and construction material

across the 150 m wide river After carefully considering all

the possible alternatives a decision was made to design and

manufacture a water crossing barge using local expertise

and manufacturing capabilities MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc took part in the design manufacturing and

commissioning of this barge and has successfully crossed

a 503 ton drilling rig and other earth moving equipment

With nearly twenty projects within Ethiopia MIDROC

Foundation Specialists Plc is a pioneer in exporting

foundation technology to neighboring Kenya Tanzania

and the Sudan In-house trained Ethiopian experts have

Crossing of drilling rig on Omo River through Barge

 Tiret Sept 2008

Secant pile wall

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Mr Achim Braun General Manager of MIDROC Foundation (left) inspecting a construction site

left their marks on several key projects within those

countries Among the projects successfully carried out in

Tanzania the Songo Songo Offshore Piling Project was the

most challenging and rewarding of all In this Project sixty

per cent of the piles were constructed from a SEWP (Self

Elevating Working Platform) elevated 13 meters from the

sea bed

As the company commemorates the tenth anniversary of

its establishment it is only proper to mark the outstanding

contributions to the construction industry of Ethiopia The

efficiency of the Company and the technology employed

has resulted in creating a broad awareness of foundation

technological solutions in the country particularly

among developers In terms of the spectrum of available

techniques of foundation the projects undertaken so

far are only a tip of the iceberg Although the Company

was confronted with a number of challenges in changing

attitudes and practices the success achieved so far has

been accomplished with great efforts exerted by the

companyrsquos management and its diligent professionals in

the field

Being the only Class I Foundation Specialist Contractors

in the country MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc is now

determined to leap ahead to new and yet un-introduced

foundation construction technologies such as micro 

piles  high  pressure  injection  diaphragm 

walls  slope  protection  and  soil  nailing  As

the countries infrastructure development continues to

reach higher levels MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is

preparing itself to meet the current customer demands

and technological challenges

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Statistics reveal that the country continues to earn hard currency from export of primary commodities such as coffee which tops the list by fetching some 500 million dollars last financial year

Other commodities are hides and skin flowers pulses fruits vegetables and chat

Incidentally it is interesting to note that Chat has fetched over 60 million dollars in foreign currency last fiscal year

The chewing of chat leaves is common in the horn of Africa but in eastern Ethiopia it is big business for some and big worry for others Chat is a major agricultural crop Yet many say it is addictive and harmful to health

In a town where I grew up for instance it is hard to avoid the impact of the stimulant leaf The first thing that strikes you in the main market is the deafening noise The market square is a scene of total chaos as you make your way through a bustling crowd preoccupied with the business of bartering for a prized commodity- the green leafed plant chat

Awadaye market is a market for chat It is estimated that over 25000 kg pass through it daily The buyers and sellers take their jobs seriously shouting to one other They gesture excitedly as they trade thousands of birr daily for the chat which is bought from the local farmers in Awadaye and sent to other areas in Ethiopia It is also exported overseas It is said to be the backbone of the economy as it can be gathered from the revenue it has generated during the current physical year

If you compare chat farmers with other farmers in other parts of the country you will see that their standard of living is so much better

The employment created though chat cultivation is very high as large numbers of people are involved in growing harvesting sorting packing transporting loading and unloading the commodity The wood of the plant is used for fuel and because of its resistance to termites it is also used to make fences Chat is also believed to have medical value being used locally to treat influenza and asthma

Chat farmers used to grow maize sorghum and teff which is the basic Ethiopian staple food but these crops are difficult to grow as they require lots of rain and attention

while chat requires little water or cultivation That is why it is widely believed that its cultivation is expanding at an amazing rate

Chat has now become Ethiopiarsquos biggest export third only to coffee and hides and skin But despite the cash earning and the tradition of chat growing and use among the people many people do not encourage it

They believe that it is addictive and this has a negative impact on the community They allege that people forget about their work commitments and spend hours chewing chat The number of users of chat is increasing particularly among the youth

In urban areas the use of chat combined with alcohol is having an adverse effect on family life Many students chew chat because they say it increases their concentration when they study their lessons

However in some regions where it is widely cultivated business punctuality is a frequent problem as the time after lunch is usually spent chewing chat Even in some regions where the plant has been banned cultivation and usage continue and attempts to replace chat with cash crops like coffee have failed

Regardless of the merit or demerit of chat the country continues to get the much needed hard currency through export of the plant ldquochatrdquo

However many people including development agents are of the opinion that the demerit far out weighs the merit for energy and time is spent chewing the stuff and particularly its negative impact on health especially on the productive force

Another very lucrative business in Ethiopia is the export of leather and leather goods According to recent data export of leather and leather goods registered a surge from 52 million dollars to over 90 million dollars Incidentally ELICO one of MIDROC Ethiopia group companies dealing with finished leather products fetched last financial year over 10 million dollars

In the light of considerable income accrued from export of primary commodities there is a need to do even more by way of establishing more agro-industries that engage in the production of agricultural products for sale locally and internationally

Earning from Export of Primary CommoditiesBy Yohannes Ruphael

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The Third Private Sector Development National Conference ndash 2008 of Ethiopia took place in Addis Ababa on June 30 2008 ndash at the UNECA Conference Center and the draft strategy document and priority strategic issues for improved business environment were discussed by representatives of the Private Sector Development Hub established with basic objectives of coordinating and developing a series of public sector development intervention projects for implementation with international financial support and undertaking related research studies to support the business community in its public and private partnership dialogue The Conference was addressed by an internationally renowned and distinguished authority on Corporate Governance Prof Mervyn E King SC

The Editorial Team of TIRET has taken advantage of communicating with Professor Mervyn E King SC to share his views briefly with our readers

Professor Mervyn E King SC is currently Professor Extraordinaire at the University of South Africa and serves as the Chairperson of the King Committee on Corporate Governance in South Africa He is a Senior Counsel and former Judge of the Supreme Court of South Africa His other credentials include Member of the World Bank Advisory Group on Corporate Governance President of the Commonwealth Association of Corporate Governance Governor of the International Corporate Governance Network President of the South Africa Chamber of Business Vice President of the Institute of Directors of Southern Africa Representatives of South Africa at the International Chamber of Commerce Advisor of Asian Center of Corporate Governance Director of Global Reporting Initiative-Amsterdam Director of Association of business Administrators of South Africa

At the Millennium National Private Sector Development Conference in Addis Ababa recently I spoke about corporate governance in the development of the private sector

Corporate governance is about the principles and practices which guide directors and senior managers in making their decisions to the best interests of their companies It has to be separated from the enterprise side of the business which is about making business judgment calls It is essential that directors and senior managers adopt acceptable principles and practices in steering and directing the company and making business judgment It is about the quality of this governance rather than a quantitative check on whether there has been compliance by the directors and managers with well-known governance practices such as the establishment of a remuneration committee

In my talk I pointed out that the economic value of a company does not equal its book value In Coca Cola for example its book value is approximately 13 of its economic value and its greatest asset is its brand which is dependent on

 Tiret Sept 2008

the companyrsquos reputation Consequentially directors and senior managers of Coca Cola have a duty to protect the companyrsquos brand

In planning for a company the strategic direction needs to be done both short- and long-term If a strategy is developed in which all persons in the corporation at all levels buy-in one can get ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things Unless this is done not even extraordinary people will achieve ordinary things

The important thing for directors to remember is that they have won and maintained the trust and confidence of the stakeholders of the company Consequently they should report at least annually how the company has both positively and negatively affected a communityrsquos economic life through its operations and how it is going to enhance those positive aspects and eradicate or ameliorate the negative aspects in the year ahead

Good governance involves inter alia the approval by the board of the strategy of the company and sustainability can no longer be ignored in developing a long-term strategy

The Private Sector Development Hub (PSD-Hub) has the objective to contribute to the economic development of Ethiopia by improving the entrepreneurial environment and the governance of corporations Consequently the PSD-Hub has held Conferences over the last two years focusing on these issues and on the question of public private partnerships There has also been discussion about expediting the registration of companies the standardization of accounting and auditing capitalization and the finalization of the revision of the Ethiopian Commercial Code Corporate governance has featured prominently in these discussions

Arising out of all the modernization of the registration of companies in Ethiopia has been recognized as a priority

Accounting and auditing standards which should follow IFRS should have legal backing so that everyone in Ethiopia will know the meaning of the reported financial statements

The development of a securities market including an exchange in which not only equities but bonds and derivatives can be bought and sold with the dematerialisation of scrip and electronic settlement is essential

From the above it will be seen that there is much to be done but Ethiopia is striving through the PSD Hub to create platforms on which it can forge ahead in our flat electronic world where capital flows towards those areas where there is good governance and well-regulated markets The Conference at which I spoke was just another step in Ethiopiarsquos endeavours to achieve these goals Positively the essential aspects for creating an entrepreneurial and thriving business environment have been identified and PSD Hub the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other interested bodies are working in partnership with government to achieve them

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Itrsquos a ridiculous

l a n g u a g e rdquo

sputtered the

Englishman at

the next table

his jowls shaking

in anger ldquoA ridiculous languagerdquo

We were sitting in a tiny tea-and-pie shop in Criccieth a

town in northern Wales and everybody but us was speaking

Welsh Like a remarkable number of his countrymen this

man was convinced it was merely a secret code employed

by the local to talk behind the backs of English visitors

ldquoJust you watchrdquo he said ldquoAs soon as we leave theyrsquoll all

go back to speaking Englishrdquo

I rather doubted it And unlike the Englishman I was

thrilled to encounter one of the oldest languages in

Europe a tongue heard in this misty and mountainous

land since the arrival of Roman legions

Being surrounded by people speaking an unfamiliar and

exotic language is to me one of the best things about

travel Just as some people will journey to the Serengeti

to glimpse the rare and endangered white rhino Irsquoll happily

go far out of my way to hear a rare and endangered

language

In the storybook city of Carcassonne in southwest France

I was less thrilled at seeing the towers and turrets than

I was at meeting a man who could speak Occitan the

ancient and fast-vanishing language of the troubadours

As far as I was concerned the most fascinating thing in

Dangriga a coastal town in Belize was the mellifluous

sound of Garifuna a language spoken by the descendants

of shipwrecked slaves from West Africa I once traveled

to Graubunden in eastern Switzerland in the hope of

hearing Romansch a tongue spoken by fewer than one

percent of the nationrsquos residents and said to resemble

Latin I encountered a few signs in the language but no

one who could speak it

According to one oft-cited estimate at least half the

worldrsquos 6000 languages are likely to die out by the end

of this century which means that one is going silent on

average every two weeks

Itrsquos not merely a matter of using different words to express the same thoughts Languages are literally the expressions of cultures and belief systems entirely different ways of making sense of the world And just as we should be concerned about the shrinking diversity of plant and animal species we should also worry about the shrinking diversity of languages

Welsh though seems to be holding on despite 700 years

of efforts by the English to exterminate it The BBC has for

some years now carried television and radio programming

in the language and in Wales itrsquos possible to receive your

entire education from preschool to postgraduate in

Welsh About 20 percent of Walesrsquo population speaks

Welsh and the number appears to be growing slightly

It is not as the Englishman said a ridiculous language But

it is to my eyes and ears a wonderfully strange one Dave

Barry once wrote that the ancient Hawaiians arrived on

their islands after perilous canoe voyages in seas so rough

their consonants fell overboard My guess is that the

letters drifted the worldrsquos oceans until they washed up on

the shores of Wales

T h e   B e a u t y   o f   a   L a n g u a g e

 Tiret Sept 2008

How else to explain for example the Welsh word for

beer Itrsquos cwrw It looks like my Scrabble tray when I

donrsquot have a word to pay (In case you ever need to order

one itrsquos pronounced ldquokooroordquo)

And then therersquos the vexing pronunciation of the double-

1 you find at the beginning of it seems two-thirds of the

town names in Wales ldquoJust put your teeth together and

hiss like a duckrdquo explained a helpful woman I met at the

Dylan Thomas Museum in Swansea She also pointed out

that Llareggub the fictional town in Thomasrsquo ldquoUnder the

Milkwood Treerdquo is merely ldquobugger allrdquo spelled backward

I like the besotted poet a whole lot more after learning

that

One dark and drizzly night I went to a little schoolhouse in

the Rhondda Valley to listen to a rehearsal of the Treorchy

Menrsquos Choir made up mostly of unemployed coal miners

ldquoIn the old daysrdquo one of them told me ldquowe used to sing

together in the pitsrdquo

When they opened their mouths to sing as one in Welsh

all the snarky little comments about their language become

moot It was simply one of the most hauntingly beautiful

sounds Irsquove even heard

I got a lesson in the politics of minority languages recently

when I visited Montreal the capital of French ndash speaking

Canada I hadnrsquot been there since a childhood visit to

Exporsquo67 and I remember the province as decidedly

bilingual Everything from traffic signs to toothpaste

tubes was printed in French and English No more A

law passed in 1977 banned the use of English in signs

throughout Quebec Itrsquos an attempt to do linguistically

what they failed for two centuries to do militarily prevent

the English from conquering them

Theyrsquore quite serious about this Hudson Bay Co the

venerable department store chain that dates back to the

fur-trading days is now known as Compagnie de la Baie

drsquoHudson at least in these parts Kentucky Fried Chicken

outlets arenrsquot allowed to use ldquoKFCrdquo on their signs In

Quebec theyrsquore called ldquoPFKrdquo for Poulet Frit Kentucky

The Quebecois are more vigilant even than their famously

Anglophobic counterparts in Paris All stop signs here say

Arret even though the ones in France say ldquoStoprdquo

It all seemed a little silly and excessive to me until I began

talking to French-speaking Montrealers about it ldquoYou

have to understand that wersquore surrounded by English

speakersrdquo a schoolteacher told me ldquoWe have to be very

firm about defending our language or it will disappear

And when it goes so does our way of life

Signs aside most French Canadians I met were bilingual

I quickly discovered that if I first made atleast a fumbling

attempt to speak their language almost everybody was

happy to switch to English ndash very possibly to spare

themselves the trauma of hearing my phrase-book

French which sounds like someone grinding the gears

of an old Citroen ldquoWe have nothing against Englishrdquo the

schoolteacher told me ldquoItrsquos just that we want to speak

French hererdquo

Vive la differenceJohn Flinn -Travel Editor

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Scale up of HIV Prevention Treatment Care and Support Requires Renewed Leadership and Resources

The 17th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) took place in Mexico City from August 3 -8 2008 with an assessment of the situation of the global epidemic at a panel of researchers public health and civil society leaders examined recent progress towards the scale up of treatment and prevention programmes and called for sustained action to eliminate the barriers to universal access

ldquoDespite the progress we have made we are not on course to meet universal access targets and in fact appear to be slipping away from our existing commitmentsrdquo said Dr Pedro Cahn International Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and President of the International AIDS Society and Fundacioacuten Hueacutesped in Buenos Aires Argentina ldquoIt appears that we are poised to accept defeat when victory is still within our grasp Our failure to meet those commitments will have an impact on millions of lives This cannot be allowed to happen It is time for nations to live up to their commitmentsrdquo

ldquoWith only two years to go until the 2010 deadline for universal access set by world leaders we must redouble our commitment to scaling up all proven HIV prevention strategiesrdquo said Dr Luiacutes Soto Ramiacuterez Local Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and Head of the Molecular Virology Unit at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Meacutedicas y Nutricioacuten Salvador Zubiriaacuten and Coordinator of the Clinical Care Committee of CONASIDA Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council ldquoThe fact that last year 27 million people were newly infected with HIV a disease that is entirely preventable is unacceptablerdquo

Dr Jaime Sepulveda (Mexico) founder of Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council who is now with the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation noted that attention to and resources for AIDS are at all-time high including substantially increased funding for the Global Fund and the US Presidentrsquos Emergency Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief According to Sepulveda reaching the goal of 3 million people in low and middle-income countries on treatment at the end of 2007 was a critical step forward but the world has only scratched the surface of possibilities in responding to the epidemic Greater resources more effectively spent and targeted where they can have the greatest effect would have a dramatic impact on the course of the epidemicrsquos Highlighting the fact that more people become infected

with HIV last year than began treatment Sepulveda called for radically increased investments in prevention research evaluation and delivery of services as well as accelerated research on promising prevention methods including a vaccine In conclusion he reiterated that political leadership from all countries and accountability at all levels are essential for stopping the epidemic

Citing the results in both treatment and prevention scale up in countries with sustained leadership such as Rwanda and Tanzania Alex Coutinho (Uganda) of the Infectious Disease Institute of Makerere University made a passionate call for greater leadership as a path toward meeting the challenges ahead In looking at progress to date Coutinho highlighted increased access to HIV testing and counseling to prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and to pediatric care and treatment as well as the effectiveness of male circumcision as a prevention intervention In contrast he noted that most countries will not achieve universal access by 2010 and that the majority of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are still unaware of their HIV status In his call to action Coutinho urged greater investment in prevention and financial resources flexible enough to support health systems and systems that reach into rural and other hard-to-reach areas and fully embrace PLHIV as partners He also urged outreach to and support of marginalized and at-risk communities as well as the greater involvement of PLHIV as a catalyst for change

Elisabet Fadul (Dominican Republic) of the Dominican Network for Youth RightsGlobal Youth Partners outlined a broad and urgent youth HIVAIDS agenda calling for comprehensive rights ndash and evidence-based plans to provide access for young people Highlighting the 40 of new infections worldwide among young people between the ages of 15-24 Fadul noted that HIV prevention and treatment programmes are failing to effectively reach young people with the most vulnerable and marginalized being stigmatized criminalized or forgotten by many of these programmes

To reverse this course she called for actions and policies that engage youth especially young people living with HIVAIDS as respected partners in developing and implementing programmes that forthrightly address their

needs and diversity

 Tiret Sept 2008

Contents

TIRET means ldquoeffort in Amharic and is a Magazine produced from MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFYeshimebet Demissie

DEPUTY-EDITOR-IN-CHIEFAselefech Getachew

SECRETARIAL SERVICEHaimanot Negussie

PHOTOGRAPHYBiruk HailuTewodros AberaDegife Tekle

PUBLISHED BYThe Public Relations Department of MIDROC EthiopiaTel +251 11 371 12 77Fax +251 11 371 29 90POBox 6631Email midprethionetet

DESIGN amp PAGE LAYOUTCreative PowerPrinting amp ManufacturingTel +251 11 550 52 31 2 +251 11 550 38 28Fax +251 11 515 19 41 (Roots Africa)POBox 6631Addis Ababa EthiopiaEmail creativeaddisethionetet

COPYRIGHTSept 2008MIDROC EthiopiaAll rights reserved Reproduction in part and or whole is allowed with the written authorization of the publisher

MIDROCMohammed InternatioalDevelopment Research ampOrganisation Companies

MIDROC News and Briefs       7-29 Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi

signed the first loan agreement with an International and Local Financing Agencies the largest ever done in Ethiopia to help build a new Cement Plant at Derba that is meant to curb the current cement shortage in the country Full story appears in along

with updates of major activities of MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group in the last six months

Main Story      30-35ldquoIt is worth noting that the mineral wealth of Ethiopia is not fully tapped helliprdquo says CEO of National Mining Corporation Plc one of the MIDROC Group Companies and explains achievements of his Company as it commemorates its 15th anniversary Cover Story examines in detail the activities of NMiC in the mining Industry

In Focushellip      36-41In this issue TIRET deals with the remarkable construction solutions provided to developers by MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with the introduction of deep foundations based on advanced and efficient technologies in the construction industry

ldquoIncidentallyrdquo        43Yohannes Ruphael featuring on earnings from export of primary commodities brings to the attention of our readers his observations on the export of Chat

Writers Column    44-45Prof Mervyn E King an internationally renowned and distinguished authority in Corporate Governance addressed the National Private Sector Development Conference held in Addis Ababa recently He shares with our readers his views and experiences on the Conference

Axis       47-52Axis Column brings to light an interesting article by John Flinn a Travel Editor on the Beauty of a Language Also a report on the 17th International AIDS Conference that took place in Mexico is included

 Tiret Sept 2008

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Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi is positive that Derba

Project when completed would address the acute

shortage of cement in Ethiopia and will contribute greatly

to the sustainable economic development of the country

He earlier said that his main objective to build the project

is to reduce dependence on import and avail cement

in abundant quantity so that development in Ethiopia

continues in a sustainable way and expressed hope that

price of cement will reduce to an acceptable level so that

construction be affordable

The plant site with an area of about 123 hectares

accommodates the manufacturing plant including

related facilities such as workers residential complex

public amenities electrical power substation product

storage and dispatch areas The plant will be fed with

raw materials from the quarry in the Mugger Valley via

a 75 kms conveyor belt and a 175 km of treacherous

road both crossing a very difficult sloping terrain which

drops more than 850 m between the plant and quarry

sites The new road with its 120 m span bridge across

the Muger River will be the first and the only access that

connects the residents on both sides of the river

The Project will bring new or better infrastructural

services to the local population and will also be the largest

single source of investment in the country

Derba MIDROC Cement Plant integrates the latest

technology and when completed will have a cement

production capacity of 8000 tons per day or 25 million

tons per annum It is hoped that it will increase the

existing total domestic cement production capacity by at

least 15 times thus significantly reduce or eliminate the

present cement shortage in the country

When completed the plant is expected to create about

500 direct and 10000 indirect job opportunities

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi on behalf of Derba

MIDROC Cement Plc and Mr Sady M Zeidan Manager of

IFC of the World Bank along with the African Development

Bank(ADB) European Investment Bank and Development

Bank of Ethiopia (DBE) have signed on June 23 2008 at

the Sheraton Addis a USD 200 million loan agreement

to help build a new plant aimed at addressing the acute

cement shortage in Ethiopia

According to Mr Sady M Zeidan Manager of IFC the

loan represents IFCrsquos first investment in Ethiopia since

1989 and it is the largest ever in the country He also

said that the loan reflects IFCrsquos confidence in the local

private sector and aligned with IFCrsquos strategy to promote

investments in countries where the private sector is at

the early stage of development

The loan arrangement is a success achieved to bring on

board the International Private Sector Financing Agencies

to work with the Ethiopian Private Sector Developers

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi Owner and Sponsor

of MIDROC Derba Cement Plc has invested USD 151

million for the construction of the project

IFC - Derba MIDROC Sign Loan Agreement

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi and Mr Sady M Zeidan after

signing the loan agreement

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In keeping with his desire to develop sports in the country Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi has once again generously donated Birr five million to the Ethiopian Olympic Committee as part of his boundless support to the development of Ethiopian sports to help the committee meet the cost of Ethiopian Athletics delegation to the Beijing Olympics

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi granted the Birr five million donation to the Ethiopian Olympic Committee at a ceremony held on May 27 2008 at the Sheraton Addis where the Ethiopian President Ato Girma WGiorgis and Ethiopian Prime Minister Ato Meles Zenawi and other high ranking government officials were in attendance

At the ceremony Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi was honored with a Special Award by the Ethiopian President Ato Girma WGiorgis for his unlimited contributions to the development of athletics in Ethiopia

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudirsquos enthusiasm for sports in general football in particular has earned him admiration from fans near and far The East and Central Africa Challenge Cup Tournament which is held every two years and financed by Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi the incentives he provides to young and upcoming footballers in the various local teams and his pledge to build a modern stadium in Addis Ababa are all testimonies of his devotion to the development of sports in Ethiopia

Officials of the Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council have paid tribute to Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi for his contributions to the success of historical events organized by the Moslem Community

At a ceremony organized on March 28 2008 by the Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council Millennium Office to thank all those who supported it in making the millennium celebrations a success Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi was honored with a Special Award by the Ethiopian President Ato Girma WGiorgis The Award was received by Dr Arega Yirdaw Chief Executive Officer of MIDROC Ethiopia Technology Group on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi Present on the occasion were high ranking Government Officials Ambassadors and other Dignitaries

Oromia Regional State Awarded Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi

The Martyrs Monument built in Adama town by a Birr 50000000 (fifty million) generous donation of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi was inaugurated on March 23 2008

Ato Abadula Gemeda President of Oromia Regional State at the inaugural ceremony awarded a Gold Medal to Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi which was received by Dr Arega Yirdaw Chief Executive Officer of MIDROC Ethiopia Technology Group on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi

Construction of the monument was undertaken by MIDROC Construction Ethiopia PlcHE Ato Abadula Gemeda President of Oromiya Regional State handing

over Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudirsquos Award to CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi Donates to the Ethiopian Olympic Committee

Supreme Council Pays Tribute to Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi

 Tiret Sept 2008

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Derba MIDROC Cement Plc and the Ministry of Mines

and Energy on May 19 2000 signed a Birr 57212000 (fifty

seven million two hundred twelve thousand) agreement

for mining Limestone Marl Gypsum and Sandstone on

a large scale in the Muger Valley locality in North Shewa

Zone Oromia National Regional State

The Agreement was signed by HE Ato Alemayhu Tegenu

Minister of Mines and Energy and Sheikh Mohammed

H Al-Amoudi Owner and Chairman of MIDROC

Investment Group

According to the agreement the licensee has an exclusive

right for a large scale Limestone Marl Gypsum and

Sandstone mining for twenty years to be renewed for

ten years upon the request of the licensee The license

area covers 1928610 m2 of land and is anticipated to

produce 11665000 tons of Limestone 1166000 tons

of Marl 696000 tons of Gypsum and 11387000 tons of

Sandstone

The Project is expected to create job opportunities for

469 people

MIDROC Construction Ethiopia Plc and the Addis Ababa City Roads Authority (AACRA) signed a 6772 million Birr Contract Agreement for the construction of three roads in the city

Eng Fekadu Haile Manager of AACRA and Eng Shimelis Eshete Deputy General Manager of MIDROC Construction Ethiopia Plc signed the agreement on July 7 2008 on behalf of their respective companies

The contract covers a 191 km long of three roads namely Megenagna ndash Ayat 82 km long Gurd Shola ndash Summit Yeka Bole 82 km long and City Tip ndash Bisrate Gebriel Church 27 km long The Megenagna ndash Ayat road includes 14 m carriageway 55 m walkway and 2 m median while the other two roads include 10 m carriageway 45 m walkway and 1 m median each

These projects are expected to provide job opportunities for more than 1000 people

Derba MIDROC Signed Agreement

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi and Ato Alemayehu Tegenu exchanging the Agreement Document

Multi-Million Birr Contract Agreement Signed

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MOHA Soft Drinks Industry SC a member of MIDROC

Ethiopia Investment Group has undertaken an expansion

project of Kool Mineral Water at Bure town in the

Amhara Regional State at a cost of over Birr 37 million

An agreement was signed in August 2008 between Ato

Alemayehu Tegenu Minister of Mines and Energy and Ato

Getachew Birbo CEO of MOHA Soft Drinks Industry SC

that provides a license for the expansion project which is

valid for ten years and renewable every five years to work

on a 5679978 sqm land

The factory which was acquired by MOHA four years ago

will have a capacity of producing 24 million cases of Kool

Mineral Water annually upon completion of the expansion

project MOHA has planned to produce 180320000

liters of mineral water in the coming ten years

According to CEO Getachew Birbo the company is

considering to export Kool Mineral Water as there is a

potentially rich market in the Middle East Countries

Since its establishment thirteen years ago MOHA has

invested over Birr 500 million (five hundred million birr)

in soft drinks factories located in different parts of the

country including Bure Kool Mineral Water Factory which

provided job opportunities for 2700 employees

MOHA has currently an annual production capacity

of 20 million cases from its six soft drinks factories at

Gonder Awassa Dessie Summit Plant (under contractual

agreement) and two plants in Addis Ababa covering 55

of the soft drinks demand in the country

Mini Cement Plant Begins Production

Dashen Cement Plant located in the outskirts of Dejen town North West of Amhara Regional State has been completed

and started producing cement recently

The mini plant is initially established to supply cement to private contractors and the government and to the construction

of the bigger Derba MIDROC Cement Project

Investment cost for Dashen Cement Plant stands at Birr 200000000 (two hundred million birr) and has a capacity of

producing 400 tons of cement per day

MOHA Undertakes Expansion Work

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The annual Customers Family and  Employees (company) Day initiated by the Chief Executive Officer of the MIDROC Ethiopia Technology Group was celebrated for the sixth time at the Millennium Hall on May 25 2008 in the presence of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi Chairman and Owner of MIDROC Ethiopia

According to MIDROC Technology Group the Annual Celebration of Customers Family and Employees (company) Day is held every year to acknowledge and show the gratefulness of the group to the Owners Customers Employees as well as Family Members for their contributions to the success of their respective companies

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi addressing at the celebration expressed his pleasure and gratitude and urged employees to work even harder and try to demonstrate more achievement CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw on his part articulated his appreciation to the employees for their efforts exerted for productivity and expressed hope that this hard work would be pronounced and developed in due course as a culture

Consequently 43 Best Customers of the MIDROC Ethiopia Technology Group both foreign and local were honored by Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi with Best Customers Award at the ceremony organized by the Technology Group at the Millennium Hall on May 25 2008

Wrt Etsehiwot Dinku Officer in Charge (OIC) for Production Marketing and Business Development Services at the Office of the CEO on the occasion presented a brief explanation of the products of each of the companies

Following the Sixth Annual Customers Family and Employees (company) Day Celebration Special Awards were presented to the Best Company and Best Performers of the year at the Millennium Hall in the presence of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi He addressed the gathering first and presented the Special Award to the Best Company of the Year Modern Building Industry (MBI) and the Best Performers Of The Year were also awarded

CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw on the occasion received a Special Award from the employees and families in the name of all the employees of the Group which he took from the hands of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi He was also awarded with a Special Certificate for his remarkable services in the Technology Group and other businesses of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi in the last ten years

Prior to Customers Family and Employees (company) Day the annual sports competition of employees of the Technology Group was carried out as part of the annual ceremony Winners in all competitions received gold bronze and silver medals from the hands of CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw

Customers Family and Employees (company) Day Commemorated

CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw receiving the Award from

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi

Mr Abdullah H Al-Amoudi receiving Best Foreign

Customers Award from the Chairman

 Tiret Sept 2008

The two days Second Annual ldquoOffsiterdquo Workshop where

CEOs and General Managers of the MIDROC Ethiopia

Technology Group took part was held on April 12 ndash 13

2008 at the Sheraton Addis Dr Arega Yirdaw Chief

Executive Officer of the Group opening the workshop

took into account the first Annual Workshop that was held

in Kombolcha and said that this yearrsquos venue provides more

opportunity for a considerable number of management

members to participate

While Dr Aregarsquos presentation to the Workshop focused

on ldquoEffective Marketing for Enhancement of

Business Developmentrdquo General Managers presented

comprehensive reports of their respective companies

MIDROC Ethiopia Training Department Holds Seminars

The MIDROC Ethiopia Training Department as part of  its  training activities holds various seminars for both senior managers and second level management tier every fiscal year During the last six months ldquoPositive Thinkingrdquo ldquoCorporate Social Responsibilitiesrdquo and ldquoICT Security and privacyrdquo were the issues for the seminars that the department carried out              

 Seminar on Positive Thinking

Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu Director of Training of MIDROC Ethiopia in his introductory remark on ldquoPositive Thinkingrdquo seminar that took place at the Sheraton Addis on April 11 2008 and attended by general managers and senior members of the Investment Group introduced the resource person Ato Robel Kidane as a ldquomotivational speakerrdquo and ldquolife-cycle trainerrdquo from Sweden

Emeritus Prof Johannes said that this topic is chosen because of a feeling that the current period and situations exhibited dynamic changes that were a burden to bear for many people who he said were ldquoeasily swayed to think negativelyrdquo He also quoted the Chairman and Owner of MIDROC Ethiopia Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi as saying ldquoWhat is the benefit of talking of bad

ldquoOffsiterdquo Workshop Held 

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Robel Kidane the resource person delivering his presentation at the seminar

 Tiret Sept 2008

The seminar for second level management personnel held on June 12 2008 on ICT Security and Privacy was attended by 31 participants from MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group Companies and the Head Office in the MIDROC Ethiopia Auditorium The seminar which was part of MIDROC Ethiopiarsquos attempt to keep abreast with ICT Development was opened by Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu who stressed in his brief remarks the need for concern to the protection of data and information and regulating the use of ICT

Also speaking on the occasion was Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting and Chairman of Training Committee who said that training helps to discover various means for success People he noted learn at work place and from challenges He stressed that the technology age called for adaptation of new thoughts and practices while requiring readiness to do ldquoWhat we can with what we haverdquo

The seminar which discussed various issues related to ICT was closed by Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu

 Seminar on ICT Security and Privacy

A view of participants of the seminar

things or difficulties onlyrdquo Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting of MIDROC Ethiopia and Chairman of Training Committee in his opening remark stated that positive thinking was a new scientific subject where investors CEOs and others in various capacities were inspired and motivated to create awareness to their colleagues and to remove all thoughts

of dark shadows from their minds He noted that positive thinking among CEOrsquos and subordinates was required and stressed that self-confidence was one of the prime factors for success in life and hence needed to be maintainedAto Robel Kidane covered a variety of interesting issues related to positive thinking in his presentation after which participants discussed on several importnat issues

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Teklu Haile opening the Seminar

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The seminar on ldquoCorporate Social Responsibilityrdquo

for second level management tier took place on March 27

2008 at the MIDROC Ethiopia Auditorium and attended

by 27 participants from 12 group companies

In accordance with the call to plant ldquoThree Trees in the Third Millenniumrdquo volunteers from MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group and Head Office on August 2007 replanted trees on the Entoto Mountain situated north of the capital city Addis Ababa It is to be recalled that members of MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group under the motto ldquo Two Trees in 2000 Ethiopian Millenniumrdquo have participated in planting trees at the same location last year

Organized again by the MIDROC Ethiopia Public Relations the call for replanting was enthusiastically received by volunteers who went back to the area to replace those trees planted by employees of the Investment Group last year and did not take root and withered

Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting supported and encouraged volunteers of MIDROC Ethiopia and reminded them of the saying - ldquoten thousand dedicated soldiers are better than one million dubious soldiersrdquo and appreciated all the volunteers for actively participating in the tree replanting activity

Seminar on Corporate Social Responsibility

Participants at the seminar Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu delivering his presentation

Volunteers going up the mountain for replanting

Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting Department of MIDROC Ethiopia and Chairman of Training Committee in his opening remarks stressed the importance of participation in community affairs by all Group Companies and cited Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi as a shinning example in playing an active

role in social activities He called on all to strive hard to change the negative image of the country and build a better Ethiopia free from poverty hunger and disease Various papers were presented ensuing fruitful discussions on the above issues

MIDROC Ethiopia Volunteers Participate in Replanting Trees

 Tiret Sept 2008

Equatorial Business Group General Manager Ato Tadelle

Teferra Deputy General Manager Ato Mekuria Ayele and

Automotive Business Senior Director Ato Daniel Seyoum

participated a weeklong Dealerrsquos Conference that was

staged in Cape Town South Africa in February this year

According to Ato Daniel Seyoum around 75 business

leaders from Europe the Middle East Asia and Africa

participated at the Conference Issues discussed included

regional international business concerns VOLVOrsquos strategy

development VOLVO CE business update introduction to

new VOLVO road machinery and other related business

matters Dealersrsquo Conference is an annual event to bring

together leaders in the VOLVO Construction Equipment

business from nearly all over the world for a pull effect

particularly to companies like EBG to provide further

opportunity in the Automotive Industry

EBG is an exclusive dealer in Ethiopia for VOLVO brand

products

Company Observes its 15th Anniversary

A group picture of Dealers Conference participants

EBGrsquos Managers Attended Dealers Conference

Equatorial Business Group (EBG) colorfully observed its 15th Anniversary on April 30 2008 Ato Tadelle Teferra

General Manager of the Company addressing the management and employees expressed gratitude and appreciation

to the Owners of the Company and to the Employees who worked hard since its establishment and urged all company

staff to work with an even more commitment and dedication

Ato Tadelle on the occasion disclosed the implementation of the reform packages that started recently and expressed

hope that the reform packages would bring EBG to a better competitive and profitable position The reform introduces

MIS QMS and companyrsquos new restructuring and other associated jobs

Three employees who served EBG for 15 years were honored with Special Certificates and several employees from

the various businesses and support services of the company were awarded for Best Performances during the year

200607

 Tiret Sept 2008

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Ato Tadesse Haile State Minister of the Ministry of Trade and Industry visited Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc and held discussions with senior members on issues pertaining to the activities of the factory Ato Ahmed Hassen General Manager of the Factory explained to the State Minister that the factory would make all efforts to produce quality products in large quantity so as to reduce import from abroad He however expressed his wish that the government reduces tax on raw materials which are essential for the production of soap and detergent

Ato Tadesse disclosed during the discussion that extensive studies that include soap industries in the country are underway with the aim to strengthen the chemical industry in which the concern would be addressed in the near future He further said that there is a plan to connect the various regions of the country to the port by

EBG was announced First Order Winner for Best Stand in the 12th International Millennium Trade Fair organized by the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations held at the Exhibition Center in February 2008

EBGrsquos stand was visited by large number of visitors including the honorable World Laureate Metre Artist Afework Tekle who not only showed interest in the products and services of EBG but also expressed his appreciation to the Company in his comments while signing in the Special Guest Book

EBG Awarded for Best Stand

Star Soap and Detergent Factory Visited

The Most Honorable Maritre World Laureate Artist

Afework Tekle signing in the Visitors Book at the Trade Fair

Ato Tadesse Haile visiting the Production Unit with Ato Ahmed Hassen General Manager and Ato Seid Ahmed Plant Manager of the Factory

rail within the coming five years for the speedy delivery of export and import of goods which will have a great impact on sales

Ato Tadesse Haile finally appreciated the activities of the factory and said that Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc is capable of being a model in the sector and wished the lsquoBest of Luckrsquo for the management and the staff and affirmed that his Ministry would always support on all their endeavors

Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc is a member of the MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group established at an investment capital of Birr 80 million The factory is one of the biggest in the sector and equipped with the latest machinery and manufactures best quality laundry and toilet soaps liquid and synthetic detergents powder and bar soaps

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the most dedicated health care professionals and support staff SalaM Employees Clinic the Clinic that provides health care services to employees of MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group Companies and affiliates in its efforts to upgrade and improve its services has added to its modern list of medical equipment a Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor an advanced medical equipment Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor is one of the new advanced machineries that the clinic acquired recently which is used for the diagnosis of refraction errors of the eye

The Clinic provides medical and surgical services with sub-specialists in gynecological ophthalmological dermatological and ENT employing advanced diagnostic equipment such as radiography endoscopy and colonoscopy supported by video camera ultrasound and ECG Machines It has a well stocked pharmacy with essential medicines and also provides laboratory diagnostic services

The Clinic recently has moved from its previous location to a large and ideal villa with more rooms and a convenient location near the Genet Hotel and is open 24 hours

SalaM Employees Clinic was established by Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi in 1996 for employees of the Investment Group with an investment capital of over Birr 4 million under the SalaM Health Care Plc He later on increased the investment a lot more

Apart from providing services to the employees of the MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group SalaM Employees Clinic is rendering efficient services to the public as well

Dr Amare Abebe Medical Director of the clinic conducting an examination using endoscopy machine

Employees Clinic Secures Equipment

The Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor which the clinic acquired recently

The front view of the Clinic

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Three delegates from Ethiopia Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu MIDROC Ethiopia Training Director Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch Ato Asfaw Alemu Credit Manager of Dashen Bank attended the International Society of Business Economics and Ethics World Congress under the theme ldquoGlobal Fairness Local Integrityrdquo held in Cape Town from July 13 ndash 20 2008 and organized by BEN-Africa

The ISBEE World Congress is held every four years and is affectionately referred to as the Olympics of Business Ethics It always succeeds in attracting the best minds in the field of ethics of business and economics This yearrsquos Congress was attended by over 400 participants from all corners of the world Top notch world speakers among others Prof Mervyn E King SC Prof Deon Rossow Prof Joka Iwao Prof Georges Enderle Prof Paul Collies and Prof Tom Donaldson attended the Congress and over 80 papers were presented in three plenary sessions on topical international business issues

Ethiopian Delegation Participates at World ISBEE World Congress

Participants of ISBEE Congress Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu (left) Ato Lulseged Teferi (middle) Ato Asfaw Alemu

A Special Certificate of Recognition was awarded to Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu of MIDROC Ethiopia Prof Deon Rossow ndash former President of BEN-Africa and Ms Korien Sander the outgoing Executive Secretary of BEN-Africa

Emeritus Prof Johannes in his brief statement after receiving the certificate said that he accepted the certificate on behalf of those institutions and individuals in Ethiopia who have been behind the BEN-Africa Conference held in Ethiopia

It is to be recalled that MIDROC Ethiopia Corporate Office Dashen Bank the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch and Ato Teklu Haile Manager of Treasury Finance and Accounting of MIDROC Ethiopia played a great role for the successful completion of the ldquo7th Annual BEN-Africa Conferencerdquo held in Addis Ababa in August 2007

 Tiret Sept 2008

MIDROC Ethiopia is involved in the development of

mining and exploration of gold building of heavy mining

industries in central and eastern parts of the country

like cement plants filler plants etc Coal exploration is

also a potential area that is being explored by different

companies including MIDROC Ethiopia for use in the

cement plant power generation and fertilizer Soda ash

being used as a major input in glass soap detergent and

other industrial input is also one area of mining A lot of

investors are involved in gemstones

In an effort to exploit these resources and put them

to good use for the development of Ethiopia one of

MIDROC Ethiopia Group Companies the National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) has since its establishment in

March 1993 been actively engaged in the exploration of

gold and base metals in the various parts of the country

ldquoIt is worth noting that the mineral wealth of Ethiopia is

not fully tapped yet and needs to be given due attention

as it can be the backbone of the economy together with

agriculturerdquo says Ato Melaku Beza CEO of National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) He assertively told TIRET in

an interview at his office regarding the activities and

contributions of NMiC to the mining industry and that

his Company is working hard for a better achievement as

it has commemorated its 15th anniversary recently

He said that NMiC is currently engaged in the exploration

of gold base metals at Dawa Digati and Werri areas in the

Oromia and Tigray Administrative Regions and base metals

in Dire Dawa and Benshangul Gumuz Administrative

Regions It is also engaged in mining of marble and

limestone processing of quarried blocks and on the way

to develop the Abiyata Soda Ash in Southern Ethiopia

The Company in its venture in the development of Soda

Ash has embarked upon a joint investment agreement

with the Public Enterprise Supervising Agency (PPESA)

for a 54 percent share in which PPESArsquos 46 percent share

dilutes while NMICrsquos share shall increase in the process of

implementing tasks set in two phases

Mining Corporation on the Move

Ato Melaku Beza CEO NMiC

Dawa Digati Gold exploration drilling

The potential of the mining industry for the development of the Ethiopian economy is immense as witnessed by the ongoing development activities in the country This includes exploration of petroleum in the Ogaden Gambela and other areas by different companies exploration of gold in different parts of the country and potash exploration in Dallol where there is an estimated of 160 millions of tons of proven reserves

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Melaku stated that NMIC has invested Birr

160817912 (one hundred sixty million eight hundred

seventeen thousand nine hundred twelve) for exploration

and mining activities adding that the size of investment for

soda ash will be in the order of Birr 1150000000 (one

billion one hundred fifty million)

The first phase will cost Birr 640000000 (six hundred

forty million) and the second phase will be Birr 500000000

(five hundred million)

National Mining Corporation Plc is a pioneer in opening

and developing quarrying of marble and limestone using

the latest technology in the field Currently the Companyrsquos

Boka Marble Quarry has six benches and more than

twelve faces that are being worked out at Boka quarry

in the Benshangul Administrative Region In the process

it provides training to quarry workers of other quarry

owners thereby contributing to the development of the

mining culture

The General Manager explained about the processing and

marketing of his Companyrsquos products and said that his

Company applies modern technologies and deploys the

latest equipment in mining that meet export standards

engaging in open pit mining and tunneling for underground

mining which is unique not only in Ethiopia but also in

Africa He further articulated that the Company mines one

of the best quality marble in the industry as evidenced in

Boka multicolor marble once nominated as ldquoThe Stone

of the Yearrdquo by the Marble Institute of America (MIA)

while the blue marble has entered the world market by

a new name ldquoSummer Skyrdquo and is currently being sold

in Italy Samples of both have been tested and analyzed in

American Testing Companies and European Universities

and have proved to be of high quality and suitable both

for internal and external use in the construction industry

These two marbles are unique and are found only in

Ethiopia Also the limestone is of unique colors yellow

white and red which have high demand in the market

The CEO said that the special quality of his Companyrsquos

product that attracts international market is the

uniqueness of the material its beauty (aesthetics) and its

non-absorbent and compact nature

The company has the capacity to supply the export market

with the required quality and size of blocks and slabs both

white and blue marble Export markets include Taiwan

China Italy France USA Africa and the Middle East

In order to improve quality additional modern

state-of-the-art quarry machinery has been injected in the

quarry Plan is underway to replace the old machinery at

the processing plant The Company is also producing its

own ldquoabrasiverdquo used for polishing marble using locally

available minerals and materials

Awash Processing Plant

Blocks at Block Yard

Slabs at Slab Yard in the Awash Processing Plant

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

NMiC holds 40 of the local market share in the construction industry Lots of buildings have been cladded by NMiCrsquos products The Sheraton Addis Bole International Airport Terminal Sunshine Multipurpose Building National Bank of Ethiopia Federal Police Headquarters AUrsquos Building Head Office and the Secretary Generalrsquos Residence Ethiopian Insurance Corporation Worbek Building the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Patriarchrsquos Palace and UNCA Building are some the major buildings in Addis Ababa which are finished with NMiCrsquos products

National Mining Corporation Plc is one of the competent companies in Ethiopia and has contributed to the economy of the country by way of generating hard currency from its exports and saving foreign currency by competing and blocking imports of dimension stones from abroad One word it has added to the Ethiopian economy an amount of over Birr 5000000000 (fifty million) in tax royalties and land rent

NMiC has made valuable studies on the mineral potential areas of the country in dimension stones oil and gas mineral water coal and industrial minerals It has also made sound participation in the employment and training of manpower to the mining sector and has encouraged foreign investors to be involved in exploration of oil and gas and other minerals NMiC provides free training in its quarries and processing plant to new local enterprises coming to the sector The company provides potable water electricity medical services and other financial assistance to the community of its mining areas and has set up HIVAIDS policy for the Company to curb the spread of the pandemic and provides care and support for

those living with the virus

Tunnel Jet Belt Quarrying the latest technology in use at the Eshet Blue Quarry

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

a) Finalizing the work on the exploration phase of the gold and base metals projects both at Dawa Digati and Werri which shall lead to feasibility study and production stage

b) Developing Eshet Blue and Boka Multicolor marble quarries and strengthen export to increase income of foreign currency

c) Supplying blocks to local factories

d) Replacement of machinery at Awash Processing Plant especially to boost production and quality

e) Improve the life of the working force through profit sharing and availing better facilities together with upgrading their knowledge through training

f) Implement the Soda Ash development project

The priority areas of NMiC in its future plan include among others

Asked finally if he was satisfied with his Companyrsquos achievements Ato Melaku Beza CEO of NMiC replied ldquoNot much we could do betterrdquo

Nmic Products

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

ldquoA journey of a thousand miles starts with a single steprdquo

goes the famous Chinese saying as for Bauer MIDROC it

all started 10 years ago with the foundation work of the

construction of the MIDROC Corporate Office (MCO)

commonly known as Nani Building With a single project

at hand Bauer Specialtifbau a German Company ventured

into the slowly budding private construction industry

in equal partnership with MIDROC Ethiopia Although

a small scale business venture in the eyes of both giant

partners MIDROC Ethiopia and Bauer Specialtifbau it

created vast opportunities to the construction sector

with the introduction of a state-of-the-art German based

foundation technology to the Ethiopian market The

miniature move of the two giants opened up a gateway

of possibilities and marked a new construction era for

Ethiopia Over the years changes in shareholders has

led to the current name ldquoMIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plcrdquo with the state-of-the-art foundation solutions still in

place

Several limitations in dealing with unfavorable soil

conditions frequently encountered within Ethiopiarsquos

diverse geological formations most abundantly the

problematic black cotton soil within the city of Addis

Ababa and other parts of the country brought about

several technical barriers when it came to building

massive civil structures Building highrises as well as

massive bridges was inconceivable unless capable soil was

in close vicinity MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with

the introduction of deep foundations based on advanced

and efficient technologies in the construction industry

no doubt brought about remarkable solutions and helped

ease some of these anxieties

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with its fleets of large

diameter drilling rigs and variety of drilling tools capable of

both soil and hard soil formations has made economical

foundation solutions a reality offering developers the

confidence to build high rise buildings without worrying

about the type of soil in Addis Ababa The expertise of

Dedicated Backing for MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is gradually changing

the cityrsquos skyline with the construction of the completed

MCO Building AICAIB Headquarters and KK Building

both to be completed soon and all standing above 20

stories

Entering the city limits through the skyways one can notice

that the Bole Airport has received an entire facelift with

the construction of the International Passenger Terminal

Airport Control Towers the new Cargo Terminal and the

Maintenance Hanger The only thing these landmarks share

other than ownership is that they owe their existence to

foundation solutions of MIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plc As we enter the city limits also the Bole Viaduct

and all the overpasses on the Addis Ababa Ring Road are

comfortably resting still with the construction of the deep

piles by MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc

Drilling of pile with casing

 Tiret Sept 2008

Parallel to pile construction as verification of the

constructed pile capacities is common practice in the

foundation construction industry MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc equipped with the state-of-the-art

automated pile load testing system has recently conducted

1300 metric tons load test at the Derba MIDROC Cement

Factory Project the first of this magnitude in the African

Continent

The introduction of vertical shoring wall systems that

uses reinforced concrete piles and tie back anchors which

is gaining popularity in recent years is another type of

foundation technology solutions made possible in Ethiopia

through MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos expertise

Prior to these shoring system solutions land owners

could not fully utilize their plots at the boundaries for fear

of catastrophic cave-in In fact in most cases plot owners

avoided under ground construction in order to avoid

litigation with next door land owners The utilization of

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos vertical shoring pile

wall system was proposed and implemented in the cases

of Bole Towers and Loli Building In both cases all sides of

the plot were shored exactly at the boundaries without

any land loss In fact the clients gained underground spaces

in the order of two to three times their plot size for

possible parking purpose This has provided developers

with solutions clearing their lumbers from additional

costs for parking facilities

Pile load testing

In line with the construction boom within Addis Ababa

developers are opting to construct on boundary edges

where heavy structures already exist in adjacent plots

In order to excavate at these boundaries the safest and

most economical foundation solution system is shoring

pile wall system These systems were employed at Awash

Bank and Insurance Building KK Building and Orchid

Building

For realization of structures that have to be constructed

below the natural ground water level and or near offshore

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc has construction

approaches that employ waterproof vertical shoring

systems and several options to choose from within

the framework of technical feasibility of foundation

engineering The construction of Diaphragm Wall

Cellular Cofferdam Sheet Pile Wall and Secant

Pile Wall are such solutions to name a few The cost

of construction and the time required for executing the

works is in the order listed above

Anchored pile shoring wall

Foundation Solution

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the equipment already available in the country

MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc has tabled and

implemented an economical and technically feasible

secant pile wall system solution for bridge projects

within Ethiopia If it was not for MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plcrsquos geotechnical solutions construction under

such conditions would have been technically impossible

throughout East Africa

Unlike other options construction of secant pile wall as

waterproof vertical shoring system is not limited to the

soil condition of the site The construction of such high

tech geotechnical engineering solutions by the Company

have been successfully applied on projects like the Omo

River Bridge and on the New Abay Bridge Projects The

application of the secant pile wall system was used for the

construction of the pier foundation on both sides of the

Bridge on the Omo River Bridge Project and one side pier

foundation construction of the New Abay Bridge Project

During the construction of the Omo River Bridge

foundation and substructure works other logistic

challenges non-related to foundation works was

encountered The West Pier and Abutment on the Omo

River Bridge created such a technical impasse On this

side one of the most difficult challenges was to solve the

problem of crossing equipment and construction material

across the 150 m wide river After carefully considering all

the possible alternatives a decision was made to design and

manufacture a water crossing barge using local expertise

and manufacturing capabilities MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc took part in the design manufacturing and

commissioning of this barge and has successfully crossed

a 503 ton drilling rig and other earth moving equipment

With nearly twenty projects within Ethiopia MIDROC

Foundation Specialists Plc is a pioneer in exporting

foundation technology to neighboring Kenya Tanzania

and the Sudan In-house trained Ethiopian experts have

Crossing of drilling rig on Omo River through Barge

 Tiret Sept 2008

Secant pile wall

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Mr Achim Braun General Manager of MIDROC Foundation (left) inspecting a construction site

left their marks on several key projects within those

countries Among the projects successfully carried out in

Tanzania the Songo Songo Offshore Piling Project was the

most challenging and rewarding of all In this Project sixty

per cent of the piles were constructed from a SEWP (Self

Elevating Working Platform) elevated 13 meters from the

sea bed

As the company commemorates the tenth anniversary of

its establishment it is only proper to mark the outstanding

contributions to the construction industry of Ethiopia The

efficiency of the Company and the technology employed

has resulted in creating a broad awareness of foundation

technological solutions in the country particularly

among developers In terms of the spectrum of available

techniques of foundation the projects undertaken so

far are only a tip of the iceberg Although the Company

was confronted with a number of challenges in changing

attitudes and practices the success achieved so far has

been accomplished with great efforts exerted by the

companyrsquos management and its diligent professionals in

the field

Being the only Class I Foundation Specialist Contractors

in the country MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc is now

determined to leap ahead to new and yet un-introduced

foundation construction technologies such as micro 

piles  high  pressure  injection  diaphragm 

walls  slope  protection  and  soil  nailing  As

the countries infrastructure development continues to

reach higher levels MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is

preparing itself to meet the current customer demands

and technological challenges

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Statistics reveal that the country continues to earn hard currency from export of primary commodities such as coffee which tops the list by fetching some 500 million dollars last financial year

Other commodities are hides and skin flowers pulses fruits vegetables and chat

Incidentally it is interesting to note that Chat has fetched over 60 million dollars in foreign currency last fiscal year

The chewing of chat leaves is common in the horn of Africa but in eastern Ethiopia it is big business for some and big worry for others Chat is a major agricultural crop Yet many say it is addictive and harmful to health

In a town where I grew up for instance it is hard to avoid the impact of the stimulant leaf The first thing that strikes you in the main market is the deafening noise The market square is a scene of total chaos as you make your way through a bustling crowd preoccupied with the business of bartering for a prized commodity- the green leafed plant chat

Awadaye market is a market for chat It is estimated that over 25000 kg pass through it daily The buyers and sellers take their jobs seriously shouting to one other They gesture excitedly as they trade thousands of birr daily for the chat which is bought from the local farmers in Awadaye and sent to other areas in Ethiopia It is also exported overseas It is said to be the backbone of the economy as it can be gathered from the revenue it has generated during the current physical year

If you compare chat farmers with other farmers in other parts of the country you will see that their standard of living is so much better

The employment created though chat cultivation is very high as large numbers of people are involved in growing harvesting sorting packing transporting loading and unloading the commodity The wood of the plant is used for fuel and because of its resistance to termites it is also used to make fences Chat is also believed to have medical value being used locally to treat influenza and asthma

Chat farmers used to grow maize sorghum and teff which is the basic Ethiopian staple food but these crops are difficult to grow as they require lots of rain and attention

while chat requires little water or cultivation That is why it is widely believed that its cultivation is expanding at an amazing rate

Chat has now become Ethiopiarsquos biggest export third only to coffee and hides and skin But despite the cash earning and the tradition of chat growing and use among the people many people do not encourage it

They believe that it is addictive and this has a negative impact on the community They allege that people forget about their work commitments and spend hours chewing chat The number of users of chat is increasing particularly among the youth

In urban areas the use of chat combined with alcohol is having an adverse effect on family life Many students chew chat because they say it increases their concentration when they study their lessons

However in some regions where it is widely cultivated business punctuality is a frequent problem as the time after lunch is usually spent chewing chat Even in some regions where the plant has been banned cultivation and usage continue and attempts to replace chat with cash crops like coffee have failed

Regardless of the merit or demerit of chat the country continues to get the much needed hard currency through export of the plant ldquochatrdquo

However many people including development agents are of the opinion that the demerit far out weighs the merit for energy and time is spent chewing the stuff and particularly its negative impact on health especially on the productive force

Another very lucrative business in Ethiopia is the export of leather and leather goods According to recent data export of leather and leather goods registered a surge from 52 million dollars to over 90 million dollars Incidentally ELICO one of MIDROC Ethiopia group companies dealing with finished leather products fetched last financial year over 10 million dollars

In the light of considerable income accrued from export of primary commodities there is a need to do even more by way of establishing more agro-industries that engage in the production of agricultural products for sale locally and internationally

Earning from Export of Primary CommoditiesBy Yohannes Ruphael

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The Third Private Sector Development National Conference ndash 2008 of Ethiopia took place in Addis Ababa on June 30 2008 ndash at the UNECA Conference Center and the draft strategy document and priority strategic issues for improved business environment were discussed by representatives of the Private Sector Development Hub established with basic objectives of coordinating and developing a series of public sector development intervention projects for implementation with international financial support and undertaking related research studies to support the business community in its public and private partnership dialogue The Conference was addressed by an internationally renowned and distinguished authority on Corporate Governance Prof Mervyn E King SC

The Editorial Team of TIRET has taken advantage of communicating with Professor Mervyn E King SC to share his views briefly with our readers

Professor Mervyn E King SC is currently Professor Extraordinaire at the University of South Africa and serves as the Chairperson of the King Committee on Corporate Governance in South Africa He is a Senior Counsel and former Judge of the Supreme Court of South Africa His other credentials include Member of the World Bank Advisory Group on Corporate Governance President of the Commonwealth Association of Corporate Governance Governor of the International Corporate Governance Network President of the South Africa Chamber of Business Vice President of the Institute of Directors of Southern Africa Representatives of South Africa at the International Chamber of Commerce Advisor of Asian Center of Corporate Governance Director of Global Reporting Initiative-Amsterdam Director of Association of business Administrators of South Africa

At the Millennium National Private Sector Development Conference in Addis Ababa recently I spoke about corporate governance in the development of the private sector

Corporate governance is about the principles and practices which guide directors and senior managers in making their decisions to the best interests of their companies It has to be separated from the enterprise side of the business which is about making business judgment calls It is essential that directors and senior managers adopt acceptable principles and practices in steering and directing the company and making business judgment It is about the quality of this governance rather than a quantitative check on whether there has been compliance by the directors and managers with well-known governance practices such as the establishment of a remuneration committee

In my talk I pointed out that the economic value of a company does not equal its book value In Coca Cola for example its book value is approximately 13 of its economic value and its greatest asset is its brand which is dependent on

 Tiret Sept 2008

the companyrsquos reputation Consequentially directors and senior managers of Coca Cola have a duty to protect the companyrsquos brand

In planning for a company the strategic direction needs to be done both short- and long-term If a strategy is developed in which all persons in the corporation at all levels buy-in one can get ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things Unless this is done not even extraordinary people will achieve ordinary things

The important thing for directors to remember is that they have won and maintained the trust and confidence of the stakeholders of the company Consequently they should report at least annually how the company has both positively and negatively affected a communityrsquos economic life through its operations and how it is going to enhance those positive aspects and eradicate or ameliorate the negative aspects in the year ahead

Good governance involves inter alia the approval by the board of the strategy of the company and sustainability can no longer be ignored in developing a long-term strategy

The Private Sector Development Hub (PSD-Hub) has the objective to contribute to the economic development of Ethiopia by improving the entrepreneurial environment and the governance of corporations Consequently the PSD-Hub has held Conferences over the last two years focusing on these issues and on the question of public private partnerships There has also been discussion about expediting the registration of companies the standardization of accounting and auditing capitalization and the finalization of the revision of the Ethiopian Commercial Code Corporate governance has featured prominently in these discussions

Arising out of all the modernization of the registration of companies in Ethiopia has been recognized as a priority

Accounting and auditing standards which should follow IFRS should have legal backing so that everyone in Ethiopia will know the meaning of the reported financial statements

The development of a securities market including an exchange in which not only equities but bonds and derivatives can be bought and sold with the dematerialisation of scrip and electronic settlement is essential

From the above it will be seen that there is much to be done but Ethiopia is striving through the PSD Hub to create platforms on which it can forge ahead in our flat electronic world where capital flows towards those areas where there is good governance and well-regulated markets The Conference at which I spoke was just another step in Ethiopiarsquos endeavours to achieve these goals Positively the essential aspects for creating an entrepreneurial and thriving business environment have been identified and PSD Hub the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other interested bodies are working in partnership with government to achieve them

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Itrsquos a ridiculous

l a n g u a g e rdquo

sputtered the

Englishman at

the next table

his jowls shaking

in anger ldquoA ridiculous languagerdquo

We were sitting in a tiny tea-and-pie shop in Criccieth a

town in northern Wales and everybody but us was speaking

Welsh Like a remarkable number of his countrymen this

man was convinced it was merely a secret code employed

by the local to talk behind the backs of English visitors

ldquoJust you watchrdquo he said ldquoAs soon as we leave theyrsquoll all

go back to speaking Englishrdquo

I rather doubted it And unlike the Englishman I was

thrilled to encounter one of the oldest languages in

Europe a tongue heard in this misty and mountainous

land since the arrival of Roman legions

Being surrounded by people speaking an unfamiliar and

exotic language is to me one of the best things about

travel Just as some people will journey to the Serengeti

to glimpse the rare and endangered white rhino Irsquoll happily

go far out of my way to hear a rare and endangered

language

In the storybook city of Carcassonne in southwest France

I was less thrilled at seeing the towers and turrets than

I was at meeting a man who could speak Occitan the

ancient and fast-vanishing language of the troubadours

As far as I was concerned the most fascinating thing in

Dangriga a coastal town in Belize was the mellifluous

sound of Garifuna a language spoken by the descendants

of shipwrecked slaves from West Africa I once traveled

to Graubunden in eastern Switzerland in the hope of

hearing Romansch a tongue spoken by fewer than one

percent of the nationrsquos residents and said to resemble

Latin I encountered a few signs in the language but no

one who could speak it

According to one oft-cited estimate at least half the

worldrsquos 6000 languages are likely to die out by the end

of this century which means that one is going silent on

average every two weeks

Itrsquos not merely a matter of using different words to express the same thoughts Languages are literally the expressions of cultures and belief systems entirely different ways of making sense of the world And just as we should be concerned about the shrinking diversity of plant and animal species we should also worry about the shrinking diversity of languages

Welsh though seems to be holding on despite 700 years

of efforts by the English to exterminate it The BBC has for

some years now carried television and radio programming

in the language and in Wales itrsquos possible to receive your

entire education from preschool to postgraduate in

Welsh About 20 percent of Walesrsquo population speaks

Welsh and the number appears to be growing slightly

It is not as the Englishman said a ridiculous language But

it is to my eyes and ears a wonderfully strange one Dave

Barry once wrote that the ancient Hawaiians arrived on

their islands after perilous canoe voyages in seas so rough

their consonants fell overboard My guess is that the

letters drifted the worldrsquos oceans until they washed up on

the shores of Wales

T h e   B e a u t y   o f   a   L a n g u a g e

 Tiret Sept 2008

How else to explain for example the Welsh word for

beer Itrsquos cwrw It looks like my Scrabble tray when I

donrsquot have a word to pay (In case you ever need to order

one itrsquos pronounced ldquokooroordquo)

And then therersquos the vexing pronunciation of the double-

1 you find at the beginning of it seems two-thirds of the

town names in Wales ldquoJust put your teeth together and

hiss like a duckrdquo explained a helpful woman I met at the

Dylan Thomas Museum in Swansea She also pointed out

that Llareggub the fictional town in Thomasrsquo ldquoUnder the

Milkwood Treerdquo is merely ldquobugger allrdquo spelled backward

I like the besotted poet a whole lot more after learning

that

One dark and drizzly night I went to a little schoolhouse in

the Rhondda Valley to listen to a rehearsal of the Treorchy

Menrsquos Choir made up mostly of unemployed coal miners

ldquoIn the old daysrdquo one of them told me ldquowe used to sing

together in the pitsrdquo

When they opened their mouths to sing as one in Welsh

all the snarky little comments about their language become

moot It was simply one of the most hauntingly beautiful

sounds Irsquove even heard

I got a lesson in the politics of minority languages recently

when I visited Montreal the capital of French ndash speaking

Canada I hadnrsquot been there since a childhood visit to

Exporsquo67 and I remember the province as decidedly

bilingual Everything from traffic signs to toothpaste

tubes was printed in French and English No more A

law passed in 1977 banned the use of English in signs

throughout Quebec Itrsquos an attempt to do linguistically

what they failed for two centuries to do militarily prevent

the English from conquering them

Theyrsquore quite serious about this Hudson Bay Co the

venerable department store chain that dates back to the

fur-trading days is now known as Compagnie de la Baie

drsquoHudson at least in these parts Kentucky Fried Chicken

outlets arenrsquot allowed to use ldquoKFCrdquo on their signs In

Quebec theyrsquore called ldquoPFKrdquo for Poulet Frit Kentucky

The Quebecois are more vigilant even than their famously

Anglophobic counterparts in Paris All stop signs here say

Arret even though the ones in France say ldquoStoprdquo

It all seemed a little silly and excessive to me until I began

talking to French-speaking Montrealers about it ldquoYou

have to understand that wersquore surrounded by English

speakersrdquo a schoolteacher told me ldquoWe have to be very

firm about defending our language or it will disappear

And when it goes so does our way of life

Signs aside most French Canadians I met were bilingual

I quickly discovered that if I first made atleast a fumbling

attempt to speak their language almost everybody was

happy to switch to English ndash very possibly to spare

themselves the trauma of hearing my phrase-book

French which sounds like someone grinding the gears

of an old Citroen ldquoWe have nothing against Englishrdquo the

schoolteacher told me ldquoItrsquos just that we want to speak

French hererdquo

Vive la differenceJohn Flinn -Travel Editor

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Scale up of HIV Prevention Treatment Care and Support Requires Renewed Leadership and Resources

The 17th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) took place in Mexico City from August 3 -8 2008 with an assessment of the situation of the global epidemic at a panel of researchers public health and civil society leaders examined recent progress towards the scale up of treatment and prevention programmes and called for sustained action to eliminate the barriers to universal access

ldquoDespite the progress we have made we are not on course to meet universal access targets and in fact appear to be slipping away from our existing commitmentsrdquo said Dr Pedro Cahn International Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and President of the International AIDS Society and Fundacioacuten Hueacutesped in Buenos Aires Argentina ldquoIt appears that we are poised to accept defeat when victory is still within our grasp Our failure to meet those commitments will have an impact on millions of lives This cannot be allowed to happen It is time for nations to live up to their commitmentsrdquo

ldquoWith only two years to go until the 2010 deadline for universal access set by world leaders we must redouble our commitment to scaling up all proven HIV prevention strategiesrdquo said Dr Luiacutes Soto Ramiacuterez Local Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and Head of the Molecular Virology Unit at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Meacutedicas y Nutricioacuten Salvador Zubiriaacuten and Coordinator of the Clinical Care Committee of CONASIDA Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council ldquoThe fact that last year 27 million people were newly infected with HIV a disease that is entirely preventable is unacceptablerdquo

Dr Jaime Sepulveda (Mexico) founder of Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council who is now with the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation noted that attention to and resources for AIDS are at all-time high including substantially increased funding for the Global Fund and the US Presidentrsquos Emergency Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief According to Sepulveda reaching the goal of 3 million people in low and middle-income countries on treatment at the end of 2007 was a critical step forward but the world has only scratched the surface of possibilities in responding to the epidemic Greater resources more effectively spent and targeted where they can have the greatest effect would have a dramatic impact on the course of the epidemicrsquos Highlighting the fact that more people become infected

with HIV last year than began treatment Sepulveda called for radically increased investments in prevention research evaluation and delivery of services as well as accelerated research on promising prevention methods including a vaccine In conclusion he reiterated that political leadership from all countries and accountability at all levels are essential for stopping the epidemic

Citing the results in both treatment and prevention scale up in countries with sustained leadership such as Rwanda and Tanzania Alex Coutinho (Uganda) of the Infectious Disease Institute of Makerere University made a passionate call for greater leadership as a path toward meeting the challenges ahead In looking at progress to date Coutinho highlighted increased access to HIV testing and counseling to prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and to pediatric care and treatment as well as the effectiveness of male circumcision as a prevention intervention In contrast he noted that most countries will not achieve universal access by 2010 and that the majority of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are still unaware of their HIV status In his call to action Coutinho urged greater investment in prevention and financial resources flexible enough to support health systems and systems that reach into rural and other hard-to-reach areas and fully embrace PLHIV as partners He also urged outreach to and support of marginalized and at-risk communities as well as the greater involvement of PLHIV as a catalyst for change

Elisabet Fadul (Dominican Republic) of the Dominican Network for Youth RightsGlobal Youth Partners outlined a broad and urgent youth HIVAIDS agenda calling for comprehensive rights ndash and evidence-based plans to provide access for young people Highlighting the 40 of new infections worldwide among young people between the ages of 15-24 Fadul noted that HIV prevention and treatment programmes are failing to effectively reach young people with the most vulnerable and marginalized being stigmatized criminalized or forgotten by many of these programmes

To reverse this course she called for actions and policies that engage youth especially young people living with HIVAIDS as respected partners in developing and implementing programmes that forthrightly address their

needs and diversity

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi is positive that Derba

Project when completed would address the acute

shortage of cement in Ethiopia and will contribute greatly

to the sustainable economic development of the country

He earlier said that his main objective to build the project

is to reduce dependence on import and avail cement

in abundant quantity so that development in Ethiopia

continues in a sustainable way and expressed hope that

price of cement will reduce to an acceptable level so that

construction be affordable

The plant site with an area of about 123 hectares

accommodates the manufacturing plant including

related facilities such as workers residential complex

public amenities electrical power substation product

storage and dispatch areas The plant will be fed with

raw materials from the quarry in the Mugger Valley via

a 75 kms conveyor belt and a 175 km of treacherous

road both crossing a very difficult sloping terrain which

drops more than 850 m between the plant and quarry

sites The new road with its 120 m span bridge across

the Muger River will be the first and the only access that

connects the residents on both sides of the river

The Project will bring new or better infrastructural

services to the local population and will also be the largest

single source of investment in the country

Derba MIDROC Cement Plant integrates the latest

technology and when completed will have a cement

production capacity of 8000 tons per day or 25 million

tons per annum It is hoped that it will increase the

existing total domestic cement production capacity by at

least 15 times thus significantly reduce or eliminate the

present cement shortage in the country

When completed the plant is expected to create about

500 direct and 10000 indirect job opportunities

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi on behalf of Derba

MIDROC Cement Plc and Mr Sady M Zeidan Manager of

IFC of the World Bank along with the African Development

Bank(ADB) European Investment Bank and Development

Bank of Ethiopia (DBE) have signed on June 23 2008 at

the Sheraton Addis a USD 200 million loan agreement

to help build a new plant aimed at addressing the acute

cement shortage in Ethiopia

According to Mr Sady M Zeidan Manager of IFC the

loan represents IFCrsquos first investment in Ethiopia since

1989 and it is the largest ever in the country He also

said that the loan reflects IFCrsquos confidence in the local

private sector and aligned with IFCrsquos strategy to promote

investments in countries where the private sector is at

the early stage of development

The loan arrangement is a success achieved to bring on

board the International Private Sector Financing Agencies

to work with the Ethiopian Private Sector Developers

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi Owner and Sponsor

of MIDROC Derba Cement Plc has invested USD 151

million for the construction of the project

IFC - Derba MIDROC Sign Loan Agreement

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi and Mr Sady M Zeidan after

signing the loan agreement

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

In keeping with his desire to develop sports in the country Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi has once again generously donated Birr five million to the Ethiopian Olympic Committee as part of his boundless support to the development of Ethiopian sports to help the committee meet the cost of Ethiopian Athletics delegation to the Beijing Olympics

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi granted the Birr five million donation to the Ethiopian Olympic Committee at a ceremony held on May 27 2008 at the Sheraton Addis where the Ethiopian President Ato Girma WGiorgis and Ethiopian Prime Minister Ato Meles Zenawi and other high ranking government officials were in attendance

At the ceremony Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi was honored with a Special Award by the Ethiopian President Ato Girma WGiorgis for his unlimited contributions to the development of athletics in Ethiopia

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudirsquos enthusiasm for sports in general football in particular has earned him admiration from fans near and far The East and Central Africa Challenge Cup Tournament which is held every two years and financed by Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi the incentives he provides to young and upcoming footballers in the various local teams and his pledge to build a modern stadium in Addis Ababa are all testimonies of his devotion to the development of sports in Ethiopia

Officials of the Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council have paid tribute to Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi for his contributions to the success of historical events organized by the Moslem Community

At a ceremony organized on March 28 2008 by the Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council Millennium Office to thank all those who supported it in making the millennium celebrations a success Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi was honored with a Special Award by the Ethiopian President Ato Girma WGiorgis The Award was received by Dr Arega Yirdaw Chief Executive Officer of MIDROC Ethiopia Technology Group on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi Present on the occasion were high ranking Government Officials Ambassadors and other Dignitaries

Oromia Regional State Awarded Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi

The Martyrs Monument built in Adama town by a Birr 50000000 (fifty million) generous donation of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi was inaugurated on March 23 2008

Ato Abadula Gemeda President of Oromia Regional State at the inaugural ceremony awarded a Gold Medal to Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi which was received by Dr Arega Yirdaw Chief Executive Officer of MIDROC Ethiopia Technology Group on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi

Construction of the monument was undertaken by MIDROC Construction Ethiopia PlcHE Ato Abadula Gemeda President of Oromiya Regional State handing

over Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudirsquos Award to CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi Donates to the Ethiopian Olympic Committee

Supreme Council Pays Tribute to Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

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Derba MIDROC Cement Plc and the Ministry of Mines

and Energy on May 19 2000 signed a Birr 57212000 (fifty

seven million two hundred twelve thousand) agreement

for mining Limestone Marl Gypsum and Sandstone on

a large scale in the Muger Valley locality in North Shewa

Zone Oromia National Regional State

The Agreement was signed by HE Ato Alemayhu Tegenu

Minister of Mines and Energy and Sheikh Mohammed

H Al-Amoudi Owner and Chairman of MIDROC

Investment Group

According to the agreement the licensee has an exclusive

right for a large scale Limestone Marl Gypsum and

Sandstone mining for twenty years to be renewed for

ten years upon the request of the licensee The license

area covers 1928610 m2 of land and is anticipated to

produce 11665000 tons of Limestone 1166000 tons

of Marl 696000 tons of Gypsum and 11387000 tons of

Sandstone

The Project is expected to create job opportunities for

469 people

MIDROC Construction Ethiopia Plc and the Addis Ababa City Roads Authority (AACRA) signed a 6772 million Birr Contract Agreement for the construction of three roads in the city

Eng Fekadu Haile Manager of AACRA and Eng Shimelis Eshete Deputy General Manager of MIDROC Construction Ethiopia Plc signed the agreement on July 7 2008 on behalf of their respective companies

The contract covers a 191 km long of three roads namely Megenagna ndash Ayat 82 km long Gurd Shola ndash Summit Yeka Bole 82 km long and City Tip ndash Bisrate Gebriel Church 27 km long The Megenagna ndash Ayat road includes 14 m carriageway 55 m walkway and 2 m median while the other two roads include 10 m carriageway 45 m walkway and 1 m median each

These projects are expected to provide job opportunities for more than 1000 people

Derba MIDROC Signed Agreement

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi and Ato Alemayehu Tegenu exchanging the Agreement Document

Multi-Million Birr Contract Agreement Signed

 Tiret Sept 2008

MOHA Soft Drinks Industry SC a member of MIDROC

Ethiopia Investment Group has undertaken an expansion

project of Kool Mineral Water at Bure town in the

Amhara Regional State at a cost of over Birr 37 million

An agreement was signed in August 2008 between Ato

Alemayehu Tegenu Minister of Mines and Energy and Ato

Getachew Birbo CEO of MOHA Soft Drinks Industry SC

that provides a license for the expansion project which is

valid for ten years and renewable every five years to work

on a 5679978 sqm land

The factory which was acquired by MOHA four years ago

will have a capacity of producing 24 million cases of Kool

Mineral Water annually upon completion of the expansion

project MOHA has planned to produce 180320000

liters of mineral water in the coming ten years

According to CEO Getachew Birbo the company is

considering to export Kool Mineral Water as there is a

potentially rich market in the Middle East Countries

Since its establishment thirteen years ago MOHA has

invested over Birr 500 million (five hundred million birr)

in soft drinks factories located in different parts of the

country including Bure Kool Mineral Water Factory which

provided job opportunities for 2700 employees

MOHA has currently an annual production capacity

of 20 million cases from its six soft drinks factories at

Gonder Awassa Dessie Summit Plant (under contractual

agreement) and two plants in Addis Ababa covering 55

of the soft drinks demand in the country

Mini Cement Plant Begins Production

Dashen Cement Plant located in the outskirts of Dejen town North West of Amhara Regional State has been completed

and started producing cement recently

The mini plant is initially established to supply cement to private contractors and the government and to the construction

of the bigger Derba MIDROC Cement Project

Investment cost for Dashen Cement Plant stands at Birr 200000000 (two hundred million birr) and has a capacity of

producing 400 tons of cement per day

MOHA Undertakes Expansion Work

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The annual Customers Family and  Employees (company) Day initiated by the Chief Executive Officer of the MIDROC Ethiopia Technology Group was celebrated for the sixth time at the Millennium Hall on May 25 2008 in the presence of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi Chairman and Owner of MIDROC Ethiopia

According to MIDROC Technology Group the Annual Celebration of Customers Family and Employees (company) Day is held every year to acknowledge and show the gratefulness of the group to the Owners Customers Employees as well as Family Members for their contributions to the success of their respective companies

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi addressing at the celebration expressed his pleasure and gratitude and urged employees to work even harder and try to demonstrate more achievement CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw on his part articulated his appreciation to the employees for their efforts exerted for productivity and expressed hope that this hard work would be pronounced and developed in due course as a culture

Consequently 43 Best Customers of the MIDROC Ethiopia Technology Group both foreign and local were honored by Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi with Best Customers Award at the ceremony organized by the Technology Group at the Millennium Hall on May 25 2008

Wrt Etsehiwot Dinku Officer in Charge (OIC) for Production Marketing and Business Development Services at the Office of the CEO on the occasion presented a brief explanation of the products of each of the companies

Following the Sixth Annual Customers Family and Employees (company) Day Celebration Special Awards were presented to the Best Company and Best Performers of the year at the Millennium Hall in the presence of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi He addressed the gathering first and presented the Special Award to the Best Company of the Year Modern Building Industry (MBI) and the Best Performers Of The Year were also awarded

CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw on the occasion received a Special Award from the employees and families in the name of all the employees of the Group which he took from the hands of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi He was also awarded with a Special Certificate for his remarkable services in the Technology Group and other businesses of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi in the last ten years

Prior to Customers Family and Employees (company) Day the annual sports competition of employees of the Technology Group was carried out as part of the annual ceremony Winners in all competitions received gold bronze and silver medals from the hands of CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw

Customers Family and Employees (company) Day Commemorated

CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw receiving the Award from

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi

Mr Abdullah H Al-Amoudi receiving Best Foreign

Customers Award from the Chairman

 Tiret Sept 2008

The two days Second Annual ldquoOffsiterdquo Workshop where

CEOs and General Managers of the MIDROC Ethiopia

Technology Group took part was held on April 12 ndash 13

2008 at the Sheraton Addis Dr Arega Yirdaw Chief

Executive Officer of the Group opening the workshop

took into account the first Annual Workshop that was held

in Kombolcha and said that this yearrsquos venue provides more

opportunity for a considerable number of management

members to participate

While Dr Aregarsquos presentation to the Workshop focused

on ldquoEffective Marketing for Enhancement of

Business Developmentrdquo General Managers presented

comprehensive reports of their respective companies

MIDROC Ethiopia Training Department Holds Seminars

The MIDROC Ethiopia Training Department as part of  its  training activities holds various seminars for both senior managers and second level management tier every fiscal year During the last six months ldquoPositive Thinkingrdquo ldquoCorporate Social Responsibilitiesrdquo and ldquoICT Security and privacyrdquo were the issues for the seminars that the department carried out              

 Seminar on Positive Thinking

Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu Director of Training of MIDROC Ethiopia in his introductory remark on ldquoPositive Thinkingrdquo seminar that took place at the Sheraton Addis on April 11 2008 and attended by general managers and senior members of the Investment Group introduced the resource person Ato Robel Kidane as a ldquomotivational speakerrdquo and ldquolife-cycle trainerrdquo from Sweden

Emeritus Prof Johannes said that this topic is chosen because of a feeling that the current period and situations exhibited dynamic changes that were a burden to bear for many people who he said were ldquoeasily swayed to think negativelyrdquo He also quoted the Chairman and Owner of MIDROC Ethiopia Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi as saying ldquoWhat is the benefit of talking of bad

ldquoOffsiterdquo Workshop Held 

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Robel Kidane the resource person delivering his presentation at the seminar

 Tiret Sept 2008

The seminar for second level management personnel held on June 12 2008 on ICT Security and Privacy was attended by 31 participants from MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group Companies and the Head Office in the MIDROC Ethiopia Auditorium The seminar which was part of MIDROC Ethiopiarsquos attempt to keep abreast with ICT Development was opened by Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu who stressed in his brief remarks the need for concern to the protection of data and information and regulating the use of ICT

Also speaking on the occasion was Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting and Chairman of Training Committee who said that training helps to discover various means for success People he noted learn at work place and from challenges He stressed that the technology age called for adaptation of new thoughts and practices while requiring readiness to do ldquoWhat we can with what we haverdquo

The seminar which discussed various issues related to ICT was closed by Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu

 Seminar on ICT Security and Privacy

A view of participants of the seminar

things or difficulties onlyrdquo Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting of MIDROC Ethiopia and Chairman of Training Committee in his opening remark stated that positive thinking was a new scientific subject where investors CEOs and others in various capacities were inspired and motivated to create awareness to their colleagues and to remove all thoughts

of dark shadows from their minds He noted that positive thinking among CEOrsquos and subordinates was required and stressed that self-confidence was one of the prime factors for success in life and hence needed to be maintainedAto Robel Kidane covered a variety of interesting issues related to positive thinking in his presentation after which participants discussed on several importnat issues

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Teklu Haile opening the Seminar

0 Tiret Sept 2008

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The seminar on ldquoCorporate Social Responsibilityrdquo

for second level management tier took place on March 27

2008 at the MIDROC Ethiopia Auditorium and attended

by 27 participants from 12 group companies

In accordance with the call to plant ldquoThree Trees in the Third Millenniumrdquo volunteers from MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group and Head Office on August 2007 replanted trees on the Entoto Mountain situated north of the capital city Addis Ababa It is to be recalled that members of MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group under the motto ldquo Two Trees in 2000 Ethiopian Millenniumrdquo have participated in planting trees at the same location last year

Organized again by the MIDROC Ethiopia Public Relations the call for replanting was enthusiastically received by volunteers who went back to the area to replace those trees planted by employees of the Investment Group last year and did not take root and withered

Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting supported and encouraged volunteers of MIDROC Ethiopia and reminded them of the saying - ldquoten thousand dedicated soldiers are better than one million dubious soldiersrdquo and appreciated all the volunteers for actively participating in the tree replanting activity

Seminar on Corporate Social Responsibility

Participants at the seminar Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu delivering his presentation

Volunteers going up the mountain for replanting

Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting Department of MIDROC Ethiopia and Chairman of Training Committee in his opening remarks stressed the importance of participation in community affairs by all Group Companies and cited Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi as a shinning example in playing an active

role in social activities He called on all to strive hard to change the negative image of the country and build a better Ethiopia free from poverty hunger and disease Various papers were presented ensuing fruitful discussions on the above issues

MIDROC Ethiopia Volunteers Participate in Replanting Trees

 Tiret Sept 2008

Equatorial Business Group General Manager Ato Tadelle

Teferra Deputy General Manager Ato Mekuria Ayele and

Automotive Business Senior Director Ato Daniel Seyoum

participated a weeklong Dealerrsquos Conference that was

staged in Cape Town South Africa in February this year

According to Ato Daniel Seyoum around 75 business

leaders from Europe the Middle East Asia and Africa

participated at the Conference Issues discussed included

regional international business concerns VOLVOrsquos strategy

development VOLVO CE business update introduction to

new VOLVO road machinery and other related business

matters Dealersrsquo Conference is an annual event to bring

together leaders in the VOLVO Construction Equipment

business from nearly all over the world for a pull effect

particularly to companies like EBG to provide further

opportunity in the Automotive Industry

EBG is an exclusive dealer in Ethiopia for VOLVO brand

products

Company Observes its 15th Anniversary

A group picture of Dealers Conference participants

EBGrsquos Managers Attended Dealers Conference

Equatorial Business Group (EBG) colorfully observed its 15th Anniversary on April 30 2008 Ato Tadelle Teferra

General Manager of the Company addressing the management and employees expressed gratitude and appreciation

to the Owners of the Company and to the Employees who worked hard since its establishment and urged all company

staff to work with an even more commitment and dedication

Ato Tadelle on the occasion disclosed the implementation of the reform packages that started recently and expressed

hope that the reform packages would bring EBG to a better competitive and profitable position The reform introduces

MIS QMS and companyrsquos new restructuring and other associated jobs

Three employees who served EBG for 15 years were honored with Special Certificates and several employees from

the various businesses and support services of the company were awarded for Best Performances during the year

200607

 Tiret Sept 2008

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Ato Tadesse Haile State Minister of the Ministry of Trade and Industry visited Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc and held discussions with senior members on issues pertaining to the activities of the factory Ato Ahmed Hassen General Manager of the Factory explained to the State Minister that the factory would make all efforts to produce quality products in large quantity so as to reduce import from abroad He however expressed his wish that the government reduces tax on raw materials which are essential for the production of soap and detergent

Ato Tadesse disclosed during the discussion that extensive studies that include soap industries in the country are underway with the aim to strengthen the chemical industry in which the concern would be addressed in the near future He further said that there is a plan to connect the various regions of the country to the port by

EBG was announced First Order Winner for Best Stand in the 12th International Millennium Trade Fair organized by the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations held at the Exhibition Center in February 2008

EBGrsquos stand was visited by large number of visitors including the honorable World Laureate Metre Artist Afework Tekle who not only showed interest in the products and services of EBG but also expressed his appreciation to the Company in his comments while signing in the Special Guest Book

EBG Awarded for Best Stand

Star Soap and Detergent Factory Visited

The Most Honorable Maritre World Laureate Artist

Afework Tekle signing in the Visitors Book at the Trade Fair

Ato Tadesse Haile visiting the Production Unit with Ato Ahmed Hassen General Manager and Ato Seid Ahmed Plant Manager of the Factory

rail within the coming five years for the speedy delivery of export and import of goods which will have a great impact on sales

Ato Tadesse Haile finally appreciated the activities of the factory and said that Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc is capable of being a model in the sector and wished the lsquoBest of Luckrsquo for the management and the staff and affirmed that his Ministry would always support on all their endeavors

Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc is a member of the MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group established at an investment capital of Birr 80 million The factory is one of the biggest in the sector and equipped with the latest machinery and manufactures best quality laundry and toilet soaps liquid and synthetic detergents powder and bar soaps

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 Tiret Sept 2008

With the most dedicated health care professionals and support staff SalaM Employees Clinic the Clinic that provides health care services to employees of MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group Companies and affiliates in its efforts to upgrade and improve its services has added to its modern list of medical equipment a Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor an advanced medical equipment Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor is one of the new advanced machineries that the clinic acquired recently which is used for the diagnosis of refraction errors of the eye

The Clinic provides medical and surgical services with sub-specialists in gynecological ophthalmological dermatological and ENT employing advanced diagnostic equipment such as radiography endoscopy and colonoscopy supported by video camera ultrasound and ECG Machines It has a well stocked pharmacy with essential medicines and also provides laboratory diagnostic services

The Clinic recently has moved from its previous location to a large and ideal villa with more rooms and a convenient location near the Genet Hotel and is open 24 hours

SalaM Employees Clinic was established by Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi in 1996 for employees of the Investment Group with an investment capital of over Birr 4 million under the SalaM Health Care Plc He later on increased the investment a lot more

Apart from providing services to the employees of the MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group SalaM Employees Clinic is rendering efficient services to the public as well

Dr Amare Abebe Medical Director of the clinic conducting an examination using endoscopy machine

Employees Clinic Secures Equipment

The Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor which the clinic acquired recently

The front view of the Clinic

 Tiret Sept 2008

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Three delegates from Ethiopia Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu MIDROC Ethiopia Training Director Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch Ato Asfaw Alemu Credit Manager of Dashen Bank attended the International Society of Business Economics and Ethics World Congress under the theme ldquoGlobal Fairness Local Integrityrdquo held in Cape Town from July 13 ndash 20 2008 and organized by BEN-Africa

The ISBEE World Congress is held every four years and is affectionately referred to as the Olympics of Business Ethics It always succeeds in attracting the best minds in the field of ethics of business and economics This yearrsquos Congress was attended by over 400 participants from all corners of the world Top notch world speakers among others Prof Mervyn E King SC Prof Deon Rossow Prof Joka Iwao Prof Georges Enderle Prof Paul Collies and Prof Tom Donaldson attended the Congress and over 80 papers were presented in three plenary sessions on topical international business issues

Ethiopian Delegation Participates at World ISBEE World Congress

Participants of ISBEE Congress Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu (left) Ato Lulseged Teferi (middle) Ato Asfaw Alemu

A Special Certificate of Recognition was awarded to Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu of MIDROC Ethiopia Prof Deon Rossow ndash former President of BEN-Africa and Ms Korien Sander the outgoing Executive Secretary of BEN-Africa

Emeritus Prof Johannes in his brief statement after receiving the certificate said that he accepted the certificate on behalf of those institutions and individuals in Ethiopia who have been behind the BEN-Africa Conference held in Ethiopia

It is to be recalled that MIDROC Ethiopia Corporate Office Dashen Bank the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch and Ato Teklu Haile Manager of Treasury Finance and Accounting of MIDROC Ethiopia played a great role for the successful completion of the ldquo7th Annual BEN-Africa Conferencerdquo held in Addis Ababa in August 2007

 Tiret Sept 2008

MIDROC Ethiopia is involved in the development of

mining and exploration of gold building of heavy mining

industries in central and eastern parts of the country

like cement plants filler plants etc Coal exploration is

also a potential area that is being explored by different

companies including MIDROC Ethiopia for use in the

cement plant power generation and fertilizer Soda ash

being used as a major input in glass soap detergent and

other industrial input is also one area of mining A lot of

investors are involved in gemstones

In an effort to exploit these resources and put them

to good use for the development of Ethiopia one of

MIDROC Ethiopia Group Companies the National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) has since its establishment in

March 1993 been actively engaged in the exploration of

gold and base metals in the various parts of the country

ldquoIt is worth noting that the mineral wealth of Ethiopia is

not fully tapped yet and needs to be given due attention

as it can be the backbone of the economy together with

agriculturerdquo says Ato Melaku Beza CEO of National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) He assertively told TIRET in

an interview at his office regarding the activities and

contributions of NMiC to the mining industry and that

his Company is working hard for a better achievement as

it has commemorated its 15th anniversary recently

He said that NMiC is currently engaged in the exploration

of gold base metals at Dawa Digati and Werri areas in the

Oromia and Tigray Administrative Regions and base metals

in Dire Dawa and Benshangul Gumuz Administrative

Regions It is also engaged in mining of marble and

limestone processing of quarried blocks and on the way

to develop the Abiyata Soda Ash in Southern Ethiopia

The Company in its venture in the development of Soda

Ash has embarked upon a joint investment agreement

with the Public Enterprise Supervising Agency (PPESA)

for a 54 percent share in which PPESArsquos 46 percent share

dilutes while NMICrsquos share shall increase in the process of

implementing tasks set in two phases

Mining Corporation on the Move

Ato Melaku Beza CEO NMiC

Dawa Digati Gold exploration drilling

The potential of the mining industry for the development of the Ethiopian economy is immense as witnessed by the ongoing development activities in the country This includes exploration of petroleum in the Ogaden Gambela and other areas by different companies exploration of gold in different parts of the country and potash exploration in Dallol where there is an estimated of 160 millions of tons of proven reserves

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Melaku stated that NMIC has invested Birr

160817912 (one hundred sixty million eight hundred

seventeen thousand nine hundred twelve) for exploration

and mining activities adding that the size of investment for

soda ash will be in the order of Birr 1150000000 (one

billion one hundred fifty million)

The first phase will cost Birr 640000000 (six hundred

forty million) and the second phase will be Birr 500000000

(five hundred million)

National Mining Corporation Plc is a pioneer in opening

and developing quarrying of marble and limestone using

the latest technology in the field Currently the Companyrsquos

Boka Marble Quarry has six benches and more than

twelve faces that are being worked out at Boka quarry

in the Benshangul Administrative Region In the process

it provides training to quarry workers of other quarry

owners thereby contributing to the development of the

mining culture

The General Manager explained about the processing and

marketing of his Companyrsquos products and said that his

Company applies modern technologies and deploys the

latest equipment in mining that meet export standards

engaging in open pit mining and tunneling for underground

mining which is unique not only in Ethiopia but also in

Africa He further articulated that the Company mines one

of the best quality marble in the industry as evidenced in

Boka multicolor marble once nominated as ldquoThe Stone

of the Yearrdquo by the Marble Institute of America (MIA)

while the blue marble has entered the world market by

a new name ldquoSummer Skyrdquo and is currently being sold

in Italy Samples of both have been tested and analyzed in

American Testing Companies and European Universities

and have proved to be of high quality and suitable both

for internal and external use in the construction industry

These two marbles are unique and are found only in

Ethiopia Also the limestone is of unique colors yellow

white and red which have high demand in the market

The CEO said that the special quality of his Companyrsquos

product that attracts international market is the

uniqueness of the material its beauty (aesthetics) and its

non-absorbent and compact nature

The company has the capacity to supply the export market

with the required quality and size of blocks and slabs both

white and blue marble Export markets include Taiwan

China Italy France USA Africa and the Middle East

In order to improve quality additional modern

state-of-the-art quarry machinery has been injected in the

quarry Plan is underway to replace the old machinery at

the processing plant The Company is also producing its

own ldquoabrasiverdquo used for polishing marble using locally

available minerals and materials

Awash Processing Plant

Blocks at Block Yard

Slabs at Slab Yard in the Awash Processing Plant

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

NMiC holds 40 of the local market share in the construction industry Lots of buildings have been cladded by NMiCrsquos products The Sheraton Addis Bole International Airport Terminal Sunshine Multipurpose Building National Bank of Ethiopia Federal Police Headquarters AUrsquos Building Head Office and the Secretary Generalrsquos Residence Ethiopian Insurance Corporation Worbek Building the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Patriarchrsquos Palace and UNCA Building are some the major buildings in Addis Ababa which are finished with NMiCrsquos products

National Mining Corporation Plc is one of the competent companies in Ethiopia and has contributed to the economy of the country by way of generating hard currency from its exports and saving foreign currency by competing and blocking imports of dimension stones from abroad One word it has added to the Ethiopian economy an amount of over Birr 5000000000 (fifty million) in tax royalties and land rent

NMiC has made valuable studies on the mineral potential areas of the country in dimension stones oil and gas mineral water coal and industrial minerals It has also made sound participation in the employment and training of manpower to the mining sector and has encouraged foreign investors to be involved in exploration of oil and gas and other minerals NMiC provides free training in its quarries and processing plant to new local enterprises coming to the sector The company provides potable water electricity medical services and other financial assistance to the community of its mining areas and has set up HIVAIDS policy for the Company to curb the spread of the pandemic and provides care and support for

those living with the virus

Tunnel Jet Belt Quarrying the latest technology in use at the Eshet Blue Quarry

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

a) Finalizing the work on the exploration phase of the gold and base metals projects both at Dawa Digati and Werri which shall lead to feasibility study and production stage

b) Developing Eshet Blue and Boka Multicolor marble quarries and strengthen export to increase income of foreign currency

c) Supplying blocks to local factories

d) Replacement of machinery at Awash Processing Plant especially to boost production and quality

e) Improve the life of the working force through profit sharing and availing better facilities together with upgrading their knowledge through training

f) Implement the Soda Ash development project

The priority areas of NMiC in its future plan include among others

Asked finally if he was satisfied with his Companyrsquos achievements Ato Melaku Beza CEO of NMiC replied ldquoNot much we could do betterrdquo

Nmic Products

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

ldquoA journey of a thousand miles starts with a single steprdquo

goes the famous Chinese saying as for Bauer MIDROC it

all started 10 years ago with the foundation work of the

construction of the MIDROC Corporate Office (MCO)

commonly known as Nani Building With a single project

at hand Bauer Specialtifbau a German Company ventured

into the slowly budding private construction industry

in equal partnership with MIDROC Ethiopia Although

a small scale business venture in the eyes of both giant

partners MIDROC Ethiopia and Bauer Specialtifbau it

created vast opportunities to the construction sector

with the introduction of a state-of-the-art German based

foundation technology to the Ethiopian market The

miniature move of the two giants opened up a gateway

of possibilities and marked a new construction era for

Ethiopia Over the years changes in shareholders has

led to the current name ldquoMIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plcrdquo with the state-of-the-art foundation solutions still in

place

Several limitations in dealing with unfavorable soil

conditions frequently encountered within Ethiopiarsquos

diverse geological formations most abundantly the

problematic black cotton soil within the city of Addis

Ababa and other parts of the country brought about

several technical barriers when it came to building

massive civil structures Building highrises as well as

massive bridges was inconceivable unless capable soil was

in close vicinity MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with

the introduction of deep foundations based on advanced

and efficient technologies in the construction industry

no doubt brought about remarkable solutions and helped

ease some of these anxieties

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with its fleets of large

diameter drilling rigs and variety of drilling tools capable of

both soil and hard soil formations has made economical

foundation solutions a reality offering developers the

confidence to build high rise buildings without worrying

about the type of soil in Addis Ababa The expertise of

Dedicated Backing for MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is gradually changing

the cityrsquos skyline with the construction of the completed

MCO Building AICAIB Headquarters and KK Building

both to be completed soon and all standing above 20

stories

Entering the city limits through the skyways one can notice

that the Bole Airport has received an entire facelift with

the construction of the International Passenger Terminal

Airport Control Towers the new Cargo Terminal and the

Maintenance Hanger The only thing these landmarks share

other than ownership is that they owe their existence to

foundation solutions of MIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plc As we enter the city limits also the Bole Viaduct

and all the overpasses on the Addis Ababa Ring Road are

comfortably resting still with the construction of the deep

piles by MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc

Drilling of pile with casing

 Tiret Sept 2008

Parallel to pile construction as verification of the

constructed pile capacities is common practice in the

foundation construction industry MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc equipped with the state-of-the-art

automated pile load testing system has recently conducted

1300 metric tons load test at the Derba MIDROC Cement

Factory Project the first of this magnitude in the African

Continent

The introduction of vertical shoring wall systems that

uses reinforced concrete piles and tie back anchors which

is gaining popularity in recent years is another type of

foundation technology solutions made possible in Ethiopia

through MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos expertise

Prior to these shoring system solutions land owners

could not fully utilize their plots at the boundaries for fear

of catastrophic cave-in In fact in most cases plot owners

avoided under ground construction in order to avoid

litigation with next door land owners The utilization of

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos vertical shoring pile

wall system was proposed and implemented in the cases

of Bole Towers and Loli Building In both cases all sides of

the plot were shored exactly at the boundaries without

any land loss In fact the clients gained underground spaces

in the order of two to three times their plot size for

possible parking purpose This has provided developers

with solutions clearing their lumbers from additional

costs for parking facilities

Pile load testing

In line with the construction boom within Addis Ababa

developers are opting to construct on boundary edges

where heavy structures already exist in adjacent plots

In order to excavate at these boundaries the safest and

most economical foundation solution system is shoring

pile wall system These systems were employed at Awash

Bank and Insurance Building KK Building and Orchid

Building

For realization of structures that have to be constructed

below the natural ground water level and or near offshore

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc has construction

approaches that employ waterproof vertical shoring

systems and several options to choose from within

the framework of technical feasibility of foundation

engineering The construction of Diaphragm Wall

Cellular Cofferdam Sheet Pile Wall and Secant

Pile Wall are such solutions to name a few The cost

of construction and the time required for executing the

works is in the order listed above

Anchored pile shoring wall

Foundation Solution

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the equipment already available in the country

MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc has tabled and

implemented an economical and technically feasible

secant pile wall system solution for bridge projects

within Ethiopia If it was not for MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plcrsquos geotechnical solutions construction under

such conditions would have been technically impossible

throughout East Africa

Unlike other options construction of secant pile wall as

waterproof vertical shoring system is not limited to the

soil condition of the site The construction of such high

tech geotechnical engineering solutions by the Company

have been successfully applied on projects like the Omo

River Bridge and on the New Abay Bridge Projects The

application of the secant pile wall system was used for the

construction of the pier foundation on both sides of the

Bridge on the Omo River Bridge Project and one side pier

foundation construction of the New Abay Bridge Project

During the construction of the Omo River Bridge

foundation and substructure works other logistic

challenges non-related to foundation works was

encountered The West Pier and Abutment on the Omo

River Bridge created such a technical impasse On this

side one of the most difficult challenges was to solve the

problem of crossing equipment and construction material

across the 150 m wide river After carefully considering all

the possible alternatives a decision was made to design and

manufacture a water crossing barge using local expertise

and manufacturing capabilities MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc took part in the design manufacturing and

commissioning of this barge and has successfully crossed

a 503 ton drilling rig and other earth moving equipment

With nearly twenty projects within Ethiopia MIDROC

Foundation Specialists Plc is a pioneer in exporting

foundation technology to neighboring Kenya Tanzania

and the Sudan In-house trained Ethiopian experts have

Crossing of drilling rig on Omo River through Barge

 Tiret Sept 2008

Secant pile wall

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Mr Achim Braun General Manager of MIDROC Foundation (left) inspecting a construction site

left their marks on several key projects within those

countries Among the projects successfully carried out in

Tanzania the Songo Songo Offshore Piling Project was the

most challenging and rewarding of all In this Project sixty

per cent of the piles were constructed from a SEWP (Self

Elevating Working Platform) elevated 13 meters from the

sea bed

As the company commemorates the tenth anniversary of

its establishment it is only proper to mark the outstanding

contributions to the construction industry of Ethiopia The

efficiency of the Company and the technology employed

has resulted in creating a broad awareness of foundation

technological solutions in the country particularly

among developers In terms of the spectrum of available

techniques of foundation the projects undertaken so

far are only a tip of the iceberg Although the Company

was confronted with a number of challenges in changing

attitudes and practices the success achieved so far has

been accomplished with great efforts exerted by the

companyrsquos management and its diligent professionals in

the field

Being the only Class I Foundation Specialist Contractors

in the country MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc is now

determined to leap ahead to new and yet un-introduced

foundation construction technologies such as micro 

piles  high  pressure  injection  diaphragm 

walls  slope  protection  and  soil  nailing  As

the countries infrastructure development continues to

reach higher levels MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is

preparing itself to meet the current customer demands

and technological challenges

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Statistics reveal that the country continues to earn hard currency from export of primary commodities such as coffee which tops the list by fetching some 500 million dollars last financial year

Other commodities are hides and skin flowers pulses fruits vegetables and chat

Incidentally it is interesting to note that Chat has fetched over 60 million dollars in foreign currency last fiscal year

The chewing of chat leaves is common in the horn of Africa but in eastern Ethiopia it is big business for some and big worry for others Chat is a major agricultural crop Yet many say it is addictive and harmful to health

In a town where I grew up for instance it is hard to avoid the impact of the stimulant leaf The first thing that strikes you in the main market is the deafening noise The market square is a scene of total chaos as you make your way through a bustling crowd preoccupied with the business of bartering for a prized commodity- the green leafed plant chat

Awadaye market is a market for chat It is estimated that over 25000 kg pass through it daily The buyers and sellers take their jobs seriously shouting to one other They gesture excitedly as they trade thousands of birr daily for the chat which is bought from the local farmers in Awadaye and sent to other areas in Ethiopia It is also exported overseas It is said to be the backbone of the economy as it can be gathered from the revenue it has generated during the current physical year

If you compare chat farmers with other farmers in other parts of the country you will see that their standard of living is so much better

The employment created though chat cultivation is very high as large numbers of people are involved in growing harvesting sorting packing transporting loading and unloading the commodity The wood of the plant is used for fuel and because of its resistance to termites it is also used to make fences Chat is also believed to have medical value being used locally to treat influenza and asthma

Chat farmers used to grow maize sorghum and teff which is the basic Ethiopian staple food but these crops are difficult to grow as they require lots of rain and attention

while chat requires little water or cultivation That is why it is widely believed that its cultivation is expanding at an amazing rate

Chat has now become Ethiopiarsquos biggest export third only to coffee and hides and skin But despite the cash earning and the tradition of chat growing and use among the people many people do not encourage it

They believe that it is addictive and this has a negative impact on the community They allege that people forget about their work commitments and spend hours chewing chat The number of users of chat is increasing particularly among the youth

In urban areas the use of chat combined with alcohol is having an adverse effect on family life Many students chew chat because they say it increases their concentration when they study their lessons

However in some regions where it is widely cultivated business punctuality is a frequent problem as the time after lunch is usually spent chewing chat Even in some regions where the plant has been banned cultivation and usage continue and attempts to replace chat with cash crops like coffee have failed

Regardless of the merit or demerit of chat the country continues to get the much needed hard currency through export of the plant ldquochatrdquo

However many people including development agents are of the opinion that the demerit far out weighs the merit for energy and time is spent chewing the stuff and particularly its negative impact on health especially on the productive force

Another very lucrative business in Ethiopia is the export of leather and leather goods According to recent data export of leather and leather goods registered a surge from 52 million dollars to over 90 million dollars Incidentally ELICO one of MIDROC Ethiopia group companies dealing with finished leather products fetched last financial year over 10 million dollars

In the light of considerable income accrued from export of primary commodities there is a need to do even more by way of establishing more agro-industries that engage in the production of agricultural products for sale locally and internationally

Earning from Export of Primary CommoditiesBy Yohannes Ruphael

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The Third Private Sector Development National Conference ndash 2008 of Ethiopia took place in Addis Ababa on June 30 2008 ndash at the UNECA Conference Center and the draft strategy document and priority strategic issues for improved business environment were discussed by representatives of the Private Sector Development Hub established with basic objectives of coordinating and developing a series of public sector development intervention projects for implementation with international financial support and undertaking related research studies to support the business community in its public and private partnership dialogue The Conference was addressed by an internationally renowned and distinguished authority on Corporate Governance Prof Mervyn E King SC

The Editorial Team of TIRET has taken advantage of communicating with Professor Mervyn E King SC to share his views briefly with our readers

Professor Mervyn E King SC is currently Professor Extraordinaire at the University of South Africa and serves as the Chairperson of the King Committee on Corporate Governance in South Africa He is a Senior Counsel and former Judge of the Supreme Court of South Africa His other credentials include Member of the World Bank Advisory Group on Corporate Governance President of the Commonwealth Association of Corporate Governance Governor of the International Corporate Governance Network President of the South Africa Chamber of Business Vice President of the Institute of Directors of Southern Africa Representatives of South Africa at the International Chamber of Commerce Advisor of Asian Center of Corporate Governance Director of Global Reporting Initiative-Amsterdam Director of Association of business Administrators of South Africa

At the Millennium National Private Sector Development Conference in Addis Ababa recently I spoke about corporate governance in the development of the private sector

Corporate governance is about the principles and practices which guide directors and senior managers in making their decisions to the best interests of their companies It has to be separated from the enterprise side of the business which is about making business judgment calls It is essential that directors and senior managers adopt acceptable principles and practices in steering and directing the company and making business judgment It is about the quality of this governance rather than a quantitative check on whether there has been compliance by the directors and managers with well-known governance practices such as the establishment of a remuneration committee

In my talk I pointed out that the economic value of a company does not equal its book value In Coca Cola for example its book value is approximately 13 of its economic value and its greatest asset is its brand which is dependent on

 Tiret Sept 2008

the companyrsquos reputation Consequentially directors and senior managers of Coca Cola have a duty to protect the companyrsquos brand

In planning for a company the strategic direction needs to be done both short- and long-term If a strategy is developed in which all persons in the corporation at all levels buy-in one can get ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things Unless this is done not even extraordinary people will achieve ordinary things

The important thing for directors to remember is that they have won and maintained the trust and confidence of the stakeholders of the company Consequently they should report at least annually how the company has both positively and negatively affected a communityrsquos economic life through its operations and how it is going to enhance those positive aspects and eradicate or ameliorate the negative aspects in the year ahead

Good governance involves inter alia the approval by the board of the strategy of the company and sustainability can no longer be ignored in developing a long-term strategy

The Private Sector Development Hub (PSD-Hub) has the objective to contribute to the economic development of Ethiopia by improving the entrepreneurial environment and the governance of corporations Consequently the PSD-Hub has held Conferences over the last two years focusing on these issues and on the question of public private partnerships There has also been discussion about expediting the registration of companies the standardization of accounting and auditing capitalization and the finalization of the revision of the Ethiopian Commercial Code Corporate governance has featured prominently in these discussions

Arising out of all the modernization of the registration of companies in Ethiopia has been recognized as a priority

Accounting and auditing standards which should follow IFRS should have legal backing so that everyone in Ethiopia will know the meaning of the reported financial statements

The development of a securities market including an exchange in which not only equities but bonds and derivatives can be bought and sold with the dematerialisation of scrip and electronic settlement is essential

From the above it will be seen that there is much to be done but Ethiopia is striving through the PSD Hub to create platforms on which it can forge ahead in our flat electronic world where capital flows towards those areas where there is good governance and well-regulated markets The Conference at which I spoke was just another step in Ethiopiarsquos endeavours to achieve these goals Positively the essential aspects for creating an entrepreneurial and thriving business environment have been identified and PSD Hub the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other interested bodies are working in partnership with government to achieve them

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Itrsquos a ridiculous

l a n g u a g e rdquo

sputtered the

Englishman at

the next table

his jowls shaking

in anger ldquoA ridiculous languagerdquo

We were sitting in a tiny tea-and-pie shop in Criccieth a

town in northern Wales and everybody but us was speaking

Welsh Like a remarkable number of his countrymen this

man was convinced it was merely a secret code employed

by the local to talk behind the backs of English visitors

ldquoJust you watchrdquo he said ldquoAs soon as we leave theyrsquoll all

go back to speaking Englishrdquo

I rather doubted it And unlike the Englishman I was

thrilled to encounter one of the oldest languages in

Europe a tongue heard in this misty and mountainous

land since the arrival of Roman legions

Being surrounded by people speaking an unfamiliar and

exotic language is to me one of the best things about

travel Just as some people will journey to the Serengeti

to glimpse the rare and endangered white rhino Irsquoll happily

go far out of my way to hear a rare and endangered

language

In the storybook city of Carcassonne in southwest France

I was less thrilled at seeing the towers and turrets than

I was at meeting a man who could speak Occitan the

ancient and fast-vanishing language of the troubadours

As far as I was concerned the most fascinating thing in

Dangriga a coastal town in Belize was the mellifluous

sound of Garifuna a language spoken by the descendants

of shipwrecked slaves from West Africa I once traveled

to Graubunden in eastern Switzerland in the hope of

hearing Romansch a tongue spoken by fewer than one

percent of the nationrsquos residents and said to resemble

Latin I encountered a few signs in the language but no

one who could speak it

According to one oft-cited estimate at least half the

worldrsquos 6000 languages are likely to die out by the end

of this century which means that one is going silent on

average every two weeks

Itrsquos not merely a matter of using different words to express the same thoughts Languages are literally the expressions of cultures and belief systems entirely different ways of making sense of the world And just as we should be concerned about the shrinking diversity of plant and animal species we should also worry about the shrinking diversity of languages

Welsh though seems to be holding on despite 700 years

of efforts by the English to exterminate it The BBC has for

some years now carried television and radio programming

in the language and in Wales itrsquos possible to receive your

entire education from preschool to postgraduate in

Welsh About 20 percent of Walesrsquo population speaks

Welsh and the number appears to be growing slightly

It is not as the Englishman said a ridiculous language But

it is to my eyes and ears a wonderfully strange one Dave

Barry once wrote that the ancient Hawaiians arrived on

their islands after perilous canoe voyages in seas so rough

their consonants fell overboard My guess is that the

letters drifted the worldrsquos oceans until they washed up on

the shores of Wales

T h e   B e a u t y   o f   a   L a n g u a g e

 Tiret Sept 2008

How else to explain for example the Welsh word for

beer Itrsquos cwrw It looks like my Scrabble tray when I

donrsquot have a word to pay (In case you ever need to order

one itrsquos pronounced ldquokooroordquo)

And then therersquos the vexing pronunciation of the double-

1 you find at the beginning of it seems two-thirds of the

town names in Wales ldquoJust put your teeth together and

hiss like a duckrdquo explained a helpful woman I met at the

Dylan Thomas Museum in Swansea She also pointed out

that Llareggub the fictional town in Thomasrsquo ldquoUnder the

Milkwood Treerdquo is merely ldquobugger allrdquo spelled backward

I like the besotted poet a whole lot more after learning

that

One dark and drizzly night I went to a little schoolhouse in

the Rhondda Valley to listen to a rehearsal of the Treorchy

Menrsquos Choir made up mostly of unemployed coal miners

ldquoIn the old daysrdquo one of them told me ldquowe used to sing

together in the pitsrdquo

When they opened their mouths to sing as one in Welsh

all the snarky little comments about their language become

moot It was simply one of the most hauntingly beautiful

sounds Irsquove even heard

I got a lesson in the politics of minority languages recently

when I visited Montreal the capital of French ndash speaking

Canada I hadnrsquot been there since a childhood visit to

Exporsquo67 and I remember the province as decidedly

bilingual Everything from traffic signs to toothpaste

tubes was printed in French and English No more A

law passed in 1977 banned the use of English in signs

throughout Quebec Itrsquos an attempt to do linguistically

what they failed for two centuries to do militarily prevent

the English from conquering them

Theyrsquore quite serious about this Hudson Bay Co the

venerable department store chain that dates back to the

fur-trading days is now known as Compagnie de la Baie

drsquoHudson at least in these parts Kentucky Fried Chicken

outlets arenrsquot allowed to use ldquoKFCrdquo on their signs In

Quebec theyrsquore called ldquoPFKrdquo for Poulet Frit Kentucky

The Quebecois are more vigilant even than their famously

Anglophobic counterparts in Paris All stop signs here say

Arret even though the ones in France say ldquoStoprdquo

It all seemed a little silly and excessive to me until I began

talking to French-speaking Montrealers about it ldquoYou

have to understand that wersquore surrounded by English

speakersrdquo a schoolteacher told me ldquoWe have to be very

firm about defending our language or it will disappear

And when it goes so does our way of life

Signs aside most French Canadians I met were bilingual

I quickly discovered that if I first made atleast a fumbling

attempt to speak their language almost everybody was

happy to switch to English ndash very possibly to spare

themselves the trauma of hearing my phrase-book

French which sounds like someone grinding the gears

of an old Citroen ldquoWe have nothing against Englishrdquo the

schoolteacher told me ldquoItrsquos just that we want to speak

French hererdquo

Vive la differenceJohn Flinn -Travel Editor

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Scale up of HIV Prevention Treatment Care and Support Requires Renewed Leadership and Resources

The 17th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) took place in Mexico City from August 3 -8 2008 with an assessment of the situation of the global epidemic at a panel of researchers public health and civil society leaders examined recent progress towards the scale up of treatment and prevention programmes and called for sustained action to eliminate the barriers to universal access

ldquoDespite the progress we have made we are not on course to meet universal access targets and in fact appear to be slipping away from our existing commitmentsrdquo said Dr Pedro Cahn International Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and President of the International AIDS Society and Fundacioacuten Hueacutesped in Buenos Aires Argentina ldquoIt appears that we are poised to accept defeat when victory is still within our grasp Our failure to meet those commitments will have an impact on millions of lives This cannot be allowed to happen It is time for nations to live up to their commitmentsrdquo

ldquoWith only two years to go until the 2010 deadline for universal access set by world leaders we must redouble our commitment to scaling up all proven HIV prevention strategiesrdquo said Dr Luiacutes Soto Ramiacuterez Local Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and Head of the Molecular Virology Unit at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Meacutedicas y Nutricioacuten Salvador Zubiriaacuten and Coordinator of the Clinical Care Committee of CONASIDA Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council ldquoThe fact that last year 27 million people were newly infected with HIV a disease that is entirely preventable is unacceptablerdquo

Dr Jaime Sepulveda (Mexico) founder of Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council who is now with the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation noted that attention to and resources for AIDS are at all-time high including substantially increased funding for the Global Fund and the US Presidentrsquos Emergency Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief According to Sepulveda reaching the goal of 3 million people in low and middle-income countries on treatment at the end of 2007 was a critical step forward but the world has only scratched the surface of possibilities in responding to the epidemic Greater resources more effectively spent and targeted where they can have the greatest effect would have a dramatic impact on the course of the epidemicrsquos Highlighting the fact that more people become infected

with HIV last year than began treatment Sepulveda called for radically increased investments in prevention research evaluation and delivery of services as well as accelerated research on promising prevention methods including a vaccine In conclusion he reiterated that political leadership from all countries and accountability at all levels are essential for stopping the epidemic

Citing the results in both treatment and prevention scale up in countries with sustained leadership such as Rwanda and Tanzania Alex Coutinho (Uganda) of the Infectious Disease Institute of Makerere University made a passionate call for greater leadership as a path toward meeting the challenges ahead In looking at progress to date Coutinho highlighted increased access to HIV testing and counseling to prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and to pediatric care and treatment as well as the effectiveness of male circumcision as a prevention intervention In contrast he noted that most countries will not achieve universal access by 2010 and that the majority of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are still unaware of their HIV status In his call to action Coutinho urged greater investment in prevention and financial resources flexible enough to support health systems and systems that reach into rural and other hard-to-reach areas and fully embrace PLHIV as partners He also urged outreach to and support of marginalized and at-risk communities as well as the greater involvement of PLHIV as a catalyst for change

Elisabet Fadul (Dominican Republic) of the Dominican Network for Youth RightsGlobal Youth Partners outlined a broad and urgent youth HIVAIDS agenda calling for comprehensive rights ndash and evidence-based plans to provide access for young people Highlighting the 40 of new infections worldwide among young people between the ages of 15-24 Fadul noted that HIV prevention and treatment programmes are failing to effectively reach young people with the most vulnerable and marginalized being stigmatized criminalized or forgotten by many of these programmes

To reverse this course she called for actions and policies that engage youth especially young people living with HIVAIDS as respected partners in developing and implementing programmes that forthrightly address their

needs and diversity

 Tiret Sept 2008

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi is positive that Derba

Project when completed would address the acute

shortage of cement in Ethiopia and will contribute greatly

to the sustainable economic development of the country

He earlier said that his main objective to build the project

is to reduce dependence on import and avail cement

in abundant quantity so that development in Ethiopia

continues in a sustainable way and expressed hope that

price of cement will reduce to an acceptable level so that

construction be affordable

The plant site with an area of about 123 hectares

accommodates the manufacturing plant including

related facilities such as workers residential complex

public amenities electrical power substation product

storage and dispatch areas The plant will be fed with

raw materials from the quarry in the Mugger Valley via

a 75 kms conveyor belt and a 175 km of treacherous

road both crossing a very difficult sloping terrain which

drops more than 850 m between the plant and quarry

sites The new road with its 120 m span bridge across

the Muger River will be the first and the only access that

connects the residents on both sides of the river

The Project will bring new or better infrastructural

services to the local population and will also be the largest

single source of investment in the country

Derba MIDROC Cement Plant integrates the latest

technology and when completed will have a cement

production capacity of 8000 tons per day or 25 million

tons per annum It is hoped that it will increase the

existing total domestic cement production capacity by at

least 15 times thus significantly reduce or eliminate the

present cement shortage in the country

When completed the plant is expected to create about

500 direct and 10000 indirect job opportunities

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi on behalf of Derba

MIDROC Cement Plc and Mr Sady M Zeidan Manager of

IFC of the World Bank along with the African Development

Bank(ADB) European Investment Bank and Development

Bank of Ethiopia (DBE) have signed on June 23 2008 at

the Sheraton Addis a USD 200 million loan agreement

to help build a new plant aimed at addressing the acute

cement shortage in Ethiopia

According to Mr Sady M Zeidan Manager of IFC the

loan represents IFCrsquos first investment in Ethiopia since

1989 and it is the largest ever in the country He also

said that the loan reflects IFCrsquos confidence in the local

private sector and aligned with IFCrsquos strategy to promote

investments in countries where the private sector is at

the early stage of development

The loan arrangement is a success achieved to bring on

board the International Private Sector Financing Agencies

to work with the Ethiopian Private Sector Developers

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi Owner and Sponsor

of MIDROC Derba Cement Plc has invested USD 151

million for the construction of the project

IFC - Derba MIDROC Sign Loan Agreement

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi and Mr Sady M Zeidan after

signing the loan agreement

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

In keeping with his desire to develop sports in the country Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi has once again generously donated Birr five million to the Ethiopian Olympic Committee as part of his boundless support to the development of Ethiopian sports to help the committee meet the cost of Ethiopian Athletics delegation to the Beijing Olympics

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi granted the Birr five million donation to the Ethiopian Olympic Committee at a ceremony held on May 27 2008 at the Sheraton Addis where the Ethiopian President Ato Girma WGiorgis and Ethiopian Prime Minister Ato Meles Zenawi and other high ranking government officials were in attendance

At the ceremony Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi was honored with a Special Award by the Ethiopian President Ato Girma WGiorgis for his unlimited contributions to the development of athletics in Ethiopia

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudirsquos enthusiasm for sports in general football in particular has earned him admiration from fans near and far The East and Central Africa Challenge Cup Tournament which is held every two years and financed by Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi the incentives he provides to young and upcoming footballers in the various local teams and his pledge to build a modern stadium in Addis Ababa are all testimonies of his devotion to the development of sports in Ethiopia

Officials of the Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council have paid tribute to Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi for his contributions to the success of historical events organized by the Moslem Community

At a ceremony organized on March 28 2008 by the Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council Millennium Office to thank all those who supported it in making the millennium celebrations a success Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi was honored with a Special Award by the Ethiopian President Ato Girma WGiorgis The Award was received by Dr Arega Yirdaw Chief Executive Officer of MIDROC Ethiopia Technology Group on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi Present on the occasion were high ranking Government Officials Ambassadors and other Dignitaries

Oromia Regional State Awarded Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi

The Martyrs Monument built in Adama town by a Birr 50000000 (fifty million) generous donation of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi was inaugurated on March 23 2008

Ato Abadula Gemeda President of Oromia Regional State at the inaugural ceremony awarded a Gold Medal to Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi which was received by Dr Arega Yirdaw Chief Executive Officer of MIDROC Ethiopia Technology Group on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi

Construction of the monument was undertaken by MIDROC Construction Ethiopia PlcHE Ato Abadula Gemeda President of Oromiya Regional State handing

over Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudirsquos Award to CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi Donates to the Ethiopian Olympic Committee

Supreme Council Pays Tribute to Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Derba MIDROC Cement Plc and the Ministry of Mines

and Energy on May 19 2000 signed a Birr 57212000 (fifty

seven million two hundred twelve thousand) agreement

for mining Limestone Marl Gypsum and Sandstone on

a large scale in the Muger Valley locality in North Shewa

Zone Oromia National Regional State

The Agreement was signed by HE Ato Alemayhu Tegenu

Minister of Mines and Energy and Sheikh Mohammed

H Al-Amoudi Owner and Chairman of MIDROC

Investment Group

According to the agreement the licensee has an exclusive

right for a large scale Limestone Marl Gypsum and

Sandstone mining for twenty years to be renewed for

ten years upon the request of the licensee The license

area covers 1928610 m2 of land and is anticipated to

produce 11665000 tons of Limestone 1166000 tons

of Marl 696000 tons of Gypsum and 11387000 tons of

Sandstone

The Project is expected to create job opportunities for

469 people

MIDROC Construction Ethiopia Plc and the Addis Ababa City Roads Authority (AACRA) signed a 6772 million Birr Contract Agreement for the construction of three roads in the city

Eng Fekadu Haile Manager of AACRA and Eng Shimelis Eshete Deputy General Manager of MIDROC Construction Ethiopia Plc signed the agreement on July 7 2008 on behalf of their respective companies

The contract covers a 191 km long of three roads namely Megenagna ndash Ayat 82 km long Gurd Shola ndash Summit Yeka Bole 82 km long and City Tip ndash Bisrate Gebriel Church 27 km long The Megenagna ndash Ayat road includes 14 m carriageway 55 m walkway and 2 m median while the other two roads include 10 m carriageway 45 m walkway and 1 m median each

These projects are expected to provide job opportunities for more than 1000 people

Derba MIDROC Signed Agreement

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi and Ato Alemayehu Tegenu exchanging the Agreement Document

Multi-Million Birr Contract Agreement Signed

 Tiret Sept 2008

MOHA Soft Drinks Industry SC a member of MIDROC

Ethiopia Investment Group has undertaken an expansion

project of Kool Mineral Water at Bure town in the

Amhara Regional State at a cost of over Birr 37 million

An agreement was signed in August 2008 between Ato

Alemayehu Tegenu Minister of Mines and Energy and Ato

Getachew Birbo CEO of MOHA Soft Drinks Industry SC

that provides a license for the expansion project which is

valid for ten years and renewable every five years to work

on a 5679978 sqm land

The factory which was acquired by MOHA four years ago

will have a capacity of producing 24 million cases of Kool

Mineral Water annually upon completion of the expansion

project MOHA has planned to produce 180320000

liters of mineral water in the coming ten years

According to CEO Getachew Birbo the company is

considering to export Kool Mineral Water as there is a

potentially rich market in the Middle East Countries

Since its establishment thirteen years ago MOHA has

invested over Birr 500 million (five hundred million birr)

in soft drinks factories located in different parts of the

country including Bure Kool Mineral Water Factory which

provided job opportunities for 2700 employees

MOHA has currently an annual production capacity

of 20 million cases from its six soft drinks factories at

Gonder Awassa Dessie Summit Plant (under contractual

agreement) and two plants in Addis Ababa covering 55

of the soft drinks demand in the country

Mini Cement Plant Begins Production

Dashen Cement Plant located in the outskirts of Dejen town North West of Amhara Regional State has been completed

and started producing cement recently

The mini plant is initially established to supply cement to private contractors and the government and to the construction

of the bigger Derba MIDROC Cement Project

Investment cost for Dashen Cement Plant stands at Birr 200000000 (two hundred million birr) and has a capacity of

producing 400 tons of cement per day

MOHA Undertakes Expansion Work

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The annual Customers Family and  Employees (company) Day initiated by the Chief Executive Officer of the MIDROC Ethiopia Technology Group was celebrated for the sixth time at the Millennium Hall on May 25 2008 in the presence of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi Chairman and Owner of MIDROC Ethiopia

According to MIDROC Technology Group the Annual Celebration of Customers Family and Employees (company) Day is held every year to acknowledge and show the gratefulness of the group to the Owners Customers Employees as well as Family Members for their contributions to the success of their respective companies

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi addressing at the celebration expressed his pleasure and gratitude and urged employees to work even harder and try to demonstrate more achievement CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw on his part articulated his appreciation to the employees for their efforts exerted for productivity and expressed hope that this hard work would be pronounced and developed in due course as a culture

Consequently 43 Best Customers of the MIDROC Ethiopia Technology Group both foreign and local were honored by Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi with Best Customers Award at the ceremony organized by the Technology Group at the Millennium Hall on May 25 2008

Wrt Etsehiwot Dinku Officer in Charge (OIC) for Production Marketing and Business Development Services at the Office of the CEO on the occasion presented a brief explanation of the products of each of the companies

Following the Sixth Annual Customers Family and Employees (company) Day Celebration Special Awards were presented to the Best Company and Best Performers of the year at the Millennium Hall in the presence of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi He addressed the gathering first and presented the Special Award to the Best Company of the Year Modern Building Industry (MBI) and the Best Performers Of The Year were also awarded

CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw on the occasion received a Special Award from the employees and families in the name of all the employees of the Group which he took from the hands of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi He was also awarded with a Special Certificate for his remarkable services in the Technology Group and other businesses of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi in the last ten years

Prior to Customers Family and Employees (company) Day the annual sports competition of employees of the Technology Group was carried out as part of the annual ceremony Winners in all competitions received gold bronze and silver medals from the hands of CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw

Customers Family and Employees (company) Day Commemorated

CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw receiving the Award from

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi

Mr Abdullah H Al-Amoudi receiving Best Foreign

Customers Award from the Chairman

 Tiret Sept 2008

The two days Second Annual ldquoOffsiterdquo Workshop where

CEOs and General Managers of the MIDROC Ethiopia

Technology Group took part was held on April 12 ndash 13

2008 at the Sheraton Addis Dr Arega Yirdaw Chief

Executive Officer of the Group opening the workshop

took into account the first Annual Workshop that was held

in Kombolcha and said that this yearrsquos venue provides more

opportunity for a considerable number of management

members to participate

While Dr Aregarsquos presentation to the Workshop focused

on ldquoEffective Marketing for Enhancement of

Business Developmentrdquo General Managers presented

comprehensive reports of their respective companies

MIDROC Ethiopia Training Department Holds Seminars

The MIDROC Ethiopia Training Department as part of  its  training activities holds various seminars for both senior managers and second level management tier every fiscal year During the last six months ldquoPositive Thinkingrdquo ldquoCorporate Social Responsibilitiesrdquo and ldquoICT Security and privacyrdquo were the issues for the seminars that the department carried out              

 Seminar on Positive Thinking

Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu Director of Training of MIDROC Ethiopia in his introductory remark on ldquoPositive Thinkingrdquo seminar that took place at the Sheraton Addis on April 11 2008 and attended by general managers and senior members of the Investment Group introduced the resource person Ato Robel Kidane as a ldquomotivational speakerrdquo and ldquolife-cycle trainerrdquo from Sweden

Emeritus Prof Johannes said that this topic is chosen because of a feeling that the current period and situations exhibited dynamic changes that were a burden to bear for many people who he said were ldquoeasily swayed to think negativelyrdquo He also quoted the Chairman and Owner of MIDROC Ethiopia Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi as saying ldquoWhat is the benefit of talking of bad

ldquoOffsiterdquo Workshop Held 

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Robel Kidane the resource person delivering his presentation at the seminar

 Tiret Sept 2008

The seminar for second level management personnel held on June 12 2008 on ICT Security and Privacy was attended by 31 participants from MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group Companies and the Head Office in the MIDROC Ethiopia Auditorium The seminar which was part of MIDROC Ethiopiarsquos attempt to keep abreast with ICT Development was opened by Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu who stressed in his brief remarks the need for concern to the protection of data and information and regulating the use of ICT

Also speaking on the occasion was Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting and Chairman of Training Committee who said that training helps to discover various means for success People he noted learn at work place and from challenges He stressed that the technology age called for adaptation of new thoughts and practices while requiring readiness to do ldquoWhat we can with what we haverdquo

The seminar which discussed various issues related to ICT was closed by Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu

 Seminar on ICT Security and Privacy

A view of participants of the seminar

things or difficulties onlyrdquo Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting of MIDROC Ethiopia and Chairman of Training Committee in his opening remark stated that positive thinking was a new scientific subject where investors CEOs and others in various capacities were inspired and motivated to create awareness to their colleagues and to remove all thoughts

of dark shadows from their minds He noted that positive thinking among CEOrsquos and subordinates was required and stressed that self-confidence was one of the prime factors for success in life and hence needed to be maintainedAto Robel Kidane covered a variety of interesting issues related to positive thinking in his presentation after which participants discussed on several importnat issues

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Teklu Haile opening the Seminar

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The seminar on ldquoCorporate Social Responsibilityrdquo

for second level management tier took place on March 27

2008 at the MIDROC Ethiopia Auditorium and attended

by 27 participants from 12 group companies

In accordance with the call to plant ldquoThree Trees in the Third Millenniumrdquo volunteers from MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group and Head Office on August 2007 replanted trees on the Entoto Mountain situated north of the capital city Addis Ababa It is to be recalled that members of MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group under the motto ldquo Two Trees in 2000 Ethiopian Millenniumrdquo have participated in planting trees at the same location last year

Organized again by the MIDROC Ethiopia Public Relations the call for replanting was enthusiastically received by volunteers who went back to the area to replace those trees planted by employees of the Investment Group last year and did not take root and withered

Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting supported and encouraged volunteers of MIDROC Ethiopia and reminded them of the saying - ldquoten thousand dedicated soldiers are better than one million dubious soldiersrdquo and appreciated all the volunteers for actively participating in the tree replanting activity

Seminar on Corporate Social Responsibility

Participants at the seminar Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu delivering his presentation

Volunteers going up the mountain for replanting

Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting Department of MIDROC Ethiopia and Chairman of Training Committee in his opening remarks stressed the importance of participation in community affairs by all Group Companies and cited Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi as a shinning example in playing an active

role in social activities He called on all to strive hard to change the negative image of the country and build a better Ethiopia free from poverty hunger and disease Various papers were presented ensuing fruitful discussions on the above issues

MIDROC Ethiopia Volunteers Participate in Replanting Trees

 Tiret Sept 2008

Equatorial Business Group General Manager Ato Tadelle

Teferra Deputy General Manager Ato Mekuria Ayele and

Automotive Business Senior Director Ato Daniel Seyoum

participated a weeklong Dealerrsquos Conference that was

staged in Cape Town South Africa in February this year

According to Ato Daniel Seyoum around 75 business

leaders from Europe the Middle East Asia and Africa

participated at the Conference Issues discussed included

regional international business concerns VOLVOrsquos strategy

development VOLVO CE business update introduction to

new VOLVO road machinery and other related business

matters Dealersrsquo Conference is an annual event to bring

together leaders in the VOLVO Construction Equipment

business from nearly all over the world for a pull effect

particularly to companies like EBG to provide further

opportunity in the Automotive Industry

EBG is an exclusive dealer in Ethiopia for VOLVO brand

products

Company Observes its 15th Anniversary

A group picture of Dealers Conference participants

EBGrsquos Managers Attended Dealers Conference

Equatorial Business Group (EBG) colorfully observed its 15th Anniversary on April 30 2008 Ato Tadelle Teferra

General Manager of the Company addressing the management and employees expressed gratitude and appreciation

to the Owners of the Company and to the Employees who worked hard since its establishment and urged all company

staff to work with an even more commitment and dedication

Ato Tadelle on the occasion disclosed the implementation of the reform packages that started recently and expressed

hope that the reform packages would bring EBG to a better competitive and profitable position The reform introduces

MIS QMS and companyrsquos new restructuring and other associated jobs

Three employees who served EBG for 15 years were honored with Special Certificates and several employees from

the various businesses and support services of the company were awarded for Best Performances during the year

200607

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Tadesse Haile State Minister of the Ministry of Trade and Industry visited Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc and held discussions with senior members on issues pertaining to the activities of the factory Ato Ahmed Hassen General Manager of the Factory explained to the State Minister that the factory would make all efforts to produce quality products in large quantity so as to reduce import from abroad He however expressed his wish that the government reduces tax on raw materials which are essential for the production of soap and detergent

Ato Tadesse disclosed during the discussion that extensive studies that include soap industries in the country are underway with the aim to strengthen the chemical industry in which the concern would be addressed in the near future He further said that there is a plan to connect the various regions of the country to the port by

EBG was announced First Order Winner for Best Stand in the 12th International Millennium Trade Fair organized by the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations held at the Exhibition Center in February 2008

EBGrsquos stand was visited by large number of visitors including the honorable World Laureate Metre Artist Afework Tekle who not only showed interest in the products and services of EBG but also expressed his appreciation to the Company in his comments while signing in the Special Guest Book

EBG Awarded for Best Stand

Star Soap and Detergent Factory Visited

The Most Honorable Maritre World Laureate Artist

Afework Tekle signing in the Visitors Book at the Trade Fair

Ato Tadesse Haile visiting the Production Unit with Ato Ahmed Hassen General Manager and Ato Seid Ahmed Plant Manager of the Factory

rail within the coming five years for the speedy delivery of export and import of goods which will have a great impact on sales

Ato Tadesse Haile finally appreciated the activities of the factory and said that Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc is capable of being a model in the sector and wished the lsquoBest of Luckrsquo for the management and the staff and affirmed that his Ministry would always support on all their endeavors

Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc is a member of the MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group established at an investment capital of Birr 80 million The factory is one of the biggest in the sector and equipped with the latest machinery and manufactures best quality laundry and toilet soaps liquid and synthetic detergents powder and bar soaps

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the most dedicated health care professionals and support staff SalaM Employees Clinic the Clinic that provides health care services to employees of MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group Companies and affiliates in its efforts to upgrade and improve its services has added to its modern list of medical equipment a Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor an advanced medical equipment Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor is one of the new advanced machineries that the clinic acquired recently which is used for the diagnosis of refraction errors of the eye

The Clinic provides medical and surgical services with sub-specialists in gynecological ophthalmological dermatological and ENT employing advanced diagnostic equipment such as radiography endoscopy and colonoscopy supported by video camera ultrasound and ECG Machines It has a well stocked pharmacy with essential medicines and also provides laboratory diagnostic services

The Clinic recently has moved from its previous location to a large and ideal villa with more rooms and a convenient location near the Genet Hotel and is open 24 hours

SalaM Employees Clinic was established by Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi in 1996 for employees of the Investment Group with an investment capital of over Birr 4 million under the SalaM Health Care Plc He later on increased the investment a lot more

Apart from providing services to the employees of the MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group SalaM Employees Clinic is rendering efficient services to the public as well

Dr Amare Abebe Medical Director of the clinic conducting an examination using endoscopy machine

Employees Clinic Secures Equipment

The Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor which the clinic acquired recently

The front view of the Clinic

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Three delegates from Ethiopia Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu MIDROC Ethiopia Training Director Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch Ato Asfaw Alemu Credit Manager of Dashen Bank attended the International Society of Business Economics and Ethics World Congress under the theme ldquoGlobal Fairness Local Integrityrdquo held in Cape Town from July 13 ndash 20 2008 and organized by BEN-Africa

The ISBEE World Congress is held every four years and is affectionately referred to as the Olympics of Business Ethics It always succeeds in attracting the best minds in the field of ethics of business and economics This yearrsquos Congress was attended by over 400 participants from all corners of the world Top notch world speakers among others Prof Mervyn E King SC Prof Deon Rossow Prof Joka Iwao Prof Georges Enderle Prof Paul Collies and Prof Tom Donaldson attended the Congress and over 80 papers were presented in three plenary sessions on topical international business issues

Ethiopian Delegation Participates at World ISBEE World Congress

Participants of ISBEE Congress Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu (left) Ato Lulseged Teferi (middle) Ato Asfaw Alemu

A Special Certificate of Recognition was awarded to Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu of MIDROC Ethiopia Prof Deon Rossow ndash former President of BEN-Africa and Ms Korien Sander the outgoing Executive Secretary of BEN-Africa

Emeritus Prof Johannes in his brief statement after receiving the certificate said that he accepted the certificate on behalf of those institutions and individuals in Ethiopia who have been behind the BEN-Africa Conference held in Ethiopia

It is to be recalled that MIDROC Ethiopia Corporate Office Dashen Bank the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch and Ato Teklu Haile Manager of Treasury Finance and Accounting of MIDROC Ethiopia played a great role for the successful completion of the ldquo7th Annual BEN-Africa Conferencerdquo held in Addis Ababa in August 2007

 Tiret Sept 2008

MIDROC Ethiopia is involved in the development of

mining and exploration of gold building of heavy mining

industries in central and eastern parts of the country

like cement plants filler plants etc Coal exploration is

also a potential area that is being explored by different

companies including MIDROC Ethiopia for use in the

cement plant power generation and fertilizer Soda ash

being used as a major input in glass soap detergent and

other industrial input is also one area of mining A lot of

investors are involved in gemstones

In an effort to exploit these resources and put them

to good use for the development of Ethiopia one of

MIDROC Ethiopia Group Companies the National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) has since its establishment in

March 1993 been actively engaged in the exploration of

gold and base metals in the various parts of the country

ldquoIt is worth noting that the mineral wealth of Ethiopia is

not fully tapped yet and needs to be given due attention

as it can be the backbone of the economy together with

agriculturerdquo says Ato Melaku Beza CEO of National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) He assertively told TIRET in

an interview at his office regarding the activities and

contributions of NMiC to the mining industry and that

his Company is working hard for a better achievement as

it has commemorated its 15th anniversary recently

He said that NMiC is currently engaged in the exploration

of gold base metals at Dawa Digati and Werri areas in the

Oromia and Tigray Administrative Regions and base metals

in Dire Dawa and Benshangul Gumuz Administrative

Regions It is also engaged in mining of marble and

limestone processing of quarried blocks and on the way

to develop the Abiyata Soda Ash in Southern Ethiopia

The Company in its venture in the development of Soda

Ash has embarked upon a joint investment agreement

with the Public Enterprise Supervising Agency (PPESA)

for a 54 percent share in which PPESArsquos 46 percent share

dilutes while NMICrsquos share shall increase in the process of

implementing tasks set in two phases

Mining Corporation on the Move

Ato Melaku Beza CEO NMiC

Dawa Digati Gold exploration drilling

The potential of the mining industry for the development of the Ethiopian economy is immense as witnessed by the ongoing development activities in the country This includes exploration of petroleum in the Ogaden Gambela and other areas by different companies exploration of gold in different parts of the country and potash exploration in Dallol where there is an estimated of 160 millions of tons of proven reserves

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Melaku stated that NMIC has invested Birr

160817912 (one hundred sixty million eight hundred

seventeen thousand nine hundred twelve) for exploration

and mining activities adding that the size of investment for

soda ash will be in the order of Birr 1150000000 (one

billion one hundred fifty million)

The first phase will cost Birr 640000000 (six hundred

forty million) and the second phase will be Birr 500000000

(five hundred million)

National Mining Corporation Plc is a pioneer in opening

and developing quarrying of marble and limestone using

the latest technology in the field Currently the Companyrsquos

Boka Marble Quarry has six benches and more than

twelve faces that are being worked out at Boka quarry

in the Benshangul Administrative Region In the process

it provides training to quarry workers of other quarry

owners thereby contributing to the development of the

mining culture

The General Manager explained about the processing and

marketing of his Companyrsquos products and said that his

Company applies modern technologies and deploys the

latest equipment in mining that meet export standards

engaging in open pit mining and tunneling for underground

mining which is unique not only in Ethiopia but also in

Africa He further articulated that the Company mines one

of the best quality marble in the industry as evidenced in

Boka multicolor marble once nominated as ldquoThe Stone

of the Yearrdquo by the Marble Institute of America (MIA)

while the blue marble has entered the world market by

a new name ldquoSummer Skyrdquo and is currently being sold

in Italy Samples of both have been tested and analyzed in

American Testing Companies and European Universities

and have proved to be of high quality and suitable both

for internal and external use in the construction industry

These two marbles are unique and are found only in

Ethiopia Also the limestone is of unique colors yellow

white and red which have high demand in the market

The CEO said that the special quality of his Companyrsquos

product that attracts international market is the

uniqueness of the material its beauty (aesthetics) and its

non-absorbent and compact nature

The company has the capacity to supply the export market

with the required quality and size of blocks and slabs both

white and blue marble Export markets include Taiwan

China Italy France USA Africa and the Middle East

In order to improve quality additional modern

state-of-the-art quarry machinery has been injected in the

quarry Plan is underway to replace the old machinery at

the processing plant The Company is also producing its

own ldquoabrasiverdquo used for polishing marble using locally

available minerals and materials

Awash Processing Plant

Blocks at Block Yard

Slabs at Slab Yard in the Awash Processing Plant

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

NMiC holds 40 of the local market share in the construction industry Lots of buildings have been cladded by NMiCrsquos products The Sheraton Addis Bole International Airport Terminal Sunshine Multipurpose Building National Bank of Ethiopia Federal Police Headquarters AUrsquos Building Head Office and the Secretary Generalrsquos Residence Ethiopian Insurance Corporation Worbek Building the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Patriarchrsquos Palace and UNCA Building are some the major buildings in Addis Ababa which are finished with NMiCrsquos products

National Mining Corporation Plc is one of the competent companies in Ethiopia and has contributed to the economy of the country by way of generating hard currency from its exports and saving foreign currency by competing and blocking imports of dimension stones from abroad One word it has added to the Ethiopian economy an amount of over Birr 5000000000 (fifty million) in tax royalties and land rent

NMiC has made valuable studies on the mineral potential areas of the country in dimension stones oil and gas mineral water coal and industrial minerals It has also made sound participation in the employment and training of manpower to the mining sector and has encouraged foreign investors to be involved in exploration of oil and gas and other minerals NMiC provides free training in its quarries and processing plant to new local enterprises coming to the sector The company provides potable water electricity medical services and other financial assistance to the community of its mining areas and has set up HIVAIDS policy for the Company to curb the spread of the pandemic and provides care and support for

those living with the virus

Tunnel Jet Belt Quarrying the latest technology in use at the Eshet Blue Quarry

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

a) Finalizing the work on the exploration phase of the gold and base metals projects both at Dawa Digati and Werri which shall lead to feasibility study and production stage

b) Developing Eshet Blue and Boka Multicolor marble quarries and strengthen export to increase income of foreign currency

c) Supplying blocks to local factories

d) Replacement of machinery at Awash Processing Plant especially to boost production and quality

e) Improve the life of the working force through profit sharing and availing better facilities together with upgrading their knowledge through training

f) Implement the Soda Ash development project

The priority areas of NMiC in its future plan include among others

Asked finally if he was satisfied with his Companyrsquos achievements Ato Melaku Beza CEO of NMiC replied ldquoNot much we could do betterrdquo

Nmic Products

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

ldquoA journey of a thousand miles starts with a single steprdquo

goes the famous Chinese saying as for Bauer MIDROC it

all started 10 years ago with the foundation work of the

construction of the MIDROC Corporate Office (MCO)

commonly known as Nani Building With a single project

at hand Bauer Specialtifbau a German Company ventured

into the slowly budding private construction industry

in equal partnership with MIDROC Ethiopia Although

a small scale business venture in the eyes of both giant

partners MIDROC Ethiopia and Bauer Specialtifbau it

created vast opportunities to the construction sector

with the introduction of a state-of-the-art German based

foundation technology to the Ethiopian market The

miniature move of the two giants opened up a gateway

of possibilities and marked a new construction era for

Ethiopia Over the years changes in shareholders has

led to the current name ldquoMIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plcrdquo with the state-of-the-art foundation solutions still in

place

Several limitations in dealing with unfavorable soil

conditions frequently encountered within Ethiopiarsquos

diverse geological formations most abundantly the

problematic black cotton soil within the city of Addis

Ababa and other parts of the country brought about

several technical barriers when it came to building

massive civil structures Building highrises as well as

massive bridges was inconceivable unless capable soil was

in close vicinity MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with

the introduction of deep foundations based on advanced

and efficient technologies in the construction industry

no doubt brought about remarkable solutions and helped

ease some of these anxieties

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with its fleets of large

diameter drilling rigs and variety of drilling tools capable of

both soil and hard soil formations has made economical

foundation solutions a reality offering developers the

confidence to build high rise buildings without worrying

about the type of soil in Addis Ababa The expertise of

Dedicated Backing for MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is gradually changing

the cityrsquos skyline with the construction of the completed

MCO Building AICAIB Headquarters and KK Building

both to be completed soon and all standing above 20

stories

Entering the city limits through the skyways one can notice

that the Bole Airport has received an entire facelift with

the construction of the International Passenger Terminal

Airport Control Towers the new Cargo Terminal and the

Maintenance Hanger The only thing these landmarks share

other than ownership is that they owe their existence to

foundation solutions of MIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plc As we enter the city limits also the Bole Viaduct

and all the overpasses on the Addis Ababa Ring Road are

comfortably resting still with the construction of the deep

piles by MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc

Drilling of pile with casing

 Tiret Sept 2008

Parallel to pile construction as verification of the

constructed pile capacities is common practice in the

foundation construction industry MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc equipped with the state-of-the-art

automated pile load testing system has recently conducted

1300 metric tons load test at the Derba MIDROC Cement

Factory Project the first of this magnitude in the African

Continent

The introduction of vertical shoring wall systems that

uses reinforced concrete piles and tie back anchors which

is gaining popularity in recent years is another type of

foundation technology solutions made possible in Ethiopia

through MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos expertise

Prior to these shoring system solutions land owners

could not fully utilize their plots at the boundaries for fear

of catastrophic cave-in In fact in most cases plot owners

avoided under ground construction in order to avoid

litigation with next door land owners The utilization of

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos vertical shoring pile

wall system was proposed and implemented in the cases

of Bole Towers and Loli Building In both cases all sides of

the plot were shored exactly at the boundaries without

any land loss In fact the clients gained underground spaces

in the order of two to three times their plot size for

possible parking purpose This has provided developers

with solutions clearing their lumbers from additional

costs for parking facilities

Pile load testing

In line with the construction boom within Addis Ababa

developers are opting to construct on boundary edges

where heavy structures already exist in adjacent plots

In order to excavate at these boundaries the safest and

most economical foundation solution system is shoring

pile wall system These systems were employed at Awash

Bank and Insurance Building KK Building and Orchid

Building

For realization of structures that have to be constructed

below the natural ground water level and or near offshore

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc has construction

approaches that employ waterproof vertical shoring

systems and several options to choose from within

the framework of technical feasibility of foundation

engineering The construction of Diaphragm Wall

Cellular Cofferdam Sheet Pile Wall and Secant

Pile Wall are such solutions to name a few The cost

of construction and the time required for executing the

works is in the order listed above

Anchored pile shoring wall

Foundation Solution

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the equipment already available in the country

MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc has tabled and

implemented an economical and technically feasible

secant pile wall system solution for bridge projects

within Ethiopia If it was not for MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plcrsquos geotechnical solutions construction under

such conditions would have been technically impossible

throughout East Africa

Unlike other options construction of secant pile wall as

waterproof vertical shoring system is not limited to the

soil condition of the site The construction of such high

tech geotechnical engineering solutions by the Company

have been successfully applied on projects like the Omo

River Bridge and on the New Abay Bridge Projects The

application of the secant pile wall system was used for the

construction of the pier foundation on both sides of the

Bridge on the Omo River Bridge Project and one side pier

foundation construction of the New Abay Bridge Project

During the construction of the Omo River Bridge

foundation and substructure works other logistic

challenges non-related to foundation works was

encountered The West Pier and Abutment on the Omo

River Bridge created such a technical impasse On this

side one of the most difficult challenges was to solve the

problem of crossing equipment and construction material

across the 150 m wide river After carefully considering all

the possible alternatives a decision was made to design and

manufacture a water crossing barge using local expertise

and manufacturing capabilities MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc took part in the design manufacturing and

commissioning of this barge and has successfully crossed

a 503 ton drilling rig and other earth moving equipment

With nearly twenty projects within Ethiopia MIDROC

Foundation Specialists Plc is a pioneer in exporting

foundation technology to neighboring Kenya Tanzania

and the Sudan In-house trained Ethiopian experts have

Crossing of drilling rig on Omo River through Barge

 Tiret Sept 2008

Secant pile wall

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Mr Achim Braun General Manager of MIDROC Foundation (left) inspecting a construction site

left their marks on several key projects within those

countries Among the projects successfully carried out in

Tanzania the Songo Songo Offshore Piling Project was the

most challenging and rewarding of all In this Project sixty

per cent of the piles were constructed from a SEWP (Self

Elevating Working Platform) elevated 13 meters from the

sea bed

As the company commemorates the tenth anniversary of

its establishment it is only proper to mark the outstanding

contributions to the construction industry of Ethiopia The

efficiency of the Company and the technology employed

has resulted in creating a broad awareness of foundation

technological solutions in the country particularly

among developers In terms of the spectrum of available

techniques of foundation the projects undertaken so

far are only a tip of the iceberg Although the Company

was confronted with a number of challenges in changing

attitudes and practices the success achieved so far has

been accomplished with great efforts exerted by the

companyrsquos management and its diligent professionals in

the field

Being the only Class I Foundation Specialist Contractors

in the country MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc is now

determined to leap ahead to new and yet un-introduced

foundation construction technologies such as micro 

piles  high  pressure  injection  diaphragm 

walls  slope  protection  and  soil  nailing  As

the countries infrastructure development continues to

reach higher levels MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is

preparing itself to meet the current customer demands

and technological challenges

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Statistics reveal that the country continues to earn hard currency from export of primary commodities such as coffee which tops the list by fetching some 500 million dollars last financial year

Other commodities are hides and skin flowers pulses fruits vegetables and chat

Incidentally it is interesting to note that Chat has fetched over 60 million dollars in foreign currency last fiscal year

The chewing of chat leaves is common in the horn of Africa but in eastern Ethiopia it is big business for some and big worry for others Chat is a major agricultural crop Yet many say it is addictive and harmful to health

In a town where I grew up for instance it is hard to avoid the impact of the stimulant leaf The first thing that strikes you in the main market is the deafening noise The market square is a scene of total chaos as you make your way through a bustling crowd preoccupied with the business of bartering for a prized commodity- the green leafed plant chat

Awadaye market is a market for chat It is estimated that over 25000 kg pass through it daily The buyers and sellers take their jobs seriously shouting to one other They gesture excitedly as they trade thousands of birr daily for the chat which is bought from the local farmers in Awadaye and sent to other areas in Ethiopia It is also exported overseas It is said to be the backbone of the economy as it can be gathered from the revenue it has generated during the current physical year

If you compare chat farmers with other farmers in other parts of the country you will see that their standard of living is so much better

The employment created though chat cultivation is very high as large numbers of people are involved in growing harvesting sorting packing transporting loading and unloading the commodity The wood of the plant is used for fuel and because of its resistance to termites it is also used to make fences Chat is also believed to have medical value being used locally to treat influenza and asthma

Chat farmers used to grow maize sorghum and teff which is the basic Ethiopian staple food but these crops are difficult to grow as they require lots of rain and attention

while chat requires little water or cultivation That is why it is widely believed that its cultivation is expanding at an amazing rate

Chat has now become Ethiopiarsquos biggest export third only to coffee and hides and skin But despite the cash earning and the tradition of chat growing and use among the people many people do not encourage it

They believe that it is addictive and this has a negative impact on the community They allege that people forget about their work commitments and spend hours chewing chat The number of users of chat is increasing particularly among the youth

In urban areas the use of chat combined with alcohol is having an adverse effect on family life Many students chew chat because they say it increases their concentration when they study their lessons

However in some regions where it is widely cultivated business punctuality is a frequent problem as the time after lunch is usually spent chewing chat Even in some regions where the plant has been banned cultivation and usage continue and attempts to replace chat with cash crops like coffee have failed

Regardless of the merit or demerit of chat the country continues to get the much needed hard currency through export of the plant ldquochatrdquo

However many people including development agents are of the opinion that the demerit far out weighs the merit for energy and time is spent chewing the stuff and particularly its negative impact on health especially on the productive force

Another very lucrative business in Ethiopia is the export of leather and leather goods According to recent data export of leather and leather goods registered a surge from 52 million dollars to over 90 million dollars Incidentally ELICO one of MIDROC Ethiopia group companies dealing with finished leather products fetched last financial year over 10 million dollars

In the light of considerable income accrued from export of primary commodities there is a need to do even more by way of establishing more agro-industries that engage in the production of agricultural products for sale locally and internationally

Earning from Export of Primary CommoditiesBy Yohannes Ruphael

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The Third Private Sector Development National Conference ndash 2008 of Ethiopia took place in Addis Ababa on June 30 2008 ndash at the UNECA Conference Center and the draft strategy document and priority strategic issues for improved business environment were discussed by representatives of the Private Sector Development Hub established with basic objectives of coordinating and developing a series of public sector development intervention projects for implementation with international financial support and undertaking related research studies to support the business community in its public and private partnership dialogue The Conference was addressed by an internationally renowned and distinguished authority on Corporate Governance Prof Mervyn E King SC

The Editorial Team of TIRET has taken advantage of communicating with Professor Mervyn E King SC to share his views briefly with our readers

Professor Mervyn E King SC is currently Professor Extraordinaire at the University of South Africa and serves as the Chairperson of the King Committee on Corporate Governance in South Africa He is a Senior Counsel and former Judge of the Supreme Court of South Africa His other credentials include Member of the World Bank Advisory Group on Corporate Governance President of the Commonwealth Association of Corporate Governance Governor of the International Corporate Governance Network President of the South Africa Chamber of Business Vice President of the Institute of Directors of Southern Africa Representatives of South Africa at the International Chamber of Commerce Advisor of Asian Center of Corporate Governance Director of Global Reporting Initiative-Amsterdam Director of Association of business Administrators of South Africa

At the Millennium National Private Sector Development Conference in Addis Ababa recently I spoke about corporate governance in the development of the private sector

Corporate governance is about the principles and practices which guide directors and senior managers in making their decisions to the best interests of their companies It has to be separated from the enterprise side of the business which is about making business judgment calls It is essential that directors and senior managers adopt acceptable principles and practices in steering and directing the company and making business judgment It is about the quality of this governance rather than a quantitative check on whether there has been compliance by the directors and managers with well-known governance practices such as the establishment of a remuneration committee

In my talk I pointed out that the economic value of a company does not equal its book value In Coca Cola for example its book value is approximately 13 of its economic value and its greatest asset is its brand which is dependent on

 Tiret Sept 2008

the companyrsquos reputation Consequentially directors and senior managers of Coca Cola have a duty to protect the companyrsquos brand

In planning for a company the strategic direction needs to be done both short- and long-term If a strategy is developed in which all persons in the corporation at all levels buy-in one can get ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things Unless this is done not even extraordinary people will achieve ordinary things

The important thing for directors to remember is that they have won and maintained the trust and confidence of the stakeholders of the company Consequently they should report at least annually how the company has both positively and negatively affected a communityrsquos economic life through its operations and how it is going to enhance those positive aspects and eradicate or ameliorate the negative aspects in the year ahead

Good governance involves inter alia the approval by the board of the strategy of the company and sustainability can no longer be ignored in developing a long-term strategy

The Private Sector Development Hub (PSD-Hub) has the objective to contribute to the economic development of Ethiopia by improving the entrepreneurial environment and the governance of corporations Consequently the PSD-Hub has held Conferences over the last two years focusing on these issues and on the question of public private partnerships There has also been discussion about expediting the registration of companies the standardization of accounting and auditing capitalization and the finalization of the revision of the Ethiopian Commercial Code Corporate governance has featured prominently in these discussions

Arising out of all the modernization of the registration of companies in Ethiopia has been recognized as a priority

Accounting and auditing standards which should follow IFRS should have legal backing so that everyone in Ethiopia will know the meaning of the reported financial statements

The development of a securities market including an exchange in which not only equities but bonds and derivatives can be bought and sold with the dematerialisation of scrip and electronic settlement is essential

From the above it will be seen that there is much to be done but Ethiopia is striving through the PSD Hub to create platforms on which it can forge ahead in our flat electronic world where capital flows towards those areas where there is good governance and well-regulated markets The Conference at which I spoke was just another step in Ethiopiarsquos endeavours to achieve these goals Positively the essential aspects for creating an entrepreneurial and thriving business environment have been identified and PSD Hub the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other interested bodies are working in partnership with government to achieve them

 Tiret Sept 2008

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 Tiret Sept 2008

Itrsquos a ridiculous

l a n g u a g e rdquo

sputtered the

Englishman at

the next table

his jowls shaking

in anger ldquoA ridiculous languagerdquo

We were sitting in a tiny tea-and-pie shop in Criccieth a

town in northern Wales and everybody but us was speaking

Welsh Like a remarkable number of his countrymen this

man was convinced it was merely a secret code employed

by the local to talk behind the backs of English visitors

ldquoJust you watchrdquo he said ldquoAs soon as we leave theyrsquoll all

go back to speaking Englishrdquo

I rather doubted it And unlike the Englishman I was

thrilled to encounter one of the oldest languages in

Europe a tongue heard in this misty and mountainous

land since the arrival of Roman legions

Being surrounded by people speaking an unfamiliar and

exotic language is to me one of the best things about

travel Just as some people will journey to the Serengeti

to glimpse the rare and endangered white rhino Irsquoll happily

go far out of my way to hear a rare and endangered

language

In the storybook city of Carcassonne in southwest France

I was less thrilled at seeing the towers and turrets than

I was at meeting a man who could speak Occitan the

ancient and fast-vanishing language of the troubadours

As far as I was concerned the most fascinating thing in

Dangriga a coastal town in Belize was the mellifluous

sound of Garifuna a language spoken by the descendants

of shipwrecked slaves from West Africa I once traveled

to Graubunden in eastern Switzerland in the hope of

hearing Romansch a tongue spoken by fewer than one

percent of the nationrsquos residents and said to resemble

Latin I encountered a few signs in the language but no

one who could speak it

According to one oft-cited estimate at least half the

worldrsquos 6000 languages are likely to die out by the end

of this century which means that one is going silent on

average every two weeks

Itrsquos not merely a matter of using different words to express the same thoughts Languages are literally the expressions of cultures and belief systems entirely different ways of making sense of the world And just as we should be concerned about the shrinking diversity of plant and animal species we should also worry about the shrinking diversity of languages

Welsh though seems to be holding on despite 700 years

of efforts by the English to exterminate it The BBC has for

some years now carried television and radio programming

in the language and in Wales itrsquos possible to receive your

entire education from preschool to postgraduate in

Welsh About 20 percent of Walesrsquo population speaks

Welsh and the number appears to be growing slightly

It is not as the Englishman said a ridiculous language But

it is to my eyes and ears a wonderfully strange one Dave

Barry once wrote that the ancient Hawaiians arrived on

their islands after perilous canoe voyages in seas so rough

their consonants fell overboard My guess is that the

letters drifted the worldrsquos oceans until they washed up on

the shores of Wales

T h e   B e a u t y   o f   a   L a n g u a g e

 Tiret Sept 2008

How else to explain for example the Welsh word for

beer Itrsquos cwrw It looks like my Scrabble tray when I

donrsquot have a word to pay (In case you ever need to order

one itrsquos pronounced ldquokooroordquo)

And then therersquos the vexing pronunciation of the double-

1 you find at the beginning of it seems two-thirds of the

town names in Wales ldquoJust put your teeth together and

hiss like a duckrdquo explained a helpful woman I met at the

Dylan Thomas Museum in Swansea She also pointed out

that Llareggub the fictional town in Thomasrsquo ldquoUnder the

Milkwood Treerdquo is merely ldquobugger allrdquo spelled backward

I like the besotted poet a whole lot more after learning

that

One dark and drizzly night I went to a little schoolhouse in

the Rhondda Valley to listen to a rehearsal of the Treorchy

Menrsquos Choir made up mostly of unemployed coal miners

ldquoIn the old daysrdquo one of them told me ldquowe used to sing

together in the pitsrdquo

When they opened their mouths to sing as one in Welsh

all the snarky little comments about their language become

moot It was simply one of the most hauntingly beautiful

sounds Irsquove even heard

I got a lesson in the politics of minority languages recently

when I visited Montreal the capital of French ndash speaking

Canada I hadnrsquot been there since a childhood visit to

Exporsquo67 and I remember the province as decidedly

bilingual Everything from traffic signs to toothpaste

tubes was printed in French and English No more A

law passed in 1977 banned the use of English in signs

throughout Quebec Itrsquos an attempt to do linguistically

what they failed for two centuries to do militarily prevent

the English from conquering them

Theyrsquore quite serious about this Hudson Bay Co the

venerable department store chain that dates back to the

fur-trading days is now known as Compagnie de la Baie

drsquoHudson at least in these parts Kentucky Fried Chicken

outlets arenrsquot allowed to use ldquoKFCrdquo on their signs In

Quebec theyrsquore called ldquoPFKrdquo for Poulet Frit Kentucky

The Quebecois are more vigilant even than their famously

Anglophobic counterparts in Paris All stop signs here say

Arret even though the ones in France say ldquoStoprdquo

It all seemed a little silly and excessive to me until I began

talking to French-speaking Montrealers about it ldquoYou

have to understand that wersquore surrounded by English

speakersrdquo a schoolteacher told me ldquoWe have to be very

firm about defending our language or it will disappear

And when it goes so does our way of life

Signs aside most French Canadians I met were bilingual

I quickly discovered that if I first made atleast a fumbling

attempt to speak their language almost everybody was

happy to switch to English ndash very possibly to spare

themselves the trauma of hearing my phrase-book

French which sounds like someone grinding the gears

of an old Citroen ldquoWe have nothing against Englishrdquo the

schoolteacher told me ldquoItrsquos just that we want to speak

French hererdquo

Vive la differenceJohn Flinn -Travel Editor

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Scale up of HIV Prevention Treatment Care and Support Requires Renewed Leadership and Resources

The 17th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) took place in Mexico City from August 3 -8 2008 with an assessment of the situation of the global epidemic at a panel of researchers public health and civil society leaders examined recent progress towards the scale up of treatment and prevention programmes and called for sustained action to eliminate the barriers to universal access

ldquoDespite the progress we have made we are not on course to meet universal access targets and in fact appear to be slipping away from our existing commitmentsrdquo said Dr Pedro Cahn International Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and President of the International AIDS Society and Fundacioacuten Hueacutesped in Buenos Aires Argentina ldquoIt appears that we are poised to accept defeat when victory is still within our grasp Our failure to meet those commitments will have an impact on millions of lives This cannot be allowed to happen It is time for nations to live up to their commitmentsrdquo

ldquoWith only two years to go until the 2010 deadline for universal access set by world leaders we must redouble our commitment to scaling up all proven HIV prevention strategiesrdquo said Dr Luiacutes Soto Ramiacuterez Local Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and Head of the Molecular Virology Unit at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Meacutedicas y Nutricioacuten Salvador Zubiriaacuten and Coordinator of the Clinical Care Committee of CONASIDA Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council ldquoThe fact that last year 27 million people were newly infected with HIV a disease that is entirely preventable is unacceptablerdquo

Dr Jaime Sepulveda (Mexico) founder of Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council who is now with the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation noted that attention to and resources for AIDS are at all-time high including substantially increased funding for the Global Fund and the US Presidentrsquos Emergency Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief According to Sepulveda reaching the goal of 3 million people in low and middle-income countries on treatment at the end of 2007 was a critical step forward but the world has only scratched the surface of possibilities in responding to the epidemic Greater resources more effectively spent and targeted where they can have the greatest effect would have a dramatic impact on the course of the epidemicrsquos Highlighting the fact that more people become infected

with HIV last year than began treatment Sepulveda called for radically increased investments in prevention research evaluation and delivery of services as well as accelerated research on promising prevention methods including a vaccine In conclusion he reiterated that political leadership from all countries and accountability at all levels are essential for stopping the epidemic

Citing the results in both treatment and prevention scale up in countries with sustained leadership such as Rwanda and Tanzania Alex Coutinho (Uganda) of the Infectious Disease Institute of Makerere University made a passionate call for greater leadership as a path toward meeting the challenges ahead In looking at progress to date Coutinho highlighted increased access to HIV testing and counseling to prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and to pediatric care and treatment as well as the effectiveness of male circumcision as a prevention intervention In contrast he noted that most countries will not achieve universal access by 2010 and that the majority of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are still unaware of their HIV status In his call to action Coutinho urged greater investment in prevention and financial resources flexible enough to support health systems and systems that reach into rural and other hard-to-reach areas and fully embrace PLHIV as partners He also urged outreach to and support of marginalized and at-risk communities as well as the greater involvement of PLHIV as a catalyst for change

Elisabet Fadul (Dominican Republic) of the Dominican Network for Youth RightsGlobal Youth Partners outlined a broad and urgent youth HIVAIDS agenda calling for comprehensive rights ndash and evidence-based plans to provide access for young people Highlighting the 40 of new infections worldwide among young people between the ages of 15-24 Fadul noted that HIV prevention and treatment programmes are failing to effectively reach young people with the most vulnerable and marginalized being stigmatized criminalized or forgotten by many of these programmes

To reverse this course she called for actions and policies that engage youth especially young people living with HIVAIDS as respected partners in developing and implementing programmes that forthrightly address their

needs and diversity

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

In keeping with his desire to develop sports in the country Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi has once again generously donated Birr five million to the Ethiopian Olympic Committee as part of his boundless support to the development of Ethiopian sports to help the committee meet the cost of Ethiopian Athletics delegation to the Beijing Olympics

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi granted the Birr five million donation to the Ethiopian Olympic Committee at a ceremony held on May 27 2008 at the Sheraton Addis where the Ethiopian President Ato Girma WGiorgis and Ethiopian Prime Minister Ato Meles Zenawi and other high ranking government officials were in attendance

At the ceremony Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi was honored with a Special Award by the Ethiopian President Ato Girma WGiorgis for his unlimited contributions to the development of athletics in Ethiopia

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudirsquos enthusiasm for sports in general football in particular has earned him admiration from fans near and far The East and Central Africa Challenge Cup Tournament which is held every two years and financed by Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi the incentives he provides to young and upcoming footballers in the various local teams and his pledge to build a modern stadium in Addis Ababa are all testimonies of his devotion to the development of sports in Ethiopia

Officials of the Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council have paid tribute to Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi for his contributions to the success of historical events organized by the Moslem Community

At a ceremony organized on March 28 2008 by the Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council Millennium Office to thank all those who supported it in making the millennium celebrations a success Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi was honored with a Special Award by the Ethiopian President Ato Girma WGiorgis The Award was received by Dr Arega Yirdaw Chief Executive Officer of MIDROC Ethiopia Technology Group on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi Present on the occasion were high ranking Government Officials Ambassadors and other Dignitaries

Oromia Regional State Awarded Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi

The Martyrs Monument built in Adama town by a Birr 50000000 (fifty million) generous donation of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi was inaugurated on March 23 2008

Ato Abadula Gemeda President of Oromia Regional State at the inaugural ceremony awarded a Gold Medal to Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi which was received by Dr Arega Yirdaw Chief Executive Officer of MIDROC Ethiopia Technology Group on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi

Construction of the monument was undertaken by MIDROC Construction Ethiopia PlcHE Ato Abadula Gemeda President of Oromiya Regional State handing

over Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudirsquos Award to CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi Donates to the Ethiopian Olympic Committee

Supreme Council Pays Tribute to Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Derba MIDROC Cement Plc and the Ministry of Mines

and Energy on May 19 2000 signed a Birr 57212000 (fifty

seven million two hundred twelve thousand) agreement

for mining Limestone Marl Gypsum and Sandstone on

a large scale in the Muger Valley locality in North Shewa

Zone Oromia National Regional State

The Agreement was signed by HE Ato Alemayhu Tegenu

Minister of Mines and Energy and Sheikh Mohammed

H Al-Amoudi Owner and Chairman of MIDROC

Investment Group

According to the agreement the licensee has an exclusive

right for a large scale Limestone Marl Gypsum and

Sandstone mining for twenty years to be renewed for

ten years upon the request of the licensee The license

area covers 1928610 m2 of land and is anticipated to

produce 11665000 tons of Limestone 1166000 tons

of Marl 696000 tons of Gypsum and 11387000 tons of

Sandstone

The Project is expected to create job opportunities for

469 people

MIDROC Construction Ethiopia Plc and the Addis Ababa City Roads Authority (AACRA) signed a 6772 million Birr Contract Agreement for the construction of three roads in the city

Eng Fekadu Haile Manager of AACRA and Eng Shimelis Eshete Deputy General Manager of MIDROC Construction Ethiopia Plc signed the agreement on July 7 2008 on behalf of their respective companies

The contract covers a 191 km long of three roads namely Megenagna ndash Ayat 82 km long Gurd Shola ndash Summit Yeka Bole 82 km long and City Tip ndash Bisrate Gebriel Church 27 km long The Megenagna ndash Ayat road includes 14 m carriageway 55 m walkway and 2 m median while the other two roads include 10 m carriageway 45 m walkway and 1 m median each

These projects are expected to provide job opportunities for more than 1000 people

Derba MIDROC Signed Agreement

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi and Ato Alemayehu Tegenu exchanging the Agreement Document

Multi-Million Birr Contract Agreement Signed

 Tiret Sept 2008

MOHA Soft Drinks Industry SC a member of MIDROC

Ethiopia Investment Group has undertaken an expansion

project of Kool Mineral Water at Bure town in the

Amhara Regional State at a cost of over Birr 37 million

An agreement was signed in August 2008 between Ato

Alemayehu Tegenu Minister of Mines and Energy and Ato

Getachew Birbo CEO of MOHA Soft Drinks Industry SC

that provides a license for the expansion project which is

valid for ten years and renewable every five years to work

on a 5679978 sqm land

The factory which was acquired by MOHA four years ago

will have a capacity of producing 24 million cases of Kool

Mineral Water annually upon completion of the expansion

project MOHA has planned to produce 180320000

liters of mineral water in the coming ten years

According to CEO Getachew Birbo the company is

considering to export Kool Mineral Water as there is a

potentially rich market in the Middle East Countries

Since its establishment thirteen years ago MOHA has

invested over Birr 500 million (five hundred million birr)

in soft drinks factories located in different parts of the

country including Bure Kool Mineral Water Factory which

provided job opportunities for 2700 employees

MOHA has currently an annual production capacity

of 20 million cases from its six soft drinks factories at

Gonder Awassa Dessie Summit Plant (under contractual

agreement) and two plants in Addis Ababa covering 55

of the soft drinks demand in the country

Mini Cement Plant Begins Production

Dashen Cement Plant located in the outskirts of Dejen town North West of Amhara Regional State has been completed

and started producing cement recently

The mini plant is initially established to supply cement to private contractors and the government and to the construction

of the bigger Derba MIDROC Cement Project

Investment cost for Dashen Cement Plant stands at Birr 200000000 (two hundred million birr) and has a capacity of

producing 400 tons of cement per day

MOHA Undertakes Expansion Work

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The annual Customers Family and  Employees (company) Day initiated by the Chief Executive Officer of the MIDROC Ethiopia Technology Group was celebrated for the sixth time at the Millennium Hall on May 25 2008 in the presence of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi Chairman and Owner of MIDROC Ethiopia

According to MIDROC Technology Group the Annual Celebration of Customers Family and Employees (company) Day is held every year to acknowledge and show the gratefulness of the group to the Owners Customers Employees as well as Family Members for their contributions to the success of their respective companies

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi addressing at the celebration expressed his pleasure and gratitude and urged employees to work even harder and try to demonstrate more achievement CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw on his part articulated his appreciation to the employees for their efforts exerted for productivity and expressed hope that this hard work would be pronounced and developed in due course as a culture

Consequently 43 Best Customers of the MIDROC Ethiopia Technology Group both foreign and local were honored by Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi with Best Customers Award at the ceremony organized by the Technology Group at the Millennium Hall on May 25 2008

Wrt Etsehiwot Dinku Officer in Charge (OIC) for Production Marketing and Business Development Services at the Office of the CEO on the occasion presented a brief explanation of the products of each of the companies

Following the Sixth Annual Customers Family and Employees (company) Day Celebration Special Awards were presented to the Best Company and Best Performers of the year at the Millennium Hall in the presence of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi He addressed the gathering first and presented the Special Award to the Best Company of the Year Modern Building Industry (MBI) and the Best Performers Of The Year were also awarded

CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw on the occasion received a Special Award from the employees and families in the name of all the employees of the Group which he took from the hands of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi He was also awarded with a Special Certificate for his remarkable services in the Technology Group and other businesses of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi in the last ten years

Prior to Customers Family and Employees (company) Day the annual sports competition of employees of the Technology Group was carried out as part of the annual ceremony Winners in all competitions received gold bronze and silver medals from the hands of CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw

Customers Family and Employees (company) Day Commemorated

CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw receiving the Award from

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi

Mr Abdullah H Al-Amoudi receiving Best Foreign

Customers Award from the Chairman

 Tiret Sept 2008

The two days Second Annual ldquoOffsiterdquo Workshop where

CEOs and General Managers of the MIDROC Ethiopia

Technology Group took part was held on April 12 ndash 13

2008 at the Sheraton Addis Dr Arega Yirdaw Chief

Executive Officer of the Group opening the workshop

took into account the first Annual Workshop that was held

in Kombolcha and said that this yearrsquos venue provides more

opportunity for a considerable number of management

members to participate

While Dr Aregarsquos presentation to the Workshop focused

on ldquoEffective Marketing for Enhancement of

Business Developmentrdquo General Managers presented

comprehensive reports of their respective companies

MIDROC Ethiopia Training Department Holds Seminars

The MIDROC Ethiopia Training Department as part of  its  training activities holds various seminars for both senior managers and second level management tier every fiscal year During the last six months ldquoPositive Thinkingrdquo ldquoCorporate Social Responsibilitiesrdquo and ldquoICT Security and privacyrdquo were the issues for the seminars that the department carried out              

 Seminar on Positive Thinking

Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu Director of Training of MIDROC Ethiopia in his introductory remark on ldquoPositive Thinkingrdquo seminar that took place at the Sheraton Addis on April 11 2008 and attended by general managers and senior members of the Investment Group introduced the resource person Ato Robel Kidane as a ldquomotivational speakerrdquo and ldquolife-cycle trainerrdquo from Sweden

Emeritus Prof Johannes said that this topic is chosen because of a feeling that the current period and situations exhibited dynamic changes that were a burden to bear for many people who he said were ldquoeasily swayed to think negativelyrdquo He also quoted the Chairman and Owner of MIDROC Ethiopia Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi as saying ldquoWhat is the benefit of talking of bad

ldquoOffsiterdquo Workshop Held 

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Robel Kidane the resource person delivering his presentation at the seminar

 Tiret Sept 2008

The seminar for second level management personnel held on June 12 2008 on ICT Security and Privacy was attended by 31 participants from MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group Companies and the Head Office in the MIDROC Ethiopia Auditorium The seminar which was part of MIDROC Ethiopiarsquos attempt to keep abreast with ICT Development was opened by Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu who stressed in his brief remarks the need for concern to the protection of data and information and regulating the use of ICT

Also speaking on the occasion was Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting and Chairman of Training Committee who said that training helps to discover various means for success People he noted learn at work place and from challenges He stressed that the technology age called for adaptation of new thoughts and practices while requiring readiness to do ldquoWhat we can with what we haverdquo

The seminar which discussed various issues related to ICT was closed by Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu

 Seminar on ICT Security and Privacy

A view of participants of the seminar

things or difficulties onlyrdquo Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting of MIDROC Ethiopia and Chairman of Training Committee in his opening remark stated that positive thinking was a new scientific subject where investors CEOs and others in various capacities were inspired and motivated to create awareness to their colleagues and to remove all thoughts

of dark shadows from their minds He noted that positive thinking among CEOrsquos and subordinates was required and stressed that self-confidence was one of the prime factors for success in life and hence needed to be maintainedAto Robel Kidane covered a variety of interesting issues related to positive thinking in his presentation after which participants discussed on several importnat issues

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Teklu Haile opening the Seminar

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The seminar on ldquoCorporate Social Responsibilityrdquo

for second level management tier took place on March 27

2008 at the MIDROC Ethiopia Auditorium and attended

by 27 participants from 12 group companies

In accordance with the call to plant ldquoThree Trees in the Third Millenniumrdquo volunteers from MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group and Head Office on August 2007 replanted trees on the Entoto Mountain situated north of the capital city Addis Ababa It is to be recalled that members of MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group under the motto ldquo Two Trees in 2000 Ethiopian Millenniumrdquo have participated in planting trees at the same location last year

Organized again by the MIDROC Ethiopia Public Relations the call for replanting was enthusiastically received by volunteers who went back to the area to replace those trees planted by employees of the Investment Group last year and did not take root and withered

Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting supported and encouraged volunteers of MIDROC Ethiopia and reminded them of the saying - ldquoten thousand dedicated soldiers are better than one million dubious soldiersrdquo and appreciated all the volunteers for actively participating in the tree replanting activity

Seminar on Corporate Social Responsibility

Participants at the seminar Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu delivering his presentation

Volunteers going up the mountain for replanting

Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting Department of MIDROC Ethiopia and Chairman of Training Committee in his opening remarks stressed the importance of participation in community affairs by all Group Companies and cited Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi as a shinning example in playing an active

role in social activities He called on all to strive hard to change the negative image of the country and build a better Ethiopia free from poverty hunger and disease Various papers were presented ensuing fruitful discussions on the above issues

MIDROC Ethiopia Volunteers Participate in Replanting Trees

 Tiret Sept 2008

Equatorial Business Group General Manager Ato Tadelle

Teferra Deputy General Manager Ato Mekuria Ayele and

Automotive Business Senior Director Ato Daniel Seyoum

participated a weeklong Dealerrsquos Conference that was

staged in Cape Town South Africa in February this year

According to Ato Daniel Seyoum around 75 business

leaders from Europe the Middle East Asia and Africa

participated at the Conference Issues discussed included

regional international business concerns VOLVOrsquos strategy

development VOLVO CE business update introduction to

new VOLVO road machinery and other related business

matters Dealersrsquo Conference is an annual event to bring

together leaders in the VOLVO Construction Equipment

business from nearly all over the world for a pull effect

particularly to companies like EBG to provide further

opportunity in the Automotive Industry

EBG is an exclusive dealer in Ethiopia for VOLVO brand

products

Company Observes its 15th Anniversary

A group picture of Dealers Conference participants

EBGrsquos Managers Attended Dealers Conference

Equatorial Business Group (EBG) colorfully observed its 15th Anniversary on April 30 2008 Ato Tadelle Teferra

General Manager of the Company addressing the management and employees expressed gratitude and appreciation

to the Owners of the Company and to the Employees who worked hard since its establishment and urged all company

staff to work with an even more commitment and dedication

Ato Tadelle on the occasion disclosed the implementation of the reform packages that started recently and expressed

hope that the reform packages would bring EBG to a better competitive and profitable position The reform introduces

MIS QMS and companyrsquos new restructuring and other associated jobs

Three employees who served EBG for 15 years were honored with Special Certificates and several employees from

the various businesses and support services of the company were awarded for Best Performances during the year

200607

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Tadesse Haile State Minister of the Ministry of Trade and Industry visited Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc and held discussions with senior members on issues pertaining to the activities of the factory Ato Ahmed Hassen General Manager of the Factory explained to the State Minister that the factory would make all efforts to produce quality products in large quantity so as to reduce import from abroad He however expressed his wish that the government reduces tax on raw materials which are essential for the production of soap and detergent

Ato Tadesse disclosed during the discussion that extensive studies that include soap industries in the country are underway with the aim to strengthen the chemical industry in which the concern would be addressed in the near future He further said that there is a plan to connect the various regions of the country to the port by

EBG was announced First Order Winner for Best Stand in the 12th International Millennium Trade Fair organized by the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations held at the Exhibition Center in February 2008

EBGrsquos stand was visited by large number of visitors including the honorable World Laureate Metre Artist Afework Tekle who not only showed interest in the products and services of EBG but also expressed his appreciation to the Company in his comments while signing in the Special Guest Book

EBG Awarded for Best Stand

Star Soap and Detergent Factory Visited

The Most Honorable Maritre World Laureate Artist

Afework Tekle signing in the Visitors Book at the Trade Fair

Ato Tadesse Haile visiting the Production Unit with Ato Ahmed Hassen General Manager and Ato Seid Ahmed Plant Manager of the Factory

rail within the coming five years for the speedy delivery of export and import of goods which will have a great impact on sales

Ato Tadesse Haile finally appreciated the activities of the factory and said that Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc is capable of being a model in the sector and wished the lsquoBest of Luckrsquo for the management and the staff and affirmed that his Ministry would always support on all their endeavors

Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc is a member of the MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group established at an investment capital of Birr 80 million The factory is one of the biggest in the sector and equipped with the latest machinery and manufactures best quality laundry and toilet soaps liquid and synthetic detergents powder and bar soaps

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the most dedicated health care professionals and support staff SalaM Employees Clinic the Clinic that provides health care services to employees of MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group Companies and affiliates in its efforts to upgrade and improve its services has added to its modern list of medical equipment a Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor an advanced medical equipment Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor is one of the new advanced machineries that the clinic acquired recently which is used for the diagnosis of refraction errors of the eye

The Clinic provides medical and surgical services with sub-specialists in gynecological ophthalmological dermatological and ENT employing advanced diagnostic equipment such as radiography endoscopy and colonoscopy supported by video camera ultrasound and ECG Machines It has a well stocked pharmacy with essential medicines and also provides laboratory diagnostic services

The Clinic recently has moved from its previous location to a large and ideal villa with more rooms and a convenient location near the Genet Hotel and is open 24 hours

SalaM Employees Clinic was established by Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi in 1996 for employees of the Investment Group with an investment capital of over Birr 4 million under the SalaM Health Care Plc He later on increased the investment a lot more

Apart from providing services to the employees of the MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group SalaM Employees Clinic is rendering efficient services to the public as well

Dr Amare Abebe Medical Director of the clinic conducting an examination using endoscopy machine

Employees Clinic Secures Equipment

The Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor which the clinic acquired recently

The front view of the Clinic

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Three delegates from Ethiopia Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu MIDROC Ethiopia Training Director Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch Ato Asfaw Alemu Credit Manager of Dashen Bank attended the International Society of Business Economics and Ethics World Congress under the theme ldquoGlobal Fairness Local Integrityrdquo held in Cape Town from July 13 ndash 20 2008 and organized by BEN-Africa

The ISBEE World Congress is held every four years and is affectionately referred to as the Olympics of Business Ethics It always succeeds in attracting the best minds in the field of ethics of business and economics This yearrsquos Congress was attended by over 400 participants from all corners of the world Top notch world speakers among others Prof Mervyn E King SC Prof Deon Rossow Prof Joka Iwao Prof Georges Enderle Prof Paul Collies and Prof Tom Donaldson attended the Congress and over 80 papers were presented in three plenary sessions on topical international business issues

Ethiopian Delegation Participates at World ISBEE World Congress

Participants of ISBEE Congress Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu (left) Ato Lulseged Teferi (middle) Ato Asfaw Alemu

A Special Certificate of Recognition was awarded to Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu of MIDROC Ethiopia Prof Deon Rossow ndash former President of BEN-Africa and Ms Korien Sander the outgoing Executive Secretary of BEN-Africa

Emeritus Prof Johannes in his brief statement after receiving the certificate said that he accepted the certificate on behalf of those institutions and individuals in Ethiopia who have been behind the BEN-Africa Conference held in Ethiopia

It is to be recalled that MIDROC Ethiopia Corporate Office Dashen Bank the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch and Ato Teklu Haile Manager of Treasury Finance and Accounting of MIDROC Ethiopia played a great role for the successful completion of the ldquo7th Annual BEN-Africa Conferencerdquo held in Addis Ababa in August 2007

 Tiret Sept 2008

MIDROC Ethiopia is involved in the development of

mining and exploration of gold building of heavy mining

industries in central and eastern parts of the country

like cement plants filler plants etc Coal exploration is

also a potential area that is being explored by different

companies including MIDROC Ethiopia for use in the

cement plant power generation and fertilizer Soda ash

being used as a major input in glass soap detergent and

other industrial input is also one area of mining A lot of

investors are involved in gemstones

In an effort to exploit these resources and put them

to good use for the development of Ethiopia one of

MIDROC Ethiopia Group Companies the National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) has since its establishment in

March 1993 been actively engaged in the exploration of

gold and base metals in the various parts of the country

ldquoIt is worth noting that the mineral wealth of Ethiopia is

not fully tapped yet and needs to be given due attention

as it can be the backbone of the economy together with

agriculturerdquo says Ato Melaku Beza CEO of National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) He assertively told TIRET in

an interview at his office regarding the activities and

contributions of NMiC to the mining industry and that

his Company is working hard for a better achievement as

it has commemorated its 15th anniversary recently

He said that NMiC is currently engaged in the exploration

of gold base metals at Dawa Digati and Werri areas in the

Oromia and Tigray Administrative Regions and base metals

in Dire Dawa and Benshangul Gumuz Administrative

Regions It is also engaged in mining of marble and

limestone processing of quarried blocks and on the way

to develop the Abiyata Soda Ash in Southern Ethiopia

The Company in its venture in the development of Soda

Ash has embarked upon a joint investment agreement

with the Public Enterprise Supervising Agency (PPESA)

for a 54 percent share in which PPESArsquos 46 percent share

dilutes while NMICrsquos share shall increase in the process of

implementing tasks set in two phases

Mining Corporation on the Move

Ato Melaku Beza CEO NMiC

Dawa Digati Gold exploration drilling

The potential of the mining industry for the development of the Ethiopian economy is immense as witnessed by the ongoing development activities in the country This includes exploration of petroleum in the Ogaden Gambela and other areas by different companies exploration of gold in different parts of the country and potash exploration in Dallol where there is an estimated of 160 millions of tons of proven reserves

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Melaku stated that NMIC has invested Birr

160817912 (one hundred sixty million eight hundred

seventeen thousand nine hundred twelve) for exploration

and mining activities adding that the size of investment for

soda ash will be in the order of Birr 1150000000 (one

billion one hundred fifty million)

The first phase will cost Birr 640000000 (six hundred

forty million) and the second phase will be Birr 500000000

(five hundred million)

National Mining Corporation Plc is a pioneer in opening

and developing quarrying of marble and limestone using

the latest technology in the field Currently the Companyrsquos

Boka Marble Quarry has six benches and more than

twelve faces that are being worked out at Boka quarry

in the Benshangul Administrative Region In the process

it provides training to quarry workers of other quarry

owners thereby contributing to the development of the

mining culture

The General Manager explained about the processing and

marketing of his Companyrsquos products and said that his

Company applies modern technologies and deploys the

latest equipment in mining that meet export standards

engaging in open pit mining and tunneling for underground

mining which is unique not only in Ethiopia but also in

Africa He further articulated that the Company mines one

of the best quality marble in the industry as evidenced in

Boka multicolor marble once nominated as ldquoThe Stone

of the Yearrdquo by the Marble Institute of America (MIA)

while the blue marble has entered the world market by

a new name ldquoSummer Skyrdquo and is currently being sold

in Italy Samples of both have been tested and analyzed in

American Testing Companies and European Universities

and have proved to be of high quality and suitable both

for internal and external use in the construction industry

These two marbles are unique and are found only in

Ethiopia Also the limestone is of unique colors yellow

white and red which have high demand in the market

The CEO said that the special quality of his Companyrsquos

product that attracts international market is the

uniqueness of the material its beauty (aesthetics) and its

non-absorbent and compact nature

The company has the capacity to supply the export market

with the required quality and size of blocks and slabs both

white and blue marble Export markets include Taiwan

China Italy France USA Africa and the Middle East

In order to improve quality additional modern

state-of-the-art quarry machinery has been injected in the

quarry Plan is underway to replace the old machinery at

the processing plant The Company is also producing its

own ldquoabrasiverdquo used for polishing marble using locally

available minerals and materials

Awash Processing Plant

Blocks at Block Yard

Slabs at Slab Yard in the Awash Processing Plant

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

NMiC holds 40 of the local market share in the construction industry Lots of buildings have been cladded by NMiCrsquos products The Sheraton Addis Bole International Airport Terminal Sunshine Multipurpose Building National Bank of Ethiopia Federal Police Headquarters AUrsquos Building Head Office and the Secretary Generalrsquos Residence Ethiopian Insurance Corporation Worbek Building the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Patriarchrsquos Palace and UNCA Building are some the major buildings in Addis Ababa which are finished with NMiCrsquos products

National Mining Corporation Plc is one of the competent companies in Ethiopia and has contributed to the economy of the country by way of generating hard currency from its exports and saving foreign currency by competing and blocking imports of dimension stones from abroad One word it has added to the Ethiopian economy an amount of over Birr 5000000000 (fifty million) in tax royalties and land rent

NMiC has made valuable studies on the mineral potential areas of the country in dimension stones oil and gas mineral water coal and industrial minerals It has also made sound participation in the employment and training of manpower to the mining sector and has encouraged foreign investors to be involved in exploration of oil and gas and other minerals NMiC provides free training in its quarries and processing plant to new local enterprises coming to the sector The company provides potable water electricity medical services and other financial assistance to the community of its mining areas and has set up HIVAIDS policy for the Company to curb the spread of the pandemic and provides care and support for

those living with the virus

Tunnel Jet Belt Quarrying the latest technology in use at the Eshet Blue Quarry

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

a) Finalizing the work on the exploration phase of the gold and base metals projects both at Dawa Digati and Werri which shall lead to feasibility study and production stage

b) Developing Eshet Blue and Boka Multicolor marble quarries and strengthen export to increase income of foreign currency

c) Supplying blocks to local factories

d) Replacement of machinery at Awash Processing Plant especially to boost production and quality

e) Improve the life of the working force through profit sharing and availing better facilities together with upgrading their knowledge through training

f) Implement the Soda Ash development project

The priority areas of NMiC in its future plan include among others

Asked finally if he was satisfied with his Companyrsquos achievements Ato Melaku Beza CEO of NMiC replied ldquoNot much we could do betterrdquo

Nmic Products

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

ldquoA journey of a thousand miles starts with a single steprdquo

goes the famous Chinese saying as for Bauer MIDROC it

all started 10 years ago with the foundation work of the

construction of the MIDROC Corporate Office (MCO)

commonly known as Nani Building With a single project

at hand Bauer Specialtifbau a German Company ventured

into the slowly budding private construction industry

in equal partnership with MIDROC Ethiopia Although

a small scale business venture in the eyes of both giant

partners MIDROC Ethiopia and Bauer Specialtifbau it

created vast opportunities to the construction sector

with the introduction of a state-of-the-art German based

foundation technology to the Ethiopian market The

miniature move of the two giants opened up a gateway

of possibilities and marked a new construction era for

Ethiopia Over the years changes in shareholders has

led to the current name ldquoMIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plcrdquo with the state-of-the-art foundation solutions still in

place

Several limitations in dealing with unfavorable soil

conditions frequently encountered within Ethiopiarsquos

diverse geological formations most abundantly the

problematic black cotton soil within the city of Addis

Ababa and other parts of the country brought about

several technical barriers when it came to building

massive civil structures Building highrises as well as

massive bridges was inconceivable unless capable soil was

in close vicinity MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with

the introduction of deep foundations based on advanced

and efficient technologies in the construction industry

no doubt brought about remarkable solutions and helped

ease some of these anxieties

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with its fleets of large

diameter drilling rigs and variety of drilling tools capable of

both soil and hard soil formations has made economical

foundation solutions a reality offering developers the

confidence to build high rise buildings without worrying

about the type of soil in Addis Ababa The expertise of

Dedicated Backing for MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is gradually changing

the cityrsquos skyline with the construction of the completed

MCO Building AICAIB Headquarters and KK Building

both to be completed soon and all standing above 20

stories

Entering the city limits through the skyways one can notice

that the Bole Airport has received an entire facelift with

the construction of the International Passenger Terminal

Airport Control Towers the new Cargo Terminal and the

Maintenance Hanger The only thing these landmarks share

other than ownership is that they owe their existence to

foundation solutions of MIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plc As we enter the city limits also the Bole Viaduct

and all the overpasses on the Addis Ababa Ring Road are

comfortably resting still with the construction of the deep

piles by MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc

Drilling of pile with casing

 Tiret Sept 2008

Parallel to pile construction as verification of the

constructed pile capacities is common practice in the

foundation construction industry MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc equipped with the state-of-the-art

automated pile load testing system has recently conducted

1300 metric tons load test at the Derba MIDROC Cement

Factory Project the first of this magnitude in the African

Continent

The introduction of vertical shoring wall systems that

uses reinforced concrete piles and tie back anchors which

is gaining popularity in recent years is another type of

foundation technology solutions made possible in Ethiopia

through MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos expertise

Prior to these shoring system solutions land owners

could not fully utilize their plots at the boundaries for fear

of catastrophic cave-in In fact in most cases plot owners

avoided under ground construction in order to avoid

litigation with next door land owners The utilization of

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos vertical shoring pile

wall system was proposed and implemented in the cases

of Bole Towers and Loli Building In both cases all sides of

the plot were shored exactly at the boundaries without

any land loss In fact the clients gained underground spaces

in the order of two to three times their plot size for

possible parking purpose This has provided developers

with solutions clearing their lumbers from additional

costs for parking facilities

Pile load testing

In line with the construction boom within Addis Ababa

developers are opting to construct on boundary edges

where heavy structures already exist in adjacent plots

In order to excavate at these boundaries the safest and

most economical foundation solution system is shoring

pile wall system These systems were employed at Awash

Bank and Insurance Building KK Building and Orchid

Building

For realization of structures that have to be constructed

below the natural ground water level and or near offshore

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc has construction

approaches that employ waterproof vertical shoring

systems and several options to choose from within

the framework of technical feasibility of foundation

engineering The construction of Diaphragm Wall

Cellular Cofferdam Sheet Pile Wall and Secant

Pile Wall are such solutions to name a few The cost

of construction and the time required for executing the

works is in the order listed above

Anchored pile shoring wall

Foundation Solution

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the equipment already available in the country

MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc has tabled and

implemented an economical and technically feasible

secant pile wall system solution for bridge projects

within Ethiopia If it was not for MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plcrsquos geotechnical solutions construction under

such conditions would have been technically impossible

throughout East Africa

Unlike other options construction of secant pile wall as

waterproof vertical shoring system is not limited to the

soil condition of the site The construction of such high

tech geotechnical engineering solutions by the Company

have been successfully applied on projects like the Omo

River Bridge and on the New Abay Bridge Projects The

application of the secant pile wall system was used for the

construction of the pier foundation on both sides of the

Bridge on the Omo River Bridge Project and one side pier

foundation construction of the New Abay Bridge Project

During the construction of the Omo River Bridge

foundation and substructure works other logistic

challenges non-related to foundation works was

encountered The West Pier and Abutment on the Omo

River Bridge created such a technical impasse On this

side one of the most difficult challenges was to solve the

problem of crossing equipment and construction material

across the 150 m wide river After carefully considering all

the possible alternatives a decision was made to design and

manufacture a water crossing barge using local expertise

and manufacturing capabilities MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc took part in the design manufacturing and

commissioning of this barge and has successfully crossed

a 503 ton drilling rig and other earth moving equipment

With nearly twenty projects within Ethiopia MIDROC

Foundation Specialists Plc is a pioneer in exporting

foundation technology to neighboring Kenya Tanzania

and the Sudan In-house trained Ethiopian experts have

Crossing of drilling rig on Omo River through Barge

 Tiret Sept 2008

Secant pile wall

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Mr Achim Braun General Manager of MIDROC Foundation (left) inspecting a construction site

left their marks on several key projects within those

countries Among the projects successfully carried out in

Tanzania the Songo Songo Offshore Piling Project was the

most challenging and rewarding of all In this Project sixty

per cent of the piles were constructed from a SEWP (Self

Elevating Working Platform) elevated 13 meters from the

sea bed

As the company commemorates the tenth anniversary of

its establishment it is only proper to mark the outstanding

contributions to the construction industry of Ethiopia The

efficiency of the Company and the technology employed

has resulted in creating a broad awareness of foundation

technological solutions in the country particularly

among developers In terms of the spectrum of available

techniques of foundation the projects undertaken so

far are only a tip of the iceberg Although the Company

was confronted with a number of challenges in changing

attitudes and practices the success achieved so far has

been accomplished with great efforts exerted by the

companyrsquos management and its diligent professionals in

the field

Being the only Class I Foundation Specialist Contractors

in the country MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc is now

determined to leap ahead to new and yet un-introduced

foundation construction technologies such as micro 

piles  high  pressure  injection  diaphragm 

walls  slope  protection  and  soil  nailing  As

the countries infrastructure development continues to

reach higher levels MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is

preparing itself to meet the current customer demands

and technological challenges

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Statistics reveal that the country continues to earn hard currency from export of primary commodities such as coffee which tops the list by fetching some 500 million dollars last financial year

Other commodities are hides and skin flowers pulses fruits vegetables and chat

Incidentally it is interesting to note that Chat has fetched over 60 million dollars in foreign currency last fiscal year

The chewing of chat leaves is common in the horn of Africa but in eastern Ethiopia it is big business for some and big worry for others Chat is a major agricultural crop Yet many say it is addictive and harmful to health

In a town where I grew up for instance it is hard to avoid the impact of the stimulant leaf The first thing that strikes you in the main market is the deafening noise The market square is a scene of total chaos as you make your way through a bustling crowd preoccupied with the business of bartering for a prized commodity- the green leafed plant chat

Awadaye market is a market for chat It is estimated that over 25000 kg pass through it daily The buyers and sellers take their jobs seriously shouting to one other They gesture excitedly as they trade thousands of birr daily for the chat which is bought from the local farmers in Awadaye and sent to other areas in Ethiopia It is also exported overseas It is said to be the backbone of the economy as it can be gathered from the revenue it has generated during the current physical year

If you compare chat farmers with other farmers in other parts of the country you will see that their standard of living is so much better

The employment created though chat cultivation is very high as large numbers of people are involved in growing harvesting sorting packing transporting loading and unloading the commodity The wood of the plant is used for fuel and because of its resistance to termites it is also used to make fences Chat is also believed to have medical value being used locally to treat influenza and asthma

Chat farmers used to grow maize sorghum and teff which is the basic Ethiopian staple food but these crops are difficult to grow as they require lots of rain and attention

while chat requires little water or cultivation That is why it is widely believed that its cultivation is expanding at an amazing rate

Chat has now become Ethiopiarsquos biggest export third only to coffee and hides and skin But despite the cash earning and the tradition of chat growing and use among the people many people do not encourage it

They believe that it is addictive and this has a negative impact on the community They allege that people forget about their work commitments and spend hours chewing chat The number of users of chat is increasing particularly among the youth

In urban areas the use of chat combined with alcohol is having an adverse effect on family life Many students chew chat because they say it increases their concentration when they study their lessons

However in some regions where it is widely cultivated business punctuality is a frequent problem as the time after lunch is usually spent chewing chat Even in some regions where the plant has been banned cultivation and usage continue and attempts to replace chat with cash crops like coffee have failed

Regardless of the merit or demerit of chat the country continues to get the much needed hard currency through export of the plant ldquochatrdquo

However many people including development agents are of the opinion that the demerit far out weighs the merit for energy and time is spent chewing the stuff and particularly its negative impact on health especially on the productive force

Another very lucrative business in Ethiopia is the export of leather and leather goods According to recent data export of leather and leather goods registered a surge from 52 million dollars to over 90 million dollars Incidentally ELICO one of MIDROC Ethiopia group companies dealing with finished leather products fetched last financial year over 10 million dollars

In the light of considerable income accrued from export of primary commodities there is a need to do even more by way of establishing more agro-industries that engage in the production of agricultural products for sale locally and internationally

Earning from Export of Primary CommoditiesBy Yohannes Ruphael

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The Third Private Sector Development National Conference ndash 2008 of Ethiopia took place in Addis Ababa on June 30 2008 ndash at the UNECA Conference Center and the draft strategy document and priority strategic issues for improved business environment were discussed by representatives of the Private Sector Development Hub established with basic objectives of coordinating and developing a series of public sector development intervention projects for implementation with international financial support and undertaking related research studies to support the business community in its public and private partnership dialogue The Conference was addressed by an internationally renowned and distinguished authority on Corporate Governance Prof Mervyn E King SC

The Editorial Team of TIRET has taken advantage of communicating with Professor Mervyn E King SC to share his views briefly with our readers

Professor Mervyn E King SC is currently Professor Extraordinaire at the University of South Africa and serves as the Chairperson of the King Committee on Corporate Governance in South Africa He is a Senior Counsel and former Judge of the Supreme Court of South Africa His other credentials include Member of the World Bank Advisory Group on Corporate Governance President of the Commonwealth Association of Corporate Governance Governor of the International Corporate Governance Network President of the South Africa Chamber of Business Vice President of the Institute of Directors of Southern Africa Representatives of South Africa at the International Chamber of Commerce Advisor of Asian Center of Corporate Governance Director of Global Reporting Initiative-Amsterdam Director of Association of business Administrators of South Africa

At the Millennium National Private Sector Development Conference in Addis Ababa recently I spoke about corporate governance in the development of the private sector

Corporate governance is about the principles and practices which guide directors and senior managers in making their decisions to the best interests of their companies It has to be separated from the enterprise side of the business which is about making business judgment calls It is essential that directors and senior managers adopt acceptable principles and practices in steering and directing the company and making business judgment It is about the quality of this governance rather than a quantitative check on whether there has been compliance by the directors and managers with well-known governance practices such as the establishment of a remuneration committee

In my talk I pointed out that the economic value of a company does not equal its book value In Coca Cola for example its book value is approximately 13 of its economic value and its greatest asset is its brand which is dependent on

 Tiret Sept 2008

the companyrsquos reputation Consequentially directors and senior managers of Coca Cola have a duty to protect the companyrsquos brand

In planning for a company the strategic direction needs to be done both short- and long-term If a strategy is developed in which all persons in the corporation at all levels buy-in one can get ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things Unless this is done not even extraordinary people will achieve ordinary things

The important thing for directors to remember is that they have won and maintained the trust and confidence of the stakeholders of the company Consequently they should report at least annually how the company has both positively and negatively affected a communityrsquos economic life through its operations and how it is going to enhance those positive aspects and eradicate or ameliorate the negative aspects in the year ahead

Good governance involves inter alia the approval by the board of the strategy of the company and sustainability can no longer be ignored in developing a long-term strategy

The Private Sector Development Hub (PSD-Hub) has the objective to contribute to the economic development of Ethiopia by improving the entrepreneurial environment and the governance of corporations Consequently the PSD-Hub has held Conferences over the last two years focusing on these issues and on the question of public private partnerships There has also been discussion about expediting the registration of companies the standardization of accounting and auditing capitalization and the finalization of the revision of the Ethiopian Commercial Code Corporate governance has featured prominently in these discussions

Arising out of all the modernization of the registration of companies in Ethiopia has been recognized as a priority

Accounting and auditing standards which should follow IFRS should have legal backing so that everyone in Ethiopia will know the meaning of the reported financial statements

The development of a securities market including an exchange in which not only equities but bonds and derivatives can be bought and sold with the dematerialisation of scrip and electronic settlement is essential

From the above it will be seen that there is much to be done but Ethiopia is striving through the PSD Hub to create platforms on which it can forge ahead in our flat electronic world where capital flows towards those areas where there is good governance and well-regulated markets The Conference at which I spoke was just another step in Ethiopiarsquos endeavours to achieve these goals Positively the essential aspects for creating an entrepreneurial and thriving business environment have been identified and PSD Hub the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other interested bodies are working in partnership with government to achieve them

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Itrsquos a ridiculous

l a n g u a g e rdquo

sputtered the

Englishman at

the next table

his jowls shaking

in anger ldquoA ridiculous languagerdquo

We were sitting in a tiny tea-and-pie shop in Criccieth a

town in northern Wales and everybody but us was speaking

Welsh Like a remarkable number of his countrymen this

man was convinced it was merely a secret code employed

by the local to talk behind the backs of English visitors

ldquoJust you watchrdquo he said ldquoAs soon as we leave theyrsquoll all

go back to speaking Englishrdquo

I rather doubted it And unlike the Englishman I was

thrilled to encounter one of the oldest languages in

Europe a tongue heard in this misty and mountainous

land since the arrival of Roman legions

Being surrounded by people speaking an unfamiliar and

exotic language is to me one of the best things about

travel Just as some people will journey to the Serengeti

to glimpse the rare and endangered white rhino Irsquoll happily

go far out of my way to hear a rare and endangered

language

In the storybook city of Carcassonne in southwest France

I was less thrilled at seeing the towers and turrets than

I was at meeting a man who could speak Occitan the

ancient and fast-vanishing language of the troubadours

As far as I was concerned the most fascinating thing in

Dangriga a coastal town in Belize was the mellifluous

sound of Garifuna a language spoken by the descendants

of shipwrecked slaves from West Africa I once traveled

to Graubunden in eastern Switzerland in the hope of

hearing Romansch a tongue spoken by fewer than one

percent of the nationrsquos residents and said to resemble

Latin I encountered a few signs in the language but no

one who could speak it

According to one oft-cited estimate at least half the

worldrsquos 6000 languages are likely to die out by the end

of this century which means that one is going silent on

average every two weeks

Itrsquos not merely a matter of using different words to express the same thoughts Languages are literally the expressions of cultures and belief systems entirely different ways of making sense of the world And just as we should be concerned about the shrinking diversity of plant and animal species we should also worry about the shrinking diversity of languages

Welsh though seems to be holding on despite 700 years

of efforts by the English to exterminate it The BBC has for

some years now carried television and radio programming

in the language and in Wales itrsquos possible to receive your

entire education from preschool to postgraduate in

Welsh About 20 percent of Walesrsquo population speaks

Welsh and the number appears to be growing slightly

It is not as the Englishman said a ridiculous language But

it is to my eyes and ears a wonderfully strange one Dave

Barry once wrote that the ancient Hawaiians arrived on

their islands after perilous canoe voyages in seas so rough

their consonants fell overboard My guess is that the

letters drifted the worldrsquos oceans until they washed up on

the shores of Wales

T h e   B e a u t y   o f   a   L a n g u a g e

 Tiret Sept 2008

How else to explain for example the Welsh word for

beer Itrsquos cwrw It looks like my Scrabble tray when I

donrsquot have a word to pay (In case you ever need to order

one itrsquos pronounced ldquokooroordquo)

And then therersquos the vexing pronunciation of the double-

1 you find at the beginning of it seems two-thirds of the

town names in Wales ldquoJust put your teeth together and

hiss like a duckrdquo explained a helpful woman I met at the

Dylan Thomas Museum in Swansea She also pointed out

that Llareggub the fictional town in Thomasrsquo ldquoUnder the

Milkwood Treerdquo is merely ldquobugger allrdquo spelled backward

I like the besotted poet a whole lot more after learning

that

One dark and drizzly night I went to a little schoolhouse in

the Rhondda Valley to listen to a rehearsal of the Treorchy

Menrsquos Choir made up mostly of unemployed coal miners

ldquoIn the old daysrdquo one of them told me ldquowe used to sing

together in the pitsrdquo

When they opened their mouths to sing as one in Welsh

all the snarky little comments about their language become

moot It was simply one of the most hauntingly beautiful

sounds Irsquove even heard

I got a lesson in the politics of minority languages recently

when I visited Montreal the capital of French ndash speaking

Canada I hadnrsquot been there since a childhood visit to

Exporsquo67 and I remember the province as decidedly

bilingual Everything from traffic signs to toothpaste

tubes was printed in French and English No more A

law passed in 1977 banned the use of English in signs

throughout Quebec Itrsquos an attempt to do linguistically

what they failed for two centuries to do militarily prevent

the English from conquering them

Theyrsquore quite serious about this Hudson Bay Co the

venerable department store chain that dates back to the

fur-trading days is now known as Compagnie de la Baie

drsquoHudson at least in these parts Kentucky Fried Chicken

outlets arenrsquot allowed to use ldquoKFCrdquo on their signs In

Quebec theyrsquore called ldquoPFKrdquo for Poulet Frit Kentucky

The Quebecois are more vigilant even than their famously

Anglophobic counterparts in Paris All stop signs here say

Arret even though the ones in France say ldquoStoprdquo

It all seemed a little silly and excessive to me until I began

talking to French-speaking Montrealers about it ldquoYou

have to understand that wersquore surrounded by English

speakersrdquo a schoolteacher told me ldquoWe have to be very

firm about defending our language or it will disappear

And when it goes so does our way of life

Signs aside most French Canadians I met were bilingual

I quickly discovered that if I first made atleast a fumbling

attempt to speak their language almost everybody was

happy to switch to English ndash very possibly to spare

themselves the trauma of hearing my phrase-book

French which sounds like someone grinding the gears

of an old Citroen ldquoWe have nothing against Englishrdquo the

schoolteacher told me ldquoItrsquos just that we want to speak

French hererdquo

Vive la differenceJohn Flinn -Travel Editor

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Scale up of HIV Prevention Treatment Care and Support Requires Renewed Leadership and Resources

The 17th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) took place in Mexico City from August 3 -8 2008 with an assessment of the situation of the global epidemic at a panel of researchers public health and civil society leaders examined recent progress towards the scale up of treatment and prevention programmes and called for sustained action to eliminate the barriers to universal access

ldquoDespite the progress we have made we are not on course to meet universal access targets and in fact appear to be slipping away from our existing commitmentsrdquo said Dr Pedro Cahn International Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and President of the International AIDS Society and Fundacioacuten Hueacutesped in Buenos Aires Argentina ldquoIt appears that we are poised to accept defeat when victory is still within our grasp Our failure to meet those commitments will have an impact on millions of lives This cannot be allowed to happen It is time for nations to live up to their commitmentsrdquo

ldquoWith only two years to go until the 2010 deadline for universal access set by world leaders we must redouble our commitment to scaling up all proven HIV prevention strategiesrdquo said Dr Luiacutes Soto Ramiacuterez Local Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and Head of the Molecular Virology Unit at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Meacutedicas y Nutricioacuten Salvador Zubiriaacuten and Coordinator of the Clinical Care Committee of CONASIDA Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council ldquoThe fact that last year 27 million people were newly infected with HIV a disease that is entirely preventable is unacceptablerdquo

Dr Jaime Sepulveda (Mexico) founder of Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council who is now with the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation noted that attention to and resources for AIDS are at all-time high including substantially increased funding for the Global Fund and the US Presidentrsquos Emergency Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief According to Sepulveda reaching the goal of 3 million people in low and middle-income countries on treatment at the end of 2007 was a critical step forward but the world has only scratched the surface of possibilities in responding to the epidemic Greater resources more effectively spent and targeted where they can have the greatest effect would have a dramatic impact on the course of the epidemicrsquos Highlighting the fact that more people become infected

with HIV last year than began treatment Sepulveda called for radically increased investments in prevention research evaluation and delivery of services as well as accelerated research on promising prevention methods including a vaccine In conclusion he reiterated that political leadership from all countries and accountability at all levels are essential for stopping the epidemic

Citing the results in both treatment and prevention scale up in countries with sustained leadership such as Rwanda and Tanzania Alex Coutinho (Uganda) of the Infectious Disease Institute of Makerere University made a passionate call for greater leadership as a path toward meeting the challenges ahead In looking at progress to date Coutinho highlighted increased access to HIV testing and counseling to prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and to pediatric care and treatment as well as the effectiveness of male circumcision as a prevention intervention In contrast he noted that most countries will not achieve universal access by 2010 and that the majority of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are still unaware of their HIV status In his call to action Coutinho urged greater investment in prevention and financial resources flexible enough to support health systems and systems that reach into rural and other hard-to-reach areas and fully embrace PLHIV as partners He also urged outreach to and support of marginalized and at-risk communities as well as the greater involvement of PLHIV as a catalyst for change

Elisabet Fadul (Dominican Republic) of the Dominican Network for Youth RightsGlobal Youth Partners outlined a broad and urgent youth HIVAIDS agenda calling for comprehensive rights ndash and evidence-based plans to provide access for young people Highlighting the 40 of new infections worldwide among young people between the ages of 15-24 Fadul noted that HIV prevention and treatment programmes are failing to effectively reach young people with the most vulnerable and marginalized being stigmatized criminalized or forgotten by many of these programmes

To reverse this course she called for actions and policies that engage youth especially young people living with HIVAIDS as respected partners in developing and implementing programmes that forthrightly address their

needs and diversity

 Tiret Sept 2008

In keeping with his desire to develop sports in the country Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi has once again generously donated Birr five million to the Ethiopian Olympic Committee as part of his boundless support to the development of Ethiopian sports to help the committee meet the cost of Ethiopian Athletics delegation to the Beijing Olympics

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi granted the Birr five million donation to the Ethiopian Olympic Committee at a ceremony held on May 27 2008 at the Sheraton Addis where the Ethiopian President Ato Girma WGiorgis and Ethiopian Prime Minister Ato Meles Zenawi and other high ranking government officials were in attendance

At the ceremony Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi was honored with a Special Award by the Ethiopian President Ato Girma WGiorgis for his unlimited contributions to the development of athletics in Ethiopia

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudirsquos enthusiasm for sports in general football in particular has earned him admiration from fans near and far The East and Central Africa Challenge Cup Tournament which is held every two years and financed by Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi the incentives he provides to young and upcoming footballers in the various local teams and his pledge to build a modern stadium in Addis Ababa are all testimonies of his devotion to the development of sports in Ethiopia

Officials of the Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council have paid tribute to Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi for his contributions to the success of historical events organized by the Moslem Community

At a ceremony organized on March 28 2008 by the Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council Millennium Office to thank all those who supported it in making the millennium celebrations a success Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi was honored with a Special Award by the Ethiopian President Ato Girma WGiorgis The Award was received by Dr Arega Yirdaw Chief Executive Officer of MIDROC Ethiopia Technology Group on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi Present on the occasion were high ranking Government Officials Ambassadors and other Dignitaries

Oromia Regional State Awarded Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi

The Martyrs Monument built in Adama town by a Birr 50000000 (fifty million) generous donation of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi was inaugurated on March 23 2008

Ato Abadula Gemeda President of Oromia Regional State at the inaugural ceremony awarded a Gold Medal to Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi which was received by Dr Arega Yirdaw Chief Executive Officer of MIDROC Ethiopia Technology Group on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi

Construction of the monument was undertaken by MIDROC Construction Ethiopia PlcHE Ato Abadula Gemeda President of Oromiya Regional State handing

over Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudirsquos Award to CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi Donates to the Ethiopian Olympic Committee

Supreme Council Pays Tribute to Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Derba MIDROC Cement Plc and the Ministry of Mines

and Energy on May 19 2000 signed a Birr 57212000 (fifty

seven million two hundred twelve thousand) agreement

for mining Limestone Marl Gypsum and Sandstone on

a large scale in the Muger Valley locality in North Shewa

Zone Oromia National Regional State

The Agreement was signed by HE Ato Alemayhu Tegenu

Minister of Mines and Energy and Sheikh Mohammed

H Al-Amoudi Owner and Chairman of MIDROC

Investment Group

According to the agreement the licensee has an exclusive

right for a large scale Limestone Marl Gypsum and

Sandstone mining for twenty years to be renewed for

ten years upon the request of the licensee The license

area covers 1928610 m2 of land and is anticipated to

produce 11665000 tons of Limestone 1166000 tons

of Marl 696000 tons of Gypsum and 11387000 tons of

Sandstone

The Project is expected to create job opportunities for

469 people

MIDROC Construction Ethiopia Plc and the Addis Ababa City Roads Authority (AACRA) signed a 6772 million Birr Contract Agreement for the construction of three roads in the city

Eng Fekadu Haile Manager of AACRA and Eng Shimelis Eshete Deputy General Manager of MIDROC Construction Ethiopia Plc signed the agreement on July 7 2008 on behalf of their respective companies

The contract covers a 191 km long of three roads namely Megenagna ndash Ayat 82 km long Gurd Shola ndash Summit Yeka Bole 82 km long and City Tip ndash Bisrate Gebriel Church 27 km long The Megenagna ndash Ayat road includes 14 m carriageway 55 m walkway and 2 m median while the other two roads include 10 m carriageway 45 m walkway and 1 m median each

These projects are expected to provide job opportunities for more than 1000 people

Derba MIDROC Signed Agreement

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi and Ato Alemayehu Tegenu exchanging the Agreement Document

Multi-Million Birr Contract Agreement Signed

 Tiret Sept 2008

MOHA Soft Drinks Industry SC a member of MIDROC

Ethiopia Investment Group has undertaken an expansion

project of Kool Mineral Water at Bure town in the

Amhara Regional State at a cost of over Birr 37 million

An agreement was signed in August 2008 between Ato

Alemayehu Tegenu Minister of Mines and Energy and Ato

Getachew Birbo CEO of MOHA Soft Drinks Industry SC

that provides a license for the expansion project which is

valid for ten years and renewable every five years to work

on a 5679978 sqm land

The factory which was acquired by MOHA four years ago

will have a capacity of producing 24 million cases of Kool

Mineral Water annually upon completion of the expansion

project MOHA has planned to produce 180320000

liters of mineral water in the coming ten years

According to CEO Getachew Birbo the company is

considering to export Kool Mineral Water as there is a

potentially rich market in the Middle East Countries

Since its establishment thirteen years ago MOHA has

invested over Birr 500 million (five hundred million birr)

in soft drinks factories located in different parts of the

country including Bure Kool Mineral Water Factory which

provided job opportunities for 2700 employees

MOHA has currently an annual production capacity

of 20 million cases from its six soft drinks factories at

Gonder Awassa Dessie Summit Plant (under contractual

agreement) and two plants in Addis Ababa covering 55

of the soft drinks demand in the country

Mini Cement Plant Begins Production

Dashen Cement Plant located in the outskirts of Dejen town North West of Amhara Regional State has been completed

and started producing cement recently

The mini plant is initially established to supply cement to private contractors and the government and to the construction

of the bigger Derba MIDROC Cement Project

Investment cost for Dashen Cement Plant stands at Birr 200000000 (two hundred million birr) and has a capacity of

producing 400 tons of cement per day

MOHA Undertakes Expansion Work

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The annual Customers Family and  Employees (company) Day initiated by the Chief Executive Officer of the MIDROC Ethiopia Technology Group was celebrated for the sixth time at the Millennium Hall on May 25 2008 in the presence of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi Chairman and Owner of MIDROC Ethiopia

According to MIDROC Technology Group the Annual Celebration of Customers Family and Employees (company) Day is held every year to acknowledge and show the gratefulness of the group to the Owners Customers Employees as well as Family Members for their contributions to the success of their respective companies

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi addressing at the celebration expressed his pleasure and gratitude and urged employees to work even harder and try to demonstrate more achievement CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw on his part articulated his appreciation to the employees for their efforts exerted for productivity and expressed hope that this hard work would be pronounced and developed in due course as a culture

Consequently 43 Best Customers of the MIDROC Ethiopia Technology Group both foreign and local were honored by Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi with Best Customers Award at the ceremony organized by the Technology Group at the Millennium Hall on May 25 2008

Wrt Etsehiwot Dinku Officer in Charge (OIC) for Production Marketing and Business Development Services at the Office of the CEO on the occasion presented a brief explanation of the products of each of the companies

Following the Sixth Annual Customers Family and Employees (company) Day Celebration Special Awards were presented to the Best Company and Best Performers of the year at the Millennium Hall in the presence of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi He addressed the gathering first and presented the Special Award to the Best Company of the Year Modern Building Industry (MBI) and the Best Performers Of The Year were also awarded

CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw on the occasion received a Special Award from the employees and families in the name of all the employees of the Group which he took from the hands of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi He was also awarded with a Special Certificate for his remarkable services in the Technology Group and other businesses of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi in the last ten years

Prior to Customers Family and Employees (company) Day the annual sports competition of employees of the Technology Group was carried out as part of the annual ceremony Winners in all competitions received gold bronze and silver medals from the hands of CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw

Customers Family and Employees (company) Day Commemorated

CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw receiving the Award from

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi

Mr Abdullah H Al-Amoudi receiving Best Foreign

Customers Award from the Chairman

 Tiret Sept 2008

The two days Second Annual ldquoOffsiterdquo Workshop where

CEOs and General Managers of the MIDROC Ethiopia

Technology Group took part was held on April 12 ndash 13

2008 at the Sheraton Addis Dr Arega Yirdaw Chief

Executive Officer of the Group opening the workshop

took into account the first Annual Workshop that was held

in Kombolcha and said that this yearrsquos venue provides more

opportunity for a considerable number of management

members to participate

While Dr Aregarsquos presentation to the Workshop focused

on ldquoEffective Marketing for Enhancement of

Business Developmentrdquo General Managers presented

comprehensive reports of their respective companies

MIDROC Ethiopia Training Department Holds Seminars

The MIDROC Ethiopia Training Department as part of  its  training activities holds various seminars for both senior managers and second level management tier every fiscal year During the last six months ldquoPositive Thinkingrdquo ldquoCorporate Social Responsibilitiesrdquo and ldquoICT Security and privacyrdquo were the issues for the seminars that the department carried out              

 Seminar on Positive Thinking

Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu Director of Training of MIDROC Ethiopia in his introductory remark on ldquoPositive Thinkingrdquo seminar that took place at the Sheraton Addis on April 11 2008 and attended by general managers and senior members of the Investment Group introduced the resource person Ato Robel Kidane as a ldquomotivational speakerrdquo and ldquolife-cycle trainerrdquo from Sweden

Emeritus Prof Johannes said that this topic is chosen because of a feeling that the current period and situations exhibited dynamic changes that were a burden to bear for many people who he said were ldquoeasily swayed to think negativelyrdquo He also quoted the Chairman and Owner of MIDROC Ethiopia Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi as saying ldquoWhat is the benefit of talking of bad

ldquoOffsiterdquo Workshop Held 

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Robel Kidane the resource person delivering his presentation at the seminar

 Tiret Sept 2008

The seminar for second level management personnel held on June 12 2008 on ICT Security and Privacy was attended by 31 participants from MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group Companies and the Head Office in the MIDROC Ethiopia Auditorium The seminar which was part of MIDROC Ethiopiarsquos attempt to keep abreast with ICT Development was opened by Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu who stressed in his brief remarks the need for concern to the protection of data and information and regulating the use of ICT

Also speaking on the occasion was Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting and Chairman of Training Committee who said that training helps to discover various means for success People he noted learn at work place and from challenges He stressed that the technology age called for adaptation of new thoughts and practices while requiring readiness to do ldquoWhat we can with what we haverdquo

The seminar which discussed various issues related to ICT was closed by Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu

 Seminar on ICT Security and Privacy

A view of participants of the seminar

things or difficulties onlyrdquo Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting of MIDROC Ethiopia and Chairman of Training Committee in his opening remark stated that positive thinking was a new scientific subject where investors CEOs and others in various capacities were inspired and motivated to create awareness to their colleagues and to remove all thoughts

of dark shadows from their minds He noted that positive thinking among CEOrsquos and subordinates was required and stressed that self-confidence was one of the prime factors for success in life and hence needed to be maintainedAto Robel Kidane covered a variety of interesting issues related to positive thinking in his presentation after which participants discussed on several importnat issues

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Teklu Haile opening the Seminar

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The seminar on ldquoCorporate Social Responsibilityrdquo

for second level management tier took place on March 27

2008 at the MIDROC Ethiopia Auditorium and attended

by 27 participants from 12 group companies

In accordance with the call to plant ldquoThree Trees in the Third Millenniumrdquo volunteers from MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group and Head Office on August 2007 replanted trees on the Entoto Mountain situated north of the capital city Addis Ababa It is to be recalled that members of MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group under the motto ldquo Two Trees in 2000 Ethiopian Millenniumrdquo have participated in planting trees at the same location last year

Organized again by the MIDROC Ethiopia Public Relations the call for replanting was enthusiastically received by volunteers who went back to the area to replace those trees planted by employees of the Investment Group last year and did not take root and withered

Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting supported and encouraged volunteers of MIDROC Ethiopia and reminded them of the saying - ldquoten thousand dedicated soldiers are better than one million dubious soldiersrdquo and appreciated all the volunteers for actively participating in the tree replanting activity

Seminar on Corporate Social Responsibility

Participants at the seminar Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu delivering his presentation

Volunteers going up the mountain for replanting

Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting Department of MIDROC Ethiopia and Chairman of Training Committee in his opening remarks stressed the importance of participation in community affairs by all Group Companies and cited Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi as a shinning example in playing an active

role in social activities He called on all to strive hard to change the negative image of the country and build a better Ethiopia free from poverty hunger and disease Various papers were presented ensuing fruitful discussions on the above issues

MIDROC Ethiopia Volunteers Participate in Replanting Trees

 Tiret Sept 2008

Equatorial Business Group General Manager Ato Tadelle

Teferra Deputy General Manager Ato Mekuria Ayele and

Automotive Business Senior Director Ato Daniel Seyoum

participated a weeklong Dealerrsquos Conference that was

staged in Cape Town South Africa in February this year

According to Ato Daniel Seyoum around 75 business

leaders from Europe the Middle East Asia and Africa

participated at the Conference Issues discussed included

regional international business concerns VOLVOrsquos strategy

development VOLVO CE business update introduction to

new VOLVO road machinery and other related business

matters Dealersrsquo Conference is an annual event to bring

together leaders in the VOLVO Construction Equipment

business from nearly all over the world for a pull effect

particularly to companies like EBG to provide further

opportunity in the Automotive Industry

EBG is an exclusive dealer in Ethiopia for VOLVO brand

products

Company Observes its 15th Anniversary

A group picture of Dealers Conference participants

EBGrsquos Managers Attended Dealers Conference

Equatorial Business Group (EBG) colorfully observed its 15th Anniversary on April 30 2008 Ato Tadelle Teferra

General Manager of the Company addressing the management and employees expressed gratitude and appreciation

to the Owners of the Company and to the Employees who worked hard since its establishment and urged all company

staff to work with an even more commitment and dedication

Ato Tadelle on the occasion disclosed the implementation of the reform packages that started recently and expressed

hope that the reform packages would bring EBG to a better competitive and profitable position The reform introduces

MIS QMS and companyrsquos new restructuring and other associated jobs

Three employees who served EBG for 15 years were honored with Special Certificates and several employees from

the various businesses and support services of the company were awarded for Best Performances during the year

200607

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Tadesse Haile State Minister of the Ministry of Trade and Industry visited Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc and held discussions with senior members on issues pertaining to the activities of the factory Ato Ahmed Hassen General Manager of the Factory explained to the State Minister that the factory would make all efforts to produce quality products in large quantity so as to reduce import from abroad He however expressed his wish that the government reduces tax on raw materials which are essential for the production of soap and detergent

Ato Tadesse disclosed during the discussion that extensive studies that include soap industries in the country are underway with the aim to strengthen the chemical industry in which the concern would be addressed in the near future He further said that there is a plan to connect the various regions of the country to the port by

EBG was announced First Order Winner for Best Stand in the 12th International Millennium Trade Fair organized by the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations held at the Exhibition Center in February 2008

EBGrsquos stand was visited by large number of visitors including the honorable World Laureate Metre Artist Afework Tekle who not only showed interest in the products and services of EBG but also expressed his appreciation to the Company in his comments while signing in the Special Guest Book

EBG Awarded for Best Stand

Star Soap and Detergent Factory Visited

The Most Honorable Maritre World Laureate Artist

Afework Tekle signing in the Visitors Book at the Trade Fair

Ato Tadesse Haile visiting the Production Unit with Ato Ahmed Hassen General Manager and Ato Seid Ahmed Plant Manager of the Factory

rail within the coming five years for the speedy delivery of export and import of goods which will have a great impact on sales

Ato Tadesse Haile finally appreciated the activities of the factory and said that Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc is capable of being a model in the sector and wished the lsquoBest of Luckrsquo for the management and the staff and affirmed that his Ministry would always support on all their endeavors

Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc is a member of the MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group established at an investment capital of Birr 80 million The factory is one of the biggest in the sector and equipped with the latest machinery and manufactures best quality laundry and toilet soaps liquid and synthetic detergents powder and bar soaps

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the most dedicated health care professionals and support staff SalaM Employees Clinic the Clinic that provides health care services to employees of MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group Companies and affiliates in its efforts to upgrade and improve its services has added to its modern list of medical equipment a Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor an advanced medical equipment Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor is one of the new advanced machineries that the clinic acquired recently which is used for the diagnosis of refraction errors of the eye

The Clinic provides medical and surgical services with sub-specialists in gynecological ophthalmological dermatological and ENT employing advanced diagnostic equipment such as radiography endoscopy and colonoscopy supported by video camera ultrasound and ECG Machines It has a well stocked pharmacy with essential medicines and also provides laboratory diagnostic services

The Clinic recently has moved from its previous location to a large and ideal villa with more rooms and a convenient location near the Genet Hotel and is open 24 hours

SalaM Employees Clinic was established by Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi in 1996 for employees of the Investment Group with an investment capital of over Birr 4 million under the SalaM Health Care Plc He later on increased the investment a lot more

Apart from providing services to the employees of the MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group SalaM Employees Clinic is rendering efficient services to the public as well

Dr Amare Abebe Medical Director of the clinic conducting an examination using endoscopy machine

Employees Clinic Secures Equipment

The Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor which the clinic acquired recently

The front view of the Clinic

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Three delegates from Ethiopia Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu MIDROC Ethiopia Training Director Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch Ato Asfaw Alemu Credit Manager of Dashen Bank attended the International Society of Business Economics and Ethics World Congress under the theme ldquoGlobal Fairness Local Integrityrdquo held in Cape Town from July 13 ndash 20 2008 and organized by BEN-Africa

The ISBEE World Congress is held every four years and is affectionately referred to as the Olympics of Business Ethics It always succeeds in attracting the best minds in the field of ethics of business and economics This yearrsquos Congress was attended by over 400 participants from all corners of the world Top notch world speakers among others Prof Mervyn E King SC Prof Deon Rossow Prof Joka Iwao Prof Georges Enderle Prof Paul Collies and Prof Tom Donaldson attended the Congress and over 80 papers were presented in three plenary sessions on topical international business issues

Ethiopian Delegation Participates at World ISBEE World Congress

Participants of ISBEE Congress Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu (left) Ato Lulseged Teferi (middle) Ato Asfaw Alemu

A Special Certificate of Recognition was awarded to Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu of MIDROC Ethiopia Prof Deon Rossow ndash former President of BEN-Africa and Ms Korien Sander the outgoing Executive Secretary of BEN-Africa

Emeritus Prof Johannes in his brief statement after receiving the certificate said that he accepted the certificate on behalf of those institutions and individuals in Ethiopia who have been behind the BEN-Africa Conference held in Ethiopia

It is to be recalled that MIDROC Ethiopia Corporate Office Dashen Bank the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch and Ato Teklu Haile Manager of Treasury Finance and Accounting of MIDROC Ethiopia played a great role for the successful completion of the ldquo7th Annual BEN-Africa Conferencerdquo held in Addis Ababa in August 2007

 Tiret Sept 2008

MIDROC Ethiopia is involved in the development of

mining and exploration of gold building of heavy mining

industries in central and eastern parts of the country

like cement plants filler plants etc Coal exploration is

also a potential area that is being explored by different

companies including MIDROC Ethiopia for use in the

cement plant power generation and fertilizer Soda ash

being used as a major input in glass soap detergent and

other industrial input is also one area of mining A lot of

investors are involved in gemstones

In an effort to exploit these resources and put them

to good use for the development of Ethiopia one of

MIDROC Ethiopia Group Companies the National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) has since its establishment in

March 1993 been actively engaged in the exploration of

gold and base metals in the various parts of the country

ldquoIt is worth noting that the mineral wealth of Ethiopia is

not fully tapped yet and needs to be given due attention

as it can be the backbone of the economy together with

agriculturerdquo says Ato Melaku Beza CEO of National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) He assertively told TIRET in

an interview at his office regarding the activities and

contributions of NMiC to the mining industry and that

his Company is working hard for a better achievement as

it has commemorated its 15th anniversary recently

He said that NMiC is currently engaged in the exploration

of gold base metals at Dawa Digati and Werri areas in the

Oromia and Tigray Administrative Regions and base metals

in Dire Dawa and Benshangul Gumuz Administrative

Regions It is also engaged in mining of marble and

limestone processing of quarried blocks and on the way

to develop the Abiyata Soda Ash in Southern Ethiopia

The Company in its venture in the development of Soda

Ash has embarked upon a joint investment agreement

with the Public Enterprise Supervising Agency (PPESA)

for a 54 percent share in which PPESArsquos 46 percent share

dilutes while NMICrsquos share shall increase in the process of

implementing tasks set in two phases

Mining Corporation on the Move

Ato Melaku Beza CEO NMiC

Dawa Digati Gold exploration drilling

The potential of the mining industry for the development of the Ethiopian economy is immense as witnessed by the ongoing development activities in the country This includes exploration of petroleum in the Ogaden Gambela and other areas by different companies exploration of gold in different parts of the country and potash exploration in Dallol where there is an estimated of 160 millions of tons of proven reserves

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Melaku stated that NMIC has invested Birr

160817912 (one hundred sixty million eight hundred

seventeen thousand nine hundred twelve) for exploration

and mining activities adding that the size of investment for

soda ash will be in the order of Birr 1150000000 (one

billion one hundred fifty million)

The first phase will cost Birr 640000000 (six hundred

forty million) and the second phase will be Birr 500000000

(five hundred million)

National Mining Corporation Plc is a pioneer in opening

and developing quarrying of marble and limestone using

the latest technology in the field Currently the Companyrsquos

Boka Marble Quarry has six benches and more than

twelve faces that are being worked out at Boka quarry

in the Benshangul Administrative Region In the process

it provides training to quarry workers of other quarry

owners thereby contributing to the development of the

mining culture

The General Manager explained about the processing and

marketing of his Companyrsquos products and said that his

Company applies modern technologies and deploys the

latest equipment in mining that meet export standards

engaging in open pit mining and tunneling for underground

mining which is unique not only in Ethiopia but also in

Africa He further articulated that the Company mines one

of the best quality marble in the industry as evidenced in

Boka multicolor marble once nominated as ldquoThe Stone

of the Yearrdquo by the Marble Institute of America (MIA)

while the blue marble has entered the world market by

a new name ldquoSummer Skyrdquo and is currently being sold

in Italy Samples of both have been tested and analyzed in

American Testing Companies and European Universities

and have proved to be of high quality and suitable both

for internal and external use in the construction industry

These two marbles are unique and are found only in

Ethiopia Also the limestone is of unique colors yellow

white and red which have high demand in the market

The CEO said that the special quality of his Companyrsquos

product that attracts international market is the

uniqueness of the material its beauty (aesthetics) and its

non-absorbent and compact nature

The company has the capacity to supply the export market

with the required quality and size of blocks and slabs both

white and blue marble Export markets include Taiwan

China Italy France USA Africa and the Middle East

In order to improve quality additional modern

state-of-the-art quarry machinery has been injected in the

quarry Plan is underway to replace the old machinery at

the processing plant The Company is also producing its

own ldquoabrasiverdquo used for polishing marble using locally

available minerals and materials

Awash Processing Plant

Blocks at Block Yard

Slabs at Slab Yard in the Awash Processing Plant

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

NMiC holds 40 of the local market share in the construction industry Lots of buildings have been cladded by NMiCrsquos products The Sheraton Addis Bole International Airport Terminal Sunshine Multipurpose Building National Bank of Ethiopia Federal Police Headquarters AUrsquos Building Head Office and the Secretary Generalrsquos Residence Ethiopian Insurance Corporation Worbek Building the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Patriarchrsquos Palace and UNCA Building are some the major buildings in Addis Ababa which are finished with NMiCrsquos products

National Mining Corporation Plc is one of the competent companies in Ethiopia and has contributed to the economy of the country by way of generating hard currency from its exports and saving foreign currency by competing and blocking imports of dimension stones from abroad One word it has added to the Ethiopian economy an amount of over Birr 5000000000 (fifty million) in tax royalties and land rent

NMiC has made valuable studies on the mineral potential areas of the country in dimension stones oil and gas mineral water coal and industrial minerals It has also made sound participation in the employment and training of manpower to the mining sector and has encouraged foreign investors to be involved in exploration of oil and gas and other minerals NMiC provides free training in its quarries and processing plant to new local enterprises coming to the sector The company provides potable water electricity medical services and other financial assistance to the community of its mining areas and has set up HIVAIDS policy for the Company to curb the spread of the pandemic and provides care and support for

those living with the virus

Tunnel Jet Belt Quarrying the latest technology in use at the Eshet Blue Quarry

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

a) Finalizing the work on the exploration phase of the gold and base metals projects both at Dawa Digati and Werri which shall lead to feasibility study and production stage

b) Developing Eshet Blue and Boka Multicolor marble quarries and strengthen export to increase income of foreign currency

c) Supplying blocks to local factories

d) Replacement of machinery at Awash Processing Plant especially to boost production and quality

e) Improve the life of the working force through profit sharing and availing better facilities together with upgrading their knowledge through training

f) Implement the Soda Ash development project

The priority areas of NMiC in its future plan include among others

Asked finally if he was satisfied with his Companyrsquos achievements Ato Melaku Beza CEO of NMiC replied ldquoNot much we could do betterrdquo

Nmic Products

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

ldquoA journey of a thousand miles starts with a single steprdquo

goes the famous Chinese saying as for Bauer MIDROC it

all started 10 years ago with the foundation work of the

construction of the MIDROC Corporate Office (MCO)

commonly known as Nani Building With a single project

at hand Bauer Specialtifbau a German Company ventured

into the slowly budding private construction industry

in equal partnership with MIDROC Ethiopia Although

a small scale business venture in the eyes of both giant

partners MIDROC Ethiopia and Bauer Specialtifbau it

created vast opportunities to the construction sector

with the introduction of a state-of-the-art German based

foundation technology to the Ethiopian market The

miniature move of the two giants opened up a gateway

of possibilities and marked a new construction era for

Ethiopia Over the years changes in shareholders has

led to the current name ldquoMIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plcrdquo with the state-of-the-art foundation solutions still in

place

Several limitations in dealing with unfavorable soil

conditions frequently encountered within Ethiopiarsquos

diverse geological formations most abundantly the

problematic black cotton soil within the city of Addis

Ababa and other parts of the country brought about

several technical barriers when it came to building

massive civil structures Building highrises as well as

massive bridges was inconceivable unless capable soil was

in close vicinity MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with

the introduction of deep foundations based on advanced

and efficient technologies in the construction industry

no doubt brought about remarkable solutions and helped

ease some of these anxieties

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with its fleets of large

diameter drilling rigs and variety of drilling tools capable of

both soil and hard soil formations has made economical

foundation solutions a reality offering developers the

confidence to build high rise buildings without worrying

about the type of soil in Addis Ababa The expertise of

Dedicated Backing for MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is gradually changing

the cityrsquos skyline with the construction of the completed

MCO Building AICAIB Headquarters and KK Building

both to be completed soon and all standing above 20

stories

Entering the city limits through the skyways one can notice

that the Bole Airport has received an entire facelift with

the construction of the International Passenger Terminal

Airport Control Towers the new Cargo Terminal and the

Maintenance Hanger The only thing these landmarks share

other than ownership is that they owe their existence to

foundation solutions of MIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plc As we enter the city limits also the Bole Viaduct

and all the overpasses on the Addis Ababa Ring Road are

comfortably resting still with the construction of the deep

piles by MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc

Drilling of pile with casing

 Tiret Sept 2008

Parallel to pile construction as verification of the

constructed pile capacities is common practice in the

foundation construction industry MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc equipped with the state-of-the-art

automated pile load testing system has recently conducted

1300 metric tons load test at the Derba MIDROC Cement

Factory Project the first of this magnitude in the African

Continent

The introduction of vertical shoring wall systems that

uses reinforced concrete piles and tie back anchors which

is gaining popularity in recent years is another type of

foundation technology solutions made possible in Ethiopia

through MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos expertise

Prior to these shoring system solutions land owners

could not fully utilize their plots at the boundaries for fear

of catastrophic cave-in In fact in most cases plot owners

avoided under ground construction in order to avoid

litigation with next door land owners The utilization of

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos vertical shoring pile

wall system was proposed and implemented in the cases

of Bole Towers and Loli Building In both cases all sides of

the plot were shored exactly at the boundaries without

any land loss In fact the clients gained underground spaces

in the order of two to three times their plot size for

possible parking purpose This has provided developers

with solutions clearing their lumbers from additional

costs for parking facilities

Pile load testing

In line with the construction boom within Addis Ababa

developers are opting to construct on boundary edges

where heavy structures already exist in adjacent plots

In order to excavate at these boundaries the safest and

most economical foundation solution system is shoring

pile wall system These systems were employed at Awash

Bank and Insurance Building KK Building and Orchid

Building

For realization of structures that have to be constructed

below the natural ground water level and or near offshore

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc has construction

approaches that employ waterproof vertical shoring

systems and several options to choose from within

the framework of technical feasibility of foundation

engineering The construction of Diaphragm Wall

Cellular Cofferdam Sheet Pile Wall and Secant

Pile Wall are such solutions to name a few The cost

of construction and the time required for executing the

works is in the order listed above

Anchored pile shoring wall

Foundation Solution

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the equipment already available in the country

MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc has tabled and

implemented an economical and technically feasible

secant pile wall system solution for bridge projects

within Ethiopia If it was not for MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plcrsquos geotechnical solutions construction under

such conditions would have been technically impossible

throughout East Africa

Unlike other options construction of secant pile wall as

waterproof vertical shoring system is not limited to the

soil condition of the site The construction of such high

tech geotechnical engineering solutions by the Company

have been successfully applied on projects like the Omo

River Bridge and on the New Abay Bridge Projects The

application of the secant pile wall system was used for the

construction of the pier foundation on both sides of the

Bridge on the Omo River Bridge Project and one side pier

foundation construction of the New Abay Bridge Project

During the construction of the Omo River Bridge

foundation and substructure works other logistic

challenges non-related to foundation works was

encountered The West Pier and Abutment on the Omo

River Bridge created such a technical impasse On this

side one of the most difficult challenges was to solve the

problem of crossing equipment and construction material

across the 150 m wide river After carefully considering all

the possible alternatives a decision was made to design and

manufacture a water crossing barge using local expertise

and manufacturing capabilities MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc took part in the design manufacturing and

commissioning of this barge and has successfully crossed

a 503 ton drilling rig and other earth moving equipment

With nearly twenty projects within Ethiopia MIDROC

Foundation Specialists Plc is a pioneer in exporting

foundation technology to neighboring Kenya Tanzania

and the Sudan In-house trained Ethiopian experts have

Crossing of drilling rig on Omo River through Barge

 Tiret Sept 2008

Secant pile wall

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Mr Achim Braun General Manager of MIDROC Foundation (left) inspecting a construction site

left their marks on several key projects within those

countries Among the projects successfully carried out in

Tanzania the Songo Songo Offshore Piling Project was the

most challenging and rewarding of all In this Project sixty

per cent of the piles were constructed from a SEWP (Self

Elevating Working Platform) elevated 13 meters from the

sea bed

As the company commemorates the tenth anniversary of

its establishment it is only proper to mark the outstanding

contributions to the construction industry of Ethiopia The

efficiency of the Company and the technology employed

has resulted in creating a broad awareness of foundation

technological solutions in the country particularly

among developers In terms of the spectrum of available

techniques of foundation the projects undertaken so

far are only a tip of the iceberg Although the Company

was confronted with a number of challenges in changing

attitudes and practices the success achieved so far has

been accomplished with great efforts exerted by the

companyrsquos management and its diligent professionals in

the field

Being the only Class I Foundation Specialist Contractors

in the country MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc is now

determined to leap ahead to new and yet un-introduced

foundation construction technologies such as micro 

piles  high  pressure  injection  diaphragm 

walls  slope  protection  and  soil  nailing  As

the countries infrastructure development continues to

reach higher levels MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is

preparing itself to meet the current customer demands

and technological challenges

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Statistics reveal that the country continues to earn hard currency from export of primary commodities such as coffee which tops the list by fetching some 500 million dollars last financial year

Other commodities are hides and skin flowers pulses fruits vegetables and chat

Incidentally it is interesting to note that Chat has fetched over 60 million dollars in foreign currency last fiscal year

The chewing of chat leaves is common in the horn of Africa but in eastern Ethiopia it is big business for some and big worry for others Chat is a major agricultural crop Yet many say it is addictive and harmful to health

In a town where I grew up for instance it is hard to avoid the impact of the stimulant leaf The first thing that strikes you in the main market is the deafening noise The market square is a scene of total chaos as you make your way through a bustling crowd preoccupied with the business of bartering for a prized commodity- the green leafed plant chat

Awadaye market is a market for chat It is estimated that over 25000 kg pass through it daily The buyers and sellers take their jobs seriously shouting to one other They gesture excitedly as they trade thousands of birr daily for the chat which is bought from the local farmers in Awadaye and sent to other areas in Ethiopia It is also exported overseas It is said to be the backbone of the economy as it can be gathered from the revenue it has generated during the current physical year

If you compare chat farmers with other farmers in other parts of the country you will see that their standard of living is so much better

The employment created though chat cultivation is very high as large numbers of people are involved in growing harvesting sorting packing transporting loading and unloading the commodity The wood of the plant is used for fuel and because of its resistance to termites it is also used to make fences Chat is also believed to have medical value being used locally to treat influenza and asthma

Chat farmers used to grow maize sorghum and teff which is the basic Ethiopian staple food but these crops are difficult to grow as they require lots of rain and attention

while chat requires little water or cultivation That is why it is widely believed that its cultivation is expanding at an amazing rate

Chat has now become Ethiopiarsquos biggest export third only to coffee and hides and skin But despite the cash earning and the tradition of chat growing and use among the people many people do not encourage it

They believe that it is addictive and this has a negative impact on the community They allege that people forget about their work commitments and spend hours chewing chat The number of users of chat is increasing particularly among the youth

In urban areas the use of chat combined with alcohol is having an adverse effect on family life Many students chew chat because they say it increases their concentration when they study their lessons

However in some regions where it is widely cultivated business punctuality is a frequent problem as the time after lunch is usually spent chewing chat Even in some regions where the plant has been banned cultivation and usage continue and attempts to replace chat with cash crops like coffee have failed

Regardless of the merit or demerit of chat the country continues to get the much needed hard currency through export of the plant ldquochatrdquo

However many people including development agents are of the opinion that the demerit far out weighs the merit for energy and time is spent chewing the stuff and particularly its negative impact on health especially on the productive force

Another very lucrative business in Ethiopia is the export of leather and leather goods According to recent data export of leather and leather goods registered a surge from 52 million dollars to over 90 million dollars Incidentally ELICO one of MIDROC Ethiopia group companies dealing with finished leather products fetched last financial year over 10 million dollars

In the light of considerable income accrued from export of primary commodities there is a need to do even more by way of establishing more agro-industries that engage in the production of agricultural products for sale locally and internationally

Earning from Export of Primary CommoditiesBy Yohannes Ruphael

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The Third Private Sector Development National Conference ndash 2008 of Ethiopia took place in Addis Ababa on June 30 2008 ndash at the UNECA Conference Center and the draft strategy document and priority strategic issues for improved business environment were discussed by representatives of the Private Sector Development Hub established with basic objectives of coordinating and developing a series of public sector development intervention projects for implementation with international financial support and undertaking related research studies to support the business community in its public and private partnership dialogue The Conference was addressed by an internationally renowned and distinguished authority on Corporate Governance Prof Mervyn E King SC

The Editorial Team of TIRET has taken advantage of communicating with Professor Mervyn E King SC to share his views briefly with our readers

Professor Mervyn E King SC is currently Professor Extraordinaire at the University of South Africa and serves as the Chairperson of the King Committee on Corporate Governance in South Africa He is a Senior Counsel and former Judge of the Supreme Court of South Africa His other credentials include Member of the World Bank Advisory Group on Corporate Governance President of the Commonwealth Association of Corporate Governance Governor of the International Corporate Governance Network President of the South Africa Chamber of Business Vice President of the Institute of Directors of Southern Africa Representatives of South Africa at the International Chamber of Commerce Advisor of Asian Center of Corporate Governance Director of Global Reporting Initiative-Amsterdam Director of Association of business Administrators of South Africa

At the Millennium National Private Sector Development Conference in Addis Ababa recently I spoke about corporate governance in the development of the private sector

Corporate governance is about the principles and practices which guide directors and senior managers in making their decisions to the best interests of their companies It has to be separated from the enterprise side of the business which is about making business judgment calls It is essential that directors and senior managers adopt acceptable principles and practices in steering and directing the company and making business judgment It is about the quality of this governance rather than a quantitative check on whether there has been compliance by the directors and managers with well-known governance practices such as the establishment of a remuneration committee

In my talk I pointed out that the economic value of a company does not equal its book value In Coca Cola for example its book value is approximately 13 of its economic value and its greatest asset is its brand which is dependent on

 Tiret Sept 2008

the companyrsquos reputation Consequentially directors and senior managers of Coca Cola have a duty to protect the companyrsquos brand

In planning for a company the strategic direction needs to be done both short- and long-term If a strategy is developed in which all persons in the corporation at all levels buy-in one can get ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things Unless this is done not even extraordinary people will achieve ordinary things

The important thing for directors to remember is that they have won and maintained the trust and confidence of the stakeholders of the company Consequently they should report at least annually how the company has both positively and negatively affected a communityrsquos economic life through its operations and how it is going to enhance those positive aspects and eradicate or ameliorate the negative aspects in the year ahead

Good governance involves inter alia the approval by the board of the strategy of the company and sustainability can no longer be ignored in developing a long-term strategy

The Private Sector Development Hub (PSD-Hub) has the objective to contribute to the economic development of Ethiopia by improving the entrepreneurial environment and the governance of corporations Consequently the PSD-Hub has held Conferences over the last two years focusing on these issues and on the question of public private partnerships There has also been discussion about expediting the registration of companies the standardization of accounting and auditing capitalization and the finalization of the revision of the Ethiopian Commercial Code Corporate governance has featured prominently in these discussions

Arising out of all the modernization of the registration of companies in Ethiopia has been recognized as a priority

Accounting and auditing standards which should follow IFRS should have legal backing so that everyone in Ethiopia will know the meaning of the reported financial statements

The development of a securities market including an exchange in which not only equities but bonds and derivatives can be bought and sold with the dematerialisation of scrip and electronic settlement is essential

From the above it will be seen that there is much to be done but Ethiopia is striving through the PSD Hub to create platforms on which it can forge ahead in our flat electronic world where capital flows towards those areas where there is good governance and well-regulated markets The Conference at which I spoke was just another step in Ethiopiarsquos endeavours to achieve these goals Positively the essential aspects for creating an entrepreneurial and thriving business environment have been identified and PSD Hub the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other interested bodies are working in partnership with government to achieve them

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Itrsquos a ridiculous

l a n g u a g e rdquo

sputtered the

Englishman at

the next table

his jowls shaking

in anger ldquoA ridiculous languagerdquo

We were sitting in a tiny tea-and-pie shop in Criccieth a

town in northern Wales and everybody but us was speaking

Welsh Like a remarkable number of his countrymen this

man was convinced it was merely a secret code employed

by the local to talk behind the backs of English visitors

ldquoJust you watchrdquo he said ldquoAs soon as we leave theyrsquoll all

go back to speaking Englishrdquo

I rather doubted it And unlike the Englishman I was

thrilled to encounter one of the oldest languages in

Europe a tongue heard in this misty and mountainous

land since the arrival of Roman legions

Being surrounded by people speaking an unfamiliar and

exotic language is to me one of the best things about

travel Just as some people will journey to the Serengeti

to glimpse the rare and endangered white rhino Irsquoll happily

go far out of my way to hear a rare and endangered

language

In the storybook city of Carcassonne in southwest France

I was less thrilled at seeing the towers and turrets than

I was at meeting a man who could speak Occitan the

ancient and fast-vanishing language of the troubadours

As far as I was concerned the most fascinating thing in

Dangriga a coastal town in Belize was the mellifluous

sound of Garifuna a language spoken by the descendants

of shipwrecked slaves from West Africa I once traveled

to Graubunden in eastern Switzerland in the hope of

hearing Romansch a tongue spoken by fewer than one

percent of the nationrsquos residents and said to resemble

Latin I encountered a few signs in the language but no

one who could speak it

According to one oft-cited estimate at least half the

worldrsquos 6000 languages are likely to die out by the end

of this century which means that one is going silent on

average every two weeks

Itrsquos not merely a matter of using different words to express the same thoughts Languages are literally the expressions of cultures and belief systems entirely different ways of making sense of the world And just as we should be concerned about the shrinking diversity of plant and animal species we should also worry about the shrinking diversity of languages

Welsh though seems to be holding on despite 700 years

of efforts by the English to exterminate it The BBC has for

some years now carried television and radio programming

in the language and in Wales itrsquos possible to receive your

entire education from preschool to postgraduate in

Welsh About 20 percent of Walesrsquo population speaks

Welsh and the number appears to be growing slightly

It is not as the Englishman said a ridiculous language But

it is to my eyes and ears a wonderfully strange one Dave

Barry once wrote that the ancient Hawaiians arrived on

their islands after perilous canoe voyages in seas so rough

their consonants fell overboard My guess is that the

letters drifted the worldrsquos oceans until they washed up on

the shores of Wales

T h e   B e a u t y   o f   a   L a n g u a g e

 Tiret Sept 2008

How else to explain for example the Welsh word for

beer Itrsquos cwrw It looks like my Scrabble tray when I

donrsquot have a word to pay (In case you ever need to order

one itrsquos pronounced ldquokooroordquo)

And then therersquos the vexing pronunciation of the double-

1 you find at the beginning of it seems two-thirds of the

town names in Wales ldquoJust put your teeth together and

hiss like a duckrdquo explained a helpful woman I met at the

Dylan Thomas Museum in Swansea She also pointed out

that Llareggub the fictional town in Thomasrsquo ldquoUnder the

Milkwood Treerdquo is merely ldquobugger allrdquo spelled backward

I like the besotted poet a whole lot more after learning

that

One dark and drizzly night I went to a little schoolhouse in

the Rhondda Valley to listen to a rehearsal of the Treorchy

Menrsquos Choir made up mostly of unemployed coal miners

ldquoIn the old daysrdquo one of them told me ldquowe used to sing

together in the pitsrdquo

When they opened their mouths to sing as one in Welsh

all the snarky little comments about their language become

moot It was simply one of the most hauntingly beautiful

sounds Irsquove even heard

I got a lesson in the politics of minority languages recently

when I visited Montreal the capital of French ndash speaking

Canada I hadnrsquot been there since a childhood visit to

Exporsquo67 and I remember the province as decidedly

bilingual Everything from traffic signs to toothpaste

tubes was printed in French and English No more A

law passed in 1977 banned the use of English in signs

throughout Quebec Itrsquos an attempt to do linguistically

what they failed for two centuries to do militarily prevent

the English from conquering them

Theyrsquore quite serious about this Hudson Bay Co the

venerable department store chain that dates back to the

fur-trading days is now known as Compagnie de la Baie

drsquoHudson at least in these parts Kentucky Fried Chicken

outlets arenrsquot allowed to use ldquoKFCrdquo on their signs In

Quebec theyrsquore called ldquoPFKrdquo for Poulet Frit Kentucky

The Quebecois are more vigilant even than their famously

Anglophobic counterparts in Paris All stop signs here say

Arret even though the ones in France say ldquoStoprdquo

It all seemed a little silly and excessive to me until I began

talking to French-speaking Montrealers about it ldquoYou

have to understand that wersquore surrounded by English

speakersrdquo a schoolteacher told me ldquoWe have to be very

firm about defending our language or it will disappear

And when it goes so does our way of life

Signs aside most French Canadians I met were bilingual

I quickly discovered that if I first made atleast a fumbling

attempt to speak their language almost everybody was

happy to switch to English ndash very possibly to spare

themselves the trauma of hearing my phrase-book

French which sounds like someone grinding the gears

of an old Citroen ldquoWe have nothing against Englishrdquo the

schoolteacher told me ldquoItrsquos just that we want to speak

French hererdquo

Vive la differenceJohn Flinn -Travel Editor

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Scale up of HIV Prevention Treatment Care and Support Requires Renewed Leadership and Resources

The 17th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) took place in Mexico City from August 3 -8 2008 with an assessment of the situation of the global epidemic at a panel of researchers public health and civil society leaders examined recent progress towards the scale up of treatment and prevention programmes and called for sustained action to eliminate the barriers to universal access

ldquoDespite the progress we have made we are not on course to meet universal access targets and in fact appear to be slipping away from our existing commitmentsrdquo said Dr Pedro Cahn International Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and President of the International AIDS Society and Fundacioacuten Hueacutesped in Buenos Aires Argentina ldquoIt appears that we are poised to accept defeat when victory is still within our grasp Our failure to meet those commitments will have an impact on millions of lives This cannot be allowed to happen It is time for nations to live up to their commitmentsrdquo

ldquoWith only two years to go until the 2010 deadline for universal access set by world leaders we must redouble our commitment to scaling up all proven HIV prevention strategiesrdquo said Dr Luiacutes Soto Ramiacuterez Local Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and Head of the Molecular Virology Unit at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Meacutedicas y Nutricioacuten Salvador Zubiriaacuten and Coordinator of the Clinical Care Committee of CONASIDA Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council ldquoThe fact that last year 27 million people were newly infected with HIV a disease that is entirely preventable is unacceptablerdquo

Dr Jaime Sepulveda (Mexico) founder of Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council who is now with the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation noted that attention to and resources for AIDS are at all-time high including substantially increased funding for the Global Fund and the US Presidentrsquos Emergency Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief According to Sepulveda reaching the goal of 3 million people in low and middle-income countries on treatment at the end of 2007 was a critical step forward but the world has only scratched the surface of possibilities in responding to the epidemic Greater resources more effectively spent and targeted where they can have the greatest effect would have a dramatic impact on the course of the epidemicrsquos Highlighting the fact that more people become infected

with HIV last year than began treatment Sepulveda called for radically increased investments in prevention research evaluation and delivery of services as well as accelerated research on promising prevention methods including a vaccine In conclusion he reiterated that political leadership from all countries and accountability at all levels are essential for stopping the epidemic

Citing the results in both treatment and prevention scale up in countries with sustained leadership such as Rwanda and Tanzania Alex Coutinho (Uganda) of the Infectious Disease Institute of Makerere University made a passionate call for greater leadership as a path toward meeting the challenges ahead In looking at progress to date Coutinho highlighted increased access to HIV testing and counseling to prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and to pediatric care and treatment as well as the effectiveness of male circumcision as a prevention intervention In contrast he noted that most countries will not achieve universal access by 2010 and that the majority of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are still unaware of their HIV status In his call to action Coutinho urged greater investment in prevention and financial resources flexible enough to support health systems and systems that reach into rural and other hard-to-reach areas and fully embrace PLHIV as partners He also urged outreach to and support of marginalized and at-risk communities as well as the greater involvement of PLHIV as a catalyst for change

Elisabet Fadul (Dominican Republic) of the Dominican Network for Youth RightsGlobal Youth Partners outlined a broad and urgent youth HIVAIDS agenda calling for comprehensive rights ndash and evidence-based plans to provide access for young people Highlighting the 40 of new infections worldwide among young people between the ages of 15-24 Fadul noted that HIV prevention and treatment programmes are failing to effectively reach young people with the most vulnerable and marginalized being stigmatized criminalized or forgotten by many of these programmes

To reverse this course she called for actions and policies that engage youth especially young people living with HIVAIDS as respected partners in developing and implementing programmes that forthrightly address their

needs and diversity

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Derba MIDROC Cement Plc and the Ministry of Mines

and Energy on May 19 2000 signed a Birr 57212000 (fifty

seven million two hundred twelve thousand) agreement

for mining Limestone Marl Gypsum and Sandstone on

a large scale in the Muger Valley locality in North Shewa

Zone Oromia National Regional State

The Agreement was signed by HE Ato Alemayhu Tegenu

Minister of Mines and Energy and Sheikh Mohammed

H Al-Amoudi Owner and Chairman of MIDROC

Investment Group

According to the agreement the licensee has an exclusive

right for a large scale Limestone Marl Gypsum and

Sandstone mining for twenty years to be renewed for

ten years upon the request of the licensee The license

area covers 1928610 m2 of land and is anticipated to

produce 11665000 tons of Limestone 1166000 tons

of Marl 696000 tons of Gypsum and 11387000 tons of

Sandstone

The Project is expected to create job opportunities for

469 people

MIDROC Construction Ethiopia Plc and the Addis Ababa City Roads Authority (AACRA) signed a 6772 million Birr Contract Agreement for the construction of three roads in the city

Eng Fekadu Haile Manager of AACRA and Eng Shimelis Eshete Deputy General Manager of MIDROC Construction Ethiopia Plc signed the agreement on July 7 2008 on behalf of their respective companies

The contract covers a 191 km long of three roads namely Megenagna ndash Ayat 82 km long Gurd Shola ndash Summit Yeka Bole 82 km long and City Tip ndash Bisrate Gebriel Church 27 km long The Megenagna ndash Ayat road includes 14 m carriageway 55 m walkway and 2 m median while the other two roads include 10 m carriageway 45 m walkway and 1 m median each

These projects are expected to provide job opportunities for more than 1000 people

Derba MIDROC Signed Agreement

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi and Ato Alemayehu Tegenu exchanging the Agreement Document

Multi-Million Birr Contract Agreement Signed

 Tiret Sept 2008

MOHA Soft Drinks Industry SC a member of MIDROC

Ethiopia Investment Group has undertaken an expansion

project of Kool Mineral Water at Bure town in the

Amhara Regional State at a cost of over Birr 37 million

An agreement was signed in August 2008 between Ato

Alemayehu Tegenu Minister of Mines and Energy and Ato

Getachew Birbo CEO of MOHA Soft Drinks Industry SC

that provides a license for the expansion project which is

valid for ten years and renewable every five years to work

on a 5679978 sqm land

The factory which was acquired by MOHA four years ago

will have a capacity of producing 24 million cases of Kool

Mineral Water annually upon completion of the expansion

project MOHA has planned to produce 180320000

liters of mineral water in the coming ten years

According to CEO Getachew Birbo the company is

considering to export Kool Mineral Water as there is a

potentially rich market in the Middle East Countries

Since its establishment thirteen years ago MOHA has

invested over Birr 500 million (five hundred million birr)

in soft drinks factories located in different parts of the

country including Bure Kool Mineral Water Factory which

provided job opportunities for 2700 employees

MOHA has currently an annual production capacity

of 20 million cases from its six soft drinks factories at

Gonder Awassa Dessie Summit Plant (under contractual

agreement) and two plants in Addis Ababa covering 55

of the soft drinks demand in the country

Mini Cement Plant Begins Production

Dashen Cement Plant located in the outskirts of Dejen town North West of Amhara Regional State has been completed

and started producing cement recently

The mini plant is initially established to supply cement to private contractors and the government and to the construction

of the bigger Derba MIDROC Cement Project

Investment cost for Dashen Cement Plant stands at Birr 200000000 (two hundred million birr) and has a capacity of

producing 400 tons of cement per day

MOHA Undertakes Expansion Work

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The annual Customers Family and  Employees (company) Day initiated by the Chief Executive Officer of the MIDROC Ethiopia Technology Group was celebrated for the sixth time at the Millennium Hall on May 25 2008 in the presence of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi Chairman and Owner of MIDROC Ethiopia

According to MIDROC Technology Group the Annual Celebration of Customers Family and Employees (company) Day is held every year to acknowledge and show the gratefulness of the group to the Owners Customers Employees as well as Family Members for their contributions to the success of their respective companies

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi addressing at the celebration expressed his pleasure and gratitude and urged employees to work even harder and try to demonstrate more achievement CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw on his part articulated his appreciation to the employees for their efforts exerted for productivity and expressed hope that this hard work would be pronounced and developed in due course as a culture

Consequently 43 Best Customers of the MIDROC Ethiopia Technology Group both foreign and local were honored by Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi with Best Customers Award at the ceremony organized by the Technology Group at the Millennium Hall on May 25 2008

Wrt Etsehiwot Dinku Officer in Charge (OIC) for Production Marketing and Business Development Services at the Office of the CEO on the occasion presented a brief explanation of the products of each of the companies

Following the Sixth Annual Customers Family and Employees (company) Day Celebration Special Awards were presented to the Best Company and Best Performers of the year at the Millennium Hall in the presence of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi He addressed the gathering first and presented the Special Award to the Best Company of the Year Modern Building Industry (MBI) and the Best Performers Of The Year were also awarded

CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw on the occasion received a Special Award from the employees and families in the name of all the employees of the Group which he took from the hands of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi He was also awarded with a Special Certificate for his remarkable services in the Technology Group and other businesses of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi in the last ten years

Prior to Customers Family and Employees (company) Day the annual sports competition of employees of the Technology Group was carried out as part of the annual ceremony Winners in all competitions received gold bronze and silver medals from the hands of CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw

Customers Family and Employees (company) Day Commemorated

CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw receiving the Award from

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi

Mr Abdullah H Al-Amoudi receiving Best Foreign

Customers Award from the Chairman

 Tiret Sept 2008

The two days Second Annual ldquoOffsiterdquo Workshop where

CEOs and General Managers of the MIDROC Ethiopia

Technology Group took part was held on April 12 ndash 13

2008 at the Sheraton Addis Dr Arega Yirdaw Chief

Executive Officer of the Group opening the workshop

took into account the first Annual Workshop that was held

in Kombolcha and said that this yearrsquos venue provides more

opportunity for a considerable number of management

members to participate

While Dr Aregarsquos presentation to the Workshop focused

on ldquoEffective Marketing for Enhancement of

Business Developmentrdquo General Managers presented

comprehensive reports of their respective companies

MIDROC Ethiopia Training Department Holds Seminars

The MIDROC Ethiopia Training Department as part of  its  training activities holds various seminars for both senior managers and second level management tier every fiscal year During the last six months ldquoPositive Thinkingrdquo ldquoCorporate Social Responsibilitiesrdquo and ldquoICT Security and privacyrdquo were the issues for the seminars that the department carried out              

 Seminar on Positive Thinking

Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu Director of Training of MIDROC Ethiopia in his introductory remark on ldquoPositive Thinkingrdquo seminar that took place at the Sheraton Addis on April 11 2008 and attended by general managers and senior members of the Investment Group introduced the resource person Ato Robel Kidane as a ldquomotivational speakerrdquo and ldquolife-cycle trainerrdquo from Sweden

Emeritus Prof Johannes said that this topic is chosen because of a feeling that the current period and situations exhibited dynamic changes that were a burden to bear for many people who he said were ldquoeasily swayed to think negativelyrdquo He also quoted the Chairman and Owner of MIDROC Ethiopia Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi as saying ldquoWhat is the benefit of talking of bad

ldquoOffsiterdquo Workshop Held 

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Robel Kidane the resource person delivering his presentation at the seminar

 Tiret Sept 2008

The seminar for second level management personnel held on June 12 2008 on ICT Security and Privacy was attended by 31 participants from MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group Companies and the Head Office in the MIDROC Ethiopia Auditorium The seminar which was part of MIDROC Ethiopiarsquos attempt to keep abreast with ICT Development was opened by Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu who stressed in his brief remarks the need for concern to the protection of data and information and regulating the use of ICT

Also speaking on the occasion was Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting and Chairman of Training Committee who said that training helps to discover various means for success People he noted learn at work place and from challenges He stressed that the technology age called for adaptation of new thoughts and practices while requiring readiness to do ldquoWhat we can with what we haverdquo

The seminar which discussed various issues related to ICT was closed by Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu

 Seminar on ICT Security and Privacy

A view of participants of the seminar

things or difficulties onlyrdquo Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting of MIDROC Ethiopia and Chairman of Training Committee in his opening remark stated that positive thinking was a new scientific subject where investors CEOs and others in various capacities were inspired and motivated to create awareness to their colleagues and to remove all thoughts

of dark shadows from their minds He noted that positive thinking among CEOrsquos and subordinates was required and stressed that self-confidence was one of the prime factors for success in life and hence needed to be maintainedAto Robel Kidane covered a variety of interesting issues related to positive thinking in his presentation after which participants discussed on several importnat issues

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Teklu Haile opening the Seminar

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The seminar on ldquoCorporate Social Responsibilityrdquo

for second level management tier took place on March 27

2008 at the MIDROC Ethiopia Auditorium and attended

by 27 participants from 12 group companies

In accordance with the call to plant ldquoThree Trees in the Third Millenniumrdquo volunteers from MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group and Head Office on August 2007 replanted trees on the Entoto Mountain situated north of the capital city Addis Ababa It is to be recalled that members of MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group under the motto ldquo Two Trees in 2000 Ethiopian Millenniumrdquo have participated in planting trees at the same location last year

Organized again by the MIDROC Ethiopia Public Relations the call for replanting was enthusiastically received by volunteers who went back to the area to replace those trees planted by employees of the Investment Group last year and did not take root and withered

Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting supported and encouraged volunteers of MIDROC Ethiopia and reminded them of the saying - ldquoten thousand dedicated soldiers are better than one million dubious soldiersrdquo and appreciated all the volunteers for actively participating in the tree replanting activity

Seminar on Corporate Social Responsibility

Participants at the seminar Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu delivering his presentation

Volunteers going up the mountain for replanting

Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting Department of MIDROC Ethiopia and Chairman of Training Committee in his opening remarks stressed the importance of participation in community affairs by all Group Companies and cited Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi as a shinning example in playing an active

role in social activities He called on all to strive hard to change the negative image of the country and build a better Ethiopia free from poverty hunger and disease Various papers were presented ensuing fruitful discussions on the above issues

MIDROC Ethiopia Volunteers Participate in Replanting Trees

 Tiret Sept 2008

Equatorial Business Group General Manager Ato Tadelle

Teferra Deputy General Manager Ato Mekuria Ayele and

Automotive Business Senior Director Ato Daniel Seyoum

participated a weeklong Dealerrsquos Conference that was

staged in Cape Town South Africa in February this year

According to Ato Daniel Seyoum around 75 business

leaders from Europe the Middle East Asia and Africa

participated at the Conference Issues discussed included

regional international business concerns VOLVOrsquos strategy

development VOLVO CE business update introduction to

new VOLVO road machinery and other related business

matters Dealersrsquo Conference is an annual event to bring

together leaders in the VOLVO Construction Equipment

business from nearly all over the world for a pull effect

particularly to companies like EBG to provide further

opportunity in the Automotive Industry

EBG is an exclusive dealer in Ethiopia for VOLVO brand

products

Company Observes its 15th Anniversary

A group picture of Dealers Conference participants

EBGrsquos Managers Attended Dealers Conference

Equatorial Business Group (EBG) colorfully observed its 15th Anniversary on April 30 2008 Ato Tadelle Teferra

General Manager of the Company addressing the management and employees expressed gratitude and appreciation

to the Owners of the Company and to the Employees who worked hard since its establishment and urged all company

staff to work with an even more commitment and dedication

Ato Tadelle on the occasion disclosed the implementation of the reform packages that started recently and expressed

hope that the reform packages would bring EBG to a better competitive and profitable position The reform introduces

MIS QMS and companyrsquos new restructuring and other associated jobs

Three employees who served EBG for 15 years were honored with Special Certificates and several employees from

the various businesses and support services of the company were awarded for Best Performances during the year

200607

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Tadesse Haile State Minister of the Ministry of Trade and Industry visited Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc and held discussions with senior members on issues pertaining to the activities of the factory Ato Ahmed Hassen General Manager of the Factory explained to the State Minister that the factory would make all efforts to produce quality products in large quantity so as to reduce import from abroad He however expressed his wish that the government reduces tax on raw materials which are essential for the production of soap and detergent

Ato Tadesse disclosed during the discussion that extensive studies that include soap industries in the country are underway with the aim to strengthen the chemical industry in which the concern would be addressed in the near future He further said that there is a plan to connect the various regions of the country to the port by

EBG was announced First Order Winner for Best Stand in the 12th International Millennium Trade Fair organized by the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations held at the Exhibition Center in February 2008

EBGrsquos stand was visited by large number of visitors including the honorable World Laureate Metre Artist Afework Tekle who not only showed interest in the products and services of EBG but also expressed his appreciation to the Company in his comments while signing in the Special Guest Book

EBG Awarded for Best Stand

Star Soap and Detergent Factory Visited

The Most Honorable Maritre World Laureate Artist

Afework Tekle signing in the Visitors Book at the Trade Fair

Ato Tadesse Haile visiting the Production Unit with Ato Ahmed Hassen General Manager and Ato Seid Ahmed Plant Manager of the Factory

rail within the coming five years for the speedy delivery of export and import of goods which will have a great impact on sales

Ato Tadesse Haile finally appreciated the activities of the factory and said that Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc is capable of being a model in the sector and wished the lsquoBest of Luckrsquo for the management and the staff and affirmed that his Ministry would always support on all their endeavors

Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc is a member of the MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group established at an investment capital of Birr 80 million The factory is one of the biggest in the sector and equipped with the latest machinery and manufactures best quality laundry and toilet soaps liquid and synthetic detergents powder and bar soaps

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the most dedicated health care professionals and support staff SalaM Employees Clinic the Clinic that provides health care services to employees of MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group Companies and affiliates in its efforts to upgrade and improve its services has added to its modern list of medical equipment a Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor an advanced medical equipment Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor is one of the new advanced machineries that the clinic acquired recently which is used for the diagnosis of refraction errors of the eye

The Clinic provides medical and surgical services with sub-specialists in gynecological ophthalmological dermatological and ENT employing advanced diagnostic equipment such as radiography endoscopy and colonoscopy supported by video camera ultrasound and ECG Machines It has a well stocked pharmacy with essential medicines and also provides laboratory diagnostic services

The Clinic recently has moved from its previous location to a large and ideal villa with more rooms and a convenient location near the Genet Hotel and is open 24 hours

SalaM Employees Clinic was established by Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi in 1996 for employees of the Investment Group with an investment capital of over Birr 4 million under the SalaM Health Care Plc He later on increased the investment a lot more

Apart from providing services to the employees of the MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group SalaM Employees Clinic is rendering efficient services to the public as well

Dr Amare Abebe Medical Director of the clinic conducting an examination using endoscopy machine

Employees Clinic Secures Equipment

The Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor which the clinic acquired recently

The front view of the Clinic

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Three delegates from Ethiopia Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu MIDROC Ethiopia Training Director Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch Ato Asfaw Alemu Credit Manager of Dashen Bank attended the International Society of Business Economics and Ethics World Congress under the theme ldquoGlobal Fairness Local Integrityrdquo held in Cape Town from July 13 ndash 20 2008 and organized by BEN-Africa

The ISBEE World Congress is held every four years and is affectionately referred to as the Olympics of Business Ethics It always succeeds in attracting the best minds in the field of ethics of business and economics This yearrsquos Congress was attended by over 400 participants from all corners of the world Top notch world speakers among others Prof Mervyn E King SC Prof Deon Rossow Prof Joka Iwao Prof Georges Enderle Prof Paul Collies and Prof Tom Donaldson attended the Congress and over 80 papers were presented in three plenary sessions on topical international business issues

Ethiopian Delegation Participates at World ISBEE World Congress

Participants of ISBEE Congress Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu (left) Ato Lulseged Teferi (middle) Ato Asfaw Alemu

A Special Certificate of Recognition was awarded to Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu of MIDROC Ethiopia Prof Deon Rossow ndash former President of BEN-Africa and Ms Korien Sander the outgoing Executive Secretary of BEN-Africa

Emeritus Prof Johannes in his brief statement after receiving the certificate said that he accepted the certificate on behalf of those institutions and individuals in Ethiopia who have been behind the BEN-Africa Conference held in Ethiopia

It is to be recalled that MIDROC Ethiopia Corporate Office Dashen Bank the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch and Ato Teklu Haile Manager of Treasury Finance and Accounting of MIDROC Ethiopia played a great role for the successful completion of the ldquo7th Annual BEN-Africa Conferencerdquo held in Addis Ababa in August 2007

 Tiret Sept 2008

MIDROC Ethiopia is involved in the development of

mining and exploration of gold building of heavy mining

industries in central and eastern parts of the country

like cement plants filler plants etc Coal exploration is

also a potential area that is being explored by different

companies including MIDROC Ethiopia for use in the

cement plant power generation and fertilizer Soda ash

being used as a major input in glass soap detergent and

other industrial input is also one area of mining A lot of

investors are involved in gemstones

In an effort to exploit these resources and put them

to good use for the development of Ethiopia one of

MIDROC Ethiopia Group Companies the National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) has since its establishment in

March 1993 been actively engaged in the exploration of

gold and base metals in the various parts of the country

ldquoIt is worth noting that the mineral wealth of Ethiopia is

not fully tapped yet and needs to be given due attention

as it can be the backbone of the economy together with

agriculturerdquo says Ato Melaku Beza CEO of National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) He assertively told TIRET in

an interview at his office regarding the activities and

contributions of NMiC to the mining industry and that

his Company is working hard for a better achievement as

it has commemorated its 15th anniversary recently

He said that NMiC is currently engaged in the exploration

of gold base metals at Dawa Digati and Werri areas in the

Oromia and Tigray Administrative Regions and base metals

in Dire Dawa and Benshangul Gumuz Administrative

Regions It is also engaged in mining of marble and

limestone processing of quarried blocks and on the way

to develop the Abiyata Soda Ash in Southern Ethiopia

The Company in its venture in the development of Soda

Ash has embarked upon a joint investment agreement

with the Public Enterprise Supervising Agency (PPESA)

for a 54 percent share in which PPESArsquos 46 percent share

dilutes while NMICrsquos share shall increase in the process of

implementing tasks set in two phases

Mining Corporation on the Move

Ato Melaku Beza CEO NMiC

Dawa Digati Gold exploration drilling

The potential of the mining industry for the development of the Ethiopian economy is immense as witnessed by the ongoing development activities in the country This includes exploration of petroleum in the Ogaden Gambela and other areas by different companies exploration of gold in different parts of the country and potash exploration in Dallol where there is an estimated of 160 millions of tons of proven reserves

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Melaku stated that NMIC has invested Birr

160817912 (one hundred sixty million eight hundred

seventeen thousand nine hundred twelve) for exploration

and mining activities adding that the size of investment for

soda ash will be in the order of Birr 1150000000 (one

billion one hundred fifty million)

The first phase will cost Birr 640000000 (six hundred

forty million) and the second phase will be Birr 500000000

(five hundred million)

National Mining Corporation Plc is a pioneer in opening

and developing quarrying of marble and limestone using

the latest technology in the field Currently the Companyrsquos

Boka Marble Quarry has six benches and more than

twelve faces that are being worked out at Boka quarry

in the Benshangul Administrative Region In the process

it provides training to quarry workers of other quarry

owners thereby contributing to the development of the

mining culture

The General Manager explained about the processing and

marketing of his Companyrsquos products and said that his

Company applies modern technologies and deploys the

latest equipment in mining that meet export standards

engaging in open pit mining and tunneling for underground

mining which is unique not only in Ethiopia but also in

Africa He further articulated that the Company mines one

of the best quality marble in the industry as evidenced in

Boka multicolor marble once nominated as ldquoThe Stone

of the Yearrdquo by the Marble Institute of America (MIA)

while the blue marble has entered the world market by

a new name ldquoSummer Skyrdquo and is currently being sold

in Italy Samples of both have been tested and analyzed in

American Testing Companies and European Universities

and have proved to be of high quality and suitable both

for internal and external use in the construction industry

These two marbles are unique and are found only in

Ethiopia Also the limestone is of unique colors yellow

white and red which have high demand in the market

The CEO said that the special quality of his Companyrsquos

product that attracts international market is the

uniqueness of the material its beauty (aesthetics) and its

non-absorbent and compact nature

The company has the capacity to supply the export market

with the required quality and size of blocks and slabs both

white and blue marble Export markets include Taiwan

China Italy France USA Africa and the Middle East

In order to improve quality additional modern

state-of-the-art quarry machinery has been injected in the

quarry Plan is underway to replace the old machinery at

the processing plant The Company is also producing its

own ldquoabrasiverdquo used for polishing marble using locally

available minerals and materials

Awash Processing Plant

Blocks at Block Yard

Slabs at Slab Yard in the Awash Processing Plant

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

NMiC holds 40 of the local market share in the construction industry Lots of buildings have been cladded by NMiCrsquos products The Sheraton Addis Bole International Airport Terminal Sunshine Multipurpose Building National Bank of Ethiopia Federal Police Headquarters AUrsquos Building Head Office and the Secretary Generalrsquos Residence Ethiopian Insurance Corporation Worbek Building the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Patriarchrsquos Palace and UNCA Building are some the major buildings in Addis Ababa which are finished with NMiCrsquos products

National Mining Corporation Plc is one of the competent companies in Ethiopia and has contributed to the economy of the country by way of generating hard currency from its exports and saving foreign currency by competing and blocking imports of dimension stones from abroad One word it has added to the Ethiopian economy an amount of over Birr 5000000000 (fifty million) in tax royalties and land rent

NMiC has made valuable studies on the mineral potential areas of the country in dimension stones oil and gas mineral water coal and industrial minerals It has also made sound participation in the employment and training of manpower to the mining sector and has encouraged foreign investors to be involved in exploration of oil and gas and other minerals NMiC provides free training in its quarries and processing plant to new local enterprises coming to the sector The company provides potable water electricity medical services and other financial assistance to the community of its mining areas and has set up HIVAIDS policy for the Company to curb the spread of the pandemic and provides care and support for

those living with the virus

Tunnel Jet Belt Quarrying the latest technology in use at the Eshet Blue Quarry

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

a) Finalizing the work on the exploration phase of the gold and base metals projects both at Dawa Digati and Werri which shall lead to feasibility study and production stage

b) Developing Eshet Blue and Boka Multicolor marble quarries and strengthen export to increase income of foreign currency

c) Supplying blocks to local factories

d) Replacement of machinery at Awash Processing Plant especially to boost production and quality

e) Improve the life of the working force through profit sharing and availing better facilities together with upgrading their knowledge through training

f) Implement the Soda Ash development project

The priority areas of NMiC in its future plan include among others

Asked finally if he was satisfied with his Companyrsquos achievements Ato Melaku Beza CEO of NMiC replied ldquoNot much we could do betterrdquo

Nmic Products

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

ldquoA journey of a thousand miles starts with a single steprdquo

goes the famous Chinese saying as for Bauer MIDROC it

all started 10 years ago with the foundation work of the

construction of the MIDROC Corporate Office (MCO)

commonly known as Nani Building With a single project

at hand Bauer Specialtifbau a German Company ventured

into the slowly budding private construction industry

in equal partnership with MIDROC Ethiopia Although

a small scale business venture in the eyes of both giant

partners MIDROC Ethiopia and Bauer Specialtifbau it

created vast opportunities to the construction sector

with the introduction of a state-of-the-art German based

foundation technology to the Ethiopian market The

miniature move of the two giants opened up a gateway

of possibilities and marked a new construction era for

Ethiopia Over the years changes in shareholders has

led to the current name ldquoMIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plcrdquo with the state-of-the-art foundation solutions still in

place

Several limitations in dealing with unfavorable soil

conditions frequently encountered within Ethiopiarsquos

diverse geological formations most abundantly the

problematic black cotton soil within the city of Addis

Ababa and other parts of the country brought about

several technical barriers when it came to building

massive civil structures Building highrises as well as

massive bridges was inconceivable unless capable soil was

in close vicinity MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with

the introduction of deep foundations based on advanced

and efficient technologies in the construction industry

no doubt brought about remarkable solutions and helped

ease some of these anxieties

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with its fleets of large

diameter drilling rigs and variety of drilling tools capable of

both soil and hard soil formations has made economical

foundation solutions a reality offering developers the

confidence to build high rise buildings without worrying

about the type of soil in Addis Ababa The expertise of

Dedicated Backing for MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is gradually changing

the cityrsquos skyline with the construction of the completed

MCO Building AICAIB Headquarters and KK Building

both to be completed soon and all standing above 20

stories

Entering the city limits through the skyways one can notice

that the Bole Airport has received an entire facelift with

the construction of the International Passenger Terminal

Airport Control Towers the new Cargo Terminal and the

Maintenance Hanger The only thing these landmarks share

other than ownership is that they owe their existence to

foundation solutions of MIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plc As we enter the city limits also the Bole Viaduct

and all the overpasses on the Addis Ababa Ring Road are

comfortably resting still with the construction of the deep

piles by MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc

Drilling of pile with casing

 Tiret Sept 2008

Parallel to pile construction as verification of the

constructed pile capacities is common practice in the

foundation construction industry MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc equipped with the state-of-the-art

automated pile load testing system has recently conducted

1300 metric tons load test at the Derba MIDROC Cement

Factory Project the first of this magnitude in the African

Continent

The introduction of vertical shoring wall systems that

uses reinforced concrete piles and tie back anchors which

is gaining popularity in recent years is another type of

foundation technology solutions made possible in Ethiopia

through MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos expertise

Prior to these shoring system solutions land owners

could not fully utilize their plots at the boundaries for fear

of catastrophic cave-in In fact in most cases plot owners

avoided under ground construction in order to avoid

litigation with next door land owners The utilization of

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos vertical shoring pile

wall system was proposed and implemented in the cases

of Bole Towers and Loli Building In both cases all sides of

the plot were shored exactly at the boundaries without

any land loss In fact the clients gained underground spaces

in the order of two to three times their plot size for

possible parking purpose This has provided developers

with solutions clearing their lumbers from additional

costs for parking facilities

Pile load testing

In line with the construction boom within Addis Ababa

developers are opting to construct on boundary edges

where heavy structures already exist in adjacent plots

In order to excavate at these boundaries the safest and

most economical foundation solution system is shoring

pile wall system These systems were employed at Awash

Bank and Insurance Building KK Building and Orchid

Building

For realization of structures that have to be constructed

below the natural ground water level and or near offshore

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc has construction

approaches that employ waterproof vertical shoring

systems and several options to choose from within

the framework of technical feasibility of foundation

engineering The construction of Diaphragm Wall

Cellular Cofferdam Sheet Pile Wall and Secant

Pile Wall are such solutions to name a few The cost

of construction and the time required for executing the

works is in the order listed above

Anchored pile shoring wall

Foundation Solution

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the equipment already available in the country

MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc has tabled and

implemented an economical and technically feasible

secant pile wall system solution for bridge projects

within Ethiopia If it was not for MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plcrsquos geotechnical solutions construction under

such conditions would have been technically impossible

throughout East Africa

Unlike other options construction of secant pile wall as

waterproof vertical shoring system is not limited to the

soil condition of the site The construction of such high

tech geotechnical engineering solutions by the Company

have been successfully applied on projects like the Omo

River Bridge and on the New Abay Bridge Projects The

application of the secant pile wall system was used for the

construction of the pier foundation on both sides of the

Bridge on the Omo River Bridge Project and one side pier

foundation construction of the New Abay Bridge Project

During the construction of the Omo River Bridge

foundation and substructure works other logistic

challenges non-related to foundation works was

encountered The West Pier and Abutment on the Omo

River Bridge created such a technical impasse On this

side one of the most difficult challenges was to solve the

problem of crossing equipment and construction material

across the 150 m wide river After carefully considering all

the possible alternatives a decision was made to design and

manufacture a water crossing barge using local expertise

and manufacturing capabilities MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc took part in the design manufacturing and

commissioning of this barge and has successfully crossed

a 503 ton drilling rig and other earth moving equipment

With nearly twenty projects within Ethiopia MIDROC

Foundation Specialists Plc is a pioneer in exporting

foundation technology to neighboring Kenya Tanzania

and the Sudan In-house trained Ethiopian experts have

Crossing of drilling rig on Omo River through Barge

 Tiret Sept 2008

Secant pile wall

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Mr Achim Braun General Manager of MIDROC Foundation (left) inspecting a construction site

left their marks on several key projects within those

countries Among the projects successfully carried out in

Tanzania the Songo Songo Offshore Piling Project was the

most challenging and rewarding of all In this Project sixty

per cent of the piles were constructed from a SEWP (Self

Elevating Working Platform) elevated 13 meters from the

sea bed

As the company commemorates the tenth anniversary of

its establishment it is only proper to mark the outstanding

contributions to the construction industry of Ethiopia The

efficiency of the Company and the technology employed

has resulted in creating a broad awareness of foundation

technological solutions in the country particularly

among developers In terms of the spectrum of available

techniques of foundation the projects undertaken so

far are only a tip of the iceberg Although the Company

was confronted with a number of challenges in changing

attitudes and practices the success achieved so far has

been accomplished with great efforts exerted by the

companyrsquos management and its diligent professionals in

the field

Being the only Class I Foundation Specialist Contractors

in the country MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc is now

determined to leap ahead to new and yet un-introduced

foundation construction technologies such as micro 

piles  high  pressure  injection  diaphragm 

walls  slope  protection  and  soil  nailing  As

the countries infrastructure development continues to

reach higher levels MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is

preparing itself to meet the current customer demands

and technological challenges

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Statistics reveal that the country continues to earn hard currency from export of primary commodities such as coffee which tops the list by fetching some 500 million dollars last financial year

Other commodities are hides and skin flowers pulses fruits vegetables and chat

Incidentally it is interesting to note that Chat has fetched over 60 million dollars in foreign currency last fiscal year

The chewing of chat leaves is common in the horn of Africa but in eastern Ethiopia it is big business for some and big worry for others Chat is a major agricultural crop Yet many say it is addictive and harmful to health

In a town where I grew up for instance it is hard to avoid the impact of the stimulant leaf The first thing that strikes you in the main market is the deafening noise The market square is a scene of total chaos as you make your way through a bustling crowd preoccupied with the business of bartering for a prized commodity- the green leafed plant chat

Awadaye market is a market for chat It is estimated that over 25000 kg pass through it daily The buyers and sellers take their jobs seriously shouting to one other They gesture excitedly as they trade thousands of birr daily for the chat which is bought from the local farmers in Awadaye and sent to other areas in Ethiopia It is also exported overseas It is said to be the backbone of the economy as it can be gathered from the revenue it has generated during the current physical year

If you compare chat farmers with other farmers in other parts of the country you will see that their standard of living is so much better

The employment created though chat cultivation is very high as large numbers of people are involved in growing harvesting sorting packing transporting loading and unloading the commodity The wood of the plant is used for fuel and because of its resistance to termites it is also used to make fences Chat is also believed to have medical value being used locally to treat influenza and asthma

Chat farmers used to grow maize sorghum and teff which is the basic Ethiopian staple food but these crops are difficult to grow as they require lots of rain and attention

while chat requires little water or cultivation That is why it is widely believed that its cultivation is expanding at an amazing rate

Chat has now become Ethiopiarsquos biggest export third only to coffee and hides and skin But despite the cash earning and the tradition of chat growing and use among the people many people do not encourage it

They believe that it is addictive and this has a negative impact on the community They allege that people forget about their work commitments and spend hours chewing chat The number of users of chat is increasing particularly among the youth

In urban areas the use of chat combined with alcohol is having an adverse effect on family life Many students chew chat because they say it increases their concentration when they study their lessons

However in some regions where it is widely cultivated business punctuality is a frequent problem as the time after lunch is usually spent chewing chat Even in some regions where the plant has been banned cultivation and usage continue and attempts to replace chat with cash crops like coffee have failed

Regardless of the merit or demerit of chat the country continues to get the much needed hard currency through export of the plant ldquochatrdquo

However many people including development agents are of the opinion that the demerit far out weighs the merit for energy and time is spent chewing the stuff and particularly its negative impact on health especially on the productive force

Another very lucrative business in Ethiopia is the export of leather and leather goods According to recent data export of leather and leather goods registered a surge from 52 million dollars to over 90 million dollars Incidentally ELICO one of MIDROC Ethiopia group companies dealing with finished leather products fetched last financial year over 10 million dollars

In the light of considerable income accrued from export of primary commodities there is a need to do even more by way of establishing more agro-industries that engage in the production of agricultural products for sale locally and internationally

Earning from Export of Primary CommoditiesBy Yohannes Ruphael

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The Third Private Sector Development National Conference ndash 2008 of Ethiopia took place in Addis Ababa on June 30 2008 ndash at the UNECA Conference Center and the draft strategy document and priority strategic issues for improved business environment were discussed by representatives of the Private Sector Development Hub established with basic objectives of coordinating and developing a series of public sector development intervention projects for implementation with international financial support and undertaking related research studies to support the business community in its public and private partnership dialogue The Conference was addressed by an internationally renowned and distinguished authority on Corporate Governance Prof Mervyn E King SC

The Editorial Team of TIRET has taken advantage of communicating with Professor Mervyn E King SC to share his views briefly with our readers

Professor Mervyn E King SC is currently Professor Extraordinaire at the University of South Africa and serves as the Chairperson of the King Committee on Corporate Governance in South Africa He is a Senior Counsel and former Judge of the Supreme Court of South Africa His other credentials include Member of the World Bank Advisory Group on Corporate Governance President of the Commonwealth Association of Corporate Governance Governor of the International Corporate Governance Network President of the South Africa Chamber of Business Vice President of the Institute of Directors of Southern Africa Representatives of South Africa at the International Chamber of Commerce Advisor of Asian Center of Corporate Governance Director of Global Reporting Initiative-Amsterdam Director of Association of business Administrators of South Africa

At the Millennium National Private Sector Development Conference in Addis Ababa recently I spoke about corporate governance in the development of the private sector

Corporate governance is about the principles and practices which guide directors and senior managers in making their decisions to the best interests of their companies It has to be separated from the enterprise side of the business which is about making business judgment calls It is essential that directors and senior managers adopt acceptable principles and practices in steering and directing the company and making business judgment It is about the quality of this governance rather than a quantitative check on whether there has been compliance by the directors and managers with well-known governance practices such as the establishment of a remuneration committee

In my talk I pointed out that the economic value of a company does not equal its book value In Coca Cola for example its book value is approximately 13 of its economic value and its greatest asset is its brand which is dependent on

 Tiret Sept 2008

the companyrsquos reputation Consequentially directors and senior managers of Coca Cola have a duty to protect the companyrsquos brand

In planning for a company the strategic direction needs to be done both short- and long-term If a strategy is developed in which all persons in the corporation at all levels buy-in one can get ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things Unless this is done not even extraordinary people will achieve ordinary things

The important thing for directors to remember is that they have won and maintained the trust and confidence of the stakeholders of the company Consequently they should report at least annually how the company has both positively and negatively affected a communityrsquos economic life through its operations and how it is going to enhance those positive aspects and eradicate or ameliorate the negative aspects in the year ahead

Good governance involves inter alia the approval by the board of the strategy of the company and sustainability can no longer be ignored in developing a long-term strategy

The Private Sector Development Hub (PSD-Hub) has the objective to contribute to the economic development of Ethiopia by improving the entrepreneurial environment and the governance of corporations Consequently the PSD-Hub has held Conferences over the last two years focusing on these issues and on the question of public private partnerships There has also been discussion about expediting the registration of companies the standardization of accounting and auditing capitalization and the finalization of the revision of the Ethiopian Commercial Code Corporate governance has featured prominently in these discussions

Arising out of all the modernization of the registration of companies in Ethiopia has been recognized as a priority

Accounting and auditing standards which should follow IFRS should have legal backing so that everyone in Ethiopia will know the meaning of the reported financial statements

The development of a securities market including an exchange in which not only equities but bonds and derivatives can be bought and sold with the dematerialisation of scrip and electronic settlement is essential

From the above it will be seen that there is much to be done but Ethiopia is striving through the PSD Hub to create platforms on which it can forge ahead in our flat electronic world where capital flows towards those areas where there is good governance and well-regulated markets The Conference at which I spoke was just another step in Ethiopiarsquos endeavours to achieve these goals Positively the essential aspects for creating an entrepreneurial and thriving business environment have been identified and PSD Hub the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other interested bodies are working in partnership with government to achieve them

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Itrsquos a ridiculous

l a n g u a g e rdquo

sputtered the

Englishman at

the next table

his jowls shaking

in anger ldquoA ridiculous languagerdquo

We were sitting in a tiny tea-and-pie shop in Criccieth a

town in northern Wales and everybody but us was speaking

Welsh Like a remarkable number of his countrymen this

man was convinced it was merely a secret code employed

by the local to talk behind the backs of English visitors

ldquoJust you watchrdquo he said ldquoAs soon as we leave theyrsquoll all

go back to speaking Englishrdquo

I rather doubted it And unlike the Englishman I was

thrilled to encounter one of the oldest languages in

Europe a tongue heard in this misty and mountainous

land since the arrival of Roman legions

Being surrounded by people speaking an unfamiliar and

exotic language is to me one of the best things about

travel Just as some people will journey to the Serengeti

to glimpse the rare and endangered white rhino Irsquoll happily

go far out of my way to hear a rare and endangered

language

In the storybook city of Carcassonne in southwest France

I was less thrilled at seeing the towers and turrets than

I was at meeting a man who could speak Occitan the

ancient and fast-vanishing language of the troubadours

As far as I was concerned the most fascinating thing in

Dangriga a coastal town in Belize was the mellifluous

sound of Garifuna a language spoken by the descendants

of shipwrecked slaves from West Africa I once traveled

to Graubunden in eastern Switzerland in the hope of

hearing Romansch a tongue spoken by fewer than one

percent of the nationrsquos residents and said to resemble

Latin I encountered a few signs in the language but no

one who could speak it

According to one oft-cited estimate at least half the

worldrsquos 6000 languages are likely to die out by the end

of this century which means that one is going silent on

average every two weeks

Itrsquos not merely a matter of using different words to express the same thoughts Languages are literally the expressions of cultures and belief systems entirely different ways of making sense of the world And just as we should be concerned about the shrinking diversity of plant and animal species we should also worry about the shrinking diversity of languages

Welsh though seems to be holding on despite 700 years

of efforts by the English to exterminate it The BBC has for

some years now carried television and radio programming

in the language and in Wales itrsquos possible to receive your

entire education from preschool to postgraduate in

Welsh About 20 percent of Walesrsquo population speaks

Welsh and the number appears to be growing slightly

It is not as the Englishman said a ridiculous language But

it is to my eyes and ears a wonderfully strange one Dave

Barry once wrote that the ancient Hawaiians arrived on

their islands after perilous canoe voyages in seas so rough

their consonants fell overboard My guess is that the

letters drifted the worldrsquos oceans until they washed up on

the shores of Wales

T h e   B e a u t y   o f   a   L a n g u a g e

 Tiret Sept 2008

How else to explain for example the Welsh word for

beer Itrsquos cwrw It looks like my Scrabble tray when I

donrsquot have a word to pay (In case you ever need to order

one itrsquos pronounced ldquokooroordquo)

And then therersquos the vexing pronunciation of the double-

1 you find at the beginning of it seems two-thirds of the

town names in Wales ldquoJust put your teeth together and

hiss like a duckrdquo explained a helpful woman I met at the

Dylan Thomas Museum in Swansea She also pointed out

that Llareggub the fictional town in Thomasrsquo ldquoUnder the

Milkwood Treerdquo is merely ldquobugger allrdquo spelled backward

I like the besotted poet a whole lot more after learning

that

One dark and drizzly night I went to a little schoolhouse in

the Rhondda Valley to listen to a rehearsal of the Treorchy

Menrsquos Choir made up mostly of unemployed coal miners

ldquoIn the old daysrdquo one of them told me ldquowe used to sing

together in the pitsrdquo

When they opened their mouths to sing as one in Welsh

all the snarky little comments about their language become

moot It was simply one of the most hauntingly beautiful

sounds Irsquove even heard

I got a lesson in the politics of minority languages recently

when I visited Montreal the capital of French ndash speaking

Canada I hadnrsquot been there since a childhood visit to

Exporsquo67 and I remember the province as decidedly

bilingual Everything from traffic signs to toothpaste

tubes was printed in French and English No more A

law passed in 1977 banned the use of English in signs

throughout Quebec Itrsquos an attempt to do linguistically

what they failed for two centuries to do militarily prevent

the English from conquering them

Theyrsquore quite serious about this Hudson Bay Co the

venerable department store chain that dates back to the

fur-trading days is now known as Compagnie de la Baie

drsquoHudson at least in these parts Kentucky Fried Chicken

outlets arenrsquot allowed to use ldquoKFCrdquo on their signs In

Quebec theyrsquore called ldquoPFKrdquo for Poulet Frit Kentucky

The Quebecois are more vigilant even than their famously

Anglophobic counterparts in Paris All stop signs here say

Arret even though the ones in France say ldquoStoprdquo

It all seemed a little silly and excessive to me until I began

talking to French-speaking Montrealers about it ldquoYou

have to understand that wersquore surrounded by English

speakersrdquo a schoolteacher told me ldquoWe have to be very

firm about defending our language or it will disappear

And when it goes so does our way of life

Signs aside most French Canadians I met were bilingual

I quickly discovered that if I first made atleast a fumbling

attempt to speak their language almost everybody was

happy to switch to English ndash very possibly to spare

themselves the trauma of hearing my phrase-book

French which sounds like someone grinding the gears

of an old Citroen ldquoWe have nothing against Englishrdquo the

schoolteacher told me ldquoItrsquos just that we want to speak

French hererdquo

Vive la differenceJohn Flinn -Travel Editor

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Scale up of HIV Prevention Treatment Care and Support Requires Renewed Leadership and Resources

The 17th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) took place in Mexico City from August 3 -8 2008 with an assessment of the situation of the global epidemic at a panel of researchers public health and civil society leaders examined recent progress towards the scale up of treatment and prevention programmes and called for sustained action to eliminate the barriers to universal access

ldquoDespite the progress we have made we are not on course to meet universal access targets and in fact appear to be slipping away from our existing commitmentsrdquo said Dr Pedro Cahn International Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and President of the International AIDS Society and Fundacioacuten Hueacutesped in Buenos Aires Argentina ldquoIt appears that we are poised to accept defeat when victory is still within our grasp Our failure to meet those commitments will have an impact on millions of lives This cannot be allowed to happen It is time for nations to live up to their commitmentsrdquo

ldquoWith only two years to go until the 2010 deadline for universal access set by world leaders we must redouble our commitment to scaling up all proven HIV prevention strategiesrdquo said Dr Luiacutes Soto Ramiacuterez Local Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and Head of the Molecular Virology Unit at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Meacutedicas y Nutricioacuten Salvador Zubiriaacuten and Coordinator of the Clinical Care Committee of CONASIDA Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council ldquoThe fact that last year 27 million people were newly infected with HIV a disease that is entirely preventable is unacceptablerdquo

Dr Jaime Sepulveda (Mexico) founder of Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council who is now with the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation noted that attention to and resources for AIDS are at all-time high including substantially increased funding for the Global Fund and the US Presidentrsquos Emergency Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief According to Sepulveda reaching the goal of 3 million people in low and middle-income countries on treatment at the end of 2007 was a critical step forward but the world has only scratched the surface of possibilities in responding to the epidemic Greater resources more effectively spent and targeted where they can have the greatest effect would have a dramatic impact on the course of the epidemicrsquos Highlighting the fact that more people become infected

with HIV last year than began treatment Sepulveda called for radically increased investments in prevention research evaluation and delivery of services as well as accelerated research on promising prevention methods including a vaccine In conclusion he reiterated that political leadership from all countries and accountability at all levels are essential for stopping the epidemic

Citing the results in both treatment and prevention scale up in countries with sustained leadership such as Rwanda and Tanzania Alex Coutinho (Uganda) of the Infectious Disease Institute of Makerere University made a passionate call for greater leadership as a path toward meeting the challenges ahead In looking at progress to date Coutinho highlighted increased access to HIV testing and counseling to prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and to pediatric care and treatment as well as the effectiveness of male circumcision as a prevention intervention In contrast he noted that most countries will not achieve universal access by 2010 and that the majority of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are still unaware of their HIV status In his call to action Coutinho urged greater investment in prevention and financial resources flexible enough to support health systems and systems that reach into rural and other hard-to-reach areas and fully embrace PLHIV as partners He also urged outreach to and support of marginalized and at-risk communities as well as the greater involvement of PLHIV as a catalyst for change

Elisabet Fadul (Dominican Republic) of the Dominican Network for Youth RightsGlobal Youth Partners outlined a broad and urgent youth HIVAIDS agenda calling for comprehensive rights ndash and evidence-based plans to provide access for young people Highlighting the 40 of new infections worldwide among young people between the ages of 15-24 Fadul noted that HIV prevention and treatment programmes are failing to effectively reach young people with the most vulnerable and marginalized being stigmatized criminalized or forgotten by many of these programmes

To reverse this course she called for actions and policies that engage youth especially young people living with HIVAIDS as respected partners in developing and implementing programmes that forthrightly address their

needs and diversity

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Derba MIDROC Cement Plc and the Ministry of Mines

and Energy on May 19 2000 signed a Birr 57212000 (fifty

seven million two hundred twelve thousand) agreement

for mining Limestone Marl Gypsum and Sandstone on

a large scale in the Muger Valley locality in North Shewa

Zone Oromia National Regional State

The Agreement was signed by HE Ato Alemayhu Tegenu

Minister of Mines and Energy and Sheikh Mohammed

H Al-Amoudi Owner and Chairman of MIDROC

Investment Group

According to the agreement the licensee has an exclusive

right for a large scale Limestone Marl Gypsum and

Sandstone mining for twenty years to be renewed for

ten years upon the request of the licensee The license

area covers 1928610 m2 of land and is anticipated to

produce 11665000 tons of Limestone 1166000 tons

of Marl 696000 tons of Gypsum and 11387000 tons of

Sandstone

The Project is expected to create job opportunities for

469 people

MIDROC Construction Ethiopia Plc and the Addis Ababa City Roads Authority (AACRA) signed a 6772 million Birr Contract Agreement for the construction of three roads in the city

Eng Fekadu Haile Manager of AACRA and Eng Shimelis Eshete Deputy General Manager of MIDROC Construction Ethiopia Plc signed the agreement on July 7 2008 on behalf of their respective companies

The contract covers a 191 km long of three roads namely Megenagna ndash Ayat 82 km long Gurd Shola ndash Summit Yeka Bole 82 km long and City Tip ndash Bisrate Gebriel Church 27 km long The Megenagna ndash Ayat road includes 14 m carriageway 55 m walkway and 2 m median while the other two roads include 10 m carriageway 45 m walkway and 1 m median each

These projects are expected to provide job opportunities for more than 1000 people

Derba MIDROC Signed Agreement

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi and Ato Alemayehu Tegenu exchanging the Agreement Document

Multi-Million Birr Contract Agreement Signed

 Tiret Sept 2008

MOHA Soft Drinks Industry SC a member of MIDROC

Ethiopia Investment Group has undertaken an expansion

project of Kool Mineral Water at Bure town in the

Amhara Regional State at a cost of over Birr 37 million

An agreement was signed in August 2008 between Ato

Alemayehu Tegenu Minister of Mines and Energy and Ato

Getachew Birbo CEO of MOHA Soft Drinks Industry SC

that provides a license for the expansion project which is

valid for ten years and renewable every five years to work

on a 5679978 sqm land

The factory which was acquired by MOHA four years ago

will have a capacity of producing 24 million cases of Kool

Mineral Water annually upon completion of the expansion

project MOHA has planned to produce 180320000

liters of mineral water in the coming ten years

According to CEO Getachew Birbo the company is

considering to export Kool Mineral Water as there is a

potentially rich market in the Middle East Countries

Since its establishment thirteen years ago MOHA has

invested over Birr 500 million (five hundred million birr)

in soft drinks factories located in different parts of the

country including Bure Kool Mineral Water Factory which

provided job opportunities for 2700 employees

MOHA has currently an annual production capacity

of 20 million cases from its six soft drinks factories at

Gonder Awassa Dessie Summit Plant (under contractual

agreement) and two plants in Addis Ababa covering 55

of the soft drinks demand in the country

Mini Cement Plant Begins Production

Dashen Cement Plant located in the outskirts of Dejen town North West of Amhara Regional State has been completed

and started producing cement recently

The mini plant is initially established to supply cement to private contractors and the government and to the construction

of the bigger Derba MIDROC Cement Project

Investment cost for Dashen Cement Plant stands at Birr 200000000 (two hundred million birr) and has a capacity of

producing 400 tons of cement per day

MOHA Undertakes Expansion Work

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The annual Customers Family and  Employees (company) Day initiated by the Chief Executive Officer of the MIDROC Ethiopia Technology Group was celebrated for the sixth time at the Millennium Hall on May 25 2008 in the presence of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi Chairman and Owner of MIDROC Ethiopia

According to MIDROC Technology Group the Annual Celebration of Customers Family and Employees (company) Day is held every year to acknowledge and show the gratefulness of the group to the Owners Customers Employees as well as Family Members for their contributions to the success of their respective companies

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi addressing at the celebration expressed his pleasure and gratitude and urged employees to work even harder and try to demonstrate more achievement CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw on his part articulated his appreciation to the employees for their efforts exerted for productivity and expressed hope that this hard work would be pronounced and developed in due course as a culture

Consequently 43 Best Customers of the MIDROC Ethiopia Technology Group both foreign and local were honored by Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi with Best Customers Award at the ceremony organized by the Technology Group at the Millennium Hall on May 25 2008

Wrt Etsehiwot Dinku Officer in Charge (OIC) for Production Marketing and Business Development Services at the Office of the CEO on the occasion presented a brief explanation of the products of each of the companies

Following the Sixth Annual Customers Family and Employees (company) Day Celebration Special Awards were presented to the Best Company and Best Performers of the year at the Millennium Hall in the presence of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi He addressed the gathering first and presented the Special Award to the Best Company of the Year Modern Building Industry (MBI) and the Best Performers Of The Year were also awarded

CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw on the occasion received a Special Award from the employees and families in the name of all the employees of the Group which he took from the hands of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi He was also awarded with a Special Certificate for his remarkable services in the Technology Group and other businesses of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi in the last ten years

Prior to Customers Family and Employees (company) Day the annual sports competition of employees of the Technology Group was carried out as part of the annual ceremony Winners in all competitions received gold bronze and silver medals from the hands of CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw

Customers Family and Employees (company) Day Commemorated

CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw receiving the Award from

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi

Mr Abdullah H Al-Amoudi receiving Best Foreign

Customers Award from the Chairman

 Tiret Sept 2008

The two days Second Annual ldquoOffsiterdquo Workshop where

CEOs and General Managers of the MIDROC Ethiopia

Technology Group took part was held on April 12 ndash 13

2008 at the Sheraton Addis Dr Arega Yirdaw Chief

Executive Officer of the Group opening the workshop

took into account the first Annual Workshop that was held

in Kombolcha and said that this yearrsquos venue provides more

opportunity for a considerable number of management

members to participate

While Dr Aregarsquos presentation to the Workshop focused

on ldquoEffective Marketing for Enhancement of

Business Developmentrdquo General Managers presented

comprehensive reports of their respective companies

MIDROC Ethiopia Training Department Holds Seminars

The MIDROC Ethiopia Training Department as part of  its  training activities holds various seminars for both senior managers and second level management tier every fiscal year During the last six months ldquoPositive Thinkingrdquo ldquoCorporate Social Responsibilitiesrdquo and ldquoICT Security and privacyrdquo were the issues for the seminars that the department carried out              

 Seminar on Positive Thinking

Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu Director of Training of MIDROC Ethiopia in his introductory remark on ldquoPositive Thinkingrdquo seminar that took place at the Sheraton Addis on April 11 2008 and attended by general managers and senior members of the Investment Group introduced the resource person Ato Robel Kidane as a ldquomotivational speakerrdquo and ldquolife-cycle trainerrdquo from Sweden

Emeritus Prof Johannes said that this topic is chosen because of a feeling that the current period and situations exhibited dynamic changes that were a burden to bear for many people who he said were ldquoeasily swayed to think negativelyrdquo He also quoted the Chairman and Owner of MIDROC Ethiopia Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi as saying ldquoWhat is the benefit of talking of bad

ldquoOffsiterdquo Workshop Held 

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Robel Kidane the resource person delivering his presentation at the seminar

 Tiret Sept 2008

The seminar for second level management personnel held on June 12 2008 on ICT Security and Privacy was attended by 31 participants from MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group Companies and the Head Office in the MIDROC Ethiopia Auditorium The seminar which was part of MIDROC Ethiopiarsquos attempt to keep abreast with ICT Development was opened by Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu who stressed in his brief remarks the need for concern to the protection of data and information and regulating the use of ICT

Also speaking on the occasion was Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting and Chairman of Training Committee who said that training helps to discover various means for success People he noted learn at work place and from challenges He stressed that the technology age called for adaptation of new thoughts and practices while requiring readiness to do ldquoWhat we can with what we haverdquo

The seminar which discussed various issues related to ICT was closed by Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu

 Seminar on ICT Security and Privacy

A view of participants of the seminar

things or difficulties onlyrdquo Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting of MIDROC Ethiopia and Chairman of Training Committee in his opening remark stated that positive thinking was a new scientific subject where investors CEOs and others in various capacities were inspired and motivated to create awareness to their colleagues and to remove all thoughts

of dark shadows from their minds He noted that positive thinking among CEOrsquos and subordinates was required and stressed that self-confidence was one of the prime factors for success in life and hence needed to be maintainedAto Robel Kidane covered a variety of interesting issues related to positive thinking in his presentation after which participants discussed on several importnat issues

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Teklu Haile opening the Seminar

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The seminar on ldquoCorporate Social Responsibilityrdquo

for second level management tier took place on March 27

2008 at the MIDROC Ethiopia Auditorium and attended

by 27 participants from 12 group companies

In accordance with the call to plant ldquoThree Trees in the Third Millenniumrdquo volunteers from MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group and Head Office on August 2007 replanted trees on the Entoto Mountain situated north of the capital city Addis Ababa It is to be recalled that members of MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group under the motto ldquo Two Trees in 2000 Ethiopian Millenniumrdquo have participated in planting trees at the same location last year

Organized again by the MIDROC Ethiopia Public Relations the call for replanting was enthusiastically received by volunteers who went back to the area to replace those trees planted by employees of the Investment Group last year and did not take root and withered

Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting supported and encouraged volunteers of MIDROC Ethiopia and reminded them of the saying - ldquoten thousand dedicated soldiers are better than one million dubious soldiersrdquo and appreciated all the volunteers for actively participating in the tree replanting activity

Seminar on Corporate Social Responsibility

Participants at the seminar Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu delivering his presentation

Volunteers going up the mountain for replanting

Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting Department of MIDROC Ethiopia and Chairman of Training Committee in his opening remarks stressed the importance of participation in community affairs by all Group Companies and cited Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi as a shinning example in playing an active

role in social activities He called on all to strive hard to change the negative image of the country and build a better Ethiopia free from poverty hunger and disease Various papers were presented ensuing fruitful discussions on the above issues

MIDROC Ethiopia Volunteers Participate in Replanting Trees

 Tiret Sept 2008

Equatorial Business Group General Manager Ato Tadelle

Teferra Deputy General Manager Ato Mekuria Ayele and

Automotive Business Senior Director Ato Daniel Seyoum

participated a weeklong Dealerrsquos Conference that was

staged in Cape Town South Africa in February this year

According to Ato Daniel Seyoum around 75 business

leaders from Europe the Middle East Asia and Africa

participated at the Conference Issues discussed included

regional international business concerns VOLVOrsquos strategy

development VOLVO CE business update introduction to

new VOLVO road machinery and other related business

matters Dealersrsquo Conference is an annual event to bring

together leaders in the VOLVO Construction Equipment

business from nearly all over the world for a pull effect

particularly to companies like EBG to provide further

opportunity in the Automotive Industry

EBG is an exclusive dealer in Ethiopia for VOLVO brand

products

Company Observes its 15th Anniversary

A group picture of Dealers Conference participants

EBGrsquos Managers Attended Dealers Conference

Equatorial Business Group (EBG) colorfully observed its 15th Anniversary on April 30 2008 Ato Tadelle Teferra

General Manager of the Company addressing the management and employees expressed gratitude and appreciation

to the Owners of the Company and to the Employees who worked hard since its establishment and urged all company

staff to work with an even more commitment and dedication

Ato Tadelle on the occasion disclosed the implementation of the reform packages that started recently and expressed

hope that the reform packages would bring EBG to a better competitive and profitable position The reform introduces

MIS QMS and companyrsquos new restructuring and other associated jobs

Three employees who served EBG for 15 years were honored with Special Certificates and several employees from

the various businesses and support services of the company were awarded for Best Performances during the year

200607

 Tiret Sept 2008

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Ato Tadesse Haile State Minister of the Ministry of Trade and Industry visited Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc and held discussions with senior members on issues pertaining to the activities of the factory Ato Ahmed Hassen General Manager of the Factory explained to the State Minister that the factory would make all efforts to produce quality products in large quantity so as to reduce import from abroad He however expressed his wish that the government reduces tax on raw materials which are essential for the production of soap and detergent

Ato Tadesse disclosed during the discussion that extensive studies that include soap industries in the country are underway with the aim to strengthen the chemical industry in which the concern would be addressed in the near future He further said that there is a plan to connect the various regions of the country to the port by

EBG was announced First Order Winner for Best Stand in the 12th International Millennium Trade Fair organized by the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations held at the Exhibition Center in February 2008

EBGrsquos stand was visited by large number of visitors including the honorable World Laureate Metre Artist Afework Tekle who not only showed interest in the products and services of EBG but also expressed his appreciation to the Company in his comments while signing in the Special Guest Book

EBG Awarded for Best Stand

Star Soap and Detergent Factory Visited

The Most Honorable Maritre World Laureate Artist

Afework Tekle signing in the Visitors Book at the Trade Fair

Ato Tadesse Haile visiting the Production Unit with Ato Ahmed Hassen General Manager and Ato Seid Ahmed Plant Manager of the Factory

rail within the coming five years for the speedy delivery of export and import of goods which will have a great impact on sales

Ato Tadesse Haile finally appreciated the activities of the factory and said that Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc is capable of being a model in the sector and wished the lsquoBest of Luckrsquo for the management and the staff and affirmed that his Ministry would always support on all their endeavors

Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc is a member of the MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group established at an investment capital of Birr 80 million The factory is one of the biggest in the sector and equipped with the latest machinery and manufactures best quality laundry and toilet soaps liquid and synthetic detergents powder and bar soaps

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the most dedicated health care professionals and support staff SalaM Employees Clinic the Clinic that provides health care services to employees of MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group Companies and affiliates in its efforts to upgrade and improve its services has added to its modern list of medical equipment a Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor an advanced medical equipment Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor is one of the new advanced machineries that the clinic acquired recently which is used for the diagnosis of refraction errors of the eye

The Clinic provides medical and surgical services with sub-specialists in gynecological ophthalmological dermatological and ENT employing advanced diagnostic equipment such as radiography endoscopy and colonoscopy supported by video camera ultrasound and ECG Machines It has a well stocked pharmacy with essential medicines and also provides laboratory diagnostic services

The Clinic recently has moved from its previous location to a large and ideal villa with more rooms and a convenient location near the Genet Hotel and is open 24 hours

SalaM Employees Clinic was established by Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi in 1996 for employees of the Investment Group with an investment capital of over Birr 4 million under the SalaM Health Care Plc He later on increased the investment a lot more

Apart from providing services to the employees of the MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group SalaM Employees Clinic is rendering efficient services to the public as well

Dr Amare Abebe Medical Director of the clinic conducting an examination using endoscopy machine

Employees Clinic Secures Equipment

The Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor which the clinic acquired recently

The front view of the Clinic

 Tiret Sept 2008

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Three delegates from Ethiopia Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu MIDROC Ethiopia Training Director Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch Ato Asfaw Alemu Credit Manager of Dashen Bank attended the International Society of Business Economics and Ethics World Congress under the theme ldquoGlobal Fairness Local Integrityrdquo held in Cape Town from July 13 ndash 20 2008 and organized by BEN-Africa

The ISBEE World Congress is held every four years and is affectionately referred to as the Olympics of Business Ethics It always succeeds in attracting the best minds in the field of ethics of business and economics This yearrsquos Congress was attended by over 400 participants from all corners of the world Top notch world speakers among others Prof Mervyn E King SC Prof Deon Rossow Prof Joka Iwao Prof Georges Enderle Prof Paul Collies and Prof Tom Donaldson attended the Congress and over 80 papers were presented in three plenary sessions on topical international business issues

Ethiopian Delegation Participates at World ISBEE World Congress

Participants of ISBEE Congress Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu (left) Ato Lulseged Teferi (middle) Ato Asfaw Alemu

A Special Certificate of Recognition was awarded to Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu of MIDROC Ethiopia Prof Deon Rossow ndash former President of BEN-Africa and Ms Korien Sander the outgoing Executive Secretary of BEN-Africa

Emeritus Prof Johannes in his brief statement after receiving the certificate said that he accepted the certificate on behalf of those institutions and individuals in Ethiopia who have been behind the BEN-Africa Conference held in Ethiopia

It is to be recalled that MIDROC Ethiopia Corporate Office Dashen Bank the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch and Ato Teklu Haile Manager of Treasury Finance and Accounting of MIDROC Ethiopia played a great role for the successful completion of the ldquo7th Annual BEN-Africa Conferencerdquo held in Addis Ababa in August 2007

 Tiret Sept 2008

MIDROC Ethiopia is involved in the development of

mining and exploration of gold building of heavy mining

industries in central and eastern parts of the country

like cement plants filler plants etc Coal exploration is

also a potential area that is being explored by different

companies including MIDROC Ethiopia for use in the

cement plant power generation and fertilizer Soda ash

being used as a major input in glass soap detergent and

other industrial input is also one area of mining A lot of

investors are involved in gemstones

In an effort to exploit these resources and put them

to good use for the development of Ethiopia one of

MIDROC Ethiopia Group Companies the National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) has since its establishment in

March 1993 been actively engaged in the exploration of

gold and base metals in the various parts of the country

ldquoIt is worth noting that the mineral wealth of Ethiopia is

not fully tapped yet and needs to be given due attention

as it can be the backbone of the economy together with

agriculturerdquo says Ato Melaku Beza CEO of National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) He assertively told TIRET in

an interview at his office regarding the activities and

contributions of NMiC to the mining industry and that

his Company is working hard for a better achievement as

it has commemorated its 15th anniversary recently

He said that NMiC is currently engaged in the exploration

of gold base metals at Dawa Digati and Werri areas in the

Oromia and Tigray Administrative Regions and base metals

in Dire Dawa and Benshangul Gumuz Administrative

Regions It is also engaged in mining of marble and

limestone processing of quarried blocks and on the way

to develop the Abiyata Soda Ash in Southern Ethiopia

The Company in its venture in the development of Soda

Ash has embarked upon a joint investment agreement

with the Public Enterprise Supervising Agency (PPESA)

for a 54 percent share in which PPESArsquos 46 percent share

dilutes while NMICrsquos share shall increase in the process of

implementing tasks set in two phases

Mining Corporation on the Move

Ato Melaku Beza CEO NMiC

Dawa Digati Gold exploration drilling

The potential of the mining industry for the development of the Ethiopian economy is immense as witnessed by the ongoing development activities in the country This includes exploration of petroleum in the Ogaden Gambela and other areas by different companies exploration of gold in different parts of the country and potash exploration in Dallol where there is an estimated of 160 millions of tons of proven reserves

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Melaku stated that NMIC has invested Birr

160817912 (one hundred sixty million eight hundred

seventeen thousand nine hundred twelve) for exploration

and mining activities adding that the size of investment for

soda ash will be in the order of Birr 1150000000 (one

billion one hundred fifty million)

The first phase will cost Birr 640000000 (six hundred

forty million) and the second phase will be Birr 500000000

(five hundred million)

National Mining Corporation Plc is a pioneer in opening

and developing quarrying of marble and limestone using

the latest technology in the field Currently the Companyrsquos

Boka Marble Quarry has six benches and more than

twelve faces that are being worked out at Boka quarry

in the Benshangul Administrative Region In the process

it provides training to quarry workers of other quarry

owners thereby contributing to the development of the

mining culture

The General Manager explained about the processing and

marketing of his Companyrsquos products and said that his

Company applies modern technologies and deploys the

latest equipment in mining that meet export standards

engaging in open pit mining and tunneling for underground

mining which is unique not only in Ethiopia but also in

Africa He further articulated that the Company mines one

of the best quality marble in the industry as evidenced in

Boka multicolor marble once nominated as ldquoThe Stone

of the Yearrdquo by the Marble Institute of America (MIA)

while the blue marble has entered the world market by

a new name ldquoSummer Skyrdquo and is currently being sold

in Italy Samples of both have been tested and analyzed in

American Testing Companies and European Universities

and have proved to be of high quality and suitable both

for internal and external use in the construction industry

These two marbles are unique and are found only in

Ethiopia Also the limestone is of unique colors yellow

white and red which have high demand in the market

The CEO said that the special quality of his Companyrsquos

product that attracts international market is the

uniqueness of the material its beauty (aesthetics) and its

non-absorbent and compact nature

The company has the capacity to supply the export market

with the required quality and size of blocks and slabs both

white and blue marble Export markets include Taiwan

China Italy France USA Africa and the Middle East

In order to improve quality additional modern

state-of-the-art quarry machinery has been injected in the

quarry Plan is underway to replace the old machinery at

the processing plant The Company is also producing its

own ldquoabrasiverdquo used for polishing marble using locally

available minerals and materials

Awash Processing Plant

Blocks at Block Yard

Slabs at Slab Yard in the Awash Processing Plant

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

NMiC holds 40 of the local market share in the construction industry Lots of buildings have been cladded by NMiCrsquos products The Sheraton Addis Bole International Airport Terminal Sunshine Multipurpose Building National Bank of Ethiopia Federal Police Headquarters AUrsquos Building Head Office and the Secretary Generalrsquos Residence Ethiopian Insurance Corporation Worbek Building the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Patriarchrsquos Palace and UNCA Building are some the major buildings in Addis Ababa which are finished with NMiCrsquos products

National Mining Corporation Plc is one of the competent companies in Ethiopia and has contributed to the economy of the country by way of generating hard currency from its exports and saving foreign currency by competing and blocking imports of dimension stones from abroad One word it has added to the Ethiopian economy an amount of over Birr 5000000000 (fifty million) in tax royalties and land rent

NMiC has made valuable studies on the mineral potential areas of the country in dimension stones oil and gas mineral water coal and industrial minerals It has also made sound participation in the employment and training of manpower to the mining sector and has encouraged foreign investors to be involved in exploration of oil and gas and other minerals NMiC provides free training in its quarries and processing plant to new local enterprises coming to the sector The company provides potable water electricity medical services and other financial assistance to the community of its mining areas and has set up HIVAIDS policy for the Company to curb the spread of the pandemic and provides care and support for

those living with the virus

Tunnel Jet Belt Quarrying the latest technology in use at the Eshet Blue Quarry

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

a) Finalizing the work on the exploration phase of the gold and base metals projects both at Dawa Digati and Werri which shall lead to feasibility study and production stage

b) Developing Eshet Blue and Boka Multicolor marble quarries and strengthen export to increase income of foreign currency

c) Supplying blocks to local factories

d) Replacement of machinery at Awash Processing Plant especially to boost production and quality

e) Improve the life of the working force through profit sharing and availing better facilities together with upgrading their knowledge through training

f) Implement the Soda Ash development project

The priority areas of NMiC in its future plan include among others

Asked finally if he was satisfied with his Companyrsquos achievements Ato Melaku Beza CEO of NMiC replied ldquoNot much we could do betterrdquo

Nmic Products

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

ldquoA journey of a thousand miles starts with a single steprdquo

goes the famous Chinese saying as for Bauer MIDROC it

all started 10 years ago with the foundation work of the

construction of the MIDROC Corporate Office (MCO)

commonly known as Nani Building With a single project

at hand Bauer Specialtifbau a German Company ventured

into the slowly budding private construction industry

in equal partnership with MIDROC Ethiopia Although

a small scale business venture in the eyes of both giant

partners MIDROC Ethiopia and Bauer Specialtifbau it

created vast opportunities to the construction sector

with the introduction of a state-of-the-art German based

foundation technology to the Ethiopian market The

miniature move of the two giants opened up a gateway

of possibilities and marked a new construction era for

Ethiopia Over the years changes in shareholders has

led to the current name ldquoMIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plcrdquo with the state-of-the-art foundation solutions still in

place

Several limitations in dealing with unfavorable soil

conditions frequently encountered within Ethiopiarsquos

diverse geological formations most abundantly the

problematic black cotton soil within the city of Addis

Ababa and other parts of the country brought about

several technical barriers when it came to building

massive civil structures Building highrises as well as

massive bridges was inconceivable unless capable soil was

in close vicinity MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with

the introduction of deep foundations based on advanced

and efficient technologies in the construction industry

no doubt brought about remarkable solutions and helped

ease some of these anxieties

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with its fleets of large

diameter drilling rigs and variety of drilling tools capable of

both soil and hard soil formations has made economical

foundation solutions a reality offering developers the

confidence to build high rise buildings without worrying

about the type of soil in Addis Ababa The expertise of

Dedicated Backing for MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is gradually changing

the cityrsquos skyline with the construction of the completed

MCO Building AICAIB Headquarters and KK Building

both to be completed soon and all standing above 20

stories

Entering the city limits through the skyways one can notice

that the Bole Airport has received an entire facelift with

the construction of the International Passenger Terminal

Airport Control Towers the new Cargo Terminal and the

Maintenance Hanger The only thing these landmarks share

other than ownership is that they owe their existence to

foundation solutions of MIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plc As we enter the city limits also the Bole Viaduct

and all the overpasses on the Addis Ababa Ring Road are

comfortably resting still with the construction of the deep

piles by MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc

Drilling of pile with casing

 Tiret Sept 2008

Parallel to pile construction as verification of the

constructed pile capacities is common practice in the

foundation construction industry MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc equipped with the state-of-the-art

automated pile load testing system has recently conducted

1300 metric tons load test at the Derba MIDROC Cement

Factory Project the first of this magnitude in the African

Continent

The introduction of vertical shoring wall systems that

uses reinforced concrete piles and tie back anchors which

is gaining popularity in recent years is another type of

foundation technology solutions made possible in Ethiopia

through MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos expertise

Prior to these shoring system solutions land owners

could not fully utilize their plots at the boundaries for fear

of catastrophic cave-in In fact in most cases plot owners

avoided under ground construction in order to avoid

litigation with next door land owners The utilization of

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos vertical shoring pile

wall system was proposed and implemented in the cases

of Bole Towers and Loli Building In both cases all sides of

the plot were shored exactly at the boundaries without

any land loss In fact the clients gained underground spaces

in the order of two to three times their plot size for

possible parking purpose This has provided developers

with solutions clearing their lumbers from additional

costs for parking facilities

Pile load testing

In line with the construction boom within Addis Ababa

developers are opting to construct on boundary edges

where heavy structures already exist in adjacent plots

In order to excavate at these boundaries the safest and

most economical foundation solution system is shoring

pile wall system These systems were employed at Awash

Bank and Insurance Building KK Building and Orchid

Building

For realization of structures that have to be constructed

below the natural ground water level and or near offshore

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc has construction

approaches that employ waterproof vertical shoring

systems and several options to choose from within

the framework of technical feasibility of foundation

engineering The construction of Diaphragm Wall

Cellular Cofferdam Sheet Pile Wall and Secant

Pile Wall are such solutions to name a few The cost

of construction and the time required for executing the

works is in the order listed above

Anchored pile shoring wall

Foundation Solution

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the equipment already available in the country

MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc has tabled and

implemented an economical and technically feasible

secant pile wall system solution for bridge projects

within Ethiopia If it was not for MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plcrsquos geotechnical solutions construction under

such conditions would have been technically impossible

throughout East Africa

Unlike other options construction of secant pile wall as

waterproof vertical shoring system is not limited to the

soil condition of the site The construction of such high

tech geotechnical engineering solutions by the Company

have been successfully applied on projects like the Omo

River Bridge and on the New Abay Bridge Projects The

application of the secant pile wall system was used for the

construction of the pier foundation on both sides of the

Bridge on the Omo River Bridge Project and one side pier

foundation construction of the New Abay Bridge Project

During the construction of the Omo River Bridge

foundation and substructure works other logistic

challenges non-related to foundation works was

encountered The West Pier and Abutment on the Omo

River Bridge created such a technical impasse On this

side one of the most difficult challenges was to solve the

problem of crossing equipment and construction material

across the 150 m wide river After carefully considering all

the possible alternatives a decision was made to design and

manufacture a water crossing barge using local expertise

and manufacturing capabilities MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc took part in the design manufacturing and

commissioning of this barge and has successfully crossed

a 503 ton drilling rig and other earth moving equipment

With nearly twenty projects within Ethiopia MIDROC

Foundation Specialists Plc is a pioneer in exporting

foundation technology to neighboring Kenya Tanzania

and the Sudan In-house trained Ethiopian experts have

Crossing of drilling rig on Omo River through Barge

 Tiret Sept 2008

Secant pile wall

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Mr Achim Braun General Manager of MIDROC Foundation (left) inspecting a construction site

left their marks on several key projects within those

countries Among the projects successfully carried out in

Tanzania the Songo Songo Offshore Piling Project was the

most challenging and rewarding of all In this Project sixty

per cent of the piles were constructed from a SEWP (Self

Elevating Working Platform) elevated 13 meters from the

sea bed

As the company commemorates the tenth anniversary of

its establishment it is only proper to mark the outstanding

contributions to the construction industry of Ethiopia The

efficiency of the Company and the technology employed

has resulted in creating a broad awareness of foundation

technological solutions in the country particularly

among developers In terms of the spectrum of available

techniques of foundation the projects undertaken so

far are only a tip of the iceberg Although the Company

was confronted with a number of challenges in changing

attitudes and practices the success achieved so far has

been accomplished with great efforts exerted by the

companyrsquos management and its diligent professionals in

the field

Being the only Class I Foundation Specialist Contractors

in the country MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc is now

determined to leap ahead to new and yet un-introduced

foundation construction technologies such as micro 

piles  high  pressure  injection  diaphragm 

walls  slope  protection  and  soil  nailing  As

the countries infrastructure development continues to

reach higher levels MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is

preparing itself to meet the current customer demands

and technological challenges

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Statistics reveal that the country continues to earn hard currency from export of primary commodities such as coffee which tops the list by fetching some 500 million dollars last financial year

Other commodities are hides and skin flowers pulses fruits vegetables and chat

Incidentally it is interesting to note that Chat has fetched over 60 million dollars in foreign currency last fiscal year

The chewing of chat leaves is common in the horn of Africa but in eastern Ethiopia it is big business for some and big worry for others Chat is a major agricultural crop Yet many say it is addictive and harmful to health

In a town where I grew up for instance it is hard to avoid the impact of the stimulant leaf The first thing that strikes you in the main market is the deafening noise The market square is a scene of total chaos as you make your way through a bustling crowd preoccupied with the business of bartering for a prized commodity- the green leafed plant chat

Awadaye market is a market for chat It is estimated that over 25000 kg pass through it daily The buyers and sellers take their jobs seriously shouting to one other They gesture excitedly as they trade thousands of birr daily for the chat which is bought from the local farmers in Awadaye and sent to other areas in Ethiopia It is also exported overseas It is said to be the backbone of the economy as it can be gathered from the revenue it has generated during the current physical year

If you compare chat farmers with other farmers in other parts of the country you will see that their standard of living is so much better

The employment created though chat cultivation is very high as large numbers of people are involved in growing harvesting sorting packing transporting loading and unloading the commodity The wood of the plant is used for fuel and because of its resistance to termites it is also used to make fences Chat is also believed to have medical value being used locally to treat influenza and asthma

Chat farmers used to grow maize sorghum and teff which is the basic Ethiopian staple food but these crops are difficult to grow as they require lots of rain and attention

while chat requires little water or cultivation That is why it is widely believed that its cultivation is expanding at an amazing rate

Chat has now become Ethiopiarsquos biggest export third only to coffee and hides and skin But despite the cash earning and the tradition of chat growing and use among the people many people do not encourage it

They believe that it is addictive and this has a negative impact on the community They allege that people forget about their work commitments and spend hours chewing chat The number of users of chat is increasing particularly among the youth

In urban areas the use of chat combined with alcohol is having an adverse effect on family life Many students chew chat because they say it increases their concentration when they study their lessons

However in some regions where it is widely cultivated business punctuality is a frequent problem as the time after lunch is usually spent chewing chat Even in some regions where the plant has been banned cultivation and usage continue and attempts to replace chat with cash crops like coffee have failed

Regardless of the merit or demerit of chat the country continues to get the much needed hard currency through export of the plant ldquochatrdquo

However many people including development agents are of the opinion that the demerit far out weighs the merit for energy and time is spent chewing the stuff and particularly its negative impact on health especially on the productive force

Another very lucrative business in Ethiopia is the export of leather and leather goods According to recent data export of leather and leather goods registered a surge from 52 million dollars to over 90 million dollars Incidentally ELICO one of MIDROC Ethiopia group companies dealing with finished leather products fetched last financial year over 10 million dollars

In the light of considerable income accrued from export of primary commodities there is a need to do even more by way of establishing more agro-industries that engage in the production of agricultural products for sale locally and internationally

Earning from Export of Primary CommoditiesBy Yohannes Ruphael

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The Third Private Sector Development National Conference ndash 2008 of Ethiopia took place in Addis Ababa on June 30 2008 ndash at the UNECA Conference Center and the draft strategy document and priority strategic issues for improved business environment were discussed by representatives of the Private Sector Development Hub established with basic objectives of coordinating and developing a series of public sector development intervention projects for implementation with international financial support and undertaking related research studies to support the business community in its public and private partnership dialogue The Conference was addressed by an internationally renowned and distinguished authority on Corporate Governance Prof Mervyn E King SC

The Editorial Team of TIRET has taken advantage of communicating with Professor Mervyn E King SC to share his views briefly with our readers

Professor Mervyn E King SC is currently Professor Extraordinaire at the University of South Africa and serves as the Chairperson of the King Committee on Corporate Governance in South Africa He is a Senior Counsel and former Judge of the Supreme Court of South Africa His other credentials include Member of the World Bank Advisory Group on Corporate Governance President of the Commonwealth Association of Corporate Governance Governor of the International Corporate Governance Network President of the South Africa Chamber of Business Vice President of the Institute of Directors of Southern Africa Representatives of South Africa at the International Chamber of Commerce Advisor of Asian Center of Corporate Governance Director of Global Reporting Initiative-Amsterdam Director of Association of business Administrators of South Africa

At the Millennium National Private Sector Development Conference in Addis Ababa recently I spoke about corporate governance in the development of the private sector

Corporate governance is about the principles and practices which guide directors and senior managers in making their decisions to the best interests of their companies It has to be separated from the enterprise side of the business which is about making business judgment calls It is essential that directors and senior managers adopt acceptable principles and practices in steering and directing the company and making business judgment It is about the quality of this governance rather than a quantitative check on whether there has been compliance by the directors and managers with well-known governance practices such as the establishment of a remuneration committee

In my talk I pointed out that the economic value of a company does not equal its book value In Coca Cola for example its book value is approximately 13 of its economic value and its greatest asset is its brand which is dependent on

 Tiret Sept 2008

the companyrsquos reputation Consequentially directors and senior managers of Coca Cola have a duty to protect the companyrsquos brand

In planning for a company the strategic direction needs to be done both short- and long-term If a strategy is developed in which all persons in the corporation at all levels buy-in one can get ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things Unless this is done not even extraordinary people will achieve ordinary things

The important thing for directors to remember is that they have won and maintained the trust and confidence of the stakeholders of the company Consequently they should report at least annually how the company has both positively and negatively affected a communityrsquos economic life through its operations and how it is going to enhance those positive aspects and eradicate or ameliorate the negative aspects in the year ahead

Good governance involves inter alia the approval by the board of the strategy of the company and sustainability can no longer be ignored in developing a long-term strategy

The Private Sector Development Hub (PSD-Hub) has the objective to contribute to the economic development of Ethiopia by improving the entrepreneurial environment and the governance of corporations Consequently the PSD-Hub has held Conferences over the last two years focusing on these issues and on the question of public private partnerships There has also been discussion about expediting the registration of companies the standardization of accounting and auditing capitalization and the finalization of the revision of the Ethiopian Commercial Code Corporate governance has featured prominently in these discussions

Arising out of all the modernization of the registration of companies in Ethiopia has been recognized as a priority

Accounting and auditing standards which should follow IFRS should have legal backing so that everyone in Ethiopia will know the meaning of the reported financial statements

The development of a securities market including an exchange in which not only equities but bonds and derivatives can be bought and sold with the dematerialisation of scrip and electronic settlement is essential

From the above it will be seen that there is much to be done but Ethiopia is striving through the PSD Hub to create platforms on which it can forge ahead in our flat electronic world where capital flows towards those areas where there is good governance and well-regulated markets The Conference at which I spoke was just another step in Ethiopiarsquos endeavours to achieve these goals Positively the essential aspects for creating an entrepreneurial and thriving business environment have been identified and PSD Hub the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other interested bodies are working in partnership with government to achieve them

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Itrsquos a ridiculous

l a n g u a g e rdquo

sputtered the

Englishman at

the next table

his jowls shaking

in anger ldquoA ridiculous languagerdquo

We were sitting in a tiny tea-and-pie shop in Criccieth a

town in northern Wales and everybody but us was speaking

Welsh Like a remarkable number of his countrymen this

man was convinced it was merely a secret code employed

by the local to talk behind the backs of English visitors

ldquoJust you watchrdquo he said ldquoAs soon as we leave theyrsquoll all

go back to speaking Englishrdquo

I rather doubted it And unlike the Englishman I was

thrilled to encounter one of the oldest languages in

Europe a tongue heard in this misty and mountainous

land since the arrival of Roman legions

Being surrounded by people speaking an unfamiliar and

exotic language is to me one of the best things about

travel Just as some people will journey to the Serengeti

to glimpse the rare and endangered white rhino Irsquoll happily

go far out of my way to hear a rare and endangered

language

In the storybook city of Carcassonne in southwest France

I was less thrilled at seeing the towers and turrets than

I was at meeting a man who could speak Occitan the

ancient and fast-vanishing language of the troubadours

As far as I was concerned the most fascinating thing in

Dangriga a coastal town in Belize was the mellifluous

sound of Garifuna a language spoken by the descendants

of shipwrecked slaves from West Africa I once traveled

to Graubunden in eastern Switzerland in the hope of

hearing Romansch a tongue spoken by fewer than one

percent of the nationrsquos residents and said to resemble

Latin I encountered a few signs in the language but no

one who could speak it

According to one oft-cited estimate at least half the

worldrsquos 6000 languages are likely to die out by the end

of this century which means that one is going silent on

average every two weeks

Itrsquos not merely a matter of using different words to express the same thoughts Languages are literally the expressions of cultures and belief systems entirely different ways of making sense of the world And just as we should be concerned about the shrinking diversity of plant and animal species we should also worry about the shrinking diversity of languages

Welsh though seems to be holding on despite 700 years

of efforts by the English to exterminate it The BBC has for

some years now carried television and radio programming

in the language and in Wales itrsquos possible to receive your

entire education from preschool to postgraduate in

Welsh About 20 percent of Walesrsquo population speaks

Welsh and the number appears to be growing slightly

It is not as the Englishman said a ridiculous language But

it is to my eyes and ears a wonderfully strange one Dave

Barry once wrote that the ancient Hawaiians arrived on

their islands after perilous canoe voyages in seas so rough

their consonants fell overboard My guess is that the

letters drifted the worldrsquos oceans until they washed up on

the shores of Wales

T h e   B e a u t y   o f   a   L a n g u a g e

 Tiret Sept 2008

How else to explain for example the Welsh word for

beer Itrsquos cwrw It looks like my Scrabble tray when I

donrsquot have a word to pay (In case you ever need to order

one itrsquos pronounced ldquokooroordquo)

And then therersquos the vexing pronunciation of the double-

1 you find at the beginning of it seems two-thirds of the

town names in Wales ldquoJust put your teeth together and

hiss like a duckrdquo explained a helpful woman I met at the

Dylan Thomas Museum in Swansea She also pointed out

that Llareggub the fictional town in Thomasrsquo ldquoUnder the

Milkwood Treerdquo is merely ldquobugger allrdquo spelled backward

I like the besotted poet a whole lot more after learning

that

One dark and drizzly night I went to a little schoolhouse in

the Rhondda Valley to listen to a rehearsal of the Treorchy

Menrsquos Choir made up mostly of unemployed coal miners

ldquoIn the old daysrdquo one of them told me ldquowe used to sing

together in the pitsrdquo

When they opened their mouths to sing as one in Welsh

all the snarky little comments about their language become

moot It was simply one of the most hauntingly beautiful

sounds Irsquove even heard

I got a lesson in the politics of minority languages recently

when I visited Montreal the capital of French ndash speaking

Canada I hadnrsquot been there since a childhood visit to

Exporsquo67 and I remember the province as decidedly

bilingual Everything from traffic signs to toothpaste

tubes was printed in French and English No more A

law passed in 1977 banned the use of English in signs

throughout Quebec Itrsquos an attempt to do linguistically

what they failed for two centuries to do militarily prevent

the English from conquering them

Theyrsquore quite serious about this Hudson Bay Co the

venerable department store chain that dates back to the

fur-trading days is now known as Compagnie de la Baie

drsquoHudson at least in these parts Kentucky Fried Chicken

outlets arenrsquot allowed to use ldquoKFCrdquo on their signs In

Quebec theyrsquore called ldquoPFKrdquo for Poulet Frit Kentucky

The Quebecois are more vigilant even than their famously

Anglophobic counterparts in Paris All stop signs here say

Arret even though the ones in France say ldquoStoprdquo

It all seemed a little silly and excessive to me until I began

talking to French-speaking Montrealers about it ldquoYou

have to understand that wersquore surrounded by English

speakersrdquo a schoolteacher told me ldquoWe have to be very

firm about defending our language or it will disappear

And when it goes so does our way of life

Signs aside most French Canadians I met were bilingual

I quickly discovered that if I first made atleast a fumbling

attempt to speak their language almost everybody was

happy to switch to English ndash very possibly to spare

themselves the trauma of hearing my phrase-book

French which sounds like someone grinding the gears

of an old Citroen ldquoWe have nothing against Englishrdquo the

schoolteacher told me ldquoItrsquos just that we want to speak

French hererdquo

Vive la differenceJohn Flinn -Travel Editor

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Scale up of HIV Prevention Treatment Care and Support Requires Renewed Leadership and Resources

The 17th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) took place in Mexico City from August 3 -8 2008 with an assessment of the situation of the global epidemic at a panel of researchers public health and civil society leaders examined recent progress towards the scale up of treatment and prevention programmes and called for sustained action to eliminate the barriers to universal access

ldquoDespite the progress we have made we are not on course to meet universal access targets and in fact appear to be slipping away from our existing commitmentsrdquo said Dr Pedro Cahn International Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and President of the International AIDS Society and Fundacioacuten Hueacutesped in Buenos Aires Argentina ldquoIt appears that we are poised to accept defeat when victory is still within our grasp Our failure to meet those commitments will have an impact on millions of lives This cannot be allowed to happen It is time for nations to live up to their commitmentsrdquo

ldquoWith only two years to go until the 2010 deadline for universal access set by world leaders we must redouble our commitment to scaling up all proven HIV prevention strategiesrdquo said Dr Luiacutes Soto Ramiacuterez Local Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and Head of the Molecular Virology Unit at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Meacutedicas y Nutricioacuten Salvador Zubiriaacuten and Coordinator of the Clinical Care Committee of CONASIDA Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council ldquoThe fact that last year 27 million people were newly infected with HIV a disease that is entirely preventable is unacceptablerdquo

Dr Jaime Sepulveda (Mexico) founder of Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council who is now with the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation noted that attention to and resources for AIDS are at all-time high including substantially increased funding for the Global Fund and the US Presidentrsquos Emergency Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief According to Sepulveda reaching the goal of 3 million people in low and middle-income countries on treatment at the end of 2007 was a critical step forward but the world has only scratched the surface of possibilities in responding to the epidemic Greater resources more effectively spent and targeted where they can have the greatest effect would have a dramatic impact on the course of the epidemicrsquos Highlighting the fact that more people become infected

with HIV last year than began treatment Sepulveda called for radically increased investments in prevention research evaluation and delivery of services as well as accelerated research on promising prevention methods including a vaccine In conclusion he reiterated that political leadership from all countries and accountability at all levels are essential for stopping the epidemic

Citing the results in both treatment and prevention scale up in countries with sustained leadership such as Rwanda and Tanzania Alex Coutinho (Uganda) of the Infectious Disease Institute of Makerere University made a passionate call for greater leadership as a path toward meeting the challenges ahead In looking at progress to date Coutinho highlighted increased access to HIV testing and counseling to prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and to pediatric care and treatment as well as the effectiveness of male circumcision as a prevention intervention In contrast he noted that most countries will not achieve universal access by 2010 and that the majority of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are still unaware of their HIV status In his call to action Coutinho urged greater investment in prevention and financial resources flexible enough to support health systems and systems that reach into rural and other hard-to-reach areas and fully embrace PLHIV as partners He also urged outreach to and support of marginalized and at-risk communities as well as the greater involvement of PLHIV as a catalyst for change

Elisabet Fadul (Dominican Republic) of the Dominican Network for Youth RightsGlobal Youth Partners outlined a broad and urgent youth HIVAIDS agenda calling for comprehensive rights ndash and evidence-based plans to provide access for young people Highlighting the 40 of new infections worldwide among young people between the ages of 15-24 Fadul noted that HIV prevention and treatment programmes are failing to effectively reach young people with the most vulnerable and marginalized being stigmatized criminalized or forgotten by many of these programmes

To reverse this course she called for actions and policies that engage youth especially young people living with HIVAIDS as respected partners in developing and implementing programmes that forthrightly address their

needs and diversity

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

MOHA Soft Drinks Industry SC a member of MIDROC

Ethiopia Investment Group has undertaken an expansion

project of Kool Mineral Water at Bure town in the

Amhara Regional State at a cost of over Birr 37 million

An agreement was signed in August 2008 between Ato

Alemayehu Tegenu Minister of Mines and Energy and Ato

Getachew Birbo CEO of MOHA Soft Drinks Industry SC

that provides a license for the expansion project which is

valid for ten years and renewable every five years to work

on a 5679978 sqm land

The factory which was acquired by MOHA four years ago

will have a capacity of producing 24 million cases of Kool

Mineral Water annually upon completion of the expansion

project MOHA has planned to produce 180320000

liters of mineral water in the coming ten years

According to CEO Getachew Birbo the company is

considering to export Kool Mineral Water as there is a

potentially rich market in the Middle East Countries

Since its establishment thirteen years ago MOHA has

invested over Birr 500 million (five hundred million birr)

in soft drinks factories located in different parts of the

country including Bure Kool Mineral Water Factory which

provided job opportunities for 2700 employees

MOHA has currently an annual production capacity

of 20 million cases from its six soft drinks factories at

Gonder Awassa Dessie Summit Plant (under contractual

agreement) and two plants in Addis Ababa covering 55

of the soft drinks demand in the country

Mini Cement Plant Begins Production

Dashen Cement Plant located in the outskirts of Dejen town North West of Amhara Regional State has been completed

and started producing cement recently

The mini plant is initially established to supply cement to private contractors and the government and to the construction

of the bigger Derba MIDROC Cement Project

Investment cost for Dashen Cement Plant stands at Birr 200000000 (two hundred million birr) and has a capacity of

producing 400 tons of cement per day

MOHA Undertakes Expansion Work

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The annual Customers Family and  Employees (company) Day initiated by the Chief Executive Officer of the MIDROC Ethiopia Technology Group was celebrated for the sixth time at the Millennium Hall on May 25 2008 in the presence of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi Chairman and Owner of MIDROC Ethiopia

According to MIDROC Technology Group the Annual Celebration of Customers Family and Employees (company) Day is held every year to acknowledge and show the gratefulness of the group to the Owners Customers Employees as well as Family Members for their contributions to the success of their respective companies

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi addressing at the celebration expressed his pleasure and gratitude and urged employees to work even harder and try to demonstrate more achievement CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw on his part articulated his appreciation to the employees for their efforts exerted for productivity and expressed hope that this hard work would be pronounced and developed in due course as a culture

Consequently 43 Best Customers of the MIDROC Ethiopia Technology Group both foreign and local were honored by Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi with Best Customers Award at the ceremony organized by the Technology Group at the Millennium Hall on May 25 2008

Wrt Etsehiwot Dinku Officer in Charge (OIC) for Production Marketing and Business Development Services at the Office of the CEO on the occasion presented a brief explanation of the products of each of the companies

Following the Sixth Annual Customers Family and Employees (company) Day Celebration Special Awards were presented to the Best Company and Best Performers of the year at the Millennium Hall in the presence of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi He addressed the gathering first and presented the Special Award to the Best Company of the Year Modern Building Industry (MBI) and the Best Performers Of The Year were also awarded

CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw on the occasion received a Special Award from the employees and families in the name of all the employees of the Group which he took from the hands of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi He was also awarded with a Special Certificate for his remarkable services in the Technology Group and other businesses of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi in the last ten years

Prior to Customers Family and Employees (company) Day the annual sports competition of employees of the Technology Group was carried out as part of the annual ceremony Winners in all competitions received gold bronze and silver medals from the hands of CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw

Customers Family and Employees (company) Day Commemorated

CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw receiving the Award from

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi

Mr Abdullah H Al-Amoudi receiving Best Foreign

Customers Award from the Chairman

 Tiret Sept 2008

The two days Second Annual ldquoOffsiterdquo Workshop where

CEOs and General Managers of the MIDROC Ethiopia

Technology Group took part was held on April 12 ndash 13

2008 at the Sheraton Addis Dr Arega Yirdaw Chief

Executive Officer of the Group opening the workshop

took into account the first Annual Workshop that was held

in Kombolcha and said that this yearrsquos venue provides more

opportunity for a considerable number of management

members to participate

While Dr Aregarsquos presentation to the Workshop focused

on ldquoEffective Marketing for Enhancement of

Business Developmentrdquo General Managers presented

comprehensive reports of their respective companies

MIDROC Ethiopia Training Department Holds Seminars

The MIDROC Ethiopia Training Department as part of  its  training activities holds various seminars for both senior managers and second level management tier every fiscal year During the last six months ldquoPositive Thinkingrdquo ldquoCorporate Social Responsibilitiesrdquo and ldquoICT Security and privacyrdquo were the issues for the seminars that the department carried out              

 Seminar on Positive Thinking

Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu Director of Training of MIDROC Ethiopia in his introductory remark on ldquoPositive Thinkingrdquo seminar that took place at the Sheraton Addis on April 11 2008 and attended by general managers and senior members of the Investment Group introduced the resource person Ato Robel Kidane as a ldquomotivational speakerrdquo and ldquolife-cycle trainerrdquo from Sweden

Emeritus Prof Johannes said that this topic is chosen because of a feeling that the current period and situations exhibited dynamic changes that were a burden to bear for many people who he said were ldquoeasily swayed to think negativelyrdquo He also quoted the Chairman and Owner of MIDROC Ethiopia Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi as saying ldquoWhat is the benefit of talking of bad

ldquoOffsiterdquo Workshop Held 

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Robel Kidane the resource person delivering his presentation at the seminar

 Tiret Sept 2008

The seminar for second level management personnel held on June 12 2008 on ICT Security and Privacy was attended by 31 participants from MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group Companies and the Head Office in the MIDROC Ethiopia Auditorium The seminar which was part of MIDROC Ethiopiarsquos attempt to keep abreast with ICT Development was opened by Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu who stressed in his brief remarks the need for concern to the protection of data and information and regulating the use of ICT

Also speaking on the occasion was Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting and Chairman of Training Committee who said that training helps to discover various means for success People he noted learn at work place and from challenges He stressed that the technology age called for adaptation of new thoughts and practices while requiring readiness to do ldquoWhat we can with what we haverdquo

The seminar which discussed various issues related to ICT was closed by Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu

 Seminar on ICT Security and Privacy

A view of participants of the seminar

things or difficulties onlyrdquo Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting of MIDROC Ethiopia and Chairman of Training Committee in his opening remark stated that positive thinking was a new scientific subject where investors CEOs and others in various capacities were inspired and motivated to create awareness to their colleagues and to remove all thoughts

of dark shadows from their minds He noted that positive thinking among CEOrsquos and subordinates was required and stressed that self-confidence was one of the prime factors for success in life and hence needed to be maintainedAto Robel Kidane covered a variety of interesting issues related to positive thinking in his presentation after which participants discussed on several importnat issues

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Teklu Haile opening the Seminar

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The seminar on ldquoCorporate Social Responsibilityrdquo

for second level management tier took place on March 27

2008 at the MIDROC Ethiopia Auditorium and attended

by 27 participants from 12 group companies

In accordance with the call to plant ldquoThree Trees in the Third Millenniumrdquo volunteers from MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group and Head Office on August 2007 replanted trees on the Entoto Mountain situated north of the capital city Addis Ababa It is to be recalled that members of MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group under the motto ldquo Two Trees in 2000 Ethiopian Millenniumrdquo have participated in planting trees at the same location last year

Organized again by the MIDROC Ethiopia Public Relations the call for replanting was enthusiastically received by volunteers who went back to the area to replace those trees planted by employees of the Investment Group last year and did not take root and withered

Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting supported and encouraged volunteers of MIDROC Ethiopia and reminded them of the saying - ldquoten thousand dedicated soldiers are better than one million dubious soldiersrdquo and appreciated all the volunteers for actively participating in the tree replanting activity

Seminar on Corporate Social Responsibility

Participants at the seminar Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu delivering his presentation

Volunteers going up the mountain for replanting

Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting Department of MIDROC Ethiopia and Chairman of Training Committee in his opening remarks stressed the importance of participation in community affairs by all Group Companies and cited Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi as a shinning example in playing an active

role in social activities He called on all to strive hard to change the negative image of the country and build a better Ethiopia free from poverty hunger and disease Various papers were presented ensuing fruitful discussions on the above issues

MIDROC Ethiopia Volunteers Participate in Replanting Trees

 Tiret Sept 2008

Equatorial Business Group General Manager Ato Tadelle

Teferra Deputy General Manager Ato Mekuria Ayele and

Automotive Business Senior Director Ato Daniel Seyoum

participated a weeklong Dealerrsquos Conference that was

staged in Cape Town South Africa in February this year

According to Ato Daniel Seyoum around 75 business

leaders from Europe the Middle East Asia and Africa

participated at the Conference Issues discussed included

regional international business concerns VOLVOrsquos strategy

development VOLVO CE business update introduction to

new VOLVO road machinery and other related business

matters Dealersrsquo Conference is an annual event to bring

together leaders in the VOLVO Construction Equipment

business from nearly all over the world for a pull effect

particularly to companies like EBG to provide further

opportunity in the Automotive Industry

EBG is an exclusive dealer in Ethiopia for VOLVO brand

products

Company Observes its 15th Anniversary

A group picture of Dealers Conference participants

EBGrsquos Managers Attended Dealers Conference

Equatorial Business Group (EBG) colorfully observed its 15th Anniversary on April 30 2008 Ato Tadelle Teferra

General Manager of the Company addressing the management and employees expressed gratitude and appreciation

to the Owners of the Company and to the Employees who worked hard since its establishment and urged all company

staff to work with an even more commitment and dedication

Ato Tadelle on the occasion disclosed the implementation of the reform packages that started recently and expressed

hope that the reform packages would bring EBG to a better competitive and profitable position The reform introduces

MIS QMS and companyrsquos new restructuring and other associated jobs

Three employees who served EBG for 15 years were honored with Special Certificates and several employees from

the various businesses and support services of the company were awarded for Best Performances during the year

200607

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Tadesse Haile State Minister of the Ministry of Trade and Industry visited Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc and held discussions with senior members on issues pertaining to the activities of the factory Ato Ahmed Hassen General Manager of the Factory explained to the State Minister that the factory would make all efforts to produce quality products in large quantity so as to reduce import from abroad He however expressed his wish that the government reduces tax on raw materials which are essential for the production of soap and detergent

Ato Tadesse disclosed during the discussion that extensive studies that include soap industries in the country are underway with the aim to strengthen the chemical industry in which the concern would be addressed in the near future He further said that there is a plan to connect the various regions of the country to the port by

EBG was announced First Order Winner for Best Stand in the 12th International Millennium Trade Fair organized by the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations held at the Exhibition Center in February 2008

EBGrsquos stand was visited by large number of visitors including the honorable World Laureate Metre Artist Afework Tekle who not only showed interest in the products and services of EBG but also expressed his appreciation to the Company in his comments while signing in the Special Guest Book

EBG Awarded for Best Stand

Star Soap and Detergent Factory Visited

The Most Honorable Maritre World Laureate Artist

Afework Tekle signing in the Visitors Book at the Trade Fair

Ato Tadesse Haile visiting the Production Unit with Ato Ahmed Hassen General Manager and Ato Seid Ahmed Plant Manager of the Factory

rail within the coming five years for the speedy delivery of export and import of goods which will have a great impact on sales

Ato Tadesse Haile finally appreciated the activities of the factory and said that Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc is capable of being a model in the sector and wished the lsquoBest of Luckrsquo for the management and the staff and affirmed that his Ministry would always support on all their endeavors

Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc is a member of the MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group established at an investment capital of Birr 80 million The factory is one of the biggest in the sector and equipped with the latest machinery and manufactures best quality laundry and toilet soaps liquid and synthetic detergents powder and bar soaps

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the most dedicated health care professionals and support staff SalaM Employees Clinic the Clinic that provides health care services to employees of MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group Companies and affiliates in its efforts to upgrade and improve its services has added to its modern list of medical equipment a Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor an advanced medical equipment Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor is one of the new advanced machineries that the clinic acquired recently which is used for the diagnosis of refraction errors of the eye

The Clinic provides medical and surgical services with sub-specialists in gynecological ophthalmological dermatological and ENT employing advanced diagnostic equipment such as radiography endoscopy and colonoscopy supported by video camera ultrasound and ECG Machines It has a well stocked pharmacy with essential medicines and also provides laboratory diagnostic services

The Clinic recently has moved from its previous location to a large and ideal villa with more rooms and a convenient location near the Genet Hotel and is open 24 hours

SalaM Employees Clinic was established by Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi in 1996 for employees of the Investment Group with an investment capital of over Birr 4 million under the SalaM Health Care Plc He later on increased the investment a lot more

Apart from providing services to the employees of the MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group SalaM Employees Clinic is rendering efficient services to the public as well

Dr Amare Abebe Medical Director of the clinic conducting an examination using endoscopy machine

Employees Clinic Secures Equipment

The Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor which the clinic acquired recently

The front view of the Clinic

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Three delegates from Ethiopia Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu MIDROC Ethiopia Training Director Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch Ato Asfaw Alemu Credit Manager of Dashen Bank attended the International Society of Business Economics and Ethics World Congress under the theme ldquoGlobal Fairness Local Integrityrdquo held in Cape Town from July 13 ndash 20 2008 and organized by BEN-Africa

The ISBEE World Congress is held every four years and is affectionately referred to as the Olympics of Business Ethics It always succeeds in attracting the best minds in the field of ethics of business and economics This yearrsquos Congress was attended by over 400 participants from all corners of the world Top notch world speakers among others Prof Mervyn E King SC Prof Deon Rossow Prof Joka Iwao Prof Georges Enderle Prof Paul Collies and Prof Tom Donaldson attended the Congress and over 80 papers were presented in three plenary sessions on topical international business issues

Ethiopian Delegation Participates at World ISBEE World Congress

Participants of ISBEE Congress Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu (left) Ato Lulseged Teferi (middle) Ato Asfaw Alemu

A Special Certificate of Recognition was awarded to Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu of MIDROC Ethiopia Prof Deon Rossow ndash former President of BEN-Africa and Ms Korien Sander the outgoing Executive Secretary of BEN-Africa

Emeritus Prof Johannes in his brief statement after receiving the certificate said that he accepted the certificate on behalf of those institutions and individuals in Ethiopia who have been behind the BEN-Africa Conference held in Ethiopia

It is to be recalled that MIDROC Ethiopia Corporate Office Dashen Bank the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch and Ato Teklu Haile Manager of Treasury Finance and Accounting of MIDROC Ethiopia played a great role for the successful completion of the ldquo7th Annual BEN-Africa Conferencerdquo held in Addis Ababa in August 2007

 Tiret Sept 2008

MIDROC Ethiopia is involved in the development of

mining and exploration of gold building of heavy mining

industries in central and eastern parts of the country

like cement plants filler plants etc Coal exploration is

also a potential area that is being explored by different

companies including MIDROC Ethiopia for use in the

cement plant power generation and fertilizer Soda ash

being used as a major input in glass soap detergent and

other industrial input is also one area of mining A lot of

investors are involved in gemstones

In an effort to exploit these resources and put them

to good use for the development of Ethiopia one of

MIDROC Ethiopia Group Companies the National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) has since its establishment in

March 1993 been actively engaged in the exploration of

gold and base metals in the various parts of the country

ldquoIt is worth noting that the mineral wealth of Ethiopia is

not fully tapped yet and needs to be given due attention

as it can be the backbone of the economy together with

agriculturerdquo says Ato Melaku Beza CEO of National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) He assertively told TIRET in

an interview at his office regarding the activities and

contributions of NMiC to the mining industry and that

his Company is working hard for a better achievement as

it has commemorated its 15th anniversary recently

He said that NMiC is currently engaged in the exploration

of gold base metals at Dawa Digati and Werri areas in the

Oromia and Tigray Administrative Regions and base metals

in Dire Dawa and Benshangul Gumuz Administrative

Regions It is also engaged in mining of marble and

limestone processing of quarried blocks and on the way

to develop the Abiyata Soda Ash in Southern Ethiopia

The Company in its venture in the development of Soda

Ash has embarked upon a joint investment agreement

with the Public Enterprise Supervising Agency (PPESA)

for a 54 percent share in which PPESArsquos 46 percent share

dilutes while NMICrsquos share shall increase in the process of

implementing tasks set in two phases

Mining Corporation on the Move

Ato Melaku Beza CEO NMiC

Dawa Digati Gold exploration drilling

The potential of the mining industry for the development of the Ethiopian economy is immense as witnessed by the ongoing development activities in the country This includes exploration of petroleum in the Ogaden Gambela and other areas by different companies exploration of gold in different parts of the country and potash exploration in Dallol where there is an estimated of 160 millions of tons of proven reserves

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Melaku stated that NMIC has invested Birr

160817912 (one hundred sixty million eight hundred

seventeen thousand nine hundred twelve) for exploration

and mining activities adding that the size of investment for

soda ash will be in the order of Birr 1150000000 (one

billion one hundred fifty million)

The first phase will cost Birr 640000000 (six hundred

forty million) and the second phase will be Birr 500000000

(five hundred million)

National Mining Corporation Plc is a pioneer in opening

and developing quarrying of marble and limestone using

the latest technology in the field Currently the Companyrsquos

Boka Marble Quarry has six benches and more than

twelve faces that are being worked out at Boka quarry

in the Benshangul Administrative Region In the process

it provides training to quarry workers of other quarry

owners thereby contributing to the development of the

mining culture

The General Manager explained about the processing and

marketing of his Companyrsquos products and said that his

Company applies modern technologies and deploys the

latest equipment in mining that meet export standards

engaging in open pit mining and tunneling for underground

mining which is unique not only in Ethiopia but also in

Africa He further articulated that the Company mines one

of the best quality marble in the industry as evidenced in

Boka multicolor marble once nominated as ldquoThe Stone

of the Yearrdquo by the Marble Institute of America (MIA)

while the blue marble has entered the world market by

a new name ldquoSummer Skyrdquo and is currently being sold

in Italy Samples of both have been tested and analyzed in

American Testing Companies and European Universities

and have proved to be of high quality and suitable both

for internal and external use in the construction industry

These two marbles are unique and are found only in

Ethiopia Also the limestone is of unique colors yellow

white and red which have high demand in the market

The CEO said that the special quality of his Companyrsquos

product that attracts international market is the

uniqueness of the material its beauty (aesthetics) and its

non-absorbent and compact nature

The company has the capacity to supply the export market

with the required quality and size of blocks and slabs both

white and blue marble Export markets include Taiwan

China Italy France USA Africa and the Middle East

In order to improve quality additional modern

state-of-the-art quarry machinery has been injected in the

quarry Plan is underway to replace the old machinery at

the processing plant The Company is also producing its

own ldquoabrasiverdquo used for polishing marble using locally

available minerals and materials

Awash Processing Plant

Blocks at Block Yard

Slabs at Slab Yard in the Awash Processing Plant

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

NMiC holds 40 of the local market share in the construction industry Lots of buildings have been cladded by NMiCrsquos products The Sheraton Addis Bole International Airport Terminal Sunshine Multipurpose Building National Bank of Ethiopia Federal Police Headquarters AUrsquos Building Head Office and the Secretary Generalrsquos Residence Ethiopian Insurance Corporation Worbek Building the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Patriarchrsquos Palace and UNCA Building are some the major buildings in Addis Ababa which are finished with NMiCrsquos products

National Mining Corporation Plc is one of the competent companies in Ethiopia and has contributed to the economy of the country by way of generating hard currency from its exports and saving foreign currency by competing and blocking imports of dimension stones from abroad One word it has added to the Ethiopian economy an amount of over Birr 5000000000 (fifty million) in tax royalties and land rent

NMiC has made valuable studies on the mineral potential areas of the country in dimension stones oil and gas mineral water coal and industrial minerals It has also made sound participation in the employment and training of manpower to the mining sector and has encouraged foreign investors to be involved in exploration of oil and gas and other minerals NMiC provides free training in its quarries and processing plant to new local enterprises coming to the sector The company provides potable water electricity medical services and other financial assistance to the community of its mining areas and has set up HIVAIDS policy for the Company to curb the spread of the pandemic and provides care and support for

those living with the virus

Tunnel Jet Belt Quarrying the latest technology in use at the Eshet Blue Quarry

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

a) Finalizing the work on the exploration phase of the gold and base metals projects both at Dawa Digati and Werri which shall lead to feasibility study and production stage

b) Developing Eshet Blue and Boka Multicolor marble quarries and strengthen export to increase income of foreign currency

c) Supplying blocks to local factories

d) Replacement of machinery at Awash Processing Plant especially to boost production and quality

e) Improve the life of the working force through profit sharing and availing better facilities together with upgrading their knowledge through training

f) Implement the Soda Ash development project

The priority areas of NMiC in its future plan include among others

Asked finally if he was satisfied with his Companyrsquos achievements Ato Melaku Beza CEO of NMiC replied ldquoNot much we could do betterrdquo

Nmic Products

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

ldquoA journey of a thousand miles starts with a single steprdquo

goes the famous Chinese saying as for Bauer MIDROC it

all started 10 years ago with the foundation work of the

construction of the MIDROC Corporate Office (MCO)

commonly known as Nani Building With a single project

at hand Bauer Specialtifbau a German Company ventured

into the slowly budding private construction industry

in equal partnership with MIDROC Ethiopia Although

a small scale business venture in the eyes of both giant

partners MIDROC Ethiopia and Bauer Specialtifbau it

created vast opportunities to the construction sector

with the introduction of a state-of-the-art German based

foundation technology to the Ethiopian market The

miniature move of the two giants opened up a gateway

of possibilities and marked a new construction era for

Ethiopia Over the years changes in shareholders has

led to the current name ldquoMIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plcrdquo with the state-of-the-art foundation solutions still in

place

Several limitations in dealing with unfavorable soil

conditions frequently encountered within Ethiopiarsquos

diverse geological formations most abundantly the

problematic black cotton soil within the city of Addis

Ababa and other parts of the country brought about

several technical barriers when it came to building

massive civil structures Building highrises as well as

massive bridges was inconceivable unless capable soil was

in close vicinity MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with

the introduction of deep foundations based on advanced

and efficient technologies in the construction industry

no doubt brought about remarkable solutions and helped

ease some of these anxieties

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with its fleets of large

diameter drilling rigs and variety of drilling tools capable of

both soil and hard soil formations has made economical

foundation solutions a reality offering developers the

confidence to build high rise buildings without worrying

about the type of soil in Addis Ababa The expertise of

Dedicated Backing for MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is gradually changing

the cityrsquos skyline with the construction of the completed

MCO Building AICAIB Headquarters and KK Building

both to be completed soon and all standing above 20

stories

Entering the city limits through the skyways one can notice

that the Bole Airport has received an entire facelift with

the construction of the International Passenger Terminal

Airport Control Towers the new Cargo Terminal and the

Maintenance Hanger The only thing these landmarks share

other than ownership is that they owe their existence to

foundation solutions of MIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plc As we enter the city limits also the Bole Viaduct

and all the overpasses on the Addis Ababa Ring Road are

comfortably resting still with the construction of the deep

piles by MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc

Drilling of pile with casing

 Tiret Sept 2008

Parallel to pile construction as verification of the

constructed pile capacities is common practice in the

foundation construction industry MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc equipped with the state-of-the-art

automated pile load testing system has recently conducted

1300 metric tons load test at the Derba MIDROC Cement

Factory Project the first of this magnitude in the African

Continent

The introduction of vertical shoring wall systems that

uses reinforced concrete piles and tie back anchors which

is gaining popularity in recent years is another type of

foundation technology solutions made possible in Ethiopia

through MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos expertise

Prior to these shoring system solutions land owners

could not fully utilize their plots at the boundaries for fear

of catastrophic cave-in In fact in most cases plot owners

avoided under ground construction in order to avoid

litigation with next door land owners The utilization of

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos vertical shoring pile

wall system was proposed and implemented in the cases

of Bole Towers and Loli Building In both cases all sides of

the plot were shored exactly at the boundaries without

any land loss In fact the clients gained underground spaces

in the order of two to three times their plot size for

possible parking purpose This has provided developers

with solutions clearing their lumbers from additional

costs for parking facilities

Pile load testing

In line with the construction boom within Addis Ababa

developers are opting to construct on boundary edges

where heavy structures already exist in adjacent plots

In order to excavate at these boundaries the safest and

most economical foundation solution system is shoring

pile wall system These systems were employed at Awash

Bank and Insurance Building KK Building and Orchid

Building

For realization of structures that have to be constructed

below the natural ground water level and or near offshore

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc has construction

approaches that employ waterproof vertical shoring

systems and several options to choose from within

the framework of technical feasibility of foundation

engineering The construction of Diaphragm Wall

Cellular Cofferdam Sheet Pile Wall and Secant

Pile Wall are such solutions to name a few The cost

of construction and the time required for executing the

works is in the order listed above

Anchored pile shoring wall

Foundation Solution

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the equipment already available in the country

MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc has tabled and

implemented an economical and technically feasible

secant pile wall system solution for bridge projects

within Ethiopia If it was not for MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plcrsquos geotechnical solutions construction under

such conditions would have been technically impossible

throughout East Africa

Unlike other options construction of secant pile wall as

waterproof vertical shoring system is not limited to the

soil condition of the site The construction of such high

tech geotechnical engineering solutions by the Company

have been successfully applied on projects like the Omo

River Bridge and on the New Abay Bridge Projects The

application of the secant pile wall system was used for the

construction of the pier foundation on both sides of the

Bridge on the Omo River Bridge Project and one side pier

foundation construction of the New Abay Bridge Project

During the construction of the Omo River Bridge

foundation and substructure works other logistic

challenges non-related to foundation works was

encountered The West Pier and Abutment on the Omo

River Bridge created such a technical impasse On this

side one of the most difficult challenges was to solve the

problem of crossing equipment and construction material

across the 150 m wide river After carefully considering all

the possible alternatives a decision was made to design and

manufacture a water crossing barge using local expertise

and manufacturing capabilities MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc took part in the design manufacturing and

commissioning of this barge and has successfully crossed

a 503 ton drilling rig and other earth moving equipment

With nearly twenty projects within Ethiopia MIDROC

Foundation Specialists Plc is a pioneer in exporting

foundation technology to neighboring Kenya Tanzania

and the Sudan In-house trained Ethiopian experts have

Crossing of drilling rig on Omo River through Barge

 Tiret Sept 2008

Secant pile wall

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Mr Achim Braun General Manager of MIDROC Foundation (left) inspecting a construction site

left their marks on several key projects within those

countries Among the projects successfully carried out in

Tanzania the Songo Songo Offshore Piling Project was the

most challenging and rewarding of all In this Project sixty

per cent of the piles were constructed from a SEWP (Self

Elevating Working Platform) elevated 13 meters from the

sea bed

As the company commemorates the tenth anniversary of

its establishment it is only proper to mark the outstanding

contributions to the construction industry of Ethiopia The

efficiency of the Company and the technology employed

has resulted in creating a broad awareness of foundation

technological solutions in the country particularly

among developers In terms of the spectrum of available

techniques of foundation the projects undertaken so

far are only a tip of the iceberg Although the Company

was confronted with a number of challenges in changing

attitudes and practices the success achieved so far has

been accomplished with great efforts exerted by the

companyrsquos management and its diligent professionals in

the field

Being the only Class I Foundation Specialist Contractors

in the country MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc is now

determined to leap ahead to new and yet un-introduced

foundation construction technologies such as micro 

piles  high  pressure  injection  diaphragm 

walls  slope  protection  and  soil  nailing  As

the countries infrastructure development continues to

reach higher levels MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is

preparing itself to meet the current customer demands

and technological challenges

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Statistics reveal that the country continues to earn hard currency from export of primary commodities such as coffee which tops the list by fetching some 500 million dollars last financial year

Other commodities are hides and skin flowers pulses fruits vegetables and chat

Incidentally it is interesting to note that Chat has fetched over 60 million dollars in foreign currency last fiscal year

The chewing of chat leaves is common in the horn of Africa but in eastern Ethiopia it is big business for some and big worry for others Chat is a major agricultural crop Yet many say it is addictive and harmful to health

In a town where I grew up for instance it is hard to avoid the impact of the stimulant leaf The first thing that strikes you in the main market is the deafening noise The market square is a scene of total chaos as you make your way through a bustling crowd preoccupied with the business of bartering for a prized commodity- the green leafed plant chat

Awadaye market is a market for chat It is estimated that over 25000 kg pass through it daily The buyers and sellers take their jobs seriously shouting to one other They gesture excitedly as they trade thousands of birr daily for the chat which is bought from the local farmers in Awadaye and sent to other areas in Ethiopia It is also exported overseas It is said to be the backbone of the economy as it can be gathered from the revenue it has generated during the current physical year

If you compare chat farmers with other farmers in other parts of the country you will see that their standard of living is so much better

The employment created though chat cultivation is very high as large numbers of people are involved in growing harvesting sorting packing transporting loading and unloading the commodity The wood of the plant is used for fuel and because of its resistance to termites it is also used to make fences Chat is also believed to have medical value being used locally to treat influenza and asthma

Chat farmers used to grow maize sorghum and teff which is the basic Ethiopian staple food but these crops are difficult to grow as they require lots of rain and attention

while chat requires little water or cultivation That is why it is widely believed that its cultivation is expanding at an amazing rate

Chat has now become Ethiopiarsquos biggest export third only to coffee and hides and skin But despite the cash earning and the tradition of chat growing and use among the people many people do not encourage it

They believe that it is addictive and this has a negative impact on the community They allege that people forget about their work commitments and spend hours chewing chat The number of users of chat is increasing particularly among the youth

In urban areas the use of chat combined with alcohol is having an adverse effect on family life Many students chew chat because they say it increases their concentration when they study their lessons

However in some regions where it is widely cultivated business punctuality is a frequent problem as the time after lunch is usually spent chewing chat Even in some regions where the plant has been banned cultivation and usage continue and attempts to replace chat with cash crops like coffee have failed

Regardless of the merit or demerit of chat the country continues to get the much needed hard currency through export of the plant ldquochatrdquo

However many people including development agents are of the opinion that the demerit far out weighs the merit for energy and time is spent chewing the stuff and particularly its negative impact on health especially on the productive force

Another very lucrative business in Ethiopia is the export of leather and leather goods According to recent data export of leather and leather goods registered a surge from 52 million dollars to over 90 million dollars Incidentally ELICO one of MIDROC Ethiopia group companies dealing with finished leather products fetched last financial year over 10 million dollars

In the light of considerable income accrued from export of primary commodities there is a need to do even more by way of establishing more agro-industries that engage in the production of agricultural products for sale locally and internationally

Earning from Export of Primary CommoditiesBy Yohannes Ruphael

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The Third Private Sector Development National Conference ndash 2008 of Ethiopia took place in Addis Ababa on June 30 2008 ndash at the UNECA Conference Center and the draft strategy document and priority strategic issues for improved business environment were discussed by representatives of the Private Sector Development Hub established with basic objectives of coordinating and developing a series of public sector development intervention projects for implementation with international financial support and undertaking related research studies to support the business community in its public and private partnership dialogue The Conference was addressed by an internationally renowned and distinguished authority on Corporate Governance Prof Mervyn E King SC

The Editorial Team of TIRET has taken advantage of communicating with Professor Mervyn E King SC to share his views briefly with our readers

Professor Mervyn E King SC is currently Professor Extraordinaire at the University of South Africa and serves as the Chairperson of the King Committee on Corporate Governance in South Africa He is a Senior Counsel and former Judge of the Supreme Court of South Africa His other credentials include Member of the World Bank Advisory Group on Corporate Governance President of the Commonwealth Association of Corporate Governance Governor of the International Corporate Governance Network President of the South Africa Chamber of Business Vice President of the Institute of Directors of Southern Africa Representatives of South Africa at the International Chamber of Commerce Advisor of Asian Center of Corporate Governance Director of Global Reporting Initiative-Amsterdam Director of Association of business Administrators of South Africa

At the Millennium National Private Sector Development Conference in Addis Ababa recently I spoke about corporate governance in the development of the private sector

Corporate governance is about the principles and practices which guide directors and senior managers in making their decisions to the best interests of their companies It has to be separated from the enterprise side of the business which is about making business judgment calls It is essential that directors and senior managers adopt acceptable principles and practices in steering and directing the company and making business judgment It is about the quality of this governance rather than a quantitative check on whether there has been compliance by the directors and managers with well-known governance practices such as the establishment of a remuneration committee

In my talk I pointed out that the economic value of a company does not equal its book value In Coca Cola for example its book value is approximately 13 of its economic value and its greatest asset is its brand which is dependent on

 Tiret Sept 2008

the companyrsquos reputation Consequentially directors and senior managers of Coca Cola have a duty to protect the companyrsquos brand

In planning for a company the strategic direction needs to be done both short- and long-term If a strategy is developed in which all persons in the corporation at all levels buy-in one can get ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things Unless this is done not even extraordinary people will achieve ordinary things

The important thing for directors to remember is that they have won and maintained the trust and confidence of the stakeholders of the company Consequently they should report at least annually how the company has both positively and negatively affected a communityrsquos economic life through its operations and how it is going to enhance those positive aspects and eradicate or ameliorate the negative aspects in the year ahead

Good governance involves inter alia the approval by the board of the strategy of the company and sustainability can no longer be ignored in developing a long-term strategy

The Private Sector Development Hub (PSD-Hub) has the objective to contribute to the economic development of Ethiopia by improving the entrepreneurial environment and the governance of corporations Consequently the PSD-Hub has held Conferences over the last two years focusing on these issues and on the question of public private partnerships There has also been discussion about expediting the registration of companies the standardization of accounting and auditing capitalization and the finalization of the revision of the Ethiopian Commercial Code Corporate governance has featured prominently in these discussions

Arising out of all the modernization of the registration of companies in Ethiopia has been recognized as a priority

Accounting and auditing standards which should follow IFRS should have legal backing so that everyone in Ethiopia will know the meaning of the reported financial statements

The development of a securities market including an exchange in which not only equities but bonds and derivatives can be bought and sold with the dematerialisation of scrip and electronic settlement is essential

From the above it will be seen that there is much to be done but Ethiopia is striving through the PSD Hub to create platforms on which it can forge ahead in our flat electronic world where capital flows towards those areas where there is good governance and well-regulated markets The Conference at which I spoke was just another step in Ethiopiarsquos endeavours to achieve these goals Positively the essential aspects for creating an entrepreneurial and thriving business environment have been identified and PSD Hub the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other interested bodies are working in partnership with government to achieve them

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Itrsquos a ridiculous

l a n g u a g e rdquo

sputtered the

Englishman at

the next table

his jowls shaking

in anger ldquoA ridiculous languagerdquo

We were sitting in a tiny tea-and-pie shop in Criccieth a

town in northern Wales and everybody but us was speaking

Welsh Like a remarkable number of his countrymen this

man was convinced it was merely a secret code employed

by the local to talk behind the backs of English visitors

ldquoJust you watchrdquo he said ldquoAs soon as we leave theyrsquoll all

go back to speaking Englishrdquo

I rather doubted it And unlike the Englishman I was

thrilled to encounter one of the oldest languages in

Europe a tongue heard in this misty and mountainous

land since the arrival of Roman legions

Being surrounded by people speaking an unfamiliar and

exotic language is to me one of the best things about

travel Just as some people will journey to the Serengeti

to glimpse the rare and endangered white rhino Irsquoll happily

go far out of my way to hear a rare and endangered

language

In the storybook city of Carcassonne in southwest France

I was less thrilled at seeing the towers and turrets than

I was at meeting a man who could speak Occitan the

ancient and fast-vanishing language of the troubadours

As far as I was concerned the most fascinating thing in

Dangriga a coastal town in Belize was the mellifluous

sound of Garifuna a language spoken by the descendants

of shipwrecked slaves from West Africa I once traveled

to Graubunden in eastern Switzerland in the hope of

hearing Romansch a tongue spoken by fewer than one

percent of the nationrsquos residents and said to resemble

Latin I encountered a few signs in the language but no

one who could speak it

According to one oft-cited estimate at least half the

worldrsquos 6000 languages are likely to die out by the end

of this century which means that one is going silent on

average every two weeks

Itrsquos not merely a matter of using different words to express the same thoughts Languages are literally the expressions of cultures and belief systems entirely different ways of making sense of the world And just as we should be concerned about the shrinking diversity of plant and animal species we should also worry about the shrinking diversity of languages

Welsh though seems to be holding on despite 700 years

of efforts by the English to exterminate it The BBC has for

some years now carried television and radio programming

in the language and in Wales itrsquos possible to receive your

entire education from preschool to postgraduate in

Welsh About 20 percent of Walesrsquo population speaks

Welsh and the number appears to be growing slightly

It is not as the Englishman said a ridiculous language But

it is to my eyes and ears a wonderfully strange one Dave

Barry once wrote that the ancient Hawaiians arrived on

their islands after perilous canoe voyages in seas so rough

their consonants fell overboard My guess is that the

letters drifted the worldrsquos oceans until they washed up on

the shores of Wales

T h e   B e a u t y   o f   a   L a n g u a g e

 Tiret Sept 2008

How else to explain for example the Welsh word for

beer Itrsquos cwrw It looks like my Scrabble tray when I

donrsquot have a word to pay (In case you ever need to order

one itrsquos pronounced ldquokooroordquo)

And then therersquos the vexing pronunciation of the double-

1 you find at the beginning of it seems two-thirds of the

town names in Wales ldquoJust put your teeth together and

hiss like a duckrdquo explained a helpful woman I met at the

Dylan Thomas Museum in Swansea She also pointed out

that Llareggub the fictional town in Thomasrsquo ldquoUnder the

Milkwood Treerdquo is merely ldquobugger allrdquo spelled backward

I like the besotted poet a whole lot more after learning

that

One dark and drizzly night I went to a little schoolhouse in

the Rhondda Valley to listen to a rehearsal of the Treorchy

Menrsquos Choir made up mostly of unemployed coal miners

ldquoIn the old daysrdquo one of them told me ldquowe used to sing

together in the pitsrdquo

When they opened their mouths to sing as one in Welsh

all the snarky little comments about their language become

moot It was simply one of the most hauntingly beautiful

sounds Irsquove even heard

I got a lesson in the politics of minority languages recently

when I visited Montreal the capital of French ndash speaking

Canada I hadnrsquot been there since a childhood visit to

Exporsquo67 and I remember the province as decidedly

bilingual Everything from traffic signs to toothpaste

tubes was printed in French and English No more A

law passed in 1977 banned the use of English in signs

throughout Quebec Itrsquos an attempt to do linguistically

what they failed for two centuries to do militarily prevent

the English from conquering them

Theyrsquore quite serious about this Hudson Bay Co the

venerable department store chain that dates back to the

fur-trading days is now known as Compagnie de la Baie

drsquoHudson at least in these parts Kentucky Fried Chicken

outlets arenrsquot allowed to use ldquoKFCrdquo on their signs In

Quebec theyrsquore called ldquoPFKrdquo for Poulet Frit Kentucky

The Quebecois are more vigilant even than their famously

Anglophobic counterparts in Paris All stop signs here say

Arret even though the ones in France say ldquoStoprdquo

It all seemed a little silly and excessive to me until I began

talking to French-speaking Montrealers about it ldquoYou

have to understand that wersquore surrounded by English

speakersrdquo a schoolteacher told me ldquoWe have to be very

firm about defending our language or it will disappear

And when it goes so does our way of life

Signs aside most French Canadians I met were bilingual

I quickly discovered that if I first made atleast a fumbling

attempt to speak their language almost everybody was

happy to switch to English ndash very possibly to spare

themselves the trauma of hearing my phrase-book

French which sounds like someone grinding the gears

of an old Citroen ldquoWe have nothing against Englishrdquo the

schoolteacher told me ldquoItrsquos just that we want to speak

French hererdquo

Vive la differenceJohn Flinn -Travel Editor

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Scale up of HIV Prevention Treatment Care and Support Requires Renewed Leadership and Resources

The 17th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) took place in Mexico City from August 3 -8 2008 with an assessment of the situation of the global epidemic at a panel of researchers public health and civil society leaders examined recent progress towards the scale up of treatment and prevention programmes and called for sustained action to eliminate the barriers to universal access

ldquoDespite the progress we have made we are not on course to meet universal access targets and in fact appear to be slipping away from our existing commitmentsrdquo said Dr Pedro Cahn International Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and President of the International AIDS Society and Fundacioacuten Hueacutesped in Buenos Aires Argentina ldquoIt appears that we are poised to accept defeat when victory is still within our grasp Our failure to meet those commitments will have an impact on millions of lives This cannot be allowed to happen It is time for nations to live up to their commitmentsrdquo

ldquoWith only two years to go until the 2010 deadline for universal access set by world leaders we must redouble our commitment to scaling up all proven HIV prevention strategiesrdquo said Dr Luiacutes Soto Ramiacuterez Local Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and Head of the Molecular Virology Unit at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Meacutedicas y Nutricioacuten Salvador Zubiriaacuten and Coordinator of the Clinical Care Committee of CONASIDA Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council ldquoThe fact that last year 27 million people were newly infected with HIV a disease that is entirely preventable is unacceptablerdquo

Dr Jaime Sepulveda (Mexico) founder of Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council who is now with the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation noted that attention to and resources for AIDS are at all-time high including substantially increased funding for the Global Fund and the US Presidentrsquos Emergency Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief According to Sepulveda reaching the goal of 3 million people in low and middle-income countries on treatment at the end of 2007 was a critical step forward but the world has only scratched the surface of possibilities in responding to the epidemic Greater resources more effectively spent and targeted where they can have the greatest effect would have a dramatic impact on the course of the epidemicrsquos Highlighting the fact that more people become infected

with HIV last year than began treatment Sepulveda called for radically increased investments in prevention research evaluation and delivery of services as well as accelerated research on promising prevention methods including a vaccine In conclusion he reiterated that political leadership from all countries and accountability at all levels are essential for stopping the epidemic

Citing the results in both treatment and prevention scale up in countries with sustained leadership such as Rwanda and Tanzania Alex Coutinho (Uganda) of the Infectious Disease Institute of Makerere University made a passionate call for greater leadership as a path toward meeting the challenges ahead In looking at progress to date Coutinho highlighted increased access to HIV testing and counseling to prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and to pediatric care and treatment as well as the effectiveness of male circumcision as a prevention intervention In contrast he noted that most countries will not achieve universal access by 2010 and that the majority of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are still unaware of their HIV status In his call to action Coutinho urged greater investment in prevention and financial resources flexible enough to support health systems and systems that reach into rural and other hard-to-reach areas and fully embrace PLHIV as partners He also urged outreach to and support of marginalized and at-risk communities as well as the greater involvement of PLHIV as a catalyst for change

Elisabet Fadul (Dominican Republic) of the Dominican Network for Youth RightsGlobal Youth Partners outlined a broad and urgent youth HIVAIDS agenda calling for comprehensive rights ndash and evidence-based plans to provide access for young people Highlighting the 40 of new infections worldwide among young people between the ages of 15-24 Fadul noted that HIV prevention and treatment programmes are failing to effectively reach young people with the most vulnerable and marginalized being stigmatized criminalized or forgotten by many of these programmes

To reverse this course she called for actions and policies that engage youth especially young people living with HIVAIDS as respected partners in developing and implementing programmes that forthrightly address their

needs and diversity

 Tiret Sept 2008

MOHA Soft Drinks Industry SC a member of MIDROC

Ethiopia Investment Group has undertaken an expansion

project of Kool Mineral Water at Bure town in the

Amhara Regional State at a cost of over Birr 37 million

An agreement was signed in August 2008 between Ato

Alemayehu Tegenu Minister of Mines and Energy and Ato

Getachew Birbo CEO of MOHA Soft Drinks Industry SC

that provides a license for the expansion project which is

valid for ten years and renewable every five years to work

on a 5679978 sqm land

The factory which was acquired by MOHA four years ago

will have a capacity of producing 24 million cases of Kool

Mineral Water annually upon completion of the expansion

project MOHA has planned to produce 180320000

liters of mineral water in the coming ten years

According to CEO Getachew Birbo the company is

considering to export Kool Mineral Water as there is a

potentially rich market in the Middle East Countries

Since its establishment thirteen years ago MOHA has

invested over Birr 500 million (five hundred million birr)

in soft drinks factories located in different parts of the

country including Bure Kool Mineral Water Factory which

provided job opportunities for 2700 employees

MOHA has currently an annual production capacity

of 20 million cases from its six soft drinks factories at

Gonder Awassa Dessie Summit Plant (under contractual

agreement) and two plants in Addis Ababa covering 55

of the soft drinks demand in the country

Mini Cement Plant Begins Production

Dashen Cement Plant located in the outskirts of Dejen town North West of Amhara Regional State has been completed

and started producing cement recently

The mini plant is initially established to supply cement to private contractors and the government and to the construction

of the bigger Derba MIDROC Cement Project

Investment cost for Dashen Cement Plant stands at Birr 200000000 (two hundred million birr) and has a capacity of

producing 400 tons of cement per day

MOHA Undertakes Expansion Work

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The annual Customers Family and  Employees (company) Day initiated by the Chief Executive Officer of the MIDROC Ethiopia Technology Group was celebrated for the sixth time at the Millennium Hall on May 25 2008 in the presence of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi Chairman and Owner of MIDROC Ethiopia

According to MIDROC Technology Group the Annual Celebration of Customers Family and Employees (company) Day is held every year to acknowledge and show the gratefulness of the group to the Owners Customers Employees as well as Family Members for their contributions to the success of their respective companies

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi addressing at the celebration expressed his pleasure and gratitude and urged employees to work even harder and try to demonstrate more achievement CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw on his part articulated his appreciation to the employees for their efforts exerted for productivity and expressed hope that this hard work would be pronounced and developed in due course as a culture

Consequently 43 Best Customers of the MIDROC Ethiopia Technology Group both foreign and local were honored by Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi with Best Customers Award at the ceremony organized by the Technology Group at the Millennium Hall on May 25 2008

Wrt Etsehiwot Dinku Officer in Charge (OIC) for Production Marketing and Business Development Services at the Office of the CEO on the occasion presented a brief explanation of the products of each of the companies

Following the Sixth Annual Customers Family and Employees (company) Day Celebration Special Awards were presented to the Best Company and Best Performers of the year at the Millennium Hall in the presence of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi He addressed the gathering first and presented the Special Award to the Best Company of the Year Modern Building Industry (MBI) and the Best Performers Of The Year were also awarded

CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw on the occasion received a Special Award from the employees and families in the name of all the employees of the Group which he took from the hands of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi He was also awarded with a Special Certificate for his remarkable services in the Technology Group and other businesses of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi in the last ten years

Prior to Customers Family and Employees (company) Day the annual sports competition of employees of the Technology Group was carried out as part of the annual ceremony Winners in all competitions received gold bronze and silver medals from the hands of CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw

Customers Family and Employees (company) Day Commemorated

CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw receiving the Award from

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi

Mr Abdullah H Al-Amoudi receiving Best Foreign

Customers Award from the Chairman

 Tiret Sept 2008

The two days Second Annual ldquoOffsiterdquo Workshop where

CEOs and General Managers of the MIDROC Ethiopia

Technology Group took part was held on April 12 ndash 13

2008 at the Sheraton Addis Dr Arega Yirdaw Chief

Executive Officer of the Group opening the workshop

took into account the first Annual Workshop that was held

in Kombolcha and said that this yearrsquos venue provides more

opportunity for a considerable number of management

members to participate

While Dr Aregarsquos presentation to the Workshop focused

on ldquoEffective Marketing for Enhancement of

Business Developmentrdquo General Managers presented

comprehensive reports of their respective companies

MIDROC Ethiopia Training Department Holds Seminars

The MIDROC Ethiopia Training Department as part of  its  training activities holds various seminars for both senior managers and second level management tier every fiscal year During the last six months ldquoPositive Thinkingrdquo ldquoCorporate Social Responsibilitiesrdquo and ldquoICT Security and privacyrdquo were the issues for the seminars that the department carried out              

 Seminar on Positive Thinking

Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu Director of Training of MIDROC Ethiopia in his introductory remark on ldquoPositive Thinkingrdquo seminar that took place at the Sheraton Addis on April 11 2008 and attended by general managers and senior members of the Investment Group introduced the resource person Ato Robel Kidane as a ldquomotivational speakerrdquo and ldquolife-cycle trainerrdquo from Sweden

Emeritus Prof Johannes said that this topic is chosen because of a feeling that the current period and situations exhibited dynamic changes that were a burden to bear for many people who he said were ldquoeasily swayed to think negativelyrdquo He also quoted the Chairman and Owner of MIDROC Ethiopia Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi as saying ldquoWhat is the benefit of talking of bad

ldquoOffsiterdquo Workshop Held 

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Robel Kidane the resource person delivering his presentation at the seminar

 Tiret Sept 2008

The seminar for second level management personnel held on June 12 2008 on ICT Security and Privacy was attended by 31 participants from MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group Companies and the Head Office in the MIDROC Ethiopia Auditorium The seminar which was part of MIDROC Ethiopiarsquos attempt to keep abreast with ICT Development was opened by Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu who stressed in his brief remarks the need for concern to the protection of data and information and regulating the use of ICT

Also speaking on the occasion was Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting and Chairman of Training Committee who said that training helps to discover various means for success People he noted learn at work place and from challenges He stressed that the technology age called for adaptation of new thoughts and practices while requiring readiness to do ldquoWhat we can with what we haverdquo

The seminar which discussed various issues related to ICT was closed by Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu

 Seminar on ICT Security and Privacy

A view of participants of the seminar

things or difficulties onlyrdquo Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting of MIDROC Ethiopia and Chairman of Training Committee in his opening remark stated that positive thinking was a new scientific subject where investors CEOs and others in various capacities were inspired and motivated to create awareness to their colleagues and to remove all thoughts

of dark shadows from their minds He noted that positive thinking among CEOrsquos and subordinates was required and stressed that self-confidence was one of the prime factors for success in life and hence needed to be maintainedAto Robel Kidane covered a variety of interesting issues related to positive thinking in his presentation after which participants discussed on several importnat issues

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Teklu Haile opening the Seminar

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The seminar on ldquoCorporate Social Responsibilityrdquo

for second level management tier took place on March 27

2008 at the MIDROC Ethiopia Auditorium and attended

by 27 participants from 12 group companies

In accordance with the call to plant ldquoThree Trees in the Third Millenniumrdquo volunteers from MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group and Head Office on August 2007 replanted trees on the Entoto Mountain situated north of the capital city Addis Ababa It is to be recalled that members of MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group under the motto ldquo Two Trees in 2000 Ethiopian Millenniumrdquo have participated in planting trees at the same location last year

Organized again by the MIDROC Ethiopia Public Relations the call for replanting was enthusiastically received by volunteers who went back to the area to replace those trees planted by employees of the Investment Group last year and did not take root and withered

Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting supported and encouraged volunteers of MIDROC Ethiopia and reminded them of the saying - ldquoten thousand dedicated soldiers are better than one million dubious soldiersrdquo and appreciated all the volunteers for actively participating in the tree replanting activity

Seminar on Corporate Social Responsibility

Participants at the seminar Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu delivering his presentation

Volunteers going up the mountain for replanting

Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting Department of MIDROC Ethiopia and Chairman of Training Committee in his opening remarks stressed the importance of participation in community affairs by all Group Companies and cited Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi as a shinning example in playing an active

role in social activities He called on all to strive hard to change the negative image of the country and build a better Ethiopia free from poverty hunger and disease Various papers were presented ensuing fruitful discussions on the above issues

MIDROC Ethiopia Volunteers Participate in Replanting Trees

 Tiret Sept 2008

Equatorial Business Group General Manager Ato Tadelle

Teferra Deputy General Manager Ato Mekuria Ayele and

Automotive Business Senior Director Ato Daniel Seyoum

participated a weeklong Dealerrsquos Conference that was

staged in Cape Town South Africa in February this year

According to Ato Daniel Seyoum around 75 business

leaders from Europe the Middle East Asia and Africa

participated at the Conference Issues discussed included

regional international business concerns VOLVOrsquos strategy

development VOLVO CE business update introduction to

new VOLVO road machinery and other related business

matters Dealersrsquo Conference is an annual event to bring

together leaders in the VOLVO Construction Equipment

business from nearly all over the world for a pull effect

particularly to companies like EBG to provide further

opportunity in the Automotive Industry

EBG is an exclusive dealer in Ethiopia for VOLVO brand

products

Company Observes its 15th Anniversary

A group picture of Dealers Conference participants

EBGrsquos Managers Attended Dealers Conference

Equatorial Business Group (EBG) colorfully observed its 15th Anniversary on April 30 2008 Ato Tadelle Teferra

General Manager of the Company addressing the management and employees expressed gratitude and appreciation

to the Owners of the Company and to the Employees who worked hard since its establishment and urged all company

staff to work with an even more commitment and dedication

Ato Tadelle on the occasion disclosed the implementation of the reform packages that started recently and expressed

hope that the reform packages would bring EBG to a better competitive and profitable position The reform introduces

MIS QMS and companyrsquos new restructuring and other associated jobs

Three employees who served EBG for 15 years were honored with Special Certificates and several employees from

the various businesses and support services of the company were awarded for Best Performances during the year

200607

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Tadesse Haile State Minister of the Ministry of Trade and Industry visited Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc and held discussions with senior members on issues pertaining to the activities of the factory Ato Ahmed Hassen General Manager of the Factory explained to the State Minister that the factory would make all efforts to produce quality products in large quantity so as to reduce import from abroad He however expressed his wish that the government reduces tax on raw materials which are essential for the production of soap and detergent

Ato Tadesse disclosed during the discussion that extensive studies that include soap industries in the country are underway with the aim to strengthen the chemical industry in which the concern would be addressed in the near future He further said that there is a plan to connect the various regions of the country to the port by

EBG was announced First Order Winner for Best Stand in the 12th International Millennium Trade Fair organized by the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations held at the Exhibition Center in February 2008

EBGrsquos stand was visited by large number of visitors including the honorable World Laureate Metre Artist Afework Tekle who not only showed interest in the products and services of EBG but also expressed his appreciation to the Company in his comments while signing in the Special Guest Book

EBG Awarded for Best Stand

Star Soap and Detergent Factory Visited

The Most Honorable Maritre World Laureate Artist

Afework Tekle signing in the Visitors Book at the Trade Fair

Ato Tadesse Haile visiting the Production Unit with Ato Ahmed Hassen General Manager and Ato Seid Ahmed Plant Manager of the Factory

rail within the coming five years for the speedy delivery of export and import of goods which will have a great impact on sales

Ato Tadesse Haile finally appreciated the activities of the factory and said that Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc is capable of being a model in the sector and wished the lsquoBest of Luckrsquo for the management and the staff and affirmed that his Ministry would always support on all their endeavors

Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc is a member of the MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group established at an investment capital of Birr 80 million The factory is one of the biggest in the sector and equipped with the latest machinery and manufactures best quality laundry and toilet soaps liquid and synthetic detergents powder and bar soaps

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the most dedicated health care professionals and support staff SalaM Employees Clinic the Clinic that provides health care services to employees of MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group Companies and affiliates in its efforts to upgrade and improve its services has added to its modern list of medical equipment a Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor an advanced medical equipment Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor is one of the new advanced machineries that the clinic acquired recently which is used for the diagnosis of refraction errors of the eye

The Clinic provides medical and surgical services with sub-specialists in gynecological ophthalmological dermatological and ENT employing advanced diagnostic equipment such as radiography endoscopy and colonoscopy supported by video camera ultrasound and ECG Machines It has a well stocked pharmacy with essential medicines and also provides laboratory diagnostic services

The Clinic recently has moved from its previous location to a large and ideal villa with more rooms and a convenient location near the Genet Hotel and is open 24 hours

SalaM Employees Clinic was established by Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi in 1996 for employees of the Investment Group with an investment capital of over Birr 4 million under the SalaM Health Care Plc He later on increased the investment a lot more

Apart from providing services to the employees of the MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group SalaM Employees Clinic is rendering efficient services to the public as well

Dr Amare Abebe Medical Director of the clinic conducting an examination using endoscopy machine

Employees Clinic Secures Equipment

The Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor which the clinic acquired recently

The front view of the Clinic

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Three delegates from Ethiopia Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu MIDROC Ethiopia Training Director Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch Ato Asfaw Alemu Credit Manager of Dashen Bank attended the International Society of Business Economics and Ethics World Congress under the theme ldquoGlobal Fairness Local Integrityrdquo held in Cape Town from July 13 ndash 20 2008 and organized by BEN-Africa

The ISBEE World Congress is held every four years and is affectionately referred to as the Olympics of Business Ethics It always succeeds in attracting the best minds in the field of ethics of business and economics This yearrsquos Congress was attended by over 400 participants from all corners of the world Top notch world speakers among others Prof Mervyn E King SC Prof Deon Rossow Prof Joka Iwao Prof Georges Enderle Prof Paul Collies and Prof Tom Donaldson attended the Congress and over 80 papers were presented in three plenary sessions on topical international business issues

Ethiopian Delegation Participates at World ISBEE World Congress

Participants of ISBEE Congress Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu (left) Ato Lulseged Teferi (middle) Ato Asfaw Alemu

A Special Certificate of Recognition was awarded to Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu of MIDROC Ethiopia Prof Deon Rossow ndash former President of BEN-Africa and Ms Korien Sander the outgoing Executive Secretary of BEN-Africa

Emeritus Prof Johannes in his brief statement after receiving the certificate said that he accepted the certificate on behalf of those institutions and individuals in Ethiopia who have been behind the BEN-Africa Conference held in Ethiopia

It is to be recalled that MIDROC Ethiopia Corporate Office Dashen Bank the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch and Ato Teklu Haile Manager of Treasury Finance and Accounting of MIDROC Ethiopia played a great role for the successful completion of the ldquo7th Annual BEN-Africa Conferencerdquo held in Addis Ababa in August 2007

 Tiret Sept 2008

MIDROC Ethiopia is involved in the development of

mining and exploration of gold building of heavy mining

industries in central and eastern parts of the country

like cement plants filler plants etc Coal exploration is

also a potential area that is being explored by different

companies including MIDROC Ethiopia for use in the

cement plant power generation and fertilizer Soda ash

being used as a major input in glass soap detergent and

other industrial input is also one area of mining A lot of

investors are involved in gemstones

In an effort to exploit these resources and put them

to good use for the development of Ethiopia one of

MIDROC Ethiopia Group Companies the National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) has since its establishment in

March 1993 been actively engaged in the exploration of

gold and base metals in the various parts of the country

ldquoIt is worth noting that the mineral wealth of Ethiopia is

not fully tapped yet and needs to be given due attention

as it can be the backbone of the economy together with

agriculturerdquo says Ato Melaku Beza CEO of National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) He assertively told TIRET in

an interview at his office regarding the activities and

contributions of NMiC to the mining industry and that

his Company is working hard for a better achievement as

it has commemorated its 15th anniversary recently

He said that NMiC is currently engaged in the exploration

of gold base metals at Dawa Digati and Werri areas in the

Oromia and Tigray Administrative Regions and base metals

in Dire Dawa and Benshangul Gumuz Administrative

Regions It is also engaged in mining of marble and

limestone processing of quarried blocks and on the way

to develop the Abiyata Soda Ash in Southern Ethiopia

The Company in its venture in the development of Soda

Ash has embarked upon a joint investment agreement

with the Public Enterprise Supervising Agency (PPESA)

for a 54 percent share in which PPESArsquos 46 percent share

dilutes while NMICrsquos share shall increase in the process of

implementing tasks set in two phases

Mining Corporation on the Move

Ato Melaku Beza CEO NMiC

Dawa Digati Gold exploration drilling

The potential of the mining industry for the development of the Ethiopian economy is immense as witnessed by the ongoing development activities in the country This includes exploration of petroleum in the Ogaden Gambela and other areas by different companies exploration of gold in different parts of the country and potash exploration in Dallol where there is an estimated of 160 millions of tons of proven reserves

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Melaku stated that NMIC has invested Birr

160817912 (one hundred sixty million eight hundred

seventeen thousand nine hundred twelve) for exploration

and mining activities adding that the size of investment for

soda ash will be in the order of Birr 1150000000 (one

billion one hundred fifty million)

The first phase will cost Birr 640000000 (six hundred

forty million) and the second phase will be Birr 500000000

(five hundred million)

National Mining Corporation Plc is a pioneer in opening

and developing quarrying of marble and limestone using

the latest technology in the field Currently the Companyrsquos

Boka Marble Quarry has six benches and more than

twelve faces that are being worked out at Boka quarry

in the Benshangul Administrative Region In the process

it provides training to quarry workers of other quarry

owners thereby contributing to the development of the

mining culture

The General Manager explained about the processing and

marketing of his Companyrsquos products and said that his

Company applies modern technologies and deploys the

latest equipment in mining that meet export standards

engaging in open pit mining and tunneling for underground

mining which is unique not only in Ethiopia but also in

Africa He further articulated that the Company mines one

of the best quality marble in the industry as evidenced in

Boka multicolor marble once nominated as ldquoThe Stone

of the Yearrdquo by the Marble Institute of America (MIA)

while the blue marble has entered the world market by

a new name ldquoSummer Skyrdquo and is currently being sold

in Italy Samples of both have been tested and analyzed in

American Testing Companies and European Universities

and have proved to be of high quality and suitable both

for internal and external use in the construction industry

These two marbles are unique and are found only in

Ethiopia Also the limestone is of unique colors yellow

white and red which have high demand in the market

The CEO said that the special quality of his Companyrsquos

product that attracts international market is the

uniqueness of the material its beauty (aesthetics) and its

non-absorbent and compact nature

The company has the capacity to supply the export market

with the required quality and size of blocks and slabs both

white and blue marble Export markets include Taiwan

China Italy France USA Africa and the Middle East

In order to improve quality additional modern

state-of-the-art quarry machinery has been injected in the

quarry Plan is underway to replace the old machinery at

the processing plant The Company is also producing its

own ldquoabrasiverdquo used for polishing marble using locally

available minerals and materials

Awash Processing Plant

Blocks at Block Yard

Slabs at Slab Yard in the Awash Processing Plant

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

NMiC holds 40 of the local market share in the construction industry Lots of buildings have been cladded by NMiCrsquos products The Sheraton Addis Bole International Airport Terminal Sunshine Multipurpose Building National Bank of Ethiopia Federal Police Headquarters AUrsquos Building Head Office and the Secretary Generalrsquos Residence Ethiopian Insurance Corporation Worbek Building the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Patriarchrsquos Palace and UNCA Building are some the major buildings in Addis Ababa which are finished with NMiCrsquos products

National Mining Corporation Plc is one of the competent companies in Ethiopia and has contributed to the economy of the country by way of generating hard currency from its exports and saving foreign currency by competing and blocking imports of dimension stones from abroad One word it has added to the Ethiopian economy an amount of over Birr 5000000000 (fifty million) in tax royalties and land rent

NMiC has made valuable studies on the mineral potential areas of the country in dimension stones oil and gas mineral water coal and industrial minerals It has also made sound participation in the employment and training of manpower to the mining sector and has encouraged foreign investors to be involved in exploration of oil and gas and other minerals NMiC provides free training in its quarries and processing plant to new local enterprises coming to the sector The company provides potable water electricity medical services and other financial assistance to the community of its mining areas and has set up HIVAIDS policy for the Company to curb the spread of the pandemic and provides care and support for

those living with the virus

Tunnel Jet Belt Quarrying the latest technology in use at the Eshet Blue Quarry

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

a) Finalizing the work on the exploration phase of the gold and base metals projects both at Dawa Digati and Werri which shall lead to feasibility study and production stage

b) Developing Eshet Blue and Boka Multicolor marble quarries and strengthen export to increase income of foreign currency

c) Supplying blocks to local factories

d) Replacement of machinery at Awash Processing Plant especially to boost production and quality

e) Improve the life of the working force through profit sharing and availing better facilities together with upgrading their knowledge through training

f) Implement the Soda Ash development project

The priority areas of NMiC in its future plan include among others

Asked finally if he was satisfied with his Companyrsquos achievements Ato Melaku Beza CEO of NMiC replied ldquoNot much we could do betterrdquo

Nmic Products

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

ldquoA journey of a thousand miles starts with a single steprdquo

goes the famous Chinese saying as for Bauer MIDROC it

all started 10 years ago with the foundation work of the

construction of the MIDROC Corporate Office (MCO)

commonly known as Nani Building With a single project

at hand Bauer Specialtifbau a German Company ventured

into the slowly budding private construction industry

in equal partnership with MIDROC Ethiopia Although

a small scale business venture in the eyes of both giant

partners MIDROC Ethiopia and Bauer Specialtifbau it

created vast opportunities to the construction sector

with the introduction of a state-of-the-art German based

foundation technology to the Ethiopian market The

miniature move of the two giants opened up a gateway

of possibilities and marked a new construction era for

Ethiopia Over the years changes in shareholders has

led to the current name ldquoMIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plcrdquo with the state-of-the-art foundation solutions still in

place

Several limitations in dealing with unfavorable soil

conditions frequently encountered within Ethiopiarsquos

diverse geological formations most abundantly the

problematic black cotton soil within the city of Addis

Ababa and other parts of the country brought about

several technical barriers when it came to building

massive civil structures Building highrises as well as

massive bridges was inconceivable unless capable soil was

in close vicinity MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with

the introduction of deep foundations based on advanced

and efficient technologies in the construction industry

no doubt brought about remarkable solutions and helped

ease some of these anxieties

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with its fleets of large

diameter drilling rigs and variety of drilling tools capable of

both soil and hard soil formations has made economical

foundation solutions a reality offering developers the

confidence to build high rise buildings without worrying

about the type of soil in Addis Ababa The expertise of

Dedicated Backing for MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is gradually changing

the cityrsquos skyline with the construction of the completed

MCO Building AICAIB Headquarters and KK Building

both to be completed soon and all standing above 20

stories

Entering the city limits through the skyways one can notice

that the Bole Airport has received an entire facelift with

the construction of the International Passenger Terminal

Airport Control Towers the new Cargo Terminal and the

Maintenance Hanger The only thing these landmarks share

other than ownership is that they owe their existence to

foundation solutions of MIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plc As we enter the city limits also the Bole Viaduct

and all the overpasses on the Addis Ababa Ring Road are

comfortably resting still with the construction of the deep

piles by MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc

Drilling of pile with casing

 Tiret Sept 2008

Parallel to pile construction as verification of the

constructed pile capacities is common practice in the

foundation construction industry MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc equipped with the state-of-the-art

automated pile load testing system has recently conducted

1300 metric tons load test at the Derba MIDROC Cement

Factory Project the first of this magnitude in the African

Continent

The introduction of vertical shoring wall systems that

uses reinforced concrete piles and tie back anchors which

is gaining popularity in recent years is another type of

foundation technology solutions made possible in Ethiopia

through MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos expertise

Prior to these shoring system solutions land owners

could not fully utilize their plots at the boundaries for fear

of catastrophic cave-in In fact in most cases plot owners

avoided under ground construction in order to avoid

litigation with next door land owners The utilization of

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos vertical shoring pile

wall system was proposed and implemented in the cases

of Bole Towers and Loli Building In both cases all sides of

the plot were shored exactly at the boundaries without

any land loss In fact the clients gained underground spaces

in the order of two to three times their plot size for

possible parking purpose This has provided developers

with solutions clearing their lumbers from additional

costs for parking facilities

Pile load testing

In line with the construction boom within Addis Ababa

developers are opting to construct on boundary edges

where heavy structures already exist in adjacent plots

In order to excavate at these boundaries the safest and

most economical foundation solution system is shoring

pile wall system These systems were employed at Awash

Bank and Insurance Building KK Building and Orchid

Building

For realization of structures that have to be constructed

below the natural ground water level and or near offshore

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc has construction

approaches that employ waterproof vertical shoring

systems and several options to choose from within

the framework of technical feasibility of foundation

engineering The construction of Diaphragm Wall

Cellular Cofferdam Sheet Pile Wall and Secant

Pile Wall are such solutions to name a few The cost

of construction and the time required for executing the

works is in the order listed above

Anchored pile shoring wall

Foundation Solution

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the equipment already available in the country

MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc has tabled and

implemented an economical and technically feasible

secant pile wall system solution for bridge projects

within Ethiopia If it was not for MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plcrsquos geotechnical solutions construction under

such conditions would have been technically impossible

throughout East Africa

Unlike other options construction of secant pile wall as

waterproof vertical shoring system is not limited to the

soil condition of the site The construction of such high

tech geotechnical engineering solutions by the Company

have been successfully applied on projects like the Omo

River Bridge and on the New Abay Bridge Projects The

application of the secant pile wall system was used for the

construction of the pier foundation on both sides of the

Bridge on the Omo River Bridge Project and one side pier

foundation construction of the New Abay Bridge Project

During the construction of the Omo River Bridge

foundation and substructure works other logistic

challenges non-related to foundation works was

encountered The West Pier and Abutment on the Omo

River Bridge created such a technical impasse On this

side one of the most difficult challenges was to solve the

problem of crossing equipment and construction material

across the 150 m wide river After carefully considering all

the possible alternatives a decision was made to design and

manufacture a water crossing barge using local expertise

and manufacturing capabilities MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc took part in the design manufacturing and

commissioning of this barge and has successfully crossed

a 503 ton drilling rig and other earth moving equipment

With nearly twenty projects within Ethiopia MIDROC

Foundation Specialists Plc is a pioneer in exporting

foundation technology to neighboring Kenya Tanzania

and the Sudan In-house trained Ethiopian experts have

Crossing of drilling rig on Omo River through Barge

 Tiret Sept 2008

Secant pile wall

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Mr Achim Braun General Manager of MIDROC Foundation (left) inspecting a construction site

left their marks on several key projects within those

countries Among the projects successfully carried out in

Tanzania the Songo Songo Offshore Piling Project was the

most challenging and rewarding of all In this Project sixty

per cent of the piles were constructed from a SEWP (Self

Elevating Working Platform) elevated 13 meters from the

sea bed

As the company commemorates the tenth anniversary of

its establishment it is only proper to mark the outstanding

contributions to the construction industry of Ethiopia The

efficiency of the Company and the technology employed

has resulted in creating a broad awareness of foundation

technological solutions in the country particularly

among developers In terms of the spectrum of available

techniques of foundation the projects undertaken so

far are only a tip of the iceberg Although the Company

was confronted with a number of challenges in changing

attitudes and practices the success achieved so far has

been accomplished with great efforts exerted by the

companyrsquos management and its diligent professionals in

the field

Being the only Class I Foundation Specialist Contractors

in the country MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc is now

determined to leap ahead to new and yet un-introduced

foundation construction technologies such as micro 

piles  high  pressure  injection  diaphragm 

walls  slope  protection  and  soil  nailing  As

the countries infrastructure development continues to

reach higher levels MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is

preparing itself to meet the current customer demands

and technological challenges

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Statistics reveal that the country continues to earn hard currency from export of primary commodities such as coffee which tops the list by fetching some 500 million dollars last financial year

Other commodities are hides and skin flowers pulses fruits vegetables and chat

Incidentally it is interesting to note that Chat has fetched over 60 million dollars in foreign currency last fiscal year

The chewing of chat leaves is common in the horn of Africa but in eastern Ethiopia it is big business for some and big worry for others Chat is a major agricultural crop Yet many say it is addictive and harmful to health

In a town where I grew up for instance it is hard to avoid the impact of the stimulant leaf The first thing that strikes you in the main market is the deafening noise The market square is a scene of total chaos as you make your way through a bustling crowd preoccupied with the business of bartering for a prized commodity- the green leafed plant chat

Awadaye market is a market for chat It is estimated that over 25000 kg pass through it daily The buyers and sellers take their jobs seriously shouting to one other They gesture excitedly as they trade thousands of birr daily for the chat which is bought from the local farmers in Awadaye and sent to other areas in Ethiopia It is also exported overseas It is said to be the backbone of the economy as it can be gathered from the revenue it has generated during the current physical year

If you compare chat farmers with other farmers in other parts of the country you will see that their standard of living is so much better

The employment created though chat cultivation is very high as large numbers of people are involved in growing harvesting sorting packing transporting loading and unloading the commodity The wood of the plant is used for fuel and because of its resistance to termites it is also used to make fences Chat is also believed to have medical value being used locally to treat influenza and asthma

Chat farmers used to grow maize sorghum and teff which is the basic Ethiopian staple food but these crops are difficult to grow as they require lots of rain and attention

while chat requires little water or cultivation That is why it is widely believed that its cultivation is expanding at an amazing rate

Chat has now become Ethiopiarsquos biggest export third only to coffee and hides and skin But despite the cash earning and the tradition of chat growing and use among the people many people do not encourage it

They believe that it is addictive and this has a negative impact on the community They allege that people forget about their work commitments and spend hours chewing chat The number of users of chat is increasing particularly among the youth

In urban areas the use of chat combined with alcohol is having an adverse effect on family life Many students chew chat because they say it increases their concentration when they study their lessons

However in some regions where it is widely cultivated business punctuality is a frequent problem as the time after lunch is usually spent chewing chat Even in some regions where the plant has been banned cultivation and usage continue and attempts to replace chat with cash crops like coffee have failed

Regardless of the merit or demerit of chat the country continues to get the much needed hard currency through export of the plant ldquochatrdquo

However many people including development agents are of the opinion that the demerit far out weighs the merit for energy and time is spent chewing the stuff and particularly its negative impact on health especially on the productive force

Another very lucrative business in Ethiopia is the export of leather and leather goods According to recent data export of leather and leather goods registered a surge from 52 million dollars to over 90 million dollars Incidentally ELICO one of MIDROC Ethiopia group companies dealing with finished leather products fetched last financial year over 10 million dollars

In the light of considerable income accrued from export of primary commodities there is a need to do even more by way of establishing more agro-industries that engage in the production of agricultural products for sale locally and internationally

Earning from Export of Primary CommoditiesBy Yohannes Ruphael

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The Third Private Sector Development National Conference ndash 2008 of Ethiopia took place in Addis Ababa on June 30 2008 ndash at the UNECA Conference Center and the draft strategy document and priority strategic issues for improved business environment were discussed by representatives of the Private Sector Development Hub established with basic objectives of coordinating and developing a series of public sector development intervention projects for implementation with international financial support and undertaking related research studies to support the business community in its public and private partnership dialogue The Conference was addressed by an internationally renowned and distinguished authority on Corporate Governance Prof Mervyn E King SC

The Editorial Team of TIRET has taken advantage of communicating with Professor Mervyn E King SC to share his views briefly with our readers

Professor Mervyn E King SC is currently Professor Extraordinaire at the University of South Africa and serves as the Chairperson of the King Committee on Corporate Governance in South Africa He is a Senior Counsel and former Judge of the Supreme Court of South Africa His other credentials include Member of the World Bank Advisory Group on Corporate Governance President of the Commonwealth Association of Corporate Governance Governor of the International Corporate Governance Network President of the South Africa Chamber of Business Vice President of the Institute of Directors of Southern Africa Representatives of South Africa at the International Chamber of Commerce Advisor of Asian Center of Corporate Governance Director of Global Reporting Initiative-Amsterdam Director of Association of business Administrators of South Africa

At the Millennium National Private Sector Development Conference in Addis Ababa recently I spoke about corporate governance in the development of the private sector

Corporate governance is about the principles and practices which guide directors and senior managers in making their decisions to the best interests of their companies It has to be separated from the enterprise side of the business which is about making business judgment calls It is essential that directors and senior managers adopt acceptable principles and practices in steering and directing the company and making business judgment It is about the quality of this governance rather than a quantitative check on whether there has been compliance by the directors and managers with well-known governance practices such as the establishment of a remuneration committee

In my talk I pointed out that the economic value of a company does not equal its book value In Coca Cola for example its book value is approximately 13 of its economic value and its greatest asset is its brand which is dependent on

 Tiret Sept 2008

the companyrsquos reputation Consequentially directors and senior managers of Coca Cola have a duty to protect the companyrsquos brand

In planning for a company the strategic direction needs to be done both short- and long-term If a strategy is developed in which all persons in the corporation at all levels buy-in one can get ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things Unless this is done not even extraordinary people will achieve ordinary things

The important thing for directors to remember is that they have won and maintained the trust and confidence of the stakeholders of the company Consequently they should report at least annually how the company has both positively and negatively affected a communityrsquos economic life through its operations and how it is going to enhance those positive aspects and eradicate or ameliorate the negative aspects in the year ahead

Good governance involves inter alia the approval by the board of the strategy of the company and sustainability can no longer be ignored in developing a long-term strategy

The Private Sector Development Hub (PSD-Hub) has the objective to contribute to the economic development of Ethiopia by improving the entrepreneurial environment and the governance of corporations Consequently the PSD-Hub has held Conferences over the last two years focusing on these issues and on the question of public private partnerships There has also been discussion about expediting the registration of companies the standardization of accounting and auditing capitalization and the finalization of the revision of the Ethiopian Commercial Code Corporate governance has featured prominently in these discussions

Arising out of all the modernization of the registration of companies in Ethiopia has been recognized as a priority

Accounting and auditing standards which should follow IFRS should have legal backing so that everyone in Ethiopia will know the meaning of the reported financial statements

The development of a securities market including an exchange in which not only equities but bonds and derivatives can be bought and sold with the dematerialisation of scrip and electronic settlement is essential

From the above it will be seen that there is much to be done but Ethiopia is striving through the PSD Hub to create platforms on which it can forge ahead in our flat electronic world where capital flows towards those areas where there is good governance and well-regulated markets The Conference at which I spoke was just another step in Ethiopiarsquos endeavours to achieve these goals Positively the essential aspects for creating an entrepreneurial and thriving business environment have been identified and PSD Hub the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other interested bodies are working in partnership with government to achieve them

 Tiret Sept 2008

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Itrsquos a ridiculous

l a n g u a g e rdquo

sputtered the

Englishman at

the next table

his jowls shaking

in anger ldquoA ridiculous languagerdquo

We were sitting in a tiny tea-and-pie shop in Criccieth a

town in northern Wales and everybody but us was speaking

Welsh Like a remarkable number of his countrymen this

man was convinced it was merely a secret code employed

by the local to talk behind the backs of English visitors

ldquoJust you watchrdquo he said ldquoAs soon as we leave theyrsquoll all

go back to speaking Englishrdquo

I rather doubted it And unlike the Englishman I was

thrilled to encounter one of the oldest languages in

Europe a tongue heard in this misty and mountainous

land since the arrival of Roman legions

Being surrounded by people speaking an unfamiliar and

exotic language is to me one of the best things about

travel Just as some people will journey to the Serengeti

to glimpse the rare and endangered white rhino Irsquoll happily

go far out of my way to hear a rare and endangered

language

In the storybook city of Carcassonne in southwest France

I was less thrilled at seeing the towers and turrets than

I was at meeting a man who could speak Occitan the

ancient and fast-vanishing language of the troubadours

As far as I was concerned the most fascinating thing in

Dangriga a coastal town in Belize was the mellifluous

sound of Garifuna a language spoken by the descendants

of shipwrecked slaves from West Africa I once traveled

to Graubunden in eastern Switzerland in the hope of

hearing Romansch a tongue spoken by fewer than one

percent of the nationrsquos residents and said to resemble

Latin I encountered a few signs in the language but no

one who could speak it

According to one oft-cited estimate at least half the

worldrsquos 6000 languages are likely to die out by the end

of this century which means that one is going silent on

average every two weeks

Itrsquos not merely a matter of using different words to express the same thoughts Languages are literally the expressions of cultures and belief systems entirely different ways of making sense of the world And just as we should be concerned about the shrinking diversity of plant and animal species we should also worry about the shrinking diversity of languages

Welsh though seems to be holding on despite 700 years

of efforts by the English to exterminate it The BBC has for

some years now carried television and radio programming

in the language and in Wales itrsquos possible to receive your

entire education from preschool to postgraduate in

Welsh About 20 percent of Walesrsquo population speaks

Welsh and the number appears to be growing slightly

It is not as the Englishman said a ridiculous language But

it is to my eyes and ears a wonderfully strange one Dave

Barry once wrote that the ancient Hawaiians arrived on

their islands after perilous canoe voyages in seas so rough

their consonants fell overboard My guess is that the

letters drifted the worldrsquos oceans until they washed up on

the shores of Wales

T h e   B e a u t y   o f   a   L a n g u a g e

 Tiret Sept 2008

How else to explain for example the Welsh word for

beer Itrsquos cwrw It looks like my Scrabble tray when I

donrsquot have a word to pay (In case you ever need to order

one itrsquos pronounced ldquokooroordquo)

And then therersquos the vexing pronunciation of the double-

1 you find at the beginning of it seems two-thirds of the

town names in Wales ldquoJust put your teeth together and

hiss like a duckrdquo explained a helpful woman I met at the

Dylan Thomas Museum in Swansea She also pointed out

that Llareggub the fictional town in Thomasrsquo ldquoUnder the

Milkwood Treerdquo is merely ldquobugger allrdquo spelled backward

I like the besotted poet a whole lot more after learning

that

One dark and drizzly night I went to a little schoolhouse in

the Rhondda Valley to listen to a rehearsal of the Treorchy

Menrsquos Choir made up mostly of unemployed coal miners

ldquoIn the old daysrdquo one of them told me ldquowe used to sing

together in the pitsrdquo

When they opened their mouths to sing as one in Welsh

all the snarky little comments about their language become

moot It was simply one of the most hauntingly beautiful

sounds Irsquove even heard

I got a lesson in the politics of minority languages recently

when I visited Montreal the capital of French ndash speaking

Canada I hadnrsquot been there since a childhood visit to

Exporsquo67 and I remember the province as decidedly

bilingual Everything from traffic signs to toothpaste

tubes was printed in French and English No more A

law passed in 1977 banned the use of English in signs

throughout Quebec Itrsquos an attempt to do linguistically

what they failed for two centuries to do militarily prevent

the English from conquering them

Theyrsquore quite serious about this Hudson Bay Co the

venerable department store chain that dates back to the

fur-trading days is now known as Compagnie de la Baie

drsquoHudson at least in these parts Kentucky Fried Chicken

outlets arenrsquot allowed to use ldquoKFCrdquo on their signs In

Quebec theyrsquore called ldquoPFKrdquo for Poulet Frit Kentucky

The Quebecois are more vigilant even than their famously

Anglophobic counterparts in Paris All stop signs here say

Arret even though the ones in France say ldquoStoprdquo

It all seemed a little silly and excessive to me until I began

talking to French-speaking Montrealers about it ldquoYou

have to understand that wersquore surrounded by English

speakersrdquo a schoolteacher told me ldquoWe have to be very

firm about defending our language or it will disappear

And when it goes so does our way of life

Signs aside most French Canadians I met were bilingual

I quickly discovered that if I first made atleast a fumbling

attempt to speak their language almost everybody was

happy to switch to English ndash very possibly to spare

themselves the trauma of hearing my phrase-book

French which sounds like someone grinding the gears

of an old Citroen ldquoWe have nothing against Englishrdquo the

schoolteacher told me ldquoItrsquos just that we want to speak

French hererdquo

Vive la differenceJohn Flinn -Travel Editor

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Scale up of HIV Prevention Treatment Care and Support Requires Renewed Leadership and Resources

The 17th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) took place in Mexico City from August 3 -8 2008 with an assessment of the situation of the global epidemic at a panel of researchers public health and civil society leaders examined recent progress towards the scale up of treatment and prevention programmes and called for sustained action to eliminate the barriers to universal access

ldquoDespite the progress we have made we are not on course to meet universal access targets and in fact appear to be slipping away from our existing commitmentsrdquo said Dr Pedro Cahn International Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and President of the International AIDS Society and Fundacioacuten Hueacutesped in Buenos Aires Argentina ldquoIt appears that we are poised to accept defeat when victory is still within our grasp Our failure to meet those commitments will have an impact on millions of lives This cannot be allowed to happen It is time for nations to live up to their commitmentsrdquo

ldquoWith only two years to go until the 2010 deadline for universal access set by world leaders we must redouble our commitment to scaling up all proven HIV prevention strategiesrdquo said Dr Luiacutes Soto Ramiacuterez Local Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and Head of the Molecular Virology Unit at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Meacutedicas y Nutricioacuten Salvador Zubiriaacuten and Coordinator of the Clinical Care Committee of CONASIDA Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council ldquoThe fact that last year 27 million people were newly infected with HIV a disease that is entirely preventable is unacceptablerdquo

Dr Jaime Sepulveda (Mexico) founder of Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council who is now with the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation noted that attention to and resources for AIDS are at all-time high including substantially increased funding for the Global Fund and the US Presidentrsquos Emergency Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief According to Sepulveda reaching the goal of 3 million people in low and middle-income countries on treatment at the end of 2007 was a critical step forward but the world has only scratched the surface of possibilities in responding to the epidemic Greater resources more effectively spent and targeted where they can have the greatest effect would have a dramatic impact on the course of the epidemicrsquos Highlighting the fact that more people become infected

with HIV last year than began treatment Sepulveda called for radically increased investments in prevention research evaluation and delivery of services as well as accelerated research on promising prevention methods including a vaccine In conclusion he reiterated that political leadership from all countries and accountability at all levels are essential for stopping the epidemic

Citing the results in both treatment and prevention scale up in countries with sustained leadership such as Rwanda and Tanzania Alex Coutinho (Uganda) of the Infectious Disease Institute of Makerere University made a passionate call for greater leadership as a path toward meeting the challenges ahead In looking at progress to date Coutinho highlighted increased access to HIV testing and counseling to prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and to pediatric care and treatment as well as the effectiveness of male circumcision as a prevention intervention In contrast he noted that most countries will not achieve universal access by 2010 and that the majority of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are still unaware of their HIV status In his call to action Coutinho urged greater investment in prevention and financial resources flexible enough to support health systems and systems that reach into rural and other hard-to-reach areas and fully embrace PLHIV as partners He also urged outreach to and support of marginalized and at-risk communities as well as the greater involvement of PLHIV as a catalyst for change

Elisabet Fadul (Dominican Republic) of the Dominican Network for Youth RightsGlobal Youth Partners outlined a broad and urgent youth HIVAIDS agenda calling for comprehensive rights ndash and evidence-based plans to provide access for young people Highlighting the 40 of new infections worldwide among young people between the ages of 15-24 Fadul noted that HIV prevention and treatment programmes are failing to effectively reach young people with the most vulnerable and marginalized being stigmatized criminalized or forgotten by many of these programmes

To reverse this course she called for actions and policies that engage youth especially young people living with HIVAIDS as respected partners in developing and implementing programmes that forthrightly address their

needs and diversity

 Tiret Sept 2008

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The annual Customers Family and  Employees (company) Day initiated by the Chief Executive Officer of the MIDROC Ethiopia Technology Group was celebrated for the sixth time at the Millennium Hall on May 25 2008 in the presence of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi Chairman and Owner of MIDROC Ethiopia

According to MIDROC Technology Group the Annual Celebration of Customers Family and Employees (company) Day is held every year to acknowledge and show the gratefulness of the group to the Owners Customers Employees as well as Family Members for their contributions to the success of their respective companies

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi addressing at the celebration expressed his pleasure and gratitude and urged employees to work even harder and try to demonstrate more achievement CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw on his part articulated his appreciation to the employees for their efforts exerted for productivity and expressed hope that this hard work would be pronounced and developed in due course as a culture

Consequently 43 Best Customers of the MIDROC Ethiopia Technology Group both foreign and local were honored by Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi with Best Customers Award at the ceremony organized by the Technology Group at the Millennium Hall on May 25 2008

Wrt Etsehiwot Dinku Officer in Charge (OIC) for Production Marketing and Business Development Services at the Office of the CEO on the occasion presented a brief explanation of the products of each of the companies

Following the Sixth Annual Customers Family and Employees (company) Day Celebration Special Awards were presented to the Best Company and Best Performers of the year at the Millennium Hall in the presence of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi He addressed the gathering first and presented the Special Award to the Best Company of the Year Modern Building Industry (MBI) and the Best Performers Of The Year were also awarded

CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw on the occasion received a Special Award from the employees and families in the name of all the employees of the Group which he took from the hands of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi He was also awarded with a Special Certificate for his remarkable services in the Technology Group and other businesses of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi in the last ten years

Prior to Customers Family and Employees (company) Day the annual sports competition of employees of the Technology Group was carried out as part of the annual ceremony Winners in all competitions received gold bronze and silver medals from the hands of CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw

Customers Family and Employees (company) Day Commemorated

CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw receiving the Award from

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi

Mr Abdullah H Al-Amoudi receiving Best Foreign

Customers Award from the Chairman

 Tiret Sept 2008

The two days Second Annual ldquoOffsiterdquo Workshop where

CEOs and General Managers of the MIDROC Ethiopia

Technology Group took part was held on April 12 ndash 13

2008 at the Sheraton Addis Dr Arega Yirdaw Chief

Executive Officer of the Group opening the workshop

took into account the first Annual Workshop that was held

in Kombolcha and said that this yearrsquos venue provides more

opportunity for a considerable number of management

members to participate

While Dr Aregarsquos presentation to the Workshop focused

on ldquoEffective Marketing for Enhancement of

Business Developmentrdquo General Managers presented

comprehensive reports of their respective companies

MIDROC Ethiopia Training Department Holds Seminars

The MIDROC Ethiopia Training Department as part of  its  training activities holds various seminars for both senior managers and second level management tier every fiscal year During the last six months ldquoPositive Thinkingrdquo ldquoCorporate Social Responsibilitiesrdquo and ldquoICT Security and privacyrdquo were the issues for the seminars that the department carried out              

 Seminar on Positive Thinking

Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu Director of Training of MIDROC Ethiopia in his introductory remark on ldquoPositive Thinkingrdquo seminar that took place at the Sheraton Addis on April 11 2008 and attended by general managers and senior members of the Investment Group introduced the resource person Ato Robel Kidane as a ldquomotivational speakerrdquo and ldquolife-cycle trainerrdquo from Sweden

Emeritus Prof Johannes said that this topic is chosen because of a feeling that the current period and situations exhibited dynamic changes that were a burden to bear for many people who he said were ldquoeasily swayed to think negativelyrdquo He also quoted the Chairman and Owner of MIDROC Ethiopia Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi as saying ldquoWhat is the benefit of talking of bad

ldquoOffsiterdquo Workshop Held 

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Robel Kidane the resource person delivering his presentation at the seminar

 Tiret Sept 2008

The seminar for second level management personnel held on June 12 2008 on ICT Security and Privacy was attended by 31 participants from MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group Companies and the Head Office in the MIDROC Ethiopia Auditorium The seminar which was part of MIDROC Ethiopiarsquos attempt to keep abreast with ICT Development was opened by Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu who stressed in his brief remarks the need for concern to the protection of data and information and regulating the use of ICT

Also speaking on the occasion was Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting and Chairman of Training Committee who said that training helps to discover various means for success People he noted learn at work place and from challenges He stressed that the technology age called for adaptation of new thoughts and practices while requiring readiness to do ldquoWhat we can with what we haverdquo

The seminar which discussed various issues related to ICT was closed by Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu

 Seminar on ICT Security and Privacy

A view of participants of the seminar

things or difficulties onlyrdquo Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting of MIDROC Ethiopia and Chairman of Training Committee in his opening remark stated that positive thinking was a new scientific subject where investors CEOs and others in various capacities were inspired and motivated to create awareness to their colleagues and to remove all thoughts

of dark shadows from their minds He noted that positive thinking among CEOrsquos and subordinates was required and stressed that self-confidence was one of the prime factors for success in life and hence needed to be maintainedAto Robel Kidane covered a variety of interesting issues related to positive thinking in his presentation after which participants discussed on several importnat issues

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Teklu Haile opening the Seminar

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The seminar on ldquoCorporate Social Responsibilityrdquo

for second level management tier took place on March 27

2008 at the MIDROC Ethiopia Auditorium and attended

by 27 participants from 12 group companies

In accordance with the call to plant ldquoThree Trees in the Third Millenniumrdquo volunteers from MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group and Head Office on August 2007 replanted trees on the Entoto Mountain situated north of the capital city Addis Ababa It is to be recalled that members of MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group under the motto ldquo Two Trees in 2000 Ethiopian Millenniumrdquo have participated in planting trees at the same location last year

Organized again by the MIDROC Ethiopia Public Relations the call for replanting was enthusiastically received by volunteers who went back to the area to replace those trees planted by employees of the Investment Group last year and did not take root and withered

Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting supported and encouraged volunteers of MIDROC Ethiopia and reminded them of the saying - ldquoten thousand dedicated soldiers are better than one million dubious soldiersrdquo and appreciated all the volunteers for actively participating in the tree replanting activity

Seminar on Corporate Social Responsibility

Participants at the seminar Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu delivering his presentation

Volunteers going up the mountain for replanting

Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting Department of MIDROC Ethiopia and Chairman of Training Committee in his opening remarks stressed the importance of participation in community affairs by all Group Companies and cited Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi as a shinning example in playing an active

role in social activities He called on all to strive hard to change the negative image of the country and build a better Ethiopia free from poverty hunger and disease Various papers were presented ensuing fruitful discussions on the above issues

MIDROC Ethiopia Volunteers Participate in Replanting Trees

 Tiret Sept 2008

Equatorial Business Group General Manager Ato Tadelle

Teferra Deputy General Manager Ato Mekuria Ayele and

Automotive Business Senior Director Ato Daniel Seyoum

participated a weeklong Dealerrsquos Conference that was

staged in Cape Town South Africa in February this year

According to Ato Daniel Seyoum around 75 business

leaders from Europe the Middle East Asia and Africa

participated at the Conference Issues discussed included

regional international business concerns VOLVOrsquos strategy

development VOLVO CE business update introduction to

new VOLVO road machinery and other related business

matters Dealersrsquo Conference is an annual event to bring

together leaders in the VOLVO Construction Equipment

business from nearly all over the world for a pull effect

particularly to companies like EBG to provide further

opportunity in the Automotive Industry

EBG is an exclusive dealer in Ethiopia for VOLVO brand

products

Company Observes its 15th Anniversary

A group picture of Dealers Conference participants

EBGrsquos Managers Attended Dealers Conference

Equatorial Business Group (EBG) colorfully observed its 15th Anniversary on April 30 2008 Ato Tadelle Teferra

General Manager of the Company addressing the management and employees expressed gratitude and appreciation

to the Owners of the Company and to the Employees who worked hard since its establishment and urged all company

staff to work with an even more commitment and dedication

Ato Tadelle on the occasion disclosed the implementation of the reform packages that started recently and expressed

hope that the reform packages would bring EBG to a better competitive and profitable position The reform introduces

MIS QMS and companyrsquos new restructuring and other associated jobs

Three employees who served EBG for 15 years were honored with Special Certificates and several employees from

the various businesses and support services of the company were awarded for Best Performances during the year

200607

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Tadesse Haile State Minister of the Ministry of Trade and Industry visited Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc and held discussions with senior members on issues pertaining to the activities of the factory Ato Ahmed Hassen General Manager of the Factory explained to the State Minister that the factory would make all efforts to produce quality products in large quantity so as to reduce import from abroad He however expressed his wish that the government reduces tax on raw materials which are essential for the production of soap and detergent

Ato Tadesse disclosed during the discussion that extensive studies that include soap industries in the country are underway with the aim to strengthen the chemical industry in which the concern would be addressed in the near future He further said that there is a plan to connect the various regions of the country to the port by

EBG was announced First Order Winner for Best Stand in the 12th International Millennium Trade Fair organized by the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations held at the Exhibition Center in February 2008

EBGrsquos stand was visited by large number of visitors including the honorable World Laureate Metre Artist Afework Tekle who not only showed interest in the products and services of EBG but also expressed his appreciation to the Company in his comments while signing in the Special Guest Book

EBG Awarded for Best Stand

Star Soap and Detergent Factory Visited

The Most Honorable Maritre World Laureate Artist

Afework Tekle signing in the Visitors Book at the Trade Fair

Ato Tadesse Haile visiting the Production Unit with Ato Ahmed Hassen General Manager and Ato Seid Ahmed Plant Manager of the Factory

rail within the coming five years for the speedy delivery of export and import of goods which will have a great impact on sales

Ato Tadesse Haile finally appreciated the activities of the factory and said that Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc is capable of being a model in the sector and wished the lsquoBest of Luckrsquo for the management and the staff and affirmed that his Ministry would always support on all their endeavors

Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc is a member of the MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group established at an investment capital of Birr 80 million The factory is one of the biggest in the sector and equipped with the latest machinery and manufactures best quality laundry and toilet soaps liquid and synthetic detergents powder and bar soaps

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the most dedicated health care professionals and support staff SalaM Employees Clinic the Clinic that provides health care services to employees of MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group Companies and affiliates in its efforts to upgrade and improve its services has added to its modern list of medical equipment a Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor an advanced medical equipment Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor is one of the new advanced machineries that the clinic acquired recently which is used for the diagnosis of refraction errors of the eye

The Clinic provides medical and surgical services with sub-specialists in gynecological ophthalmological dermatological and ENT employing advanced diagnostic equipment such as radiography endoscopy and colonoscopy supported by video camera ultrasound and ECG Machines It has a well stocked pharmacy with essential medicines and also provides laboratory diagnostic services

The Clinic recently has moved from its previous location to a large and ideal villa with more rooms and a convenient location near the Genet Hotel and is open 24 hours

SalaM Employees Clinic was established by Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi in 1996 for employees of the Investment Group with an investment capital of over Birr 4 million under the SalaM Health Care Plc He later on increased the investment a lot more

Apart from providing services to the employees of the MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group SalaM Employees Clinic is rendering efficient services to the public as well

Dr Amare Abebe Medical Director of the clinic conducting an examination using endoscopy machine

Employees Clinic Secures Equipment

The Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor which the clinic acquired recently

The front view of the Clinic

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Three delegates from Ethiopia Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu MIDROC Ethiopia Training Director Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch Ato Asfaw Alemu Credit Manager of Dashen Bank attended the International Society of Business Economics and Ethics World Congress under the theme ldquoGlobal Fairness Local Integrityrdquo held in Cape Town from July 13 ndash 20 2008 and organized by BEN-Africa

The ISBEE World Congress is held every four years and is affectionately referred to as the Olympics of Business Ethics It always succeeds in attracting the best minds in the field of ethics of business and economics This yearrsquos Congress was attended by over 400 participants from all corners of the world Top notch world speakers among others Prof Mervyn E King SC Prof Deon Rossow Prof Joka Iwao Prof Georges Enderle Prof Paul Collies and Prof Tom Donaldson attended the Congress and over 80 papers were presented in three plenary sessions on topical international business issues

Ethiopian Delegation Participates at World ISBEE World Congress

Participants of ISBEE Congress Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu (left) Ato Lulseged Teferi (middle) Ato Asfaw Alemu

A Special Certificate of Recognition was awarded to Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu of MIDROC Ethiopia Prof Deon Rossow ndash former President of BEN-Africa and Ms Korien Sander the outgoing Executive Secretary of BEN-Africa

Emeritus Prof Johannes in his brief statement after receiving the certificate said that he accepted the certificate on behalf of those institutions and individuals in Ethiopia who have been behind the BEN-Africa Conference held in Ethiopia

It is to be recalled that MIDROC Ethiopia Corporate Office Dashen Bank the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch and Ato Teklu Haile Manager of Treasury Finance and Accounting of MIDROC Ethiopia played a great role for the successful completion of the ldquo7th Annual BEN-Africa Conferencerdquo held in Addis Ababa in August 2007

 Tiret Sept 2008

MIDROC Ethiopia is involved in the development of

mining and exploration of gold building of heavy mining

industries in central and eastern parts of the country

like cement plants filler plants etc Coal exploration is

also a potential area that is being explored by different

companies including MIDROC Ethiopia for use in the

cement plant power generation and fertilizer Soda ash

being used as a major input in glass soap detergent and

other industrial input is also one area of mining A lot of

investors are involved in gemstones

In an effort to exploit these resources and put them

to good use for the development of Ethiopia one of

MIDROC Ethiopia Group Companies the National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) has since its establishment in

March 1993 been actively engaged in the exploration of

gold and base metals in the various parts of the country

ldquoIt is worth noting that the mineral wealth of Ethiopia is

not fully tapped yet and needs to be given due attention

as it can be the backbone of the economy together with

agriculturerdquo says Ato Melaku Beza CEO of National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) He assertively told TIRET in

an interview at his office regarding the activities and

contributions of NMiC to the mining industry and that

his Company is working hard for a better achievement as

it has commemorated its 15th anniversary recently

He said that NMiC is currently engaged in the exploration

of gold base metals at Dawa Digati and Werri areas in the

Oromia and Tigray Administrative Regions and base metals

in Dire Dawa and Benshangul Gumuz Administrative

Regions It is also engaged in mining of marble and

limestone processing of quarried blocks and on the way

to develop the Abiyata Soda Ash in Southern Ethiopia

The Company in its venture in the development of Soda

Ash has embarked upon a joint investment agreement

with the Public Enterprise Supervising Agency (PPESA)

for a 54 percent share in which PPESArsquos 46 percent share

dilutes while NMICrsquos share shall increase in the process of

implementing tasks set in two phases

Mining Corporation on the Move

Ato Melaku Beza CEO NMiC

Dawa Digati Gold exploration drilling

The potential of the mining industry for the development of the Ethiopian economy is immense as witnessed by the ongoing development activities in the country This includes exploration of petroleum in the Ogaden Gambela and other areas by different companies exploration of gold in different parts of the country and potash exploration in Dallol where there is an estimated of 160 millions of tons of proven reserves

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Melaku stated that NMIC has invested Birr

160817912 (one hundred sixty million eight hundred

seventeen thousand nine hundred twelve) for exploration

and mining activities adding that the size of investment for

soda ash will be in the order of Birr 1150000000 (one

billion one hundred fifty million)

The first phase will cost Birr 640000000 (six hundred

forty million) and the second phase will be Birr 500000000

(five hundred million)

National Mining Corporation Plc is a pioneer in opening

and developing quarrying of marble and limestone using

the latest technology in the field Currently the Companyrsquos

Boka Marble Quarry has six benches and more than

twelve faces that are being worked out at Boka quarry

in the Benshangul Administrative Region In the process

it provides training to quarry workers of other quarry

owners thereby contributing to the development of the

mining culture

The General Manager explained about the processing and

marketing of his Companyrsquos products and said that his

Company applies modern technologies and deploys the

latest equipment in mining that meet export standards

engaging in open pit mining and tunneling for underground

mining which is unique not only in Ethiopia but also in

Africa He further articulated that the Company mines one

of the best quality marble in the industry as evidenced in

Boka multicolor marble once nominated as ldquoThe Stone

of the Yearrdquo by the Marble Institute of America (MIA)

while the blue marble has entered the world market by

a new name ldquoSummer Skyrdquo and is currently being sold

in Italy Samples of both have been tested and analyzed in

American Testing Companies and European Universities

and have proved to be of high quality and suitable both

for internal and external use in the construction industry

These two marbles are unique and are found only in

Ethiopia Also the limestone is of unique colors yellow

white and red which have high demand in the market

The CEO said that the special quality of his Companyrsquos

product that attracts international market is the

uniqueness of the material its beauty (aesthetics) and its

non-absorbent and compact nature

The company has the capacity to supply the export market

with the required quality and size of blocks and slabs both

white and blue marble Export markets include Taiwan

China Italy France USA Africa and the Middle East

In order to improve quality additional modern

state-of-the-art quarry machinery has been injected in the

quarry Plan is underway to replace the old machinery at

the processing plant The Company is also producing its

own ldquoabrasiverdquo used for polishing marble using locally

available minerals and materials

Awash Processing Plant

Blocks at Block Yard

Slabs at Slab Yard in the Awash Processing Plant

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

NMiC holds 40 of the local market share in the construction industry Lots of buildings have been cladded by NMiCrsquos products The Sheraton Addis Bole International Airport Terminal Sunshine Multipurpose Building National Bank of Ethiopia Federal Police Headquarters AUrsquos Building Head Office and the Secretary Generalrsquos Residence Ethiopian Insurance Corporation Worbek Building the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Patriarchrsquos Palace and UNCA Building are some the major buildings in Addis Ababa which are finished with NMiCrsquos products

National Mining Corporation Plc is one of the competent companies in Ethiopia and has contributed to the economy of the country by way of generating hard currency from its exports and saving foreign currency by competing and blocking imports of dimension stones from abroad One word it has added to the Ethiopian economy an amount of over Birr 5000000000 (fifty million) in tax royalties and land rent

NMiC has made valuable studies on the mineral potential areas of the country in dimension stones oil and gas mineral water coal and industrial minerals It has also made sound participation in the employment and training of manpower to the mining sector and has encouraged foreign investors to be involved in exploration of oil and gas and other minerals NMiC provides free training in its quarries and processing plant to new local enterprises coming to the sector The company provides potable water electricity medical services and other financial assistance to the community of its mining areas and has set up HIVAIDS policy for the Company to curb the spread of the pandemic and provides care and support for

those living with the virus

Tunnel Jet Belt Quarrying the latest technology in use at the Eshet Blue Quarry

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

a) Finalizing the work on the exploration phase of the gold and base metals projects both at Dawa Digati and Werri which shall lead to feasibility study and production stage

b) Developing Eshet Blue and Boka Multicolor marble quarries and strengthen export to increase income of foreign currency

c) Supplying blocks to local factories

d) Replacement of machinery at Awash Processing Plant especially to boost production and quality

e) Improve the life of the working force through profit sharing and availing better facilities together with upgrading their knowledge through training

f) Implement the Soda Ash development project

The priority areas of NMiC in its future plan include among others

Asked finally if he was satisfied with his Companyrsquos achievements Ato Melaku Beza CEO of NMiC replied ldquoNot much we could do betterrdquo

Nmic Products

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

ldquoA journey of a thousand miles starts with a single steprdquo

goes the famous Chinese saying as for Bauer MIDROC it

all started 10 years ago with the foundation work of the

construction of the MIDROC Corporate Office (MCO)

commonly known as Nani Building With a single project

at hand Bauer Specialtifbau a German Company ventured

into the slowly budding private construction industry

in equal partnership with MIDROC Ethiopia Although

a small scale business venture in the eyes of both giant

partners MIDROC Ethiopia and Bauer Specialtifbau it

created vast opportunities to the construction sector

with the introduction of a state-of-the-art German based

foundation technology to the Ethiopian market The

miniature move of the two giants opened up a gateway

of possibilities and marked a new construction era for

Ethiopia Over the years changes in shareholders has

led to the current name ldquoMIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plcrdquo with the state-of-the-art foundation solutions still in

place

Several limitations in dealing with unfavorable soil

conditions frequently encountered within Ethiopiarsquos

diverse geological formations most abundantly the

problematic black cotton soil within the city of Addis

Ababa and other parts of the country brought about

several technical barriers when it came to building

massive civil structures Building highrises as well as

massive bridges was inconceivable unless capable soil was

in close vicinity MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with

the introduction of deep foundations based on advanced

and efficient technologies in the construction industry

no doubt brought about remarkable solutions and helped

ease some of these anxieties

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with its fleets of large

diameter drilling rigs and variety of drilling tools capable of

both soil and hard soil formations has made economical

foundation solutions a reality offering developers the

confidence to build high rise buildings without worrying

about the type of soil in Addis Ababa The expertise of

Dedicated Backing for MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is gradually changing

the cityrsquos skyline with the construction of the completed

MCO Building AICAIB Headquarters and KK Building

both to be completed soon and all standing above 20

stories

Entering the city limits through the skyways one can notice

that the Bole Airport has received an entire facelift with

the construction of the International Passenger Terminal

Airport Control Towers the new Cargo Terminal and the

Maintenance Hanger The only thing these landmarks share

other than ownership is that they owe their existence to

foundation solutions of MIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plc As we enter the city limits also the Bole Viaduct

and all the overpasses on the Addis Ababa Ring Road are

comfortably resting still with the construction of the deep

piles by MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc

Drilling of pile with casing

 Tiret Sept 2008

Parallel to pile construction as verification of the

constructed pile capacities is common practice in the

foundation construction industry MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc equipped with the state-of-the-art

automated pile load testing system has recently conducted

1300 metric tons load test at the Derba MIDROC Cement

Factory Project the first of this magnitude in the African

Continent

The introduction of vertical shoring wall systems that

uses reinforced concrete piles and tie back anchors which

is gaining popularity in recent years is another type of

foundation technology solutions made possible in Ethiopia

through MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos expertise

Prior to these shoring system solutions land owners

could not fully utilize their plots at the boundaries for fear

of catastrophic cave-in In fact in most cases plot owners

avoided under ground construction in order to avoid

litigation with next door land owners The utilization of

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos vertical shoring pile

wall system was proposed and implemented in the cases

of Bole Towers and Loli Building In both cases all sides of

the plot were shored exactly at the boundaries without

any land loss In fact the clients gained underground spaces

in the order of two to three times their plot size for

possible parking purpose This has provided developers

with solutions clearing their lumbers from additional

costs for parking facilities

Pile load testing

In line with the construction boom within Addis Ababa

developers are opting to construct on boundary edges

where heavy structures already exist in adjacent plots

In order to excavate at these boundaries the safest and

most economical foundation solution system is shoring

pile wall system These systems were employed at Awash

Bank and Insurance Building KK Building and Orchid

Building

For realization of structures that have to be constructed

below the natural ground water level and or near offshore

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc has construction

approaches that employ waterproof vertical shoring

systems and several options to choose from within

the framework of technical feasibility of foundation

engineering The construction of Diaphragm Wall

Cellular Cofferdam Sheet Pile Wall and Secant

Pile Wall are such solutions to name a few The cost

of construction and the time required for executing the

works is in the order listed above

Anchored pile shoring wall

Foundation Solution

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the equipment already available in the country

MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc has tabled and

implemented an economical and technically feasible

secant pile wall system solution for bridge projects

within Ethiopia If it was not for MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plcrsquos geotechnical solutions construction under

such conditions would have been technically impossible

throughout East Africa

Unlike other options construction of secant pile wall as

waterproof vertical shoring system is not limited to the

soil condition of the site The construction of such high

tech geotechnical engineering solutions by the Company

have been successfully applied on projects like the Omo

River Bridge and on the New Abay Bridge Projects The

application of the secant pile wall system was used for the

construction of the pier foundation on both sides of the

Bridge on the Omo River Bridge Project and one side pier

foundation construction of the New Abay Bridge Project

During the construction of the Omo River Bridge

foundation and substructure works other logistic

challenges non-related to foundation works was

encountered The West Pier and Abutment on the Omo

River Bridge created such a technical impasse On this

side one of the most difficult challenges was to solve the

problem of crossing equipment and construction material

across the 150 m wide river After carefully considering all

the possible alternatives a decision was made to design and

manufacture a water crossing barge using local expertise

and manufacturing capabilities MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc took part in the design manufacturing and

commissioning of this barge and has successfully crossed

a 503 ton drilling rig and other earth moving equipment

With nearly twenty projects within Ethiopia MIDROC

Foundation Specialists Plc is a pioneer in exporting

foundation technology to neighboring Kenya Tanzania

and the Sudan In-house trained Ethiopian experts have

Crossing of drilling rig on Omo River through Barge

 Tiret Sept 2008

Secant pile wall

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Mr Achim Braun General Manager of MIDROC Foundation (left) inspecting a construction site

left their marks on several key projects within those

countries Among the projects successfully carried out in

Tanzania the Songo Songo Offshore Piling Project was the

most challenging and rewarding of all In this Project sixty

per cent of the piles were constructed from a SEWP (Self

Elevating Working Platform) elevated 13 meters from the

sea bed

As the company commemorates the tenth anniversary of

its establishment it is only proper to mark the outstanding

contributions to the construction industry of Ethiopia The

efficiency of the Company and the technology employed

has resulted in creating a broad awareness of foundation

technological solutions in the country particularly

among developers In terms of the spectrum of available

techniques of foundation the projects undertaken so

far are only a tip of the iceberg Although the Company

was confronted with a number of challenges in changing

attitudes and practices the success achieved so far has

been accomplished with great efforts exerted by the

companyrsquos management and its diligent professionals in

the field

Being the only Class I Foundation Specialist Contractors

in the country MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc is now

determined to leap ahead to new and yet un-introduced

foundation construction technologies such as micro 

piles  high  pressure  injection  diaphragm 

walls  slope  protection  and  soil  nailing  As

the countries infrastructure development continues to

reach higher levels MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is

preparing itself to meet the current customer demands

and technological challenges

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Statistics reveal that the country continues to earn hard currency from export of primary commodities such as coffee which tops the list by fetching some 500 million dollars last financial year

Other commodities are hides and skin flowers pulses fruits vegetables and chat

Incidentally it is interesting to note that Chat has fetched over 60 million dollars in foreign currency last fiscal year

The chewing of chat leaves is common in the horn of Africa but in eastern Ethiopia it is big business for some and big worry for others Chat is a major agricultural crop Yet many say it is addictive and harmful to health

In a town where I grew up for instance it is hard to avoid the impact of the stimulant leaf The first thing that strikes you in the main market is the deafening noise The market square is a scene of total chaos as you make your way through a bustling crowd preoccupied with the business of bartering for a prized commodity- the green leafed plant chat

Awadaye market is a market for chat It is estimated that over 25000 kg pass through it daily The buyers and sellers take their jobs seriously shouting to one other They gesture excitedly as they trade thousands of birr daily for the chat which is bought from the local farmers in Awadaye and sent to other areas in Ethiopia It is also exported overseas It is said to be the backbone of the economy as it can be gathered from the revenue it has generated during the current physical year

If you compare chat farmers with other farmers in other parts of the country you will see that their standard of living is so much better

The employment created though chat cultivation is very high as large numbers of people are involved in growing harvesting sorting packing transporting loading and unloading the commodity The wood of the plant is used for fuel and because of its resistance to termites it is also used to make fences Chat is also believed to have medical value being used locally to treat influenza and asthma

Chat farmers used to grow maize sorghum and teff which is the basic Ethiopian staple food but these crops are difficult to grow as they require lots of rain and attention

while chat requires little water or cultivation That is why it is widely believed that its cultivation is expanding at an amazing rate

Chat has now become Ethiopiarsquos biggest export third only to coffee and hides and skin But despite the cash earning and the tradition of chat growing and use among the people many people do not encourage it

They believe that it is addictive and this has a negative impact on the community They allege that people forget about their work commitments and spend hours chewing chat The number of users of chat is increasing particularly among the youth

In urban areas the use of chat combined with alcohol is having an adverse effect on family life Many students chew chat because they say it increases their concentration when they study their lessons

However in some regions where it is widely cultivated business punctuality is a frequent problem as the time after lunch is usually spent chewing chat Even in some regions where the plant has been banned cultivation and usage continue and attempts to replace chat with cash crops like coffee have failed

Regardless of the merit or demerit of chat the country continues to get the much needed hard currency through export of the plant ldquochatrdquo

However many people including development agents are of the opinion that the demerit far out weighs the merit for energy and time is spent chewing the stuff and particularly its negative impact on health especially on the productive force

Another very lucrative business in Ethiopia is the export of leather and leather goods According to recent data export of leather and leather goods registered a surge from 52 million dollars to over 90 million dollars Incidentally ELICO one of MIDROC Ethiopia group companies dealing with finished leather products fetched last financial year over 10 million dollars

In the light of considerable income accrued from export of primary commodities there is a need to do even more by way of establishing more agro-industries that engage in the production of agricultural products for sale locally and internationally

Earning from Export of Primary CommoditiesBy Yohannes Ruphael

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The Third Private Sector Development National Conference ndash 2008 of Ethiopia took place in Addis Ababa on June 30 2008 ndash at the UNECA Conference Center and the draft strategy document and priority strategic issues for improved business environment were discussed by representatives of the Private Sector Development Hub established with basic objectives of coordinating and developing a series of public sector development intervention projects for implementation with international financial support and undertaking related research studies to support the business community in its public and private partnership dialogue The Conference was addressed by an internationally renowned and distinguished authority on Corporate Governance Prof Mervyn E King SC

The Editorial Team of TIRET has taken advantage of communicating with Professor Mervyn E King SC to share his views briefly with our readers

Professor Mervyn E King SC is currently Professor Extraordinaire at the University of South Africa and serves as the Chairperson of the King Committee on Corporate Governance in South Africa He is a Senior Counsel and former Judge of the Supreme Court of South Africa His other credentials include Member of the World Bank Advisory Group on Corporate Governance President of the Commonwealth Association of Corporate Governance Governor of the International Corporate Governance Network President of the South Africa Chamber of Business Vice President of the Institute of Directors of Southern Africa Representatives of South Africa at the International Chamber of Commerce Advisor of Asian Center of Corporate Governance Director of Global Reporting Initiative-Amsterdam Director of Association of business Administrators of South Africa

At the Millennium National Private Sector Development Conference in Addis Ababa recently I spoke about corporate governance in the development of the private sector

Corporate governance is about the principles and practices which guide directors and senior managers in making their decisions to the best interests of their companies It has to be separated from the enterprise side of the business which is about making business judgment calls It is essential that directors and senior managers adopt acceptable principles and practices in steering and directing the company and making business judgment It is about the quality of this governance rather than a quantitative check on whether there has been compliance by the directors and managers with well-known governance practices such as the establishment of a remuneration committee

In my talk I pointed out that the economic value of a company does not equal its book value In Coca Cola for example its book value is approximately 13 of its economic value and its greatest asset is its brand which is dependent on

 Tiret Sept 2008

the companyrsquos reputation Consequentially directors and senior managers of Coca Cola have a duty to protect the companyrsquos brand

In planning for a company the strategic direction needs to be done both short- and long-term If a strategy is developed in which all persons in the corporation at all levels buy-in one can get ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things Unless this is done not even extraordinary people will achieve ordinary things

The important thing for directors to remember is that they have won and maintained the trust and confidence of the stakeholders of the company Consequently they should report at least annually how the company has both positively and negatively affected a communityrsquos economic life through its operations and how it is going to enhance those positive aspects and eradicate or ameliorate the negative aspects in the year ahead

Good governance involves inter alia the approval by the board of the strategy of the company and sustainability can no longer be ignored in developing a long-term strategy

The Private Sector Development Hub (PSD-Hub) has the objective to contribute to the economic development of Ethiopia by improving the entrepreneurial environment and the governance of corporations Consequently the PSD-Hub has held Conferences over the last two years focusing on these issues and on the question of public private partnerships There has also been discussion about expediting the registration of companies the standardization of accounting and auditing capitalization and the finalization of the revision of the Ethiopian Commercial Code Corporate governance has featured prominently in these discussions

Arising out of all the modernization of the registration of companies in Ethiopia has been recognized as a priority

Accounting and auditing standards which should follow IFRS should have legal backing so that everyone in Ethiopia will know the meaning of the reported financial statements

The development of a securities market including an exchange in which not only equities but bonds and derivatives can be bought and sold with the dematerialisation of scrip and electronic settlement is essential

From the above it will be seen that there is much to be done but Ethiopia is striving through the PSD Hub to create platforms on which it can forge ahead in our flat electronic world where capital flows towards those areas where there is good governance and well-regulated markets The Conference at which I spoke was just another step in Ethiopiarsquos endeavours to achieve these goals Positively the essential aspects for creating an entrepreneurial and thriving business environment have been identified and PSD Hub the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other interested bodies are working in partnership with government to achieve them

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Itrsquos a ridiculous

l a n g u a g e rdquo

sputtered the

Englishman at

the next table

his jowls shaking

in anger ldquoA ridiculous languagerdquo

We were sitting in a tiny tea-and-pie shop in Criccieth a

town in northern Wales and everybody but us was speaking

Welsh Like a remarkable number of his countrymen this

man was convinced it was merely a secret code employed

by the local to talk behind the backs of English visitors

ldquoJust you watchrdquo he said ldquoAs soon as we leave theyrsquoll all

go back to speaking Englishrdquo

I rather doubted it And unlike the Englishman I was

thrilled to encounter one of the oldest languages in

Europe a tongue heard in this misty and mountainous

land since the arrival of Roman legions

Being surrounded by people speaking an unfamiliar and

exotic language is to me one of the best things about

travel Just as some people will journey to the Serengeti

to glimpse the rare and endangered white rhino Irsquoll happily

go far out of my way to hear a rare and endangered

language

In the storybook city of Carcassonne in southwest France

I was less thrilled at seeing the towers and turrets than

I was at meeting a man who could speak Occitan the

ancient and fast-vanishing language of the troubadours

As far as I was concerned the most fascinating thing in

Dangriga a coastal town in Belize was the mellifluous

sound of Garifuna a language spoken by the descendants

of shipwrecked slaves from West Africa I once traveled

to Graubunden in eastern Switzerland in the hope of

hearing Romansch a tongue spoken by fewer than one

percent of the nationrsquos residents and said to resemble

Latin I encountered a few signs in the language but no

one who could speak it

According to one oft-cited estimate at least half the

worldrsquos 6000 languages are likely to die out by the end

of this century which means that one is going silent on

average every two weeks

Itrsquos not merely a matter of using different words to express the same thoughts Languages are literally the expressions of cultures and belief systems entirely different ways of making sense of the world And just as we should be concerned about the shrinking diversity of plant and animal species we should also worry about the shrinking diversity of languages

Welsh though seems to be holding on despite 700 years

of efforts by the English to exterminate it The BBC has for

some years now carried television and radio programming

in the language and in Wales itrsquos possible to receive your

entire education from preschool to postgraduate in

Welsh About 20 percent of Walesrsquo population speaks

Welsh and the number appears to be growing slightly

It is not as the Englishman said a ridiculous language But

it is to my eyes and ears a wonderfully strange one Dave

Barry once wrote that the ancient Hawaiians arrived on

their islands after perilous canoe voyages in seas so rough

their consonants fell overboard My guess is that the

letters drifted the worldrsquos oceans until they washed up on

the shores of Wales

T h e   B e a u t y   o f   a   L a n g u a g e

 Tiret Sept 2008

How else to explain for example the Welsh word for

beer Itrsquos cwrw It looks like my Scrabble tray when I

donrsquot have a word to pay (In case you ever need to order

one itrsquos pronounced ldquokooroordquo)

And then therersquos the vexing pronunciation of the double-

1 you find at the beginning of it seems two-thirds of the

town names in Wales ldquoJust put your teeth together and

hiss like a duckrdquo explained a helpful woman I met at the

Dylan Thomas Museum in Swansea She also pointed out

that Llareggub the fictional town in Thomasrsquo ldquoUnder the

Milkwood Treerdquo is merely ldquobugger allrdquo spelled backward

I like the besotted poet a whole lot more after learning

that

One dark and drizzly night I went to a little schoolhouse in

the Rhondda Valley to listen to a rehearsal of the Treorchy

Menrsquos Choir made up mostly of unemployed coal miners

ldquoIn the old daysrdquo one of them told me ldquowe used to sing

together in the pitsrdquo

When they opened their mouths to sing as one in Welsh

all the snarky little comments about their language become

moot It was simply one of the most hauntingly beautiful

sounds Irsquove even heard

I got a lesson in the politics of minority languages recently

when I visited Montreal the capital of French ndash speaking

Canada I hadnrsquot been there since a childhood visit to

Exporsquo67 and I remember the province as decidedly

bilingual Everything from traffic signs to toothpaste

tubes was printed in French and English No more A

law passed in 1977 banned the use of English in signs

throughout Quebec Itrsquos an attempt to do linguistically

what they failed for two centuries to do militarily prevent

the English from conquering them

Theyrsquore quite serious about this Hudson Bay Co the

venerable department store chain that dates back to the

fur-trading days is now known as Compagnie de la Baie

drsquoHudson at least in these parts Kentucky Fried Chicken

outlets arenrsquot allowed to use ldquoKFCrdquo on their signs In

Quebec theyrsquore called ldquoPFKrdquo for Poulet Frit Kentucky

The Quebecois are more vigilant even than their famously

Anglophobic counterparts in Paris All stop signs here say

Arret even though the ones in France say ldquoStoprdquo

It all seemed a little silly and excessive to me until I began

talking to French-speaking Montrealers about it ldquoYou

have to understand that wersquore surrounded by English

speakersrdquo a schoolteacher told me ldquoWe have to be very

firm about defending our language or it will disappear

And when it goes so does our way of life

Signs aside most French Canadians I met were bilingual

I quickly discovered that if I first made atleast a fumbling

attempt to speak their language almost everybody was

happy to switch to English ndash very possibly to spare

themselves the trauma of hearing my phrase-book

French which sounds like someone grinding the gears

of an old Citroen ldquoWe have nothing against Englishrdquo the

schoolteacher told me ldquoItrsquos just that we want to speak

French hererdquo

Vive la differenceJohn Flinn -Travel Editor

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Scale up of HIV Prevention Treatment Care and Support Requires Renewed Leadership and Resources

The 17th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) took place in Mexico City from August 3 -8 2008 with an assessment of the situation of the global epidemic at a panel of researchers public health and civil society leaders examined recent progress towards the scale up of treatment and prevention programmes and called for sustained action to eliminate the barriers to universal access

ldquoDespite the progress we have made we are not on course to meet universal access targets and in fact appear to be slipping away from our existing commitmentsrdquo said Dr Pedro Cahn International Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and President of the International AIDS Society and Fundacioacuten Hueacutesped in Buenos Aires Argentina ldquoIt appears that we are poised to accept defeat when victory is still within our grasp Our failure to meet those commitments will have an impact on millions of lives This cannot be allowed to happen It is time for nations to live up to their commitmentsrdquo

ldquoWith only two years to go until the 2010 deadline for universal access set by world leaders we must redouble our commitment to scaling up all proven HIV prevention strategiesrdquo said Dr Luiacutes Soto Ramiacuterez Local Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and Head of the Molecular Virology Unit at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Meacutedicas y Nutricioacuten Salvador Zubiriaacuten and Coordinator of the Clinical Care Committee of CONASIDA Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council ldquoThe fact that last year 27 million people were newly infected with HIV a disease that is entirely preventable is unacceptablerdquo

Dr Jaime Sepulveda (Mexico) founder of Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council who is now with the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation noted that attention to and resources for AIDS are at all-time high including substantially increased funding for the Global Fund and the US Presidentrsquos Emergency Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief According to Sepulveda reaching the goal of 3 million people in low and middle-income countries on treatment at the end of 2007 was a critical step forward but the world has only scratched the surface of possibilities in responding to the epidemic Greater resources more effectively spent and targeted where they can have the greatest effect would have a dramatic impact on the course of the epidemicrsquos Highlighting the fact that more people become infected

with HIV last year than began treatment Sepulveda called for radically increased investments in prevention research evaluation and delivery of services as well as accelerated research on promising prevention methods including a vaccine In conclusion he reiterated that political leadership from all countries and accountability at all levels are essential for stopping the epidemic

Citing the results in both treatment and prevention scale up in countries with sustained leadership such as Rwanda and Tanzania Alex Coutinho (Uganda) of the Infectious Disease Institute of Makerere University made a passionate call for greater leadership as a path toward meeting the challenges ahead In looking at progress to date Coutinho highlighted increased access to HIV testing and counseling to prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and to pediatric care and treatment as well as the effectiveness of male circumcision as a prevention intervention In contrast he noted that most countries will not achieve universal access by 2010 and that the majority of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are still unaware of their HIV status In his call to action Coutinho urged greater investment in prevention and financial resources flexible enough to support health systems and systems that reach into rural and other hard-to-reach areas and fully embrace PLHIV as partners He also urged outreach to and support of marginalized and at-risk communities as well as the greater involvement of PLHIV as a catalyst for change

Elisabet Fadul (Dominican Republic) of the Dominican Network for Youth RightsGlobal Youth Partners outlined a broad and urgent youth HIVAIDS agenda calling for comprehensive rights ndash and evidence-based plans to provide access for young people Highlighting the 40 of new infections worldwide among young people between the ages of 15-24 Fadul noted that HIV prevention and treatment programmes are failing to effectively reach young people with the most vulnerable and marginalized being stigmatized criminalized or forgotten by many of these programmes

To reverse this course she called for actions and policies that engage youth especially young people living with HIVAIDS as respected partners in developing and implementing programmes that forthrightly address their

needs and diversity

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The annual Customers Family and  Employees (company) Day initiated by the Chief Executive Officer of the MIDROC Ethiopia Technology Group was celebrated for the sixth time at the Millennium Hall on May 25 2008 in the presence of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi Chairman and Owner of MIDROC Ethiopia

According to MIDROC Technology Group the Annual Celebration of Customers Family and Employees (company) Day is held every year to acknowledge and show the gratefulness of the group to the Owners Customers Employees as well as Family Members for their contributions to the success of their respective companies

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi addressing at the celebration expressed his pleasure and gratitude and urged employees to work even harder and try to demonstrate more achievement CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw on his part articulated his appreciation to the employees for their efforts exerted for productivity and expressed hope that this hard work would be pronounced and developed in due course as a culture

Consequently 43 Best Customers of the MIDROC Ethiopia Technology Group both foreign and local were honored by Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi with Best Customers Award at the ceremony organized by the Technology Group at the Millennium Hall on May 25 2008

Wrt Etsehiwot Dinku Officer in Charge (OIC) for Production Marketing and Business Development Services at the Office of the CEO on the occasion presented a brief explanation of the products of each of the companies

Following the Sixth Annual Customers Family and Employees (company) Day Celebration Special Awards were presented to the Best Company and Best Performers of the year at the Millennium Hall in the presence of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi He addressed the gathering first and presented the Special Award to the Best Company of the Year Modern Building Industry (MBI) and the Best Performers Of The Year were also awarded

CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw on the occasion received a Special Award from the employees and families in the name of all the employees of the Group which he took from the hands of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi He was also awarded with a Special Certificate for his remarkable services in the Technology Group and other businesses of Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi in the last ten years

Prior to Customers Family and Employees (company) Day the annual sports competition of employees of the Technology Group was carried out as part of the annual ceremony Winners in all competitions received gold bronze and silver medals from the hands of CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw

Customers Family and Employees (company) Day Commemorated

CEO Dr Arega Yirdaw receiving the Award from

Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi

Mr Abdullah H Al-Amoudi receiving Best Foreign

Customers Award from the Chairman

 Tiret Sept 2008

The two days Second Annual ldquoOffsiterdquo Workshop where

CEOs and General Managers of the MIDROC Ethiopia

Technology Group took part was held on April 12 ndash 13

2008 at the Sheraton Addis Dr Arega Yirdaw Chief

Executive Officer of the Group opening the workshop

took into account the first Annual Workshop that was held

in Kombolcha and said that this yearrsquos venue provides more

opportunity for a considerable number of management

members to participate

While Dr Aregarsquos presentation to the Workshop focused

on ldquoEffective Marketing for Enhancement of

Business Developmentrdquo General Managers presented

comprehensive reports of their respective companies

MIDROC Ethiopia Training Department Holds Seminars

The MIDROC Ethiopia Training Department as part of  its  training activities holds various seminars for both senior managers and second level management tier every fiscal year During the last six months ldquoPositive Thinkingrdquo ldquoCorporate Social Responsibilitiesrdquo and ldquoICT Security and privacyrdquo were the issues for the seminars that the department carried out              

 Seminar on Positive Thinking

Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu Director of Training of MIDROC Ethiopia in his introductory remark on ldquoPositive Thinkingrdquo seminar that took place at the Sheraton Addis on April 11 2008 and attended by general managers and senior members of the Investment Group introduced the resource person Ato Robel Kidane as a ldquomotivational speakerrdquo and ldquolife-cycle trainerrdquo from Sweden

Emeritus Prof Johannes said that this topic is chosen because of a feeling that the current period and situations exhibited dynamic changes that were a burden to bear for many people who he said were ldquoeasily swayed to think negativelyrdquo He also quoted the Chairman and Owner of MIDROC Ethiopia Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi as saying ldquoWhat is the benefit of talking of bad

ldquoOffsiterdquo Workshop Held 

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Robel Kidane the resource person delivering his presentation at the seminar

 Tiret Sept 2008

The seminar for second level management personnel held on June 12 2008 on ICT Security and Privacy was attended by 31 participants from MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group Companies and the Head Office in the MIDROC Ethiopia Auditorium The seminar which was part of MIDROC Ethiopiarsquos attempt to keep abreast with ICT Development was opened by Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu who stressed in his brief remarks the need for concern to the protection of data and information and regulating the use of ICT

Also speaking on the occasion was Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting and Chairman of Training Committee who said that training helps to discover various means for success People he noted learn at work place and from challenges He stressed that the technology age called for adaptation of new thoughts and practices while requiring readiness to do ldquoWhat we can with what we haverdquo

The seminar which discussed various issues related to ICT was closed by Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu

 Seminar on ICT Security and Privacy

A view of participants of the seminar

things or difficulties onlyrdquo Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting of MIDROC Ethiopia and Chairman of Training Committee in his opening remark stated that positive thinking was a new scientific subject where investors CEOs and others in various capacities were inspired and motivated to create awareness to their colleagues and to remove all thoughts

of dark shadows from their minds He noted that positive thinking among CEOrsquos and subordinates was required and stressed that self-confidence was one of the prime factors for success in life and hence needed to be maintainedAto Robel Kidane covered a variety of interesting issues related to positive thinking in his presentation after which participants discussed on several importnat issues

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Teklu Haile opening the Seminar

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The seminar on ldquoCorporate Social Responsibilityrdquo

for second level management tier took place on March 27

2008 at the MIDROC Ethiopia Auditorium and attended

by 27 participants from 12 group companies

In accordance with the call to plant ldquoThree Trees in the Third Millenniumrdquo volunteers from MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group and Head Office on August 2007 replanted trees on the Entoto Mountain situated north of the capital city Addis Ababa It is to be recalled that members of MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group under the motto ldquo Two Trees in 2000 Ethiopian Millenniumrdquo have participated in planting trees at the same location last year

Organized again by the MIDROC Ethiopia Public Relations the call for replanting was enthusiastically received by volunteers who went back to the area to replace those trees planted by employees of the Investment Group last year and did not take root and withered

Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting supported and encouraged volunteers of MIDROC Ethiopia and reminded them of the saying - ldquoten thousand dedicated soldiers are better than one million dubious soldiersrdquo and appreciated all the volunteers for actively participating in the tree replanting activity

Seminar on Corporate Social Responsibility

Participants at the seminar Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu delivering his presentation

Volunteers going up the mountain for replanting

Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting Department of MIDROC Ethiopia and Chairman of Training Committee in his opening remarks stressed the importance of participation in community affairs by all Group Companies and cited Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi as a shinning example in playing an active

role in social activities He called on all to strive hard to change the negative image of the country and build a better Ethiopia free from poverty hunger and disease Various papers were presented ensuing fruitful discussions on the above issues

MIDROC Ethiopia Volunteers Participate in Replanting Trees

 Tiret Sept 2008

Equatorial Business Group General Manager Ato Tadelle

Teferra Deputy General Manager Ato Mekuria Ayele and

Automotive Business Senior Director Ato Daniel Seyoum

participated a weeklong Dealerrsquos Conference that was

staged in Cape Town South Africa in February this year

According to Ato Daniel Seyoum around 75 business

leaders from Europe the Middle East Asia and Africa

participated at the Conference Issues discussed included

regional international business concerns VOLVOrsquos strategy

development VOLVO CE business update introduction to

new VOLVO road machinery and other related business

matters Dealersrsquo Conference is an annual event to bring

together leaders in the VOLVO Construction Equipment

business from nearly all over the world for a pull effect

particularly to companies like EBG to provide further

opportunity in the Automotive Industry

EBG is an exclusive dealer in Ethiopia for VOLVO brand

products

Company Observes its 15th Anniversary

A group picture of Dealers Conference participants

EBGrsquos Managers Attended Dealers Conference

Equatorial Business Group (EBG) colorfully observed its 15th Anniversary on April 30 2008 Ato Tadelle Teferra

General Manager of the Company addressing the management and employees expressed gratitude and appreciation

to the Owners of the Company and to the Employees who worked hard since its establishment and urged all company

staff to work with an even more commitment and dedication

Ato Tadelle on the occasion disclosed the implementation of the reform packages that started recently and expressed

hope that the reform packages would bring EBG to a better competitive and profitable position The reform introduces

MIS QMS and companyrsquos new restructuring and other associated jobs

Three employees who served EBG for 15 years were honored with Special Certificates and several employees from

the various businesses and support services of the company were awarded for Best Performances during the year

200607

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Tadesse Haile State Minister of the Ministry of Trade and Industry visited Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc and held discussions with senior members on issues pertaining to the activities of the factory Ato Ahmed Hassen General Manager of the Factory explained to the State Minister that the factory would make all efforts to produce quality products in large quantity so as to reduce import from abroad He however expressed his wish that the government reduces tax on raw materials which are essential for the production of soap and detergent

Ato Tadesse disclosed during the discussion that extensive studies that include soap industries in the country are underway with the aim to strengthen the chemical industry in which the concern would be addressed in the near future He further said that there is a plan to connect the various regions of the country to the port by

EBG was announced First Order Winner for Best Stand in the 12th International Millennium Trade Fair organized by the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations held at the Exhibition Center in February 2008

EBGrsquos stand was visited by large number of visitors including the honorable World Laureate Metre Artist Afework Tekle who not only showed interest in the products and services of EBG but also expressed his appreciation to the Company in his comments while signing in the Special Guest Book

EBG Awarded for Best Stand

Star Soap and Detergent Factory Visited

The Most Honorable Maritre World Laureate Artist

Afework Tekle signing in the Visitors Book at the Trade Fair

Ato Tadesse Haile visiting the Production Unit with Ato Ahmed Hassen General Manager and Ato Seid Ahmed Plant Manager of the Factory

rail within the coming five years for the speedy delivery of export and import of goods which will have a great impact on sales

Ato Tadesse Haile finally appreciated the activities of the factory and said that Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc is capable of being a model in the sector and wished the lsquoBest of Luckrsquo for the management and the staff and affirmed that his Ministry would always support on all their endeavors

Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc is a member of the MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group established at an investment capital of Birr 80 million The factory is one of the biggest in the sector and equipped with the latest machinery and manufactures best quality laundry and toilet soaps liquid and synthetic detergents powder and bar soaps

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the most dedicated health care professionals and support staff SalaM Employees Clinic the Clinic that provides health care services to employees of MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group Companies and affiliates in its efforts to upgrade and improve its services has added to its modern list of medical equipment a Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor an advanced medical equipment Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor is one of the new advanced machineries that the clinic acquired recently which is used for the diagnosis of refraction errors of the eye

The Clinic provides medical and surgical services with sub-specialists in gynecological ophthalmological dermatological and ENT employing advanced diagnostic equipment such as radiography endoscopy and colonoscopy supported by video camera ultrasound and ECG Machines It has a well stocked pharmacy with essential medicines and also provides laboratory diagnostic services

The Clinic recently has moved from its previous location to a large and ideal villa with more rooms and a convenient location near the Genet Hotel and is open 24 hours

SalaM Employees Clinic was established by Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi in 1996 for employees of the Investment Group with an investment capital of over Birr 4 million under the SalaM Health Care Plc He later on increased the investment a lot more

Apart from providing services to the employees of the MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group SalaM Employees Clinic is rendering efficient services to the public as well

Dr Amare Abebe Medical Director of the clinic conducting an examination using endoscopy machine

Employees Clinic Secures Equipment

The Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor which the clinic acquired recently

The front view of the Clinic

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Three delegates from Ethiopia Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu MIDROC Ethiopia Training Director Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch Ato Asfaw Alemu Credit Manager of Dashen Bank attended the International Society of Business Economics and Ethics World Congress under the theme ldquoGlobal Fairness Local Integrityrdquo held in Cape Town from July 13 ndash 20 2008 and organized by BEN-Africa

The ISBEE World Congress is held every four years and is affectionately referred to as the Olympics of Business Ethics It always succeeds in attracting the best minds in the field of ethics of business and economics This yearrsquos Congress was attended by over 400 participants from all corners of the world Top notch world speakers among others Prof Mervyn E King SC Prof Deon Rossow Prof Joka Iwao Prof Georges Enderle Prof Paul Collies and Prof Tom Donaldson attended the Congress and over 80 papers were presented in three plenary sessions on topical international business issues

Ethiopian Delegation Participates at World ISBEE World Congress

Participants of ISBEE Congress Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu (left) Ato Lulseged Teferi (middle) Ato Asfaw Alemu

A Special Certificate of Recognition was awarded to Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu of MIDROC Ethiopia Prof Deon Rossow ndash former President of BEN-Africa and Ms Korien Sander the outgoing Executive Secretary of BEN-Africa

Emeritus Prof Johannes in his brief statement after receiving the certificate said that he accepted the certificate on behalf of those institutions and individuals in Ethiopia who have been behind the BEN-Africa Conference held in Ethiopia

It is to be recalled that MIDROC Ethiopia Corporate Office Dashen Bank the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch and Ato Teklu Haile Manager of Treasury Finance and Accounting of MIDROC Ethiopia played a great role for the successful completion of the ldquo7th Annual BEN-Africa Conferencerdquo held in Addis Ababa in August 2007

 Tiret Sept 2008

MIDROC Ethiopia is involved in the development of

mining and exploration of gold building of heavy mining

industries in central and eastern parts of the country

like cement plants filler plants etc Coal exploration is

also a potential area that is being explored by different

companies including MIDROC Ethiopia for use in the

cement plant power generation and fertilizer Soda ash

being used as a major input in glass soap detergent and

other industrial input is also one area of mining A lot of

investors are involved in gemstones

In an effort to exploit these resources and put them

to good use for the development of Ethiopia one of

MIDROC Ethiopia Group Companies the National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) has since its establishment in

March 1993 been actively engaged in the exploration of

gold and base metals in the various parts of the country

ldquoIt is worth noting that the mineral wealth of Ethiopia is

not fully tapped yet and needs to be given due attention

as it can be the backbone of the economy together with

agriculturerdquo says Ato Melaku Beza CEO of National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) He assertively told TIRET in

an interview at his office regarding the activities and

contributions of NMiC to the mining industry and that

his Company is working hard for a better achievement as

it has commemorated its 15th anniversary recently

He said that NMiC is currently engaged in the exploration

of gold base metals at Dawa Digati and Werri areas in the

Oromia and Tigray Administrative Regions and base metals

in Dire Dawa and Benshangul Gumuz Administrative

Regions It is also engaged in mining of marble and

limestone processing of quarried blocks and on the way

to develop the Abiyata Soda Ash in Southern Ethiopia

The Company in its venture in the development of Soda

Ash has embarked upon a joint investment agreement

with the Public Enterprise Supervising Agency (PPESA)

for a 54 percent share in which PPESArsquos 46 percent share

dilutes while NMICrsquos share shall increase in the process of

implementing tasks set in two phases

Mining Corporation on the Move

Ato Melaku Beza CEO NMiC

Dawa Digati Gold exploration drilling

The potential of the mining industry for the development of the Ethiopian economy is immense as witnessed by the ongoing development activities in the country This includes exploration of petroleum in the Ogaden Gambela and other areas by different companies exploration of gold in different parts of the country and potash exploration in Dallol where there is an estimated of 160 millions of tons of proven reserves

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Melaku stated that NMIC has invested Birr

160817912 (one hundred sixty million eight hundred

seventeen thousand nine hundred twelve) for exploration

and mining activities adding that the size of investment for

soda ash will be in the order of Birr 1150000000 (one

billion one hundred fifty million)

The first phase will cost Birr 640000000 (six hundred

forty million) and the second phase will be Birr 500000000

(five hundred million)

National Mining Corporation Plc is a pioneer in opening

and developing quarrying of marble and limestone using

the latest technology in the field Currently the Companyrsquos

Boka Marble Quarry has six benches and more than

twelve faces that are being worked out at Boka quarry

in the Benshangul Administrative Region In the process

it provides training to quarry workers of other quarry

owners thereby contributing to the development of the

mining culture

The General Manager explained about the processing and

marketing of his Companyrsquos products and said that his

Company applies modern technologies and deploys the

latest equipment in mining that meet export standards

engaging in open pit mining and tunneling for underground

mining which is unique not only in Ethiopia but also in

Africa He further articulated that the Company mines one

of the best quality marble in the industry as evidenced in

Boka multicolor marble once nominated as ldquoThe Stone

of the Yearrdquo by the Marble Institute of America (MIA)

while the blue marble has entered the world market by

a new name ldquoSummer Skyrdquo and is currently being sold

in Italy Samples of both have been tested and analyzed in

American Testing Companies and European Universities

and have proved to be of high quality and suitable both

for internal and external use in the construction industry

These two marbles are unique and are found only in

Ethiopia Also the limestone is of unique colors yellow

white and red which have high demand in the market

The CEO said that the special quality of his Companyrsquos

product that attracts international market is the

uniqueness of the material its beauty (aesthetics) and its

non-absorbent and compact nature

The company has the capacity to supply the export market

with the required quality and size of blocks and slabs both

white and blue marble Export markets include Taiwan

China Italy France USA Africa and the Middle East

In order to improve quality additional modern

state-of-the-art quarry machinery has been injected in the

quarry Plan is underway to replace the old machinery at

the processing plant The Company is also producing its

own ldquoabrasiverdquo used for polishing marble using locally

available minerals and materials

Awash Processing Plant

Blocks at Block Yard

Slabs at Slab Yard in the Awash Processing Plant

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

NMiC holds 40 of the local market share in the construction industry Lots of buildings have been cladded by NMiCrsquos products The Sheraton Addis Bole International Airport Terminal Sunshine Multipurpose Building National Bank of Ethiopia Federal Police Headquarters AUrsquos Building Head Office and the Secretary Generalrsquos Residence Ethiopian Insurance Corporation Worbek Building the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Patriarchrsquos Palace and UNCA Building are some the major buildings in Addis Ababa which are finished with NMiCrsquos products

National Mining Corporation Plc is one of the competent companies in Ethiopia and has contributed to the economy of the country by way of generating hard currency from its exports and saving foreign currency by competing and blocking imports of dimension stones from abroad One word it has added to the Ethiopian economy an amount of over Birr 5000000000 (fifty million) in tax royalties and land rent

NMiC has made valuable studies on the mineral potential areas of the country in dimension stones oil and gas mineral water coal and industrial minerals It has also made sound participation in the employment and training of manpower to the mining sector and has encouraged foreign investors to be involved in exploration of oil and gas and other minerals NMiC provides free training in its quarries and processing plant to new local enterprises coming to the sector The company provides potable water electricity medical services and other financial assistance to the community of its mining areas and has set up HIVAIDS policy for the Company to curb the spread of the pandemic and provides care and support for

those living with the virus

Tunnel Jet Belt Quarrying the latest technology in use at the Eshet Blue Quarry

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

a) Finalizing the work on the exploration phase of the gold and base metals projects both at Dawa Digati and Werri which shall lead to feasibility study and production stage

b) Developing Eshet Blue and Boka Multicolor marble quarries and strengthen export to increase income of foreign currency

c) Supplying blocks to local factories

d) Replacement of machinery at Awash Processing Plant especially to boost production and quality

e) Improve the life of the working force through profit sharing and availing better facilities together with upgrading their knowledge through training

f) Implement the Soda Ash development project

The priority areas of NMiC in its future plan include among others

Asked finally if he was satisfied with his Companyrsquos achievements Ato Melaku Beza CEO of NMiC replied ldquoNot much we could do betterrdquo

Nmic Products

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

ldquoA journey of a thousand miles starts with a single steprdquo

goes the famous Chinese saying as for Bauer MIDROC it

all started 10 years ago with the foundation work of the

construction of the MIDROC Corporate Office (MCO)

commonly known as Nani Building With a single project

at hand Bauer Specialtifbau a German Company ventured

into the slowly budding private construction industry

in equal partnership with MIDROC Ethiopia Although

a small scale business venture in the eyes of both giant

partners MIDROC Ethiopia and Bauer Specialtifbau it

created vast opportunities to the construction sector

with the introduction of a state-of-the-art German based

foundation technology to the Ethiopian market The

miniature move of the two giants opened up a gateway

of possibilities and marked a new construction era for

Ethiopia Over the years changes in shareholders has

led to the current name ldquoMIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plcrdquo with the state-of-the-art foundation solutions still in

place

Several limitations in dealing with unfavorable soil

conditions frequently encountered within Ethiopiarsquos

diverse geological formations most abundantly the

problematic black cotton soil within the city of Addis

Ababa and other parts of the country brought about

several technical barriers when it came to building

massive civil structures Building highrises as well as

massive bridges was inconceivable unless capable soil was

in close vicinity MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with

the introduction of deep foundations based on advanced

and efficient technologies in the construction industry

no doubt brought about remarkable solutions and helped

ease some of these anxieties

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with its fleets of large

diameter drilling rigs and variety of drilling tools capable of

both soil and hard soil formations has made economical

foundation solutions a reality offering developers the

confidence to build high rise buildings without worrying

about the type of soil in Addis Ababa The expertise of

Dedicated Backing for MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is gradually changing

the cityrsquos skyline with the construction of the completed

MCO Building AICAIB Headquarters and KK Building

both to be completed soon and all standing above 20

stories

Entering the city limits through the skyways one can notice

that the Bole Airport has received an entire facelift with

the construction of the International Passenger Terminal

Airport Control Towers the new Cargo Terminal and the

Maintenance Hanger The only thing these landmarks share

other than ownership is that they owe their existence to

foundation solutions of MIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plc As we enter the city limits also the Bole Viaduct

and all the overpasses on the Addis Ababa Ring Road are

comfortably resting still with the construction of the deep

piles by MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc

Drilling of pile with casing

 Tiret Sept 2008

Parallel to pile construction as verification of the

constructed pile capacities is common practice in the

foundation construction industry MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc equipped with the state-of-the-art

automated pile load testing system has recently conducted

1300 metric tons load test at the Derba MIDROC Cement

Factory Project the first of this magnitude in the African

Continent

The introduction of vertical shoring wall systems that

uses reinforced concrete piles and tie back anchors which

is gaining popularity in recent years is another type of

foundation technology solutions made possible in Ethiopia

through MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos expertise

Prior to these shoring system solutions land owners

could not fully utilize their plots at the boundaries for fear

of catastrophic cave-in In fact in most cases plot owners

avoided under ground construction in order to avoid

litigation with next door land owners The utilization of

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos vertical shoring pile

wall system was proposed and implemented in the cases

of Bole Towers and Loli Building In both cases all sides of

the plot were shored exactly at the boundaries without

any land loss In fact the clients gained underground spaces

in the order of two to three times their plot size for

possible parking purpose This has provided developers

with solutions clearing their lumbers from additional

costs for parking facilities

Pile load testing

In line with the construction boom within Addis Ababa

developers are opting to construct on boundary edges

where heavy structures already exist in adjacent plots

In order to excavate at these boundaries the safest and

most economical foundation solution system is shoring

pile wall system These systems were employed at Awash

Bank and Insurance Building KK Building and Orchid

Building

For realization of structures that have to be constructed

below the natural ground water level and or near offshore

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc has construction

approaches that employ waterproof vertical shoring

systems and several options to choose from within

the framework of technical feasibility of foundation

engineering The construction of Diaphragm Wall

Cellular Cofferdam Sheet Pile Wall and Secant

Pile Wall are such solutions to name a few The cost

of construction and the time required for executing the

works is in the order listed above

Anchored pile shoring wall

Foundation Solution

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the equipment already available in the country

MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc has tabled and

implemented an economical and technically feasible

secant pile wall system solution for bridge projects

within Ethiopia If it was not for MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plcrsquos geotechnical solutions construction under

such conditions would have been technically impossible

throughout East Africa

Unlike other options construction of secant pile wall as

waterproof vertical shoring system is not limited to the

soil condition of the site The construction of such high

tech geotechnical engineering solutions by the Company

have been successfully applied on projects like the Omo

River Bridge and on the New Abay Bridge Projects The

application of the secant pile wall system was used for the

construction of the pier foundation on both sides of the

Bridge on the Omo River Bridge Project and one side pier

foundation construction of the New Abay Bridge Project

During the construction of the Omo River Bridge

foundation and substructure works other logistic

challenges non-related to foundation works was

encountered The West Pier and Abutment on the Omo

River Bridge created such a technical impasse On this

side one of the most difficult challenges was to solve the

problem of crossing equipment and construction material

across the 150 m wide river After carefully considering all

the possible alternatives a decision was made to design and

manufacture a water crossing barge using local expertise

and manufacturing capabilities MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc took part in the design manufacturing and

commissioning of this barge and has successfully crossed

a 503 ton drilling rig and other earth moving equipment

With nearly twenty projects within Ethiopia MIDROC

Foundation Specialists Plc is a pioneer in exporting

foundation technology to neighboring Kenya Tanzania

and the Sudan In-house trained Ethiopian experts have

Crossing of drilling rig on Omo River through Barge

 Tiret Sept 2008

Secant pile wall

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Mr Achim Braun General Manager of MIDROC Foundation (left) inspecting a construction site

left their marks on several key projects within those

countries Among the projects successfully carried out in

Tanzania the Songo Songo Offshore Piling Project was the

most challenging and rewarding of all In this Project sixty

per cent of the piles were constructed from a SEWP (Self

Elevating Working Platform) elevated 13 meters from the

sea bed

As the company commemorates the tenth anniversary of

its establishment it is only proper to mark the outstanding

contributions to the construction industry of Ethiopia The

efficiency of the Company and the technology employed

has resulted in creating a broad awareness of foundation

technological solutions in the country particularly

among developers In terms of the spectrum of available

techniques of foundation the projects undertaken so

far are only a tip of the iceberg Although the Company

was confronted with a number of challenges in changing

attitudes and practices the success achieved so far has

been accomplished with great efforts exerted by the

companyrsquos management and its diligent professionals in

the field

Being the only Class I Foundation Specialist Contractors

in the country MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc is now

determined to leap ahead to new and yet un-introduced

foundation construction technologies such as micro 

piles  high  pressure  injection  diaphragm 

walls  slope  protection  and  soil  nailing  As

the countries infrastructure development continues to

reach higher levels MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is

preparing itself to meet the current customer demands

and technological challenges

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Statistics reveal that the country continues to earn hard currency from export of primary commodities such as coffee which tops the list by fetching some 500 million dollars last financial year

Other commodities are hides and skin flowers pulses fruits vegetables and chat

Incidentally it is interesting to note that Chat has fetched over 60 million dollars in foreign currency last fiscal year

The chewing of chat leaves is common in the horn of Africa but in eastern Ethiopia it is big business for some and big worry for others Chat is a major agricultural crop Yet many say it is addictive and harmful to health

In a town where I grew up for instance it is hard to avoid the impact of the stimulant leaf The first thing that strikes you in the main market is the deafening noise The market square is a scene of total chaos as you make your way through a bustling crowd preoccupied with the business of bartering for a prized commodity- the green leafed plant chat

Awadaye market is a market for chat It is estimated that over 25000 kg pass through it daily The buyers and sellers take their jobs seriously shouting to one other They gesture excitedly as they trade thousands of birr daily for the chat which is bought from the local farmers in Awadaye and sent to other areas in Ethiopia It is also exported overseas It is said to be the backbone of the economy as it can be gathered from the revenue it has generated during the current physical year

If you compare chat farmers with other farmers in other parts of the country you will see that their standard of living is so much better

The employment created though chat cultivation is very high as large numbers of people are involved in growing harvesting sorting packing transporting loading and unloading the commodity The wood of the plant is used for fuel and because of its resistance to termites it is also used to make fences Chat is also believed to have medical value being used locally to treat influenza and asthma

Chat farmers used to grow maize sorghum and teff which is the basic Ethiopian staple food but these crops are difficult to grow as they require lots of rain and attention

while chat requires little water or cultivation That is why it is widely believed that its cultivation is expanding at an amazing rate

Chat has now become Ethiopiarsquos biggest export third only to coffee and hides and skin But despite the cash earning and the tradition of chat growing and use among the people many people do not encourage it

They believe that it is addictive and this has a negative impact on the community They allege that people forget about their work commitments and spend hours chewing chat The number of users of chat is increasing particularly among the youth

In urban areas the use of chat combined with alcohol is having an adverse effect on family life Many students chew chat because they say it increases their concentration when they study their lessons

However in some regions where it is widely cultivated business punctuality is a frequent problem as the time after lunch is usually spent chewing chat Even in some regions where the plant has been banned cultivation and usage continue and attempts to replace chat with cash crops like coffee have failed

Regardless of the merit or demerit of chat the country continues to get the much needed hard currency through export of the plant ldquochatrdquo

However many people including development agents are of the opinion that the demerit far out weighs the merit for energy and time is spent chewing the stuff and particularly its negative impact on health especially on the productive force

Another very lucrative business in Ethiopia is the export of leather and leather goods According to recent data export of leather and leather goods registered a surge from 52 million dollars to over 90 million dollars Incidentally ELICO one of MIDROC Ethiopia group companies dealing with finished leather products fetched last financial year over 10 million dollars

In the light of considerable income accrued from export of primary commodities there is a need to do even more by way of establishing more agro-industries that engage in the production of agricultural products for sale locally and internationally

Earning from Export of Primary CommoditiesBy Yohannes Ruphael

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The Third Private Sector Development National Conference ndash 2008 of Ethiopia took place in Addis Ababa on June 30 2008 ndash at the UNECA Conference Center and the draft strategy document and priority strategic issues for improved business environment were discussed by representatives of the Private Sector Development Hub established with basic objectives of coordinating and developing a series of public sector development intervention projects for implementation with international financial support and undertaking related research studies to support the business community in its public and private partnership dialogue The Conference was addressed by an internationally renowned and distinguished authority on Corporate Governance Prof Mervyn E King SC

The Editorial Team of TIRET has taken advantage of communicating with Professor Mervyn E King SC to share his views briefly with our readers

Professor Mervyn E King SC is currently Professor Extraordinaire at the University of South Africa and serves as the Chairperson of the King Committee on Corporate Governance in South Africa He is a Senior Counsel and former Judge of the Supreme Court of South Africa His other credentials include Member of the World Bank Advisory Group on Corporate Governance President of the Commonwealth Association of Corporate Governance Governor of the International Corporate Governance Network President of the South Africa Chamber of Business Vice President of the Institute of Directors of Southern Africa Representatives of South Africa at the International Chamber of Commerce Advisor of Asian Center of Corporate Governance Director of Global Reporting Initiative-Amsterdam Director of Association of business Administrators of South Africa

At the Millennium National Private Sector Development Conference in Addis Ababa recently I spoke about corporate governance in the development of the private sector

Corporate governance is about the principles and practices which guide directors and senior managers in making their decisions to the best interests of their companies It has to be separated from the enterprise side of the business which is about making business judgment calls It is essential that directors and senior managers adopt acceptable principles and practices in steering and directing the company and making business judgment It is about the quality of this governance rather than a quantitative check on whether there has been compliance by the directors and managers with well-known governance practices such as the establishment of a remuneration committee

In my talk I pointed out that the economic value of a company does not equal its book value In Coca Cola for example its book value is approximately 13 of its economic value and its greatest asset is its brand which is dependent on

 Tiret Sept 2008

the companyrsquos reputation Consequentially directors and senior managers of Coca Cola have a duty to protect the companyrsquos brand

In planning for a company the strategic direction needs to be done both short- and long-term If a strategy is developed in which all persons in the corporation at all levels buy-in one can get ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things Unless this is done not even extraordinary people will achieve ordinary things

The important thing for directors to remember is that they have won and maintained the trust and confidence of the stakeholders of the company Consequently they should report at least annually how the company has both positively and negatively affected a communityrsquos economic life through its operations and how it is going to enhance those positive aspects and eradicate or ameliorate the negative aspects in the year ahead

Good governance involves inter alia the approval by the board of the strategy of the company and sustainability can no longer be ignored in developing a long-term strategy

The Private Sector Development Hub (PSD-Hub) has the objective to contribute to the economic development of Ethiopia by improving the entrepreneurial environment and the governance of corporations Consequently the PSD-Hub has held Conferences over the last two years focusing on these issues and on the question of public private partnerships There has also been discussion about expediting the registration of companies the standardization of accounting and auditing capitalization and the finalization of the revision of the Ethiopian Commercial Code Corporate governance has featured prominently in these discussions

Arising out of all the modernization of the registration of companies in Ethiopia has been recognized as a priority

Accounting and auditing standards which should follow IFRS should have legal backing so that everyone in Ethiopia will know the meaning of the reported financial statements

The development of a securities market including an exchange in which not only equities but bonds and derivatives can be bought and sold with the dematerialisation of scrip and electronic settlement is essential

From the above it will be seen that there is much to be done but Ethiopia is striving through the PSD Hub to create platforms on which it can forge ahead in our flat electronic world where capital flows towards those areas where there is good governance and well-regulated markets The Conference at which I spoke was just another step in Ethiopiarsquos endeavours to achieve these goals Positively the essential aspects for creating an entrepreneurial and thriving business environment have been identified and PSD Hub the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other interested bodies are working in partnership with government to achieve them

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Itrsquos a ridiculous

l a n g u a g e rdquo

sputtered the

Englishman at

the next table

his jowls shaking

in anger ldquoA ridiculous languagerdquo

We were sitting in a tiny tea-and-pie shop in Criccieth a

town in northern Wales and everybody but us was speaking

Welsh Like a remarkable number of his countrymen this

man was convinced it was merely a secret code employed

by the local to talk behind the backs of English visitors

ldquoJust you watchrdquo he said ldquoAs soon as we leave theyrsquoll all

go back to speaking Englishrdquo

I rather doubted it And unlike the Englishman I was

thrilled to encounter one of the oldest languages in

Europe a tongue heard in this misty and mountainous

land since the arrival of Roman legions

Being surrounded by people speaking an unfamiliar and

exotic language is to me one of the best things about

travel Just as some people will journey to the Serengeti

to glimpse the rare and endangered white rhino Irsquoll happily

go far out of my way to hear a rare and endangered

language

In the storybook city of Carcassonne in southwest France

I was less thrilled at seeing the towers and turrets than

I was at meeting a man who could speak Occitan the

ancient and fast-vanishing language of the troubadours

As far as I was concerned the most fascinating thing in

Dangriga a coastal town in Belize was the mellifluous

sound of Garifuna a language spoken by the descendants

of shipwrecked slaves from West Africa I once traveled

to Graubunden in eastern Switzerland in the hope of

hearing Romansch a tongue spoken by fewer than one

percent of the nationrsquos residents and said to resemble

Latin I encountered a few signs in the language but no

one who could speak it

According to one oft-cited estimate at least half the

worldrsquos 6000 languages are likely to die out by the end

of this century which means that one is going silent on

average every two weeks

Itrsquos not merely a matter of using different words to express the same thoughts Languages are literally the expressions of cultures and belief systems entirely different ways of making sense of the world And just as we should be concerned about the shrinking diversity of plant and animal species we should also worry about the shrinking diversity of languages

Welsh though seems to be holding on despite 700 years

of efforts by the English to exterminate it The BBC has for

some years now carried television and radio programming

in the language and in Wales itrsquos possible to receive your

entire education from preschool to postgraduate in

Welsh About 20 percent of Walesrsquo population speaks

Welsh and the number appears to be growing slightly

It is not as the Englishman said a ridiculous language But

it is to my eyes and ears a wonderfully strange one Dave

Barry once wrote that the ancient Hawaiians arrived on

their islands after perilous canoe voyages in seas so rough

their consonants fell overboard My guess is that the

letters drifted the worldrsquos oceans until they washed up on

the shores of Wales

T h e   B e a u t y   o f   a   L a n g u a g e

 Tiret Sept 2008

How else to explain for example the Welsh word for

beer Itrsquos cwrw It looks like my Scrabble tray when I

donrsquot have a word to pay (In case you ever need to order

one itrsquos pronounced ldquokooroordquo)

And then therersquos the vexing pronunciation of the double-

1 you find at the beginning of it seems two-thirds of the

town names in Wales ldquoJust put your teeth together and

hiss like a duckrdquo explained a helpful woman I met at the

Dylan Thomas Museum in Swansea She also pointed out

that Llareggub the fictional town in Thomasrsquo ldquoUnder the

Milkwood Treerdquo is merely ldquobugger allrdquo spelled backward

I like the besotted poet a whole lot more after learning

that

One dark and drizzly night I went to a little schoolhouse in

the Rhondda Valley to listen to a rehearsal of the Treorchy

Menrsquos Choir made up mostly of unemployed coal miners

ldquoIn the old daysrdquo one of them told me ldquowe used to sing

together in the pitsrdquo

When they opened their mouths to sing as one in Welsh

all the snarky little comments about their language become

moot It was simply one of the most hauntingly beautiful

sounds Irsquove even heard

I got a lesson in the politics of minority languages recently

when I visited Montreal the capital of French ndash speaking

Canada I hadnrsquot been there since a childhood visit to

Exporsquo67 and I remember the province as decidedly

bilingual Everything from traffic signs to toothpaste

tubes was printed in French and English No more A

law passed in 1977 banned the use of English in signs

throughout Quebec Itrsquos an attempt to do linguistically

what they failed for two centuries to do militarily prevent

the English from conquering them

Theyrsquore quite serious about this Hudson Bay Co the

venerable department store chain that dates back to the

fur-trading days is now known as Compagnie de la Baie

drsquoHudson at least in these parts Kentucky Fried Chicken

outlets arenrsquot allowed to use ldquoKFCrdquo on their signs In

Quebec theyrsquore called ldquoPFKrdquo for Poulet Frit Kentucky

The Quebecois are more vigilant even than their famously

Anglophobic counterparts in Paris All stop signs here say

Arret even though the ones in France say ldquoStoprdquo

It all seemed a little silly and excessive to me until I began

talking to French-speaking Montrealers about it ldquoYou

have to understand that wersquore surrounded by English

speakersrdquo a schoolteacher told me ldquoWe have to be very

firm about defending our language or it will disappear

And when it goes so does our way of life

Signs aside most French Canadians I met were bilingual

I quickly discovered that if I first made atleast a fumbling

attempt to speak their language almost everybody was

happy to switch to English ndash very possibly to spare

themselves the trauma of hearing my phrase-book

French which sounds like someone grinding the gears

of an old Citroen ldquoWe have nothing against Englishrdquo the

schoolteacher told me ldquoItrsquos just that we want to speak

French hererdquo

Vive la differenceJohn Flinn -Travel Editor

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Scale up of HIV Prevention Treatment Care and Support Requires Renewed Leadership and Resources

The 17th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) took place in Mexico City from August 3 -8 2008 with an assessment of the situation of the global epidemic at a panel of researchers public health and civil society leaders examined recent progress towards the scale up of treatment and prevention programmes and called for sustained action to eliminate the barriers to universal access

ldquoDespite the progress we have made we are not on course to meet universal access targets and in fact appear to be slipping away from our existing commitmentsrdquo said Dr Pedro Cahn International Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and President of the International AIDS Society and Fundacioacuten Hueacutesped in Buenos Aires Argentina ldquoIt appears that we are poised to accept defeat when victory is still within our grasp Our failure to meet those commitments will have an impact on millions of lives This cannot be allowed to happen It is time for nations to live up to their commitmentsrdquo

ldquoWith only two years to go until the 2010 deadline for universal access set by world leaders we must redouble our commitment to scaling up all proven HIV prevention strategiesrdquo said Dr Luiacutes Soto Ramiacuterez Local Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and Head of the Molecular Virology Unit at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Meacutedicas y Nutricioacuten Salvador Zubiriaacuten and Coordinator of the Clinical Care Committee of CONASIDA Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council ldquoThe fact that last year 27 million people were newly infected with HIV a disease that is entirely preventable is unacceptablerdquo

Dr Jaime Sepulveda (Mexico) founder of Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council who is now with the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation noted that attention to and resources for AIDS are at all-time high including substantially increased funding for the Global Fund and the US Presidentrsquos Emergency Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief According to Sepulveda reaching the goal of 3 million people in low and middle-income countries on treatment at the end of 2007 was a critical step forward but the world has only scratched the surface of possibilities in responding to the epidemic Greater resources more effectively spent and targeted where they can have the greatest effect would have a dramatic impact on the course of the epidemicrsquos Highlighting the fact that more people become infected

with HIV last year than began treatment Sepulveda called for radically increased investments in prevention research evaluation and delivery of services as well as accelerated research on promising prevention methods including a vaccine In conclusion he reiterated that political leadership from all countries and accountability at all levels are essential for stopping the epidemic

Citing the results in both treatment and prevention scale up in countries with sustained leadership such as Rwanda and Tanzania Alex Coutinho (Uganda) of the Infectious Disease Institute of Makerere University made a passionate call for greater leadership as a path toward meeting the challenges ahead In looking at progress to date Coutinho highlighted increased access to HIV testing and counseling to prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and to pediatric care and treatment as well as the effectiveness of male circumcision as a prevention intervention In contrast he noted that most countries will not achieve universal access by 2010 and that the majority of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are still unaware of their HIV status In his call to action Coutinho urged greater investment in prevention and financial resources flexible enough to support health systems and systems that reach into rural and other hard-to-reach areas and fully embrace PLHIV as partners He also urged outreach to and support of marginalized and at-risk communities as well as the greater involvement of PLHIV as a catalyst for change

Elisabet Fadul (Dominican Republic) of the Dominican Network for Youth RightsGlobal Youth Partners outlined a broad and urgent youth HIVAIDS agenda calling for comprehensive rights ndash and evidence-based plans to provide access for young people Highlighting the 40 of new infections worldwide among young people between the ages of 15-24 Fadul noted that HIV prevention and treatment programmes are failing to effectively reach young people with the most vulnerable and marginalized being stigmatized criminalized or forgotten by many of these programmes

To reverse this course she called for actions and policies that engage youth especially young people living with HIVAIDS as respected partners in developing and implementing programmes that forthrightly address their

needs and diversity

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The two days Second Annual ldquoOffsiterdquo Workshop where

CEOs and General Managers of the MIDROC Ethiopia

Technology Group took part was held on April 12 ndash 13

2008 at the Sheraton Addis Dr Arega Yirdaw Chief

Executive Officer of the Group opening the workshop

took into account the first Annual Workshop that was held

in Kombolcha and said that this yearrsquos venue provides more

opportunity for a considerable number of management

members to participate

While Dr Aregarsquos presentation to the Workshop focused

on ldquoEffective Marketing for Enhancement of

Business Developmentrdquo General Managers presented

comprehensive reports of their respective companies

MIDROC Ethiopia Training Department Holds Seminars

The MIDROC Ethiopia Training Department as part of  its  training activities holds various seminars for both senior managers and second level management tier every fiscal year During the last six months ldquoPositive Thinkingrdquo ldquoCorporate Social Responsibilitiesrdquo and ldquoICT Security and privacyrdquo were the issues for the seminars that the department carried out              

 Seminar on Positive Thinking

Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu Director of Training of MIDROC Ethiopia in his introductory remark on ldquoPositive Thinkingrdquo seminar that took place at the Sheraton Addis on April 11 2008 and attended by general managers and senior members of the Investment Group introduced the resource person Ato Robel Kidane as a ldquomotivational speakerrdquo and ldquolife-cycle trainerrdquo from Sweden

Emeritus Prof Johannes said that this topic is chosen because of a feeling that the current period and situations exhibited dynamic changes that were a burden to bear for many people who he said were ldquoeasily swayed to think negativelyrdquo He also quoted the Chairman and Owner of MIDROC Ethiopia Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi as saying ldquoWhat is the benefit of talking of bad

ldquoOffsiterdquo Workshop Held 

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Robel Kidane the resource person delivering his presentation at the seminar

 Tiret Sept 2008

The seminar for second level management personnel held on June 12 2008 on ICT Security and Privacy was attended by 31 participants from MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group Companies and the Head Office in the MIDROC Ethiopia Auditorium The seminar which was part of MIDROC Ethiopiarsquos attempt to keep abreast with ICT Development was opened by Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu who stressed in his brief remarks the need for concern to the protection of data and information and regulating the use of ICT

Also speaking on the occasion was Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting and Chairman of Training Committee who said that training helps to discover various means for success People he noted learn at work place and from challenges He stressed that the technology age called for adaptation of new thoughts and practices while requiring readiness to do ldquoWhat we can with what we haverdquo

The seminar which discussed various issues related to ICT was closed by Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu

 Seminar on ICT Security and Privacy

A view of participants of the seminar

things or difficulties onlyrdquo Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting of MIDROC Ethiopia and Chairman of Training Committee in his opening remark stated that positive thinking was a new scientific subject where investors CEOs and others in various capacities were inspired and motivated to create awareness to their colleagues and to remove all thoughts

of dark shadows from their minds He noted that positive thinking among CEOrsquos and subordinates was required and stressed that self-confidence was one of the prime factors for success in life and hence needed to be maintainedAto Robel Kidane covered a variety of interesting issues related to positive thinking in his presentation after which participants discussed on several importnat issues

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Teklu Haile opening the Seminar

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The seminar on ldquoCorporate Social Responsibilityrdquo

for second level management tier took place on March 27

2008 at the MIDROC Ethiopia Auditorium and attended

by 27 participants from 12 group companies

In accordance with the call to plant ldquoThree Trees in the Third Millenniumrdquo volunteers from MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group and Head Office on August 2007 replanted trees on the Entoto Mountain situated north of the capital city Addis Ababa It is to be recalled that members of MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group under the motto ldquo Two Trees in 2000 Ethiopian Millenniumrdquo have participated in planting trees at the same location last year

Organized again by the MIDROC Ethiopia Public Relations the call for replanting was enthusiastically received by volunteers who went back to the area to replace those trees planted by employees of the Investment Group last year and did not take root and withered

Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting supported and encouraged volunteers of MIDROC Ethiopia and reminded them of the saying - ldquoten thousand dedicated soldiers are better than one million dubious soldiersrdquo and appreciated all the volunteers for actively participating in the tree replanting activity

Seminar on Corporate Social Responsibility

Participants at the seminar Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu delivering his presentation

Volunteers going up the mountain for replanting

Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting Department of MIDROC Ethiopia and Chairman of Training Committee in his opening remarks stressed the importance of participation in community affairs by all Group Companies and cited Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi as a shinning example in playing an active

role in social activities He called on all to strive hard to change the negative image of the country and build a better Ethiopia free from poverty hunger and disease Various papers were presented ensuing fruitful discussions on the above issues

MIDROC Ethiopia Volunteers Participate in Replanting Trees

 Tiret Sept 2008

Equatorial Business Group General Manager Ato Tadelle

Teferra Deputy General Manager Ato Mekuria Ayele and

Automotive Business Senior Director Ato Daniel Seyoum

participated a weeklong Dealerrsquos Conference that was

staged in Cape Town South Africa in February this year

According to Ato Daniel Seyoum around 75 business

leaders from Europe the Middle East Asia and Africa

participated at the Conference Issues discussed included

regional international business concerns VOLVOrsquos strategy

development VOLVO CE business update introduction to

new VOLVO road machinery and other related business

matters Dealersrsquo Conference is an annual event to bring

together leaders in the VOLVO Construction Equipment

business from nearly all over the world for a pull effect

particularly to companies like EBG to provide further

opportunity in the Automotive Industry

EBG is an exclusive dealer in Ethiopia for VOLVO brand

products

Company Observes its 15th Anniversary

A group picture of Dealers Conference participants

EBGrsquos Managers Attended Dealers Conference

Equatorial Business Group (EBG) colorfully observed its 15th Anniversary on April 30 2008 Ato Tadelle Teferra

General Manager of the Company addressing the management and employees expressed gratitude and appreciation

to the Owners of the Company and to the Employees who worked hard since its establishment and urged all company

staff to work with an even more commitment and dedication

Ato Tadelle on the occasion disclosed the implementation of the reform packages that started recently and expressed

hope that the reform packages would bring EBG to a better competitive and profitable position The reform introduces

MIS QMS and companyrsquos new restructuring and other associated jobs

Three employees who served EBG for 15 years were honored with Special Certificates and several employees from

the various businesses and support services of the company were awarded for Best Performances during the year

200607

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Tadesse Haile State Minister of the Ministry of Trade and Industry visited Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc and held discussions with senior members on issues pertaining to the activities of the factory Ato Ahmed Hassen General Manager of the Factory explained to the State Minister that the factory would make all efforts to produce quality products in large quantity so as to reduce import from abroad He however expressed his wish that the government reduces tax on raw materials which are essential for the production of soap and detergent

Ato Tadesse disclosed during the discussion that extensive studies that include soap industries in the country are underway with the aim to strengthen the chemical industry in which the concern would be addressed in the near future He further said that there is a plan to connect the various regions of the country to the port by

EBG was announced First Order Winner for Best Stand in the 12th International Millennium Trade Fair organized by the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations held at the Exhibition Center in February 2008

EBGrsquos stand was visited by large number of visitors including the honorable World Laureate Metre Artist Afework Tekle who not only showed interest in the products and services of EBG but also expressed his appreciation to the Company in his comments while signing in the Special Guest Book

EBG Awarded for Best Stand

Star Soap and Detergent Factory Visited

The Most Honorable Maritre World Laureate Artist

Afework Tekle signing in the Visitors Book at the Trade Fair

Ato Tadesse Haile visiting the Production Unit with Ato Ahmed Hassen General Manager and Ato Seid Ahmed Plant Manager of the Factory

rail within the coming five years for the speedy delivery of export and import of goods which will have a great impact on sales

Ato Tadesse Haile finally appreciated the activities of the factory and said that Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc is capable of being a model in the sector and wished the lsquoBest of Luckrsquo for the management and the staff and affirmed that his Ministry would always support on all their endeavors

Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc is a member of the MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group established at an investment capital of Birr 80 million The factory is one of the biggest in the sector and equipped with the latest machinery and manufactures best quality laundry and toilet soaps liquid and synthetic detergents powder and bar soaps

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the most dedicated health care professionals and support staff SalaM Employees Clinic the Clinic that provides health care services to employees of MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group Companies and affiliates in its efforts to upgrade and improve its services has added to its modern list of medical equipment a Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor an advanced medical equipment Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor is one of the new advanced machineries that the clinic acquired recently which is used for the diagnosis of refraction errors of the eye

The Clinic provides medical and surgical services with sub-specialists in gynecological ophthalmological dermatological and ENT employing advanced diagnostic equipment such as radiography endoscopy and colonoscopy supported by video camera ultrasound and ECG Machines It has a well stocked pharmacy with essential medicines and also provides laboratory diagnostic services

The Clinic recently has moved from its previous location to a large and ideal villa with more rooms and a convenient location near the Genet Hotel and is open 24 hours

SalaM Employees Clinic was established by Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi in 1996 for employees of the Investment Group with an investment capital of over Birr 4 million under the SalaM Health Care Plc He later on increased the investment a lot more

Apart from providing services to the employees of the MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group SalaM Employees Clinic is rendering efficient services to the public as well

Dr Amare Abebe Medical Director of the clinic conducting an examination using endoscopy machine

Employees Clinic Secures Equipment

The Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor which the clinic acquired recently

The front view of the Clinic

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Three delegates from Ethiopia Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu MIDROC Ethiopia Training Director Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch Ato Asfaw Alemu Credit Manager of Dashen Bank attended the International Society of Business Economics and Ethics World Congress under the theme ldquoGlobal Fairness Local Integrityrdquo held in Cape Town from July 13 ndash 20 2008 and organized by BEN-Africa

The ISBEE World Congress is held every four years and is affectionately referred to as the Olympics of Business Ethics It always succeeds in attracting the best minds in the field of ethics of business and economics This yearrsquos Congress was attended by over 400 participants from all corners of the world Top notch world speakers among others Prof Mervyn E King SC Prof Deon Rossow Prof Joka Iwao Prof Georges Enderle Prof Paul Collies and Prof Tom Donaldson attended the Congress and over 80 papers were presented in three plenary sessions on topical international business issues

Ethiopian Delegation Participates at World ISBEE World Congress

Participants of ISBEE Congress Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu (left) Ato Lulseged Teferi (middle) Ato Asfaw Alemu

A Special Certificate of Recognition was awarded to Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu of MIDROC Ethiopia Prof Deon Rossow ndash former President of BEN-Africa and Ms Korien Sander the outgoing Executive Secretary of BEN-Africa

Emeritus Prof Johannes in his brief statement after receiving the certificate said that he accepted the certificate on behalf of those institutions and individuals in Ethiopia who have been behind the BEN-Africa Conference held in Ethiopia

It is to be recalled that MIDROC Ethiopia Corporate Office Dashen Bank the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch and Ato Teklu Haile Manager of Treasury Finance and Accounting of MIDROC Ethiopia played a great role for the successful completion of the ldquo7th Annual BEN-Africa Conferencerdquo held in Addis Ababa in August 2007

 Tiret Sept 2008

MIDROC Ethiopia is involved in the development of

mining and exploration of gold building of heavy mining

industries in central and eastern parts of the country

like cement plants filler plants etc Coal exploration is

also a potential area that is being explored by different

companies including MIDROC Ethiopia for use in the

cement plant power generation and fertilizer Soda ash

being used as a major input in glass soap detergent and

other industrial input is also one area of mining A lot of

investors are involved in gemstones

In an effort to exploit these resources and put them

to good use for the development of Ethiopia one of

MIDROC Ethiopia Group Companies the National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) has since its establishment in

March 1993 been actively engaged in the exploration of

gold and base metals in the various parts of the country

ldquoIt is worth noting that the mineral wealth of Ethiopia is

not fully tapped yet and needs to be given due attention

as it can be the backbone of the economy together with

agriculturerdquo says Ato Melaku Beza CEO of National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) He assertively told TIRET in

an interview at his office regarding the activities and

contributions of NMiC to the mining industry and that

his Company is working hard for a better achievement as

it has commemorated its 15th anniversary recently

He said that NMiC is currently engaged in the exploration

of gold base metals at Dawa Digati and Werri areas in the

Oromia and Tigray Administrative Regions and base metals

in Dire Dawa and Benshangul Gumuz Administrative

Regions It is also engaged in mining of marble and

limestone processing of quarried blocks and on the way

to develop the Abiyata Soda Ash in Southern Ethiopia

The Company in its venture in the development of Soda

Ash has embarked upon a joint investment agreement

with the Public Enterprise Supervising Agency (PPESA)

for a 54 percent share in which PPESArsquos 46 percent share

dilutes while NMICrsquos share shall increase in the process of

implementing tasks set in two phases

Mining Corporation on the Move

Ato Melaku Beza CEO NMiC

Dawa Digati Gold exploration drilling

The potential of the mining industry for the development of the Ethiopian economy is immense as witnessed by the ongoing development activities in the country This includes exploration of petroleum in the Ogaden Gambela and other areas by different companies exploration of gold in different parts of the country and potash exploration in Dallol where there is an estimated of 160 millions of tons of proven reserves

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Melaku stated that NMIC has invested Birr

160817912 (one hundred sixty million eight hundred

seventeen thousand nine hundred twelve) for exploration

and mining activities adding that the size of investment for

soda ash will be in the order of Birr 1150000000 (one

billion one hundred fifty million)

The first phase will cost Birr 640000000 (six hundred

forty million) and the second phase will be Birr 500000000

(five hundred million)

National Mining Corporation Plc is a pioneer in opening

and developing quarrying of marble and limestone using

the latest technology in the field Currently the Companyrsquos

Boka Marble Quarry has six benches and more than

twelve faces that are being worked out at Boka quarry

in the Benshangul Administrative Region In the process

it provides training to quarry workers of other quarry

owners thereby contributing to the development of the

mining culture

The General Manager explained about the processing and

marketing of his Companyrsquos products and said that his

Company applies modern technologies and deploys the

latest equipment in mining that meet export standards

engaging in open pit mining and tunneling for underground

mining which is unique not only in Ethiopia but also in

Africa He further articulated that the Company mines one

of the best quality marble in the industry as evidenced in

Boka multicolor marble once nominated as ldquoThe Stone

of the Yearrdquo by the Marble Institute of America (MIA)

while the blue marble has entered the world market by

a new name ldquoSummer Skyrdquo and is currently being sold

in Italy Samples of both have been tested and analyzed in

American Testing Companies and European Universities

and have proved to be of high quality and suitable both

for internal and external use in the construction industry

These two marbles are unique and are found only in

Ethiopia Also the limestone is of unique colors yellow

white and red which have high demand in the market

The CEO said that the special quality of his Companyrsquos

product that attracts international market is the

uniqueness of the material its beauty (aesthetics) and its

non-absorbent and compact nature

The company has the capacity to supply the export market

with the required quality and size of blocks and slabs both

white and blue marble Export markets include Taiwan

China Italy France USA Africa and the Middle East

In order to improve quality additional modern

state-of-the-art quarry machinery has been injected in the

quarry Plan is underway to replace the old machinery at

the processing plant The Company is also producing its

own ldquoabrasiverdquo used for polishing marble using locally

available minerals and materials

Awash Processing Plant

Blocks at Block Yard

Slabs at Slab Yard in the Awash Processing Plant

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

NMiC holds 40 of the local market share in the construction industry Lots of buildings have been cladded by NMiCrsquos products The Sheraton Addis Bole International Airport Terminal Sunshine Multipurpose Building National Bank of Ethiopia Federal Police Headquarters AUrsquos Building Head Office and the Secretary Generalrsquos Residence Ethiopian Insurance Corporation Worbek Building the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Patriarchrsquos Palace and UNCA Building are some the major buildings in Addis Ababa which are finished with NMiCrsquos products

National Mining Corporation Plc is one of the competent companies in Ethiopia and has contributed to the economy of the country by way of generating hard currency from its exports and saving foreign currency by competing and blocking imports of dimension stones from abroad One word it has added to the Ethiopian economy an amount of over Birr 5000000000 (fifty million) in tax royalties and land rent

NMiC has made valuable studies on the mineral potential areas of the country in dimension stones oil and gas mineral water coal and industrial minerals It has also made sound participation in the employment and training of manpower to the mining sector and has encouraged foreign investors to be involved in exploration of oil and gas and other minerals NMiC provides free training in its quarries and processing plant to new local enterprises coming to the sector The company provides potable water electricity medical services and other financial assistance to the community of its mining areas and has set up HIVAIDS policy for the Company to curb the spread of the pandemic and provides care and support for

those living with the virus

Tunnel Jet Belt Quarrying the latest technology in use at the Eshet Blue Quarry

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

a) Finalizing the work on the exploration phase of the gold and base metals projects both at Dawa Digati and Werri which shall lead to feasibility study and production stage

b) Developing Eshet Blue and Boka Multicolor marble quarries and strengthen export to increase income of foreign currency

c) Supplying blocks to local factories

d) Replacement of machinery at Awash Processing Plant especially to boost production and quality

e) Improve the life of the working force through profit sharing and availing better facilities together with upgrading their knowledge through training

f) Implement the Soda Ash development project

The priority areas of NMiC in its future plan include among others

Asked finally if he was satisfied with his Companyrsquos achievements Ato Melaku Beza CEO of NMiC replied ldquoNot much we could do betterrdquo

Nmic Products

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

ldquoA journey of a thousand miles starts with a single steprdquo

goes the famous Chinese saying as for Bauer MIDROC it

all started 10 years ago with the foundation work of the

construction of the MIDROC Corporate Office (MCO)

commonly known as Nani Building With a single project

at hand Bauer Specialtifbau a German Company ventured

into the slowly budding private construction industry

in equal partnership with MIDROC Ethiopia Although

a small scale business venture in the eyes of both giant

partners MIDROC Ethiopia and Bauer Specialtifbau it

created vast opportunities to the construction sector

with the introduction of a state-of-the-art German based

foundation technology to the Ethiopian market The

miniature move of the two giants opened up a gateway

of possibilities and marked a new construction era for

Ethiopia Over the years changes in shareholders has

led to the current name ldquoMIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plcrdquo with the state-of-the-art foundation solutions still in

place

Several limitations in dealing with unfavorable soil

conditions frequently encountered within Ethiopiarsquos

diverse geological formations most abundantly the

problematic black cotton soil within the city of Addis

Ababa and other parts of the country brought about

several technical barriers when it came to building

massive civil structures Building highrises as well as

massive bridges was inconceivable unless capable soil was

in close vicinity MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with

the introduction of deep foundations based on advanced

and efficient technologies in the construction industry

no doubt brought about remarkable solutions and helped

ease some of these anxieties

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with its fleets of large

diameter drilling rigs and variety of drilling tools capable of

both soil and hard soil formations has made economical

foundation solutions a reality offering developers the

confidence to build high rise buildings without worrying

about the type of soil in Addis Ababa The expertise of

Dedicated Backing for MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is gradually changing

the cityrsquos skyline with the construction of the completed

MCO Building AICAIB Headquarters and KK Building

both to be completed soon and all standing above 20

stories

Entering the city limits through the skyways one can notice

that the Bole Airport has received an entire facelift with

the construction of the International Passenger Terminal

Airport Control Towers the new Cargo Terminal and the

Maintenance Hanger The only thing these landmarks share

other than ownership is that they owe their existence to

foundation solutions of MIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plc As we enter the city limits also the Bole Viaduct

and all the overpasses on the Addis Ababa Ring Road are

comfortably resting still with the construction of the deep

piles by MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc

Drilling of pile with casing

 Tiret Sept 2008

Parallel to pile construction as verification of the

constructed pile capacities is common practice in the

foundation construction industry MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc equipped with the state-of-the-art

automated pile load testing system has recently conducted

1300 metric tons load test at the Derba MIDROC Cement

Factory Project the first of this magnitude in the African

Continent

The introduction of vertical shoring wall systems that

uses reinforced concrete piles and tie back anchors which

is gaining popularity in recent years is another type of

foundation technology solutions made possible in Ethiopia

through MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos expertise

Prior to these shoring system solutions land owners

could not fully utilize their plots at the boundaries for fear

of catastrophic cave-in In fact in most cases plot owners

avoided under ground construction in order to avoid

litigation with next door land owners The utilization of

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos vertical shoring pile

wall system was proposed and implemented in the cases

of Bole Towers and Loli Building In both cases all sides of

the plot were shored exactly at the boundaries without

any land loss In fact the clients gained underground spaces

in the order of two to three times their plot size for

possible parking purpose This has provided developers

with solutions clearing their lumbers from additional

costs for parking facilities

Pile load testing

In line with the construction boom within Addis Ababa

developers are opting to construct on boundary edges

where heavy structures already exist in adjacent plots

In order to excavate at these boundaries the safest and

most economical foundation solution system is shoring

pile wall system These systems were employed at Awash

Bank and Insurance Building KK Building and Orchid

Building

For realization of structures that have to be constructed

below the natural ground water level and or near offshore

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc has construction

approaches that employ waterproof vertical shoring

systems and several options to choose from within

the framework of technical feasibility of foundation

engineering The construction of Diaphragm Wall

Cellular Cofferdam Sheet Pile Wall and Secant

Pile Wall are such solutions to name a few The cost

of construction and the time required for executing the

works is in the order listed above

Anchored pile shoring wall

Foundation Solution

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the equipment already available in the country

MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc has tabled and

implemented an economical and technically feasible

secant pile wall system solution for bridge projects

within Ethiopia If it was not for MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plcrsquos geotechnical solutions construction under

such conditions would have been technically impossible

throughout East Africa

Unlike other options construction of secant pile wall as

waterproof vertical shoring system is not limited to the

soil condition of the site The construction of such high

tech geotechnical engineering solutions by the Company

have been successfully applied on projects like the Omo

River Bridge and on the New Abay Bridge Projects The

application of the secant pile wall system was used for the

construction of the pier foundation on both sides of the

Bridge on the Omo River Bridge Project and one side pier

foundation construction of the New Abay Bridge Project

During the construction of the Omo River Bridge

foundation and substructure works other logistic

challenges non-related to foundation works was

encountered The West Pier and Abutment on the Omo

River Bridge created such a technical impasse On this

side one of the most difficult challenges was to solve the

problem of crossing equipment and construction material

across the 150 m wide river After carefully considering all

the possible alternatives a decision was made to design and

manufacture a water crossing barge using local expertise

and manufacturing capabilities MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc took part in the design manufacturing and

commissioning of this barge and has successfully crossed

a 503 ton drilling rig and other earth moving equipment

With nearly twenty projects within Ethiopia MIDROC

Foundation Specialists Plc is a pioneer in exporting

foundation technology to neighboring Kenya Tanzania

and the Sudan In-house trained Ethiopian experts have

Crossing of drilling rig on Omo River through Barge

 Tiret Sept 2008

Secant pile wall

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Mr Achim Braun General Manager of MIDROC Foundation (left) inspecting a construction site

left their marks on several key projects within those

countries Among the projects successfully carried out in

Tanzania the Songo Songo Offshore Piling Project was the

most challenging and rewarding of all In this Project sixty

per cent of the piles were constructed from a SEWP (Self

Elevating Working Platform) elevated 13 meters from the

sea bed

As the company commemorates the tenth anniversary of

its establishment it is only proper to mark the outstanding

contributions to the construction industry of Ethiopia The

efficiency of the Company and the technology employed

has resulted in creating a broad awareness of foundation

technological solutions in the country particularly

among developers In terms of the spectrum of available

techniques of foundation the projects undertaken so

far are only a tip of the iceberg Although the Company

was confronted with a number of challenges in changing

attitudes and practices the success achieved so far has

been accomplished with great efforts exerted by the

companyrsquos management and its diligent professionals in

the field

Being the only Class I Foundation Specialist Contractors

in the country MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc is now

determined to leap ahead to new and yet un-introduced

foundation construction technologies such as micro 

piles  high  pressure  injection  diaphragm 

walls  slope  protection  and  soil  nailing  As

the countries infrastructure development continues to

reach higher levels MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is

preparing itself to meet the current customer demands

and technological challenges

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Statistics reveal that the country continues to earn hard currency from export of primary commodities such as coffee which tops the list by fetching some 500 million dollars last financial year

Other commodities are hides and skin flowers pulses fruits vegetables and chat

Incidentally it is interesting to note that Chat has fetched over 60 million dollars in foreign currency last fiscal year

The chewing of chat leaves is common in the horn of Africa but in eastern Ethiopia it is big business for some and big worry for others Chat is a major agricultural crop Yet many say it is addictive and harmful to health

In a town where I grew up for instance it is hard to avoid the impact of the stimulant leaf The first thing that strikes you in the main market is the deafening noise The market square is a scene of total chaos as you make your way through a bustling crowd preoccupied with the business of bartering for a prized commodity- the green leafed plant chat

Awadaye market is a market for chat It is estimated that over 25000 kg pass through it daily The buyers and sellers take their jobs seriously shouting to one other They gesture excitedly as they trade thousands of birr daily for the chat which is bought from the local farmers in Awadaye and sent to other areas in Ethiopia It is also exported overseas It is said to be the backbone of the economy as it can be gathered from the revenue it has generated during the current physical year

If you compare chat farmers with other farmers in other parts of the country you will see that their standard of living is so much better

The employment created though chat cultivation is very high as large numbers of people are involved in growing harvesting sorting packing transporting loading and unloading the commodity The wood of the plant is used for fuel and because of its resistance to termites it is also used to make fences Chat is also believed to have medical value being used locally to treat influenza and asthma

Chat farmers used to grow maize sorghum and teff which is the basic Ethiopian staple food but these crops are difficult to grow as they require lots of rain and attention

while chat requires little water or cultivation That is why it is widely believed that its cultivation is expanding at an amazing rate

Chat has now become Ethiopiarsquos biggest export third only to coffee and hides and skin But despite the cash earning and the tradition of chat growing and use among the people many people do not encourage it

They believe that it is addictive and this has a negative impact on the community They allege that people forget about their work commitments and spend hours chewing chat The number of users of chat is increasing particularly among the youth

In urban areas the use of chat combined with alcohol is having an adverse effect on family life Many students chew chat because they say it increases their concentration when they study their lessons

However in some regions where it is widely cultivated business punctuality is a frequent problem as the time after lunch is usually spent chewing chat Even in some regions where the plant has been banned cultivation and usage continue and attempts to replace chat with cash crops like coffee have failed

Regardless of the merit or demerit of chat the country continues to get the much needed hard currency through export of the plant ldquochatrdquo

However many people including development agents are of the opinion that the demerit far out weighs the merit for energy and time is spent chewing the stuff and particularly its negative impact on health especially on the productive force

Another very lucrative business in Ethiopia is the export of leather and leather goods According to recent data export of leather and leather goods registered a surge from 52 million dollars to over 90 million dollars Incidentally ELICO one of MIDROC Ethiopia group companies dealing with finished leather products fetched last financial year over 10 million dollars

In the light of considerable income accrued from export of primary commodities there is a need to do even more by way of establishing more agro-industries that engage in the production of agricultural products for sale locally and internationally

Earning from Export of Primary CommoditiesBy Yohannes Ruphael

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The Third Private Sector Development National Conference ndash 2008 of Ethiopia took place in Addis Ababa on June 30 2008 ndash at the UNECA Conference Center and the draft strategy document and priority strategic issues for improved business environment were discussed by representatives of the Private Sector Development Hub established with basic objectives of coordinating and developing a series of public sector development intervention projects for implementation with international financial support and undertaking related research studies to support the business community in its public and private partnership dialogue The Conference was addressed by an internationally renowned and distinguished authority on Corporate Governance Prof Mervyn E King SC

The Editorial Team of TIRET has taken advantage of communicating with Professor Mervyn E King SC to share his views briefly with our readers

Professor Mervyn E King SC is currently Professor Extraordinaire at the University of South Africa and serves as the Chairperson of the King Committee on Corporate Governance in South Africa He is a Senior Counsel and former Judge of the Supreme Court of South Africa His other credentials include Member of the World Bank Advisory Group on Corporate Governance President of the Commonwealth Association of Corporate Governance Governor of the International Corporate Governance Network President of the South Africa Chamber of Business Vice President of the Institute of Directors of Southern Africa Representatives of South Africa at the International Chamber of Commerce Advisor of Asian Center of Corporate Governance Director of Global Reporting Initiative-Amsterdam Director of Association of business Administrators of South Africa

At the Millennium National Private Sector Development Conference in Addis Ababa recently I spoke about corporate governance in the development of the private sector

Corporate governance is about the principles and practices which guide directors and senior managers in making their decisions to the best interests of their companies It has to be separated from the enterprise side of the business which is about making business judgment calls It is essential that directors and senior managers adopt acceptable principles and practices in steering and directing the company and making business judgment It is about the quality of this governance rather than a quantitative check on whether there has been compliance by the directors and managers with well-known governance practices such as the establishment of a remuneration committee

In my talk I pointed out that the economic value of a company does not equal its book value In Coca Cola for example its book value is approximately 13 of its economic value and its greatest asset is its brand which is dependent on

 Tiret Sept 2008

the companyrsquos reputation Consequentially directors and senior managers of Coca Cola have a duty to protect the companyrsquos brand

In planning for a company the strategic direction needs to be done both short- and long-term If a strategy is developed in which all persons in the corporation at all levels buy-in one can get ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things Unless this is done not even extraordinary people will achieve ordinary things

The important thing for directors to remember is that they have won and maintained the trust and confidence of the stakeholders of the company Consequently they should report at least annually how the company has both positively and negatively affected a communityrsquos economic life through its operations and how it is going to enhance those positive aspects and eradicate or ameliorate the negative aspects in the year ahead

Good governance involves inter alia the approval by the board of the strategy of the company and sustainability can no longer be ignored in developing a long-term strategy

The Private Sector Development Hub (PSD-Hub) has the objective to contribute to the economic development of Ethiopia by improving the entrepreneurial environment and the governance of corporations Consequently the PSD-Hub has held Conferences over the last two years focusing on these issues and on the question of public private partnerships There has also been discussion about expediting the registration of companies the standardization of accounting and auditing capitalization and the finalization of the revision of the Ethiopian Commercial Code Corporate governance has featured prominently in these discussions

Arising out of all the modernization of the registration of companies in Ethiopia has been recognized as a priority

Accounting and auditing standards which should follow IFRS should have legal backing so that everyone in Ethiopia will know the meaning of the reported financial statements

The development of a securities market including an exchange in which not only equities but bonds and derivatives can be bought and sold with the dematerialisation of scrip and electronic settlement is essential

From the above it will be seen that there is much to be done but Ethiopia is striving through the PSD Hub to create platforms on which it can forge ahead in our flat electronic world where capital flows towards those areas where there is good governance and well-regulated markets The Conference at which I spoke was just another step in Ethiopiarsquos endeavours to achieve these goals Positively the essential aspects for creating an entrepreneurial and thriving business environment have been identified and PSD Hub the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other interested bodies are working in partnership with government to achieve them

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Itrsquos a ridiculous

l a n g u a g e rdquo

sputtered the

Englishman at

the next table

his jowls shaking

in anger ldquoA ridiculous languagerdquo

We were sitting in a tiny tea-and-pie shop in Criccieth a

town in northern Wales and everybody but us was speaking

Welsh Like a remarkable number of his countrymen this

man was convinced it was merely a secret code employed

by the local to talk behind the backs of English visitors

ldquoJust you watchrdquo he said ldquoAs soon as we leave theyrsquoll all

go back to speaking Englishrdquo

I rather doubted it And unlike the Englishman I was

thrilled to encounter one of the oldest languages in

Europe a tongue heard in this misty and mountainous

land since the arrival of Roman legions

Being surrounded by people speaking an unfamiliar and

exotic language is to me one of the best things about

travel Just as some people will journey to the Serengeti

to glimpse the rare and endangered white rhino Irsquoll happily

go far out of my way to hear a rare and endangered

language

In the storybook city of Carcassonne in southwest France

I was less thrilled at seeing the towers and turrets than

I was at meeting a man who could speak Occitan the

ancient and fast-vanishing language of the troubadours

As far as I was concerned the most fascinating thing in

Dangriga a coastal town in Belize was the mellifluous

sound of Garifuna a language spoken by the descendants

of shipwrecked slaves from West Africa I once traveled

to Graubunden in eastern Switzerland in the hope of

hearing Romansch a tongue spoken by fewer than one

percent of the nationrsquos residents and said to resemble

Latin I encountered a few signs in the language but no

one who could speak it

According to one oft-cited estimate at least half the

worldrsquos 6000 languages are likely to die out by the end

of this century which means that one is going silent on

average every two weeks

Itrsquos not merely a matter of using different words to express the same thoughts Languages are literally the expressions of cultures and belief systems entirely different ways of making sense of the world And just as we should be concerned about the shrinking diversity of plant and animal species we should also worry about the shrinking diversity of languages

Welsh though seems to be holding on despite 700 years

of efforts by the English to exterminate it The BBC has for

some years now carried television and radio programming

in the language and in Wales itrsquos possible to receive your

entire education from preschool to postgraduate in

Welsh About 20 percent of Walesrsquo population speaks

Welsh and the number appears to be growing slightly

It is not as the Englishman said a ridiculous language But

it is to my eyes and ears a wonderfully strange one Dave

Barry once wrote that the ancient Hawaiians arrived on

their islands after perilous canoe voyages in seas so rough

their consonants fell overboard My guess is that the

letters drifted the worldrsquos oceans until they washed up on

the shores of Wales

T h e   B e a u t y   o f   a   L a n g u a g e

 Tiret Sept 2008

How else to explain for example the Welsh word for

beer Itrsquos cwrw It looks like my Scrabble tray when I

donrsquot have a word to pay (In case you ever need to order

one itrsquos pronounced ldquokooroordquo)

And then therersquos the vexing pronunciation of the double-

1 you find at the beginning of it seems two-thirds of the

town names in Wales ldquoJust put your teeth together and

hiss like a duckrdquo explained a helpful woman I met at the

Dylan Thomas Museum in Swansea She also pointed out

that Llareggub the fictional town in Thomasrsquo ldquoUnder the

Milkwood Treerdquo is merely ldquobugger allrdquo spelled backward

I like the besotted poet a whole lot more after learning

that

One dark and drizzly night I went to a little schoolhouse in

the Rhondda Valley to listen to a rehearsal of the Treorchy

Menrsquos Choir made up mostly of unemployed coal miners

ldquoIn the old daysrdquo one of them told me ldquowe used to sing

together in the pitsrdquo

When they opened their mouths to sing as one in Welsh

all the snarky little comments about their language become

moot It was simply one of the most hauntingly beautiful

sounds Irsquove even heard

I got a lesson in the politics of minority languages recently

when I visited Montreal the capital of French ndash speaking

Canada I hadnrsquot been there since a childhood visit to

Exporsquo67 and I remember the province as decidedly

bilingual Everything from traffic signs to toothpaste

tubes was printed in French and English No more A

law passed in 1977 banned the use of English in signs

throughout Quebec Itrsquos an attempt to do linguistically

what they failed for two centuries to do militarily prevent

the English from conquering them

Theyrsquore quite serious about this Hudson Bay Co the

venerable department store chain that dates back to the

fur-trading days is now known as Compagnie de la Baie

drsquoHudson at least in these parts Kentucky Fried Chicken

outlets arenrsquot allowed to use ldquoKFCrdquo on their signs In

Quebec theyrsquore called ldquoPFKrdquo for Poulet Frit Kentucky

The Quebecois are more vigilant even than their famously

Anglophobic counterparts in Paris All stop signs here say

Arret even though the ones in France say ldquoStoprdquo

It all seemed a little silly and excessive to me until I began

talking to French-speaking Montrealers about it ldquoYou

have to understand that wersquore surrounded by English

speakersrdquo a schoolteacher told me ldquoWe have to be very

firm about defending our language or it will disappear

And when it goes so does our way of life

Signs aside most French Canadians I met were bilingual

I quickly discovered that if I first made atleast a fumbling

attempt to speak their language almost everybody was

happy to switch to English ndash very possibly to spare

themselves the trauma of hearing my phrase-book

French which sounds like someone grinding the gears

of an old Citroen ldquoWe have nothing against Englishrdquo the

schoolteacher told me ldquoItrsquos just that we want to speak

French hererdquo

Vive la differenceJohn Flinn -Travel Editor

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Scale up of HIV Prevention Treatment Care and Support Requires Renewed Leadership and Resources

The 17th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) took place in Mexico City from August 3 -8 2008 with an assessment of the situation of the global epidemic at a panel of researchers public health and civil society leaders examined recent progress towards the scale up of treatment and prevention programmes and called for sustained action to eliminate the barriers to universal access

ldquoDespite the progress we have made we are not on course to meet universal access targets and in fact appear to be slipping away from our existing commitmentsrdquo said Dr Pedro Cahn International Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and President of the International AIDS Society and Fundacioacuten Hueacutesped in Buenos Aires Argentina ldquoIt appears that we are poised to accept defeat when victory is still within our grasp Our failure to meet those commitments will have an impact on millions of lives This cannot be allowed to happen It is time for nations to live up to their commitmentsrdquo

ldquoWith only two years to go until the 2010 deadline for universal access set by world leaders we must redouble our commitment to scaling up all proven HIV prevention strategiesrdquo said Dr Luiacutes Soto Ramiacuterez Local Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and Head of the Molecular Virology Unit at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Meacutedicas y Nutricioacuten Salvador Zubiriaacuten and Coordinator of the Clinical Care Committee of CONASIDA Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council ldquoThe fact that last year 27 million people were newly infected with HIV a disease that is entirely preventable is unacceptablerdquo

Dr Jaime Sepulveda (Mexico) founder of Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council who is now with the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation noted that attention to and resources for AIDS are at all-time high including substantially increased funding for the Global Fund and the US Presidentrsquos Emergency Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief According to Sepulveda reaching the goal of 3 million people in low and middle-income countries on treatment at the end of 2007 was a critical step forward but the world has only scratched the surface of possibilities in responding to the epidemic Greater resources more effectively spent and targeted where they can have the greatest effect would have a dramatic impact on the course of the epidemicrsquos Highlighting the fact that more people become infected

with HIV last year than began treatment Sepulveda called for radically increased investments in prevention research evaluation and delivery of services as well as accelerated research on promising prevention methods including a vaccine In conclusion he reiterated that political leadership from all countries and accountability at all levels are essential for stopping the epidemic

Citing the results in both treatment and prevention scale up in countries with sustained leadership such as Rwanda and Tanzania Alex Coutinho (Uganda) of the Infectious Disease Institute of Makerere University made a passionate call for greater leadership as a path toward meeting the challenges ahead In looking at progress to date Coutinho highlighted increased access to HIV testing and counseling to prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and to pediatric care and treatment as well as the effectiveness of male circumcision as a prevention intervention In contrast he noted that most countries will not achieve universal access by 2010 and that the majority of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are still unaware of their HIV status In his call to action Coutinho urged greater investment in prevention and financial resources flexible enough to support health systems and systems that reach into rural and other hard-to-reach areas and fully embrace PLHIV as partners He also urged outreach to and support of marginalized and at-risk communities as well as the greater involvement of PLHIV as a catalyst for change

Elisabet Fadul (Dominican Republic) of the Dominican Network for Youth RightsGlobal Youth Partners outlined a broad and urgent youth HIVAIDS agenda calling for comprehensive rights ndash and evidence-based plans to provide access for young people Highlighting the 40 of new infections worldwide among young people between the ages of 15-24 Fadul noted that HIV prevention and treatment programmes are failing to effectively reach young people with the most vulnerable and marginalized being stigmatized criminalized or forgotten by many of these programmes

To reverse this course she called for actions and policies that engage youth especially young people living with HIVAIDS as respected partners in developing and implementing programmes that forthrightly address their

needs and diversity

 Tiret Sept 2008

The two days Second Annual ldquoOffsiterdquo Workshop where

CEOs and General Managers of the MIDROC Ethiopia

Technology Group took part was held on April 12 ndash 13

2008 at the Sheraton Addis Dr Arega Yirdaw Chief

Executive Officer of the Group opening the workshop

took into account the first Annual Workshop that was held

in Kombolcha and said that this yearrsquos venue provides more

opportunity for a considerable number of management

members to participate

While Dr Aregarsquos presentation to the Workshop focused

on ldquoEffective Marketing for Enhancement of

Business Developmentrdquo General Managers presented

comprehensive reports of their respective companies

MIDROC Ethiopia Training Department Holds Seminars

The MIDROC Ethiopia Training Department as part of  its  training activities holds various seminars for both senior managers and second level management tier every fiscal year During the last six months ldquoPositive Thinkingrdquo ldquoCorporate Social Responsibilitiesrdquo and ldquoICT Security and privacyrdquo were the issues for the seminars that the department carried out              

 Seminar on Positive Thinking

Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu Director of Training of MIDROC Ethiopia in his introductory remark on ldquoPositive Thinkingrdquo seminar that took place at the Sheraton Addis on April 11 2008 and attended by general managers and senior members of the Investment Group introduced the resource person Ato Robel Kidane as a ldquomotivational speakerrdquo and ldquolife-cycle trainerrdquo from Sweden

Emeritus Prof Johannes said that this topic is chosen because of a feeling that the current period and situations exhibited dynamic changes that were a burden to bear for many people who he said were ldquoeasily swayed to think negativelyrdquo He also quoted the Chairman and Owner of MIDROC Ethiopia Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi as saying ldquoWhat is the benefit of talking of bad

ldquoOffsiterdquo Workshop Held 

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Robel Kidane the resource person delivering his presentation at the seminar

 Tiret Sept 2008

The seminar for second level management personnel held on June 12 2008 on ICT Security and Privacy was attended by 31 participants from MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group Companies and the Head Office in the MIDROC Ethiopia Auditorium The seminar which was part of MIDROC Ethiopiarsquos attempt to keep abreast with ICT Development was opened by Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu who stressed in his brief remarks the need for concern to the protection of data and information and regulating the use of ICT

Also speaking on the occasion was Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting and Chairman of Training Committee who said that training helps to discover various means for success People he noted learn at work place and from challenges He stressed that the technology age called for adaptation of new thoughts and practices while requiring readiness to do ldquoWhat we can with what we haverdquo

The seminar which discussed various issues related to ICT was closed by Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu

 Seminar on ICT Security and Privacy

A view of participants of the seminar

things or difficulties onlyrdquo Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting of MIDROC Ethiopia and Chairman of Training Committee in his opening remark stated that positive thinking was a new scientific subject where investors CEOs and others in various capacities were inspired and motivated to create awareness to their colleagues and to remove all thoughts

of dark shadows from their minds He noted that positive thinking among CEOrsquos and subordinates was required and stressed that self-confidence was one of the prime factors for success in life and hence needed to be maintainedAto Robel Kidane covered a variety of interesting issues related to positive thinking in his presentation after which participants discussed on several importnat issues

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Teklu Haile opening the Seminar

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The seminar on ldquoCorporate Social Responsibilityrdquo

for second level management tier took place on March 27

2008 at the MIDROC Ethiopia Auditorium and attended

by 27 participants from 12 group companies

In accordance with the call to plant ldquoThree Trees in the Third Millenniumrdquo volunteers from MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group and Head Office on August 2007 replanted trees on the Entoto Mountain situated north of the capital city Addis Ababa It is to be recalled that members of MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group under the motto ldquo Two Trees in 2000 Ethiopian Millenniumrdquo have participated in planting trees at the same location last year

Organized again by the MIDROC Ethiopia Public Relations the call for replanting was enthusiastically received by volunteers who went back to the area to replace those trees planted by employees of the Investment Group last year and did not take root and withered

Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting supported and encouraged volunteers of MIDROC Ethiopia and reminded them of the saying - ldquoten thousand dedicated soldiers are better than one million dubious soldiersrdquo and appreciated all the volunteers for actively participating in the tree replanting activity

Seminar on Corporate Social Responsibility

Participants at the seminar Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu delivering his presentation

Volunteers going up the mountain for replanting

Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting Department of MIDROC Ethiopia and Chairman of Training Committee in his opening remarks stressed the importance of participation in community affairs by all Group Companies and cited Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi as a shinning example in playing an active

role in social activities He called on all to strive hard to change the negative image of the country and build a better Ethiopia free from poverty hunger and disease Various papers were presented ensuing fruitful discussions on the above issues

MIDROC Ethiopia Volunteers Participate in Replanting Trees

 Tiret Sept 2008

Equatorial Business Group General Manager Ato Tadelle

Teferra Deputy General Manager Ato Mekuria Ayele and

Automotive Business Senior Director Ato Daniel Seyoum

participated a weeklong Dealerrsquos Conference that was

staged in Cape Town South Africa in February this year

According to Ato Daniel Seyoum around 75 business

leaders from Europe the Middle East Asia and Africa

participated at the Conference Issues discussed included

regional international business concerns VOLVOrsquos strategy

development VOLVO CE business update introduction to

new VOLVO road machinery and other related business

matters Dealersrsquo Conference is an annual event to bring

together leaders in the VOLVO Construction Equipment

business from nearly all over the world for a pull effect

particularly to companies like EBG to provide further

opportunity in the Automotive Industry

EBG is an exclusive dealer in Ethiopia for VOLVO brand

products

Company Observes its 15th Anniversary

A group picture of Dealers Conference participants

EBGrsquos Managers Attended Dealers Conference

Equatorial Business Group (EBG) colorfully observed its 15th Anniversary on April 30 2008 Ato Tadelle Teferra

General Manager of the Company addressing the management and employees expressed gratitude and appreciation

to the Owners of the Company and to the Employees who worked hard since its establishment and urged all company

staff to work with an even more commitment and dedication

Ato Tadelle on the occasion disclosed the implementation of the reform packages that started recently and expressed

hope that the reform packages would bring EBG to a better competitive and profitable position The reform introduces

MIS QMS and companyrsquos new restructuring and other associated jobs

Three employees who served EBG for 15 years were honored with Special Certificates and several employees from

the various businesses and support services of the company were awarded for Best Performances during the year

200607

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Tadesse Haile State Minister of the Ministry of Trade and Industry visited Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc and held discussions with senior members on issues pertaining to the activities of the factory Ato Ahmed Hassen General Manager of the Factory explained to the State Minister that the factory would make all efforts to produce quality products in large quantity so as to reduce import from abroad He however expressed his wish that the government reduces tax on raw materials which are essential for the production of soap and detergent

Ato Tadesse disclosed during the discussion that extensive studies that include soap industries in the country are underway with the aim to strengthen the chemical industry in which the concern would be addressed in the near future He further said that there is a plan to connect the various regions of the country to the port by

EBG was announced First Order Winner for Best Stand in the 12th International Millennium Trade Fair organized by the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations held at the Exhibition Center in February 2008

EBGrsquos stand was visited by large number of visitors including the honorable World Laureate Metre Artist Afework Tekle who not only showed interest in the products and services of EBG but also expressed his appreciation to the Company in his comments while signing in the Special Guest Book

EBG Awarded for Best Stand

Star Soap and Detergent Factory Visited

The Most Honorable Maritre World Laureate Artist

Afework Tekle signing in the Visitors Book at the Trade Fair

Ato Tadesse Haile visiting the Production Unit with Ato Ahmed Hassen General Manager and Ato Seid Ahmed Plant Manager of the Factory

rail within the coming five years for the speedy delivery of export and import of goods which will have a great impact on sales

Ato Tadesse Haile finally appreciated the activities of the factory and said that Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc is capable of being a model in the sector and wished the lsquoBest of Luckrsquo for the management and the staff and affirmed that his Ministry would always support on all their endeavors

Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc is a member of the MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group established at an investment capital of Birr 80 million The factory is one of the biggest in the sector and equipped with the latest machinery and manufactures best quality laundry and toilet soaps liquid and synthetic detergents powder and bar soaps

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the most dedicated health care professionals and support staff SalaM Employees Clinic the Clinic that provides health care services to employees of MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group Companies and affiliates in its efforts to upgrade and improve its services has added to its modern list of medical equipment a Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor an advanced medical equipment Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor is one of the new advanced machineries that the clinic acquired recently which is used for the diagnosis of refraction errors of the eye

The Clinic provides medical and surgical services with sub-specialists in gynecological ophthalmological dermatological and ENT employing advanced diagnostic equipment such as radiography endoscopy and colonoscopy supported by video camera ultrasound and ECG Machines It has a well stocked pharmacy with essential medicines and also provides laboratory diagnostic services

The Clinic recently has moved from its previous location to a large and ideal villa with more rooms and a convenient location near the Genet Hotel and is open 24 hours

SalaM Employees Clinic was established by Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi in 1996 for employees of the Investment Group with an investment capital of over Birr 4 million under the SalaM Health Care Plc He later on increased the investment a lot more

Apart from providing services to the employees of the MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group SalaM Employees Clinic is rendering efficient services to the public as well

Dr Amare Abebe Medical Director of the clinic conducting an examination using endoscopy machine

Employees Clinic Secures Equipment

The Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor which the clinic acquired recently

The front view of the Clinic

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Three delegates from Ethiopia Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu MIDROC Ethiopia Training Director Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch Ato Asfaw Alemu Credit Manager of Dashen Bank attended the International Society of Business Economics and Ethics World Congress under the theme ldquoGlobal Fairness Local Integrityrdquo held in Cape Town from July 13 ndash 20 2008 and organized by BEN-Africa

The ISBEE World Congress is held every four years and is affectionately referred to as the Olympics of Business Ethics It always succeeds in attracting the best minds in the field of ethics of business and economics This yearrsquos Congress was attended by over 400 participants from all corners of the world Top notch world speakers among others Prof Mervyn E King SC Prof Deon Rossow Prof Joka Iwao Prof Georges Enderle Prof Paul Collies and Prof Tom Donaldson attended the Congress and over 80 papers were presented in three plenary sessions on topical international business issues

Ethiopian Delegation Participates at World ISBEE World Congress

Participants of ISBEE Congress Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu (left) Ato Lulseged Teferi (middle) Ato Asfaw Alemu

A Special Certificate of Recognition was awarded to Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu of MIDROC Ethiopia Prof Deon Rossow ndash former President of BEN-Africa and Ms Korien Sander the outgoing Executive Secretary of BEN-Africa

Emeritus Prof Johannes in his brief statement after receiving the certificate said that he accepted the certificate on behalf of those institutions and individuals in Ethiopia who have been behind the BEN-Africa Conference held in Ethiopia

It is to be recalled that MIDROC Ethiopia Corporate Office Dashen Bank the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch and Ato Teklu Haile Manager of Treasury Finance and Accounting of MIDROC Ethiopia played a great role for the successful completion of the ldquo7th Annual BEN-Africa Conferencerdquo held in Addis Ababa in August 2007

 Tiret Sept 2008

MIDROC Ethiopia is involved in the development of

mining and exploration of gold building of heavy mining

industries in central and eastern parts of the country

like cement plants filler plants etc Coal exploration is

also a potential area that is being explored by different

companies including MIDROC Ethiopia for use in the

cement plant power generation and fertilizer Soda ash

being used as a major input in glass soap detergent and

other industrial input is also one area of mining A lot of

investors are involved in gemstones

In an effort to exploit these resources and put them

to good use for the development of Ethiopia one of

MIDROC Ethiopia Group Companies the National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) has since its establishment in

March 1993 been actively engaged in the exploration of

gold and base metals in the various parts of the country

ldquoIt is worth noting that the mineral wealth of Ethiopia is

not fully tapped yet and needs to be given due attention

as it can be the backbone of the economy together with

agriculturerdquo says Ato Melaku Beza CEO of National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) He assertively told TIRET in

an interview at his office regarding the activities and

contributions of NMiC to the mining industry and that

his Company is working hard for a better achievement as

it has commemorated its 15th anniversary recently

He said that NMiC is currently engaged in the exploration

of gold base metals at Dawa Digati and Werri areas in the

Oromia and Tigray Administrative Regions and base metals

in Dire Dawa and Benshangul Gumuz Administrative

Regions It is also engaged in mining of marble and

limestone processing of quarried blocks and on the way

to develop the Abiyata Soda Ash in Southern Ethiopia

The Company in its venture in the development of Soda

Ash has embarked upon a joint investment agreement

with the Public Enterprise Supervising Agency (PPESA)

for a 54 percent share in which PPESArsquos 46 percent share

dilutes while NMICrsquos share shall increase in the process of

implementing tasks set in two phases

Mining Corporation on the Move

Ato Melaku Beza CEO NMiC

Dawa Digati Gold exploration drilling

The potential of the mining industry for the development of the Ethiopian economy is immense as witnessed by the ongoing development activities in the country This includes exploration of petroleum in the Ogaden Gambela and other areas by different companies exploration of gold in different parts of the country and potash exploration in Dallol where there is an estimated of 160 millions of tons of proven reserves

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Melaku stated that NMIC has invested Birr

160817912 (one hundred sixty million eight hundred

seventeen thousand nine hundred twelve) for exploration

and mining activities adding that the size of investment for

soda ash will be in the order of Birr 1150000000 (one

billion one hundred fifty million)

The first phase will cost Birr 640000000 (six hundred

forty million) and the second phase will be Birr 500000000

(five hundred million)

National Mining Corporation Plc is a pioneer in opening

and developing quarrying of marble and limestone using

the latest technology in the field Currently the Companyrsquos

Boka Marble Quarry has six benches and more than

twelve faces that are being worked out at Boka quarry

in the Benshangul Administrative Region In the process

it provides training to quarry workers of other quarry

owners thereby contributing to the development of the

mining culture

The General Manager explained about the processing and

marketing of his Companyrsquos products and said that his

Company applies modern technologies and deploys the

latest equipment in mining that meet export standards

engaging in open pit mining and tunneling for underground

mining which is unique not only in Ethiopia but also in

Africa He further articulated that the Company mines one

of the best quality marble in the industry as evidenced in

Boka multicolor marble once nominated as ldquoThe Stone

of the Yearrdquo by the Marble Institute of America (MIA)

while the blue marble has entered the world market by

a new name ldquoSummer Skyrdquo and is currently being sold

in Italy Samples of both have been tested and analyzed in

American Testing Companies and European Universities

and have proved to be of high quality and suitable both

for internal and external use in the construction industry

These two marbles are unique and are found only in

Ethiopia Also the limestone is of unique colors yellow

white and red which have high demand in the market

The CEO said that the special quality of his Companyrsquos

product that attracts international market is the

uniqueness of the material its beauty (aesthetics) and its

non-absorbent and compact nature

The company has the capacity to supply the export market

with the required quality and size of blocks and slabs both

white and blue marble Export markets include Taiwan

China Italy France USA Africa and the Middle East

In order to improve quality additional modern

state-of-the-art quarry machinery has been injected in the

quarry Plan is underway to replace the old machinery at

the processing plant The Company is also producing its

own ldquoabrasiverdquo used for polishing marble using locally

available minerals and materials

Awash Processing Plant

Blocks at Block Yard

Slabs at Slab Yard in the Awash Processing Plant

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

NMiC holds 40 of the local market share in the construction industry Lots of buildings have been cladded by NMiCrsquos products The Sheraton Addis Bole International Airport Terminal Sunshine Multipurpose Building National Bank of Ethiopia Federal Police Headquarters AUrsquos Building Head Office and the Secretary Generalrsquos Residence Ethiopian Insurance Corporation Worbek Building the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Patriarchrsquos Palace and UNCA Building are some the major buildings in Addis Ababa which are finished with NMiCrsquos products

National Mining Corporation Plc is one of the competent companies in Ethiopia and has contributed to the economy of the country by way of generating hard currency from its exports and saving foreign currency by competing and blocking imports of dimension stones from abroad One word it has added to the Ethiopian economy an amount of over Birr 5000000000 (fifty million) in tax royalties and land rent

NMiC has made valuable studies on the mineral potential areas of the country in dimension stones oil and gas mineral water coal and industrial minerals It has also made sound participation in the employment and training of manpower to the mining sector and has encouraged foreign investors to be involved in exploration of oil and gas and other minerals NMiC provides free training in its quarries and processing plant to new local enterprises coming to the sector The company provides potable water electricity medical services and other financial assistance to the community of its mining areas and has set up HIVAIDS policy for the Company to curb the spread of the pandemic and provides care and support for

those living with the virus

Tunnel Jet Belt Quarrying the latest technology in use at the Eshet Blue Quarry

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

a) Finalizing the work on the exploration phase of the gold and base metals projects both at Dawa Digati and Werri which shall lead to feasibility study and production stage

b) Developing Eshet Blue and Boka Multicolor marble quarries and strengthen export to increase income of foreign currency

c) Supplying blocks to local factories

d) Replacement of machinery at Awash Processing Plant especially to boost production and quality

e) Improve the life of the working force through profit sharing and availing better facilities together with upgrading their knowledge through training

f) Implement the Soda Ash development project

The priority areas of NMiC in its future plan include among others

Asked finally if he was satisfied with his Companyrsquos achievements Ato Melaku Beza CEO of NMiC replied ldquoNot much we could do betterrdquo

Nmic Products

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

ldquoA journey of a thousand miles starts with a single steprdquo

goes the famous Chinese saying as for Bauer MIDROC it

all started 10 years ago with the foundation work of the

construction of the MIDROC Corporate Office (MCO)

commonly known as Nani Building With a single project

at hand Bauer Specialtifbau a German Company ventured

into the slowly budding private construction industry

in equal partnership with MIDROC Ethiopia Although

a small scale business venture in the eyes of both giant

partners MIDROC Ethiopia and Bauer Specialtifbau it

created vast opportunities to the construction sector

with the introduction of a state-of-the-art German based

foundation technology to the Ethiopian market The

miniature move of the two giants opened up a gateway

of possibilities and marked a new construction era for

Ethiopia Over the years changes in shareholders has

led to the current name ldquoMIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plcrdquo with the state-of-the-art foundation solutions still in

place

Several limitations in dealing with unfavorable soil

conditions frequently encountered within Ethiopiarsquos

diverse geological formations most abundantly the

problematic black cotton soil within the city of Addis

Ababa and other parts of the country brought about

several technical barriers when it came to building

massive civil structures Building highrises as well as

massive bridges was inconceivable unless capable soil was

in close vicinity MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with

the introduction of deep foundations based on advanced

and efficient technologies in the construction industry

no doubt brought about remarkable solutions and helped

ease some of these anxieties

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with its fleets of large

diameter drilling rigs and variety of drilling tools capable of

both soil and hard soil formations has made economical

foundation solutions a reality offering developers the

confidence to build high rise buildings without worrying

about the type of soil in Addis Ababa The expertise of

Dedicated Backing for MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is gradually changing

the cityrsquos skyline with the construction of the completed

MCO Building AICAIB Headquarters and KK Building

both to be completed soon and all standing above 20

stories

Entering the city limits through the skyways one can notice

that the Bole Airport has received an entire facelift with

the construction of the International Passenger Terminal

Airport Control Towers the new Cargo Terminal and the

Maintenance Hanger The only thing these landmarks share

other than ownership is that they owe their existence to

foundation solutions of MIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plc As we enter the city limits also the Bole Viaduct

and all the overpasses on the Addis Ababa Ring Road are

comfortably resting still with the construction of the deep

piles by MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc

Drilling of pile with casing

 Tiret Sept 2008

Parallel to pile construction as verification of the

constructed pile capacities is common practice in the

foundation construction industry MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc equipped with the state-of-the-art

automated pile load testing system has recently conducted

1300 metric tons load test at the Derba MIDROC Cement

Factory Project the first of this magnitude in the African

Continent

The introduction of vertical shoring wall systems that

uses reinforced concrete piles and tie back anchors which

is gaining popularity in recent years is another type of

foundation technology solutions made possible in Ethiopia

through MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos expertise

Prior to these shoring system solutions land owners

could not fully utilize their plots at the boundaries for fear

of catastrophic cave-in In fact in most cases plot owners

avoided under ground construction in order to avoid

litigation with next door land owners The utilization of

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos vertical shoring pile

wall system was proposed and implemented in the cases

of Bole Towers and Loli Building In both cases all sides of

the plot were shored exactly at the boundaries without

any land loss In fact the clients gained underground spaces

in the order of two to three times their plot size for

possible parking purpose This has provided developers

with solutions clearing their lumbers from additional

costs for parking facilities

Pile load testing

In line with the construction boom within Addis Ababa

developers are opting to construct on boundary edges

where heavy structures already exist in adjacent plots

In order to excavate at these boundaries the safest and

most economical foundation solution system is shoring

pile wall system These systems were employed at Awash

Bank and Insurance Building KK Building and Orchid

Building

For realization of structures that have to be constructed

below the natural ground water level and or near offshore

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc has construction

approaches that employ waterproof vertical shoring

systems and several options to choose from within

the framework of technical feasibility of foundation

engineering The construction of Diaphragm Wall

Cellular Cofferdam Sheet Pile Wall and Secant

Pile Wall are such solutions to name a few The cost

of construction and the time required for executing the

works is in the order listed above

Anchored pile shoring wall

Foundation Solution

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the equipment already available in the country

MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc has tabled and

implemented an economical and technically feasible

secant pile wall system solution for bridge projects

within Ethiopia If it was not for MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plcrsquos geotechnical solutions construction under

such conditions would have been technically impossible

throughout East Africa

Unlike other options construction of secant pile wall as

waterproof vertical shoring system is not limited to the

soil condition of the site The construction of such high

tech geotechnical engineering solutions by the Company

have been successfully applied on projects like the Omo

River Bridge and on the New Abay Bridge Projects The

application of the secant pile wall system was used for the

construction of the pier foundation on both sides of the

Bridge on the Omo River Bridge Project and one side pier

foundation construction of the New Abay Bridge Project

During the construction of the Omo River Bridge

foundation and substructure works other logistic

challenges non-related to foundation works was

encountered The West Pier and Abutment on the Omo

River Bridge created such a technical impasse On this

side one of the most difficult challenges was to solve the

problem of crossing equipment and construction material

across the 150 m wide river After carefully considering all

the possible alternatives a decision was made to design and

manufacture a water crossing barge using local expertise

and manufacturing capabilities MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc took part in the design manufacturing and

commissioning of this barge and has successfully crossed

a 503 ton drilling rig and other earth moving equipment

With nearly twenty projects within Ethiopia MIDROC

Foundation Specialists Plc is a pioneer in exporting

foundation technology to neighboring Kenya Tanzania

and the Sudan In-house trained Ethiopian experts have

Crossing of drilling rig on Omo River through Barge

 Tiret Sept 2008

Secant pile wall

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Mr Achim Braun General Manager of MIDROC Foundation (left) inspecting a construction site

left their marks on several key projects within those

countries Among the projects successfully carried out in

Tanzania the Songo Songo Offshore Piling Project was the

most challenging and rewarding of all In this Project sixty

per cent of the piles were constructed from a SEWP (Self

Elevating Working Platform) elevated 13 meters from the

sea bed

As the company commemorates the tenth anniversary of

its establishment it is only proper to mark the outstanding

contributions to the construction industry of Ethiopia The

efficiency of the Company and the technology employed

has resulted in creating a broad awareness of foundation

technological solutions in the country particularly

among developers In terms of the spectrum of available

techniques of foundation the projects undertaken so

far are only a tip of the iceberg Although the Company

was confronted with a number of challenges in changing

attitudes and practices the success achieved so far has

been accomplished with great efforts exerted by the

companyrsquos management and its diligent professionals in

the field

Being the only Class I Foundation Specialist Contractors

in the country MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc is now

determined to leap ahead to new and yet un-introduced

foundation construction technologies such as micro 

piles  high  pressure  injection  diaphragm 

walls  slope  protection  and  soil  nailing  As

the countries infrastructure development continues to

reach higher levels MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is

preparing itself to meet the current customer demands

and technological challenges

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Statistics reveal that the country continues to earn hard currency from export of primary commodities such as coffee which tops the list by fetching some 500 million dollars last financial year

Other commodities are hides and skin flowers pulses fruits vegetables and chat

Incidentally it is interesting to note that Chat has fetched over 60 million dollars in foreign currency last fiscal year

The chewing of chat leaves is common in the horn of Africa but in eastern Ethiopia it is big business for some and big worry for others Chat is a major agricultural crop Yet many say it is addictive and harmful to health

In a town where I grew up for instance it is hard to avoid the impact of the stimulant leaf The first thing that strikes you in the main market is the deafening noise The market square is a scene of total chaos as you make your way through a bustling crowd preoccupied with the business of bartering for a prized commodity- the green leafed plant chat

Awadaye market is a market for chat It is estimated that over 25000 kg pass through it daily The buyers and sellers take their jobs seriously shouting to one other They gesture excitedly as they trade thousands of birr daily for the chat which is bought from the local farmers in Awadaye and sent to other areas in Ethiopia It is also exported overseas It is said to be the backbone of the economy as it can be gathered from the revenue it has generated during the current physical year

If you compare chat farmers with other farmers in other parts of the country you will see that their standard of living is so much better

The employment created though chat cultivation is very high as large numbers of people are involved in growing harvesting sorting packing transporting loading and unloading the commodity The wood of the plant is used for fuel and because of its resistance to termites it is also used to make fences Chat is also believed to have medical value being used locally to treat influenza and asthma

Chat farmers used to grow maize sorghum and teff which is the basic Ethiopian staple food but these crops are difficult to grow as they require lots of rain and attention

while chat requires little water or cultivation That is why it is widely believed that its cultivation is expanding at an amazing rate

Chat has now become Ethiopiarsquos biggest export third only to coffee and hides and skin But despite the cash earning and the tradition of chat growing and use among the people many people do not encourage it

They believe that it is addictive and this has a negative impact on the community They allege that people forget about their work commitments and spend hours chewing chat The number of users of chat is increasing particularly among the youth

In urban areas the use of chat combined with alcohol is having an adverse effect on family life Many students chew chat because they say it increases their concentration when they study their lessons

However in some regions where it is widely cultivated business punctuality is a frequent problem as the time after lunch is usually spent chewing chat Even in some regions where the plant has been banned cultivation and usage continue and attempts to replace chat with cash crops like coffee have failed

Regardless of the merit or demerit of chat the country continues to get the much needed hard currency through export of the plant ldquochatrdquo

However many people including development agents are of the opinion that the demerit far out weighs the merit for energy and time is spent chewing the stuff and particularly its negative impact on health especially on the productive force

Another very lucrative business in Ethiopia is the export of leather and leather goods According to recent data export of leather and leather goods registered a surge from 52 million dollars to over 90 million dollars Incidentally ELICO one of MIDROC Ethiopia group companies dealing with finished leather products fetched last financial year over 10 million dollars

In the light of considerable income accrued from export of primary commodities there is a need to do even more by way of establishing more agro-industries that engage in the production of agricultural products for sale locally and internationally

Earning from Export of Primary CommoditiesBy Yohannes Ruphael

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The Third Private Sector Development National Conference ndash 2008 of Ethiopia took place in Addis Ababa on June 30 2008 ndash at the UNECA Conference Center and the draft strategy document and priority strategic issues for improved business environment were discussed by representatives of the Private Sector Development Hub established with basic objectives of coordinating and developing a series of public sector development intervention projects for implementation with international financial support and undertaking related research studies to support the business community in its public and private partnership dialogue The Conference was addressed by an internationally renowned and distinguished authority on Corporate Governance Prof Mervyn E King SC

The Editorial Team of TIRET has taken advantage of communicating with Professor Mervyn E King SC to share his views briefly with our readers

Professor Mervyn E King SC is currently Professor Extraordinaire at the University of South Africa and serves as the Chairperson of the King Committee on Corporate Governance in South Africa He is a Senior Counsel and former Judge of the Supreme Court of South Africa His other credentials include Member of the World Bank Advisory Group on Corporate Governance President of the Commonwealth Association of Corporate Governance Governor of the International Corporate Governance Network President of the South Africa Chamber of Business Vice President of the Institute of Directors of Southern Africa Representatives of South Africa at the International Chamber of Commerce Advisor of Asian Center of Corporate Governance Director of Global Reporting Initiative-Amsterdam Director of Association of business Administrators of South Africa

At the Millennium National Private Sector Development Conference in Addis Ababa recently I spoke about corporate governance in the development of the private sector

Corporate governance is about the principles and practices which guide directors and senior managers in making their decisions to the best interests of their companies It has to be separated from the enterprise side of the business which is about making business judgment calls It is essential that directors and senior managers adopt acceptable principles and practices in steering and directing the company and making business judgment It is about the quality of this governance rather than a quantitative check on whether there has been compliance by the directors and managers with well-known governance practices such as the establishment of a remuneration committee

In my talk I pointed out that the economic value of a company does not equal its book value In Coca Cola for example its book value is approximately 13 of its economic value and its greatest asset is its brand which is dependent on

 Tiret Sept 2008

the companyrsquos reputation Consequentially directors and senior managers of Coca Cola have a duty to protect the companyrsquos brand

In planning for a company the strategic direction needs to be done both short- and long-term If a strategy is developed in which all persons in the corporation at all levels buy-in one can get ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things Unless this is done not even extraordinary people will achieve ordinary things

The important thing for directors to remember is that they have won and maintained the trust and confidence of the stakeholders of the company Consequently they should report at least annually how the company has both positively and negatively affected a communityrsquos economic life through its operations and how it is going to enhance those positive aspects and eradicate or ameliorate the negative aspects in the year ahead

Good governance involves inter alia the approval by the board of the strategy of the company and sustainability can no longer be ignored in developing a long-term strategy

The Private Sector Development Hub (PSD-Hub) has the objective to contribute to the economic development of Ethiopia by improving the entrepreneurial environment and the governance of corporations Consequently the PSD-Hub has held Conferences over the last two years focusing on these issues and on the question of public private partnerships There has also been discussion about expediting the registration of companies the standardization of accounting and auditing capitalization and the finalization of the revision of the Ethiopian Commercial Code Corporate governance has featured prominently in these discussions

Arising out of all the modernization of the registration of companies in Ethiopia has been recognized as a priority

Accounting and auditing standards which should follow IFRS should have legal backing so that everyone in Ethiopia will know the meaning of the reported financial statements

The development of a securities market including an exchange in which not only equities but bonds and derivatives can be bought and sold with the dematerialisation of scrip and electronic settlement is essential

From the above it will be seen that there is much to be done but Ethiopia is striving through the PSD Hub to create platforms on which it can forge ahead in our flat electronic world where capital flows towards those areas where there is good governance and well-regulated markets The Conference at which I spoke was just another step in Ethiopiarsquos endeavours to achieve these goals Positively the essential aspects for creating an entrepreneurial and thriving business environment have been identified and PSD Hub the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other interested bodies are working in partnership with government to achieve them

 Tiret Sept 2008

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Itrsquos a ridiculous

l a n g u a g e rdquo

sputtered the

Englishman at

the next table

his jowls shaking

in anger ldquoA ridiculous languagerdquo

We were sitting in a tiny tea-and-pie shop in Criccieth a

town in northern Wales and everybody but us was speaking

Welsh Like a remarkable number of his countrymen this

man was convinced it was merely a secret code employed

by the local to talk behind the backs of English visitors

ldquoJust you watchrdquo he said ldquoAs soon as we leave theyrsquoll all

go back to speaking Englishrdquo

I rather doubted it And unlike the Englishman I was

thrilled to encounter one of the oldest languages in

Europe a tongue heard in this misty and mountainous

land since the arrival of Roman legions

Being surrounded by people speaking an unfamiliar and

exotic language is to me one of the best things about

travel Just as some people will journey to the Serengeti

to glimpse the rare and endangered white rhino Irsquoll happily

go far out of my way to hear a rare and endangered

language

In the storybook city of Carcassonne in southwest France

I was less thrilled at seeing the towers and turrets than

I was at meeting a man who could speak Occitan the

ancient and fast-vanishing language of the troubadours

As far as I was concerned the most fascinating thing in

Dangriga a coastal town in Belize was the mellifluous

sound of Garifuna a language spoken by the descendants

of shipwrecked slaves from West Africa I once traveled

to Graubunden in eastern Switzerland in the hope of

hearing Romansch a tongue spoken by fewer than one

percent of the nationrsquos residents and said to resemble

Latin I encountered a few signs in the language but no

one who could speak it

According to one oft-cited estimate at least half the

worldrsquos 6000 languages are likely to die out by the end

of this century which means that one is going silent on

average every two weeks

Itrsquos not merely a matter of using different words to express the same thoughts Languages are literally the expressions of cultures and belief systems entirely different ways of making sense of the world And just as we should be concerned about the shrinking diversity of plant and animal species we should also worry about the shrinking diversity of languages

Welsh though seems to be holding on despite 700 years

of efforts by the English to exterminate it The BBC has for

some years now carried television and radio programming

in the language and in Wales itrsquos possible to receive your

entire education from preschool to postgraduate in

Welsh About 20 percent of Walesrsquo population speaks

Welsh and the number appears to be growing slightly

It is not as the Englishman said a ridiculous language But

it is to my eyes and ears a wonderfully strange one Dave

Barry once wrote that the ancient Hawaiians arrived on

their islands after perilous canoe voyages in seas so rough

their consonants fell overboard My guess is that the

letters drifted the worldrsquos oceans until they washed up on

the shores of Wales

T h e   B e a u t y   o f   a   L a n g u a g e

 Tiret Sept 2008

How else to explain for example the Welsh word for

beer Itrsquos cwrw It looks like my Scrabble tray when I

donrsquot have a word to pay (In case you ever need to order

one itrsquos pronounced ldquokooroordquo)

And then therersquos the vexing pronunciation of the double-

1 you find at the beginning of it seems two-thirds of the

town names in Wales ldquoJust put your teeth together and

hiss like a duckrdquo explained a helpful woman I met at the

Dylan Thomas Museum in Swansea She also pointed out

that Llareggub the fictional town in Thomasrsquo ldquoUnder the

Milkwood Treerdquo is merely ldquobugger allrdquo spelled backward

I like the besotted poet a whole lot more after learning

that

One dark and drizzly night I went to a little schoolhouse in

the Rhondda Valley to listen to a rehearsal of the Treorchy

Menrsquos Choir made up mostly of unemployed coal miners

ldquoIn the old daysrdquo one of them told me ldquowe used to sing

together in the pitsrdquo

When they opened their mouths to sing as one in Welsh

all the snarky little comments about their language become

moot It was simply one of the most hauntingly beautiful

sounds Irsquove even heard

I got a lesson in the politics of minority languages recently

when I visited Montreal the capital of French ndash speaking

Canada I hadnrsquot been there since a childhood visit to

Exporsquo67 and I remember the province as decidedly

bilingual Everything from traffic signs to toothpaste

tubes was printed in French and English No more A

law passed in 1977 banned the use of English in signs

throughout Quebec Itrsquos an attempt to do linguistically

what they failed for two centuries to do militarily prevent

the English from conquering them

Theyrsquore quite serious about this Hudson Bay Co the

venerable department store chain that dates back to the

fur-trading days is now known as Compagnie de la Baie

drsquoHudson at least in these parts Kentucky Fried Chicken

outlets arenrsquot allowed to use ldquoKFCrdquo on their signs In

Quebec theyrsquore called ldquoPFKrdquo for Poulet Frit Kentucky

The Quebecois are more vigilant even than their famously

Anglophobic counterparts in Paris All stop signs here say

Arret even though the ones in France say ldquoStoprdquo

It all seemed a little silly and excessive to me until I began

talking to French-speaking Montrealers about it ldquoYou

have to understand that wersquore surrounded by English

speakersrdquo a schoolteacher told me ldquoWe have to be very

firm about defending our language or it will disappear

And when it goes so does our way of life

Signs aside most French Canadians I met were bilingual

I quickly discovered that if I first made atleast a fumbling

attempt to speak their language almost everybody was

happy to switch to English ndash very possibly to spare

themselves the trauma of hearing my phrase-book

French which sounds like someone grinding the gears

of an old Citroen ldquoWe have nothing against Englishrdquo the

schoolteacher told me ldquoItrsquos just that we want to speak

French hererdquo

Vive la differenceJohn Flinn -Travel Editor

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Scale up of HIV Prevention Treatment Care and Support Requires Renewed Leadership and Resources

The 17th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) took place in Mexico City from August 3 -8 2008 with an assessment of the situation of the global epidemic at a panel of researchers public health and civil society leaders examined recent progress towards the scale up of treatment and prevention programmes and called for sustained action to eliminate the barriers to universal access

ldquoDespite the progress we have made we are not on course to meet universal access targets and in fact appear to be slipping away from our existing commitmentsrdquo said Dr Pedro Cahn International Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and President of the International AIDS Society and Fundacioacuten Hueacutesped in Buenos Aires Argentina ldquoIt appears that we are poised to accept defeat when victory is still within our grasp Our failure to meet those commitments will have an impact on millions of lives This cannot be allowed to happen It is time for nations to live up to their commitmentsrdquo

ldquoWith only two years to go until the 2010 deadline for universal access set by world leaders we must redouble our commitment to scaling up all proven HIV prevention strategiesrdquo said Dr Luiacutes Soto Ramiacuterez Local Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and Head of the Molecular Virology Unit at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Meacutedicas y Nutricioacuten Salvador Zubiriaacuten and Coordinator of the Clinical Care Committee of CONASIDA Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council ldquoThe fact that last year 27 million people were newly infected with HIV a disease that is entirely preventable is unacceptablerdquo

Dr Jaime Sepulveda (Mexico) founder of Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council who is now with the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation noted that attention to and resources for AIDS are at all-time high including substantially increased funding for the Global Fund and the US Presidentrsquos Emergency Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief According to Sepulveda reaching the goal of 3 million people in low and middle-income countries on treatment at the end of 2007 was a critical step forward but the world has only scratched the surface of possibilities in responding to the epidemic Greater resources more effectively spent and targeted where they can have the greatest effect would have a dramatic impact on the course of the epidemicrsquos Highlighting the fact that more people become infected

with HIV last year than began treatment Sepulveda called for radically increased investments in prevention research evaluation and delivery of services as well as accelerated research on promising prevention methods including a vaccine In conclusion he reiterated that political leadership from all countries and accountability at all levels are essential for stopping the epidemic

Citing the results in both treatment and prevention scale up in countries with sustained leadership such as Rwanda and Tanzania Alex Coutinho (Uganda) of the Infectious Disease Institute of Makerere University made a passionate call for greater leadership as a path toward meeting the challenges ahead In looking at progress to date Coutinho highlighted increased access to HIV testing and counseling to prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and to pediatric care and treatment as well as the effectiveness of male circumcision as a prevention intervention In contrast he noted that most countries will not achieve universal access by 2010 and that the majority of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are still unaware of their HIV status In his call to action Coutinho urged greater investment in prevention and financial resources flexible enough to support health systems and systems that reach into rural and other hard-to-reach areas and fully embrace PLHIV as partners He also urged outreach to and support of marginalized and at-risk communities as well as the greater involvement of PLHIV as a catalyst for change

Elisabet Fadul (Dominican Republic) of the Dominican Network for Youth RightsGlobal Youth Partners outlined a broad and urgent youth HIVAIDS agenda calling for comprehensive rights ndash and evidence-based plans to provide access for young people Highlighting the 40 of new infections worldwide among young people between the ages of 15-24 Fadul noted that HIV prevention and treatment programmes are failing to effectively reach young people with the most vulnerable and marginalized being stigmatized criminalized or forgotten by many of these programmes

To reverse this course she called for actions and policies that engage youth especially young people living with HIVAIDS as respected partners in developing and implementing programmes that forthrightly address their

needs and diversity

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The seminar for second level management personnel held on June 12 2008 on ICT Security and Privacy was attended by 31 participants from MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group Companies and the Head Office in the MIDROC Ethiopia Auditorium The seminar which was part of MIDROC Ethiopiarsquos attempt to keep abreast with ICT Development was opened by Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu who stressed in his brief remarks the need for concern to the protection of data and information and regulating the use of ICT

Also speaking on the occasion was Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting and Chairman of Training Committee who said that training helps to discover various means for success People he noted learn at work place and from challenges He stressed that the technology age called for adaptation of new thoughts and practices while requiring readiness to do ldquoWhat we can with what we haverdquo

The seminar which discussed various issues related to ICT was closed by Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu

 Seminar on ICT Security and Privacy

A view of participants of the seminar

things or difficulties onlyrdquo Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting of MIDROC Ethiopia and Chairman of Training Committee in his opening remark stated that positive thinking was a new scientific subject where investors CEOs and others in various capacities were inspired and motivated to create awareness to their colleagues and to remove all thoughts

of dark shadows from their minds He noted that positive thinking among CEOrsquos and subordinates was required and stressed that self-confidence was one of the prime factors for success in life and hence needed to be maintainedAto Robel Kidane covered a variety of interesting issues related to positive thinking in his presentation after which participants discussed on several importnat issues

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Teklu Haile opening the Seminar

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The seminar on ldquoCorporate Social Responsibilityrdquo

for second level management tier took place on March 27

2008 at the MIDROC Ethiopia Auditorium and attended

by 27 participants from 12 group companies

In accordance with the call to plant ldquoThree Trees in the Third Millenniumrdquo volunteers from MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group and Head Office on August 2007 replanted trees on the Entoto Mountain situated north of the capital city Addis Ababa It is to be recalled that members of MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group under the motto ldquo Two Trees in 2000 Ethiopian Millenniumrdquo have participated in planting trees at the same location last year

Organized again by the MIDROC Ethiopia Public Relations the call for replanting was enthusiastically received by volunteers who went back to the area to replace those trees planted by employees of the Investment Group last year and did not take root and withered

Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting supported and encouraged volunteers of MIDROC Ethiopia and reminded them of the saying - ldquoten thousand dedicated soldiers are better than one million dubious soldiersrdquo and appreciated all the volunteers for actively participating in the tree replanting activity

Seminar on Corporate Social Responsibility

Participants at the seminar Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu delivering his presentation

Volunteers going up the mountain for replanting

Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting Department of MIDROC Ethiopia and Chairman of Training Committee in his opening remarks stressed the importance of participation in community affairs by all Group Companies and cited Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi as a shinning example in playing an active

role in social activities He called on all to strive hard to change the negative image of the country and build a better Ethiopia free from poverty hunger and disease Various papers were presented ensuing fruitful discussions on the above issues

MIDROC Ethiopia Volunteers Participate in Replanting Trees

 Tiret Sept 2008

Equatorial Business Group General Manager Ato Tadelle

Teferra Deputy General Manager Ato Mekuria Ayele and

Automotive Business Senior Director Ato Daniel Seyoum

participated a weeklong Dealerrsquos Conference that was

staged in Cape Town South Africa in February this year

According to Ato Daniel Seyoum around 75 business

leaders from Europe the Middle East Asia and Africa

participated at the Conference Issues discussed included

regional international business concerns VOLVOrsquos strategy

development VOLVO CE business update introduction to

new VOLVO road machinery and other related business

matters Dealersrsquo Conference is an annual event to bring

together leaders in the VOLVO Construction Equipment

business from nearly all over the world for a pull effect

particularly to companies like EBG to provide further

opportunity in the Automotive Industry

EBG is an exclusive dealer in Ethiopia for VOLVO brand

products

Company Observes its 15th Anniversary

A group picture of Dealers Conference participants

EBGrsquos Managers Attended Dealers Conference

Equatorial Business Group (EBG) colorfully observed its 15th Anniversary on April 30 2008 Ato Tadelle Teferra

General Manager of the Company addressing the management and employees expressed gratitude and appreciation

to the Owners of the Company and to the Employees who worked hard since its establishment and urged all company

staff to work with an even more commitment and dedication

Ato Tadelle on the occasion disclosed the implementation of the reform packages that started recently and expressed

hope that the reform packages would bring EBG to a better competitive and profitable position The reform introduces

MIS QMS and companyrsquos new restructuring and other associated jobs

Three employees who served EBG for 15 years were honored with Special Certificates and several employees from

the various businesses and support services of the company were awarded for Best Performances during the year

200607

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Tadesse Haile State Minister of the Ministry of Trade and Industry visited Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc and held discussions with senior members on issues pertaining to the activities of the factory Ato Ahmed Hassen General Manager of the Factory explained to the State Minister that the factory would make all efforts to produce quality products in large quantity so as to reduce import from abroad He however expressed his wish that the government reduces tax on raw materials which are essential for the production of soap and detergent

Ato Tadesse disclosed during the discussion that extensive studies that include soap industries in the country are underway with the aim to strengthen the chemical industry in which the concern would be addressed in the near future He further said that there is a plan to connect the various regions of the country to the port by

EBG was announced First Order Winner for Best Stand in the 12th International Millennium Trade Fair organized by the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations held at the Exhibition Center in February 2008

EBGrsquos stand was visited by large number of visitors including the honorable World Laureate Metre Artist Afework Tekle who not only showed interest in the products and services of EBG but also expressed his appreciation to the Company in his comments while signing in the Special Guest Book

EBG Awarded for Best Stand

Star Soap and Detergent Factory Visited

The Most Honorable Maritre World Laureate Artist

Afework Tekle signing in the Visitors Book at the Trade Fair

Ato Tadesse Haile visiting the Production Unit with Ato Ahmed Hassen General Manager and Ato Seid Ahmed Plant Manager of the Factory

rail within the coming five years for the speedy delivery of export and import of goods which will have a great impact on sales

Ato Tadesse Haile finally appreciated the activities of the factory and said that Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc is capable of being a model in the sector and wished the lsquoBest of Luckrsquo for the management and the staff and affirmed that his Ministry would always support on all their endeavors

Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc is a member of the MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group established at an investment capital of Birr 80 million The factory is one of the biggest in the sector and equipped with the latest machinery and manufactures best quality laundry and toilet soaps liquid and synthetic detergents powder and bar soaps

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the most dedicated health care professionals and support staff SalaM Employees Clinic the Clinic that provides health care services to employees of MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group Companies and affiliates in its efforts to upgrade and improve its services has added to its modern list of medical equipment a Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor an advanced medical equipment Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor is one of the new advanced machineries that the clinic acquired recently which is used for the diagnosis of refraction errors of the eye

The Clinic provides medical and surgical services with sub-specialists in gynecological ophthalmological dermatological and ENT employing advanced diagnostic equipment such as radiography endoscopy and colonoscopy supported by video camera ultrasound and ECG Machines It has a well stocked pharmacy with essential medicines and also provides laboratory diagnostic services

The Clinic recently has moved from its previous location to a large and ideal villa with more rooms and a convenient location near the Genet Hotel and is open 24 hours

SalaM Employees Clinic was established by Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi in 1996 for employees of the Investment Group with an investment capital of over Birr 4 million under the SalaM Health Care Plc He later on increased the investment a lot more

Apart from providing services to the employees of the MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group SalaM Employees Clinic is rendering efficient services to the public as well

Dr Amare Abebe Medical Director of the clinic conducting an examination using endoscopy machine

Employees Clinic Secures Equipment

The Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor which the clinic acquired recently

The front view of the Clinic

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Three delegates from Ethiopia Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu MIDROC Ethiopia Training Director Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch Ato Asfaw Alemu Credit Manager of Dashen Bank attended the International Society of Business Economics and Ethics World Congress under the theme ldquoGlobal Fairness Local Integrityrdquo held in Cape Town from July 13 ndash 20 2008 and organized by BEN-Africa

The ISBEE World Congress is held every four years and is affectionately referred to as the Olympics of Business Ethics It always succeeds in attracting the best minds in the field of ethics of business and economics This yearrsquos Congress was attended by over 400 participants from all corners of the world Top notch world speakers among others Prof Mervyn E King SC Prof Deon Rossow Prof Joka Iwao Prof Georges Enderle Prof Paul Collies and Prof Tom Donaldson attended the Congress and over 80 papers were presented in three plenary sessions on topical international business issues

Ethiopian Delegation Participates at World ISBEE World Congress

Participants of ISBEE Congress Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu (left) Ato Lulseged Teferi (middle) Ato Asfaw Alemu

A Special Certificate of Recognition was awarded to Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu of MIDROC Ethiopia Prof Deon Rossow ndash former President of BEN-Africa and Ms Korien Sander the outgoing Executive Secretary of BEN-Africa

Emeritus Prof Johannes in his brief statement after receiving the certificate said that he accepted the certificate on behalf of those institutions and individuals in Ethiopia who have been behind the BEN-Africa Conference held in Ethiopia

It is to be recalled that MIDROC Ethiopia Corporate Office Dashen Bank the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch and Ato Teklu Haile Manager of Treasury Finance and Accounting of MIDROC Ethiopia played a great role for the successful completion of the ldquo7th Annual BEN-Africa Conferencerdquo held in Addis Ababa in August 2007

 Tiret Sept 2008

MIDROC Ethiopia is involved in the development of

mining and exploration of gold building of heavy mining

industries in central and eastern parts of the country

like cement plants filler plants etc Coal exploration is

also a potential area that is being explored by different

companies including MIDROC Ethiopia for use in the

cement plant power generation and fertilizer Soda ash

being used as a major input in glass soap detergent and

other industrial input is also one area of mining A lot of

investors are involved in gemstones

In an effort to exploit these resources and put them

to good use for the development of Ethiopia one of

MIDROC Ethiopia Group Companies the National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) has since its establishment in

March 1993 been actively engaged in the exploration of

gold and base metals in the various parts of the country

ldquoIt is worth noting that the mineral wealth of Ethiopia is

not fully tapped yet and needs to be given due attention

as it can be the backbone of the economy together with

agriculturerdquo says Ato Melaku Beza CEO of National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) He assertively told TIRET in

an interview at his office regarding the activities and

contributions of NMiC to the mining industry and that

his Company is working hard for a better achievement as

it has commemorated its 15th anniversary recently

He said that NMiC is currently engaged in the exploration

of gold base metals at Dawa Digati and Werri areas in the

Oromia and Tigray Administrative Regions and base metals

in Dire Dawa and Benshangul Gumuz Administrative

Regions It is also engaged in mining of marble and

limestone processing of quarried blocks and on the way

to develop the Abiyata Soda Ash in Southern Ethiopia

The Company in its venture in the development of Soda

Ash has embarked upon a joint investment agreement

with the Public Enterprise Supervising Agency (PPESA)

for a 54 percent share in which PPESArsquos 46 percent share

dilutes while NMICrsquos share shall increase in the process of

implementing tasks set in two phases

Mining Corporation on the Move

Ato Melaku Beza CEO NMiC

Dawa Digati Gold exploration drilling

The potential of the mining industry for the development of the Ethiopian economy is immense as witnessed by the ongoing development activities in the country This includes exploration of petroleum in the Ogaden Gambela and other areas by different companies exploration of gold in different parts of the country and potash exploration in Dallol where there is an estimated of 160 millions of tons of proven reserves

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Melaku stated that NMIC has invested Birr

160817912 (one hundred sixty million eight hundred

seventeen thousand nine hundred twelve) for exploration

and mining activities adding that the size of investment for

soda ash will be in the order of Birr 1150000000 (one

billion one hundred fifty million)

The first phase will cost Birr 640000000 (six hundred

forty million) and the second phase will be Birr 500000000

(five hundred million)

National Mining Corporation Plc is a pioneer in opening

and developing quarrying of marble and limestone using

the latest technology in the field Currently the Companyrsquos

Boka Marble Quarry has six benches and more than

twelve faces that are being worked out at Boka quarry

in the Benshangul Administrative Region In the process

it provides training to quarry workers of other quarry

owners thereby contributing to the development of the

mining culture

The General Manager explained about the processing and

marketing of his Companyrsquos products and said that his

Company applies modern technologies and deploys the

latest equipment in mining that meet export standards

engaging in open pit mining and tunneling for underground

mining which is unique not only in Ethiopia but also in

Africa He further articulated that the Company mines one

of the best quality marble in the industry as evidenced in

Boka multicolor marble once nominated as ldquoThe Stone

of the Yearrdquo by the Marble Institute of America (MIA)

while the blue marble has entered the world market by

a new name ldquoSummer Skyrdquo and is currently being sold

in Italy Samples of both have been tested and analyzed in

American Testing Companies and European Universities

and have proved to be of high quality and suitable both

for internal and external use in the construction industry

These two marbles are unique and are found only in

Ethiopia Also the limestone is of unique colors yellow

white and red which have high demand in the market

The CEO said that the special quality of his Companyrsquos

product that attracts international market is the

uniqueness of the material its beauty (aesthetics) and its

non-absorbent and compact nature

The company has the capacity to supply the export market

with the required quality and size of blocks and slabs both

white and blue marble Export markets include Taiwan

China Italy France USA Africa and the Middle East

In order to improve quality additional modern

state-of-the-art quarry machinery has been injected in the

quarry Plan is underway to replace the old machinery at

the processing plant The Company is also producing its

own ldquoabrasiverdquo used for polishing marble using locally

available minerals and materials

Awash Processing Plant

Blocks at Block Yard

Slabs at Slab Yard in the Awash Processing Plant

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

NMiC holds 40 of the local market share in the construction industry Lots of buildings have been cladded by NMiCrsquos products The Sheraton Addis Bole International Airport Terminal Sunshine Multipurpose Building National Bank of Ethiopia Federal Police Headquarters AUrsquos Building Head Office and the Secretary Generalrsquos Residence Ethiopian Insurance Corporation Worbek Building the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Patriarchrsquos Palace and UNCA Building are some the major buildings in Addis Ababa which are finished with NMiCrsquos products

National Mining Corporation Plc is one of the competent companies in Ethiopia and has contributed to the economy of the country by way of generating hard currency from its exports and saving foreign currency by competing and blocking imports of dimension stones from abroad One word it has added to the Ethiopian economy an amount of over Birr 5000000000 (fifty million) in tax royalties and land rent

NMiC has made valuable studies on the mineral potential areas of the country in dimension stones oil and gas mineral water coal and industrial minerals It has also made sound participation in the employment and training of manpower to the mining sector and has encouraged foreign investors to be involved in exploration of oil and gas and other minerals NMiC provides free training in its quarries and processing plant to new local enterprises coming to the sector The company provides potable water electricity medical services and other financial assistance to the community of its mining areas and has set up HIVAIDS policy for the Company to curb the spread of the pandemic and provides care and support for

those living with the virus

Tunnel Jet Belt Quarrying the latest technology in use at the Eshet Blue Quarry

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

a) Finalizing the work on the exploration phase of the gold and base metals projects both at Dawa Digati and Werri which shall lead to feasibility study and production stage

b) Developing Eshet Blue and Boka Multicolor marble quarries and strengthen export to increase income of foreign currency

c) Supplying blocks to local factories

d) Replacement of machinery at Awash Processing Plant especially to boost production and quality

e) Improve the life of the working force through profit sharing and availing better facilities together with upgrading their knowledge through training

f) Implement the Soda Ash development project

The priority areas of NMiC in its future plan include among others

Asked finally if he was satisfied with his Companyrsquos achievements Ato Melaku Beza CEO of NMiC replied ldquoNot much we could do betterrdquo

Nmic Products

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

ldquoA journey of a thousand miles starts with a single steprdquo

goes the famous Chinese saying as for Bauer MIDROC it

all started 10 years ago with the foundation work of the

construction of the MIDROC Corporate Office (MCO)

commonly known as Nani Building With a single project

at hand Bauer Specialtifbau a German Company ventured

into the slowly budding private construction industry

in equal partnership with MIDROC Ethiopia Although

a small scale business venture in the eyes of both giant

partners MIDROC Ethiopia and Bauer Specialtifbau it

created vast opportunities to the construction sector

with the introduction of a state-of-the-art German based

foundation technology to the Ethiopian market The

miniature move of the two giants opened up a gateway

of possibilities and marked a new construction era for

Ethiopia Over the years changes in shareholders has

led to the current name ldquoMIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plcrdquo with the state-of-the-art foundation solutions still in

place

Several limitations in dealing with unfavorable soil

conditions frequently encountered within Ethiopiarsquos

diverse geological formations most abundantly the

problematic black cotton soil within the city of Addis

Ababa and other parts of the country brought about

several technical barriers when it came to building

massive civil structures Building highrises as well as

massive bridges was inconceivable unless capable soil was

in close vicinity MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with

the introduction of deep foundations based on advanced

and efficient technologies in the construction industry

no doubt brought about remarkable solutions and helped

ease some of these anxieties

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with its fleets of large

diameter drilling rigs and variety of drilling tools capable of

both soil and hard soil formations has made economical

foundation solutions a reality offering developers the

confidence to build high rise buildings without worrying

about the type of soil in Addis Ababa The expertise of

Dedicated Backing for MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is gradually changing

the cityrsquos skyline with the construction of the completed

MCO Building AICAIB Headquarters and KK Building

both to be completed soon and all standing above 20

stories

Entering the city limits through the skyways one can notice

that the Bole Airport has received an entire facelift with

the construction of the International Passenger Terminal

Airport Control Towers the new Cargo Terminal and the

Maintenance Hanger The only thing these landmarks share

other than ownership is that they owe their existence to

foundation solutions of MIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plc As we enter the city limits also the Bole Viaduct

and all the overpasses on the Addis Ababa Ring Road are

comfortably resting still with the construction of the deep

piles by MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc

Drilling of pile with casing

 Tiret Sept 2008

Parallel to pile construction as verification of the

constructed pile capacities is common practice in the

foundation construction industry MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc equipped with the state-of-the-art

automated pile load testing system has recently conducted

1300 metric tons load test at the Derba MIDROC Cement

Factory Project the first of this magnitude in the African

Continent

The introduction of vertical shoring wall systems that

uses reinforced concrete piles and tie back anchors which

is gaining popularity in recent years is another type of

foundation technology solutions made possible in Ethiopia

through MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos expertise

Prior to these shoring system solutions land owners

could not fully utilize their plots at the boundaries for fear

of catastrophic cave-in In fact in most cases plot owners

avoided under ground construction in order to avoid

litigation with next door land owners The utilization of

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos vertical shoring pile

wall system was proposed and implemented in the cases

of Bole Towers and Loli Building In both cases all sides of

the plot were shored exactly at the boundaries without

any land loss In fact the clients gained underground spaces

in the order of two to three times their plot size for

possible parking purpose This has provided developers

with solutions clearing their lumbers from additional

costs for parking facilities

Pile load testing

In line with the construction boom within Addis Ababa

developers are opting to construct on boundary edges

where heavy structures already exist in adjacent plots

In order to excavate at these boundaries the safest and

most economical foundation solution system is shoring

pile wall system These systems were employed at Awash

Bank and Insurance Building KK Building and Orchid

Building

For realization of structures that have to be constructed

below the natural ground water level and or near offshore

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc has construction

approaches that employ waterproof vertical shoring

systems and several options to choose from within

the framework of technical feasibility of foundation

engineering The construction of Diaphragm Wall

Cellular Cofferdam Sheet Pile Wall and Secant

Pile Wall are such solutions to name a few The cost

of construction and the time required for executing the

works is in the order listed above

Anchored pile shoring wall

Foundation Solution

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the equipment already available in the country

MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc has tabled and

implemented an economical and technically feasible

secant pile wall system solution for bridge projects

within Ethiopia If it was not for MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plcrsquos geotechnical solutions construction under

such conditions would have been technically impossible

throughout East Africa

Unlike other options construction of secant pile wall as

waterproof vertical shoring system is not limited to the

soil condition of the site The construction of such high

tech geotechnical engineering solutions by the Company

have been successfully applied on projects like the Omo

River Bridge and on the New Abay Bridge Projects The

application of the secant pile wall system was used for the

construction of the pier foundation on both sides of the

Bridge on the Omo River Bridge Project and one side pier

foundation construction of the New Abay Bridge Project

During the construction of the Omo River Bridge

foundation and substructure works other logistic

challenges non-related to foundation works was

encountered The West Pier and Abutment on the Omo

River Bridge created such a technical impasse On this

side one of the most difficult challenges was to solve the

problem of crossing equipment and construction material

across the 150 m wide river After carefully considering all

the possible alternatives a decision was made to design and

manufacture a water crossing barge using local expertise

and manufacturing capabilities MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc took part in the design manufacturing and

commissioning of this barge and has successfully crossed

a 503 ton drilling rig and other earth moving equipment

With nearly twenty projects within Ethiopia MIDROC

Foundation Specialists Plc is a pioneer in exporting

foundation technology to neighboring Kenya Tanzania

and the Sudan In-house trained Ethiopian experts have

Crossing of drilling rig on Omo River through Barge

 Tiret Sept 2008

Secant pile wall

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Mr Achim Braun General Manager of MIDROC Foundation (left) inspecting a construction site

left their marks on several key projects within those

countries Among the projects successfully carried out in

Tanzania the Songo Songo Offshore Piling Project was the

most challenging and rewarding of all In this Project sixty

per cent of the piles were constructed from a SEWP (Self

Elevating Working Platform) elevated 13 meters from the

sea bed

As the company commemorates the tenth anniversary of

its establishment it is only proper to mark the outstanding

contributions to the construction industry of Ethiopia The

efficiency of the Company and the technology employed

has resulted in creating a broad awareness of foundation

technological solutions in the country particularly

among developers In terms of the spectrum of available

techniques of foundation the projects undertaken so

far are only a tip of the iceberg Although the Company

was confronted with a number of challenges in changing

attitudes and practices the success achieved so far has

been accomplished with great efforts exerted by the

companyrsquos management and its diligent professionals in

the field

Being the only Class I Foundation Specialist Contractors

in the country MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc is now

determined to leap ahead to new and yet un-introduced

foundation construction technologies such as micro 

piles  high  pressure  injection  diaphragm 

walls  slope  protection  and  soil  nailing  As

the countries infrastructure development continues to

reach higher levels MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is

preparing itself to meet the current customer demands

and technological challenges

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Statistics reveal that the country continues to earn hard currency from export of primary commodities such as coffee which tops the list by fetching some 500 million dollars last financial year

Other commodities are hides and skin flowers pulses fruits vegetables and chat

Incidentally it is interesting to note that Chat has fetched over 60 million dollars in foreign currency last fiscal year

The chewing of chat leaves is common in the horn of Africa but in eastern Ethiopia it is big business for some and big worry for others Chat is a major agricultural crop Yet many say it is addictive and harmful to health

In a town where I grew up for instance it is hard to avoid the impact of the stimulant leaf The first thing that strikes you in the main market is the deafening noise The market square is a scene of total chaos as you make your way through a bustling crowd preoccupied with the business of bartering for a prized commodity- the green leafed plant chat

Awadaye market is a market for chat It is estimated that over 25000 kg pass through it daily The buyers and sellers take their jobs seriously shouting to one other They gesture excitedly as they trade thousands of birr daily for the chat which is bought from the local farmers in Awadaye and sent to other areas in Ethiopia It is also exported overseas It is said to be the backbone of the economy as it can be gathered from the revenue it has generated during the current physical year

If you compare chat farmers with other farmers in other parts of the country you will see that their standard of living is so much better

The employment created though chat cultivation is very high as large numbers of people are involved in growing harvesting sorting packing transporting loading and unloading the commodity The wood of the plant is used for fuel and because of its resistance to termites it is also used to make fences Chat is also believed to have medical value being used locally to treat influenza and asthma

Chat farmers used to grow maize sorghum and teff which is the basic Ethiopian staple food but these crops are difficult to grow as they require lots of rain and attention

while chat requires little water or cultivation That is why it is widely believed that its cultivation is expanding at an amazing rate

Chat has now become Ethiopiarsquos biggest export third only to coffee and hides and skin But despite the cash earning and the tradition of chat growing and use among the people many people do not encourage it

They believe that it is addictive and this has a negative impact on the community They allege that people forget about their work commitments and spend hours chewing chat The number of users of chat is increasing particularly among the youth

In urban areas the use of chat combined with alcohol is having an adverse effect on family life Many students chew chat because they say it increases their concentration when they study their lessons

However in some regions where it is widely cultivated business punctuality is a frequent problem as the time after lunch is usually spent chewing chat Even in some regions where the plant has been banned cultivation and usage continue and attempts to replace chat with cash crops like coffee have failed

Regardless of the merit or demerit of chat the country continues to get the much needed hard currency through export of the plant ldquochatrdquo

However many people including development agents are of the opinion that the demerit far out weighs the merit for energy and time is spent chewing the stuff and particularly its negative impact on health especially on the productive force

Another very lucrative business in Ethiopia is the export of leather and leather goods According to recent data export of leather and leather goods registered a surge from 52 million dollars to over 90 million dollars Incidentally ELICO one of MIDROC Ethiopia group companies dealing with finished leather products fetched last financial year over 10 million dollars

In the light of considerable income accrued from export of primary commodities there is a need to do even more by way of establishing more agro-industries that engage in the production of agricultural products for sale locally and internationally

Earning from Export of Primary CommoditiesBy Yohannes Ruphael

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The Third Private Sector Development National Conference ndash 2008 of Ethiopia took place in Addis Ababa on June 30 2008 ndash at the UNECA Conference Center and the draft strategy document and priority strategic issues for improved business environment were discussed by representatives of the Private Sector Development Hub established with basic objectives of coordinating and developing a series of public sector development intervention projects for implementation with international financial support and undertaking related research studies to support the business community in its public and private partnership dialogue The Conference was addressed by an internationally renowned and distinguished authority on Corporate Governance Prof Mervyn E King SC

The Editorial Team of TIRET has taken advantage of communicating with Professor Mervyn E King SC to share his views briefly with our readers

Professor Mervyn E King SC is currently Professor Extraordinaire at the University of South Africa and serves as the Chairperson of the King Committee on Corporate Governance in South Africa He is a Senior Counsel and former Judge of the Supreme Court of South Africa His other credentials include Member of the World Bank Advisory Group on Corporate Governance President of the Commonwealth Association of Corporate Governance Governor of the International Corporate Governance Network President of the South Africa Chamber of Business Vice President of the Institute of Directors of Southern Africa Representatives of South Africa at the International Chamber of Commerce Advisor of Asian Center of Corporate Governance Director of Global Reporting Initiative-Amsterdam Director of Association of business Administrators of South Africa

At the Millennium National Private Sector Development Conference in Addis Ababa recently I spoke about corporate governance in the development of the private sector

Corporate governance is about the principles and practices which guide directors and senior managers in making their decisions to the best interests of their companies It has to be separated from the enterprise side of the business which is about making business judgment calls It is essential that directors and senior managers adopt acceptable principles and practices in steering and directing the company and making business judgment It is about the quality of this governance rather than a quantitative check on whether there has been compliance by the directors and managers with well-known governance practices such as the establishment of a remuneration committee

In my talk I pointed out that the economic value of a company does not equal its book value In Coca Cola for example its book value is approximately 13 of its economic value and its greatest asset is its brand which is dependent on

 Tiret Sept 2008

the companyrsquos reputation Consequentially directors and senior managers of Coca Cola have a duty to protect the companyrsquos brand

In planning for a company the strategic direction needs to be done both short- and long-term If a strategy is developed in which all persons in the corporation at all levels buy-in one can get ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things Unless this is done not even extraordinary people will achieve ordinary things

The important thing for directors to remember is that they have won and maintained the trust and confidence of the stakeholders of the company Consequently they should report at least annually how the company has both positively and negatively affected a communityrsquos economic life through its operations and how it is going to enhance those positive aspects and eradicate or ameliorate the negative aspects in the year ahead

Good governance involves inter alia the approval by the board of the strategy of the company and sustainability can no longer be ignored in developing a long-term strategy

The Private Sector Development Hub (PSD-Hub) has the objective to contribute to the economic development of Ethiopia by improving the entrepreneurial environment and the governance of corporations Consequently the PSD-Hub has held Conferences over the last two years focusing on these issues and on the question of public private partnerships There has also been discussion about expediting the registration of companies the standardization of accounting and auditing capitalization and the finalization of the revision of the Ethiopian Commercial Code Corporate governance has featured prominently in these discussions

Arising out of all the modernization of the registration of companies in Ethiopia has been recognized as a priority

Accounting and auditing standards which should follow IFRS should have legal backing so that everyone in Ethiopia will know the meaning of the reported financial statements

The development of a securities market including an exchange in which not only equities but bonds and derivatives can be bought and sold with the dematerialisation of scrip and electronic settlement is essential

From the above it will be seen that there is much to be done but Ethiopia is striving through the PSD Hub to create platforms on which it can forge ahead in our flat electronic world where capital flows towards those areas where there is good governance and well-regulated markets The Conference at which I spoke was just another step in Ethiopiarsquos endeavours to achieve these goals Positively the essential aspects for creating an entrepreneurial and thriving business environment have been identified and PSD Hub the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other interested bodies are working in partnership with government to achieve them

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Itrsquos a ridiculous

l a n g u a g e rdquo

sputtered the

Englishman at

the next table

his jowls shaking

in anger ldquoA ridiculous languagerdquo

We were sitting in a tiny tea-and-pie shop in Criccieth a

town in northern Wales and everybody but us was speaking

Welsh Like a remarkable number of his countrymen this

man was convinced it was merely a secret code employed

by the local to talk behind the backs of English visitors

ldquoJust you watchrdquo he said ldquoAs soon as we leave theyrsquoll all

go back to speaking Englishrdquo

I rather doubted it And unlike the Englishman I was

thrilled to encounter one of the oldest languages in

Europe a tongue heard in this misty and mountainous

land since the arrival of Roman legions

Being surrounded by people speaking an unfamiliar and

exotic language is to me one of the best things about

travel Just as some people will journey to the Serengeti

to glimpse the rare and endangered white rhino Irsquoll happily

go far out of my way to hear a rare and endangered

language

In the storybook city of Carcassonne in southwest France

I was less thrilled at seeing the towers and turrets than

I was at meeting a man who could speak Occitan the

ancient and fast-vanishing language of the troubadours

As far as I was concerned the most fascinating thing in

Dangriga a coastal town in Belize was the mellifluous

sound of Garifuna a language spoken by the descendants

of shipwrecked slaves from West Africa I once traveled

to Graubunden in eastern Switzerland in the hope of

hearing Romansch a tongue spoken by fewer than one

percent of the nationrsquos residents and said to resemble

Latin I encountered a few signs in the language but no

one who could speak it

According to one oft-cited estimate at least half the

worldrsquos 6000 languages are likely to die out by the end

of this century which means that one is going silent on

average every two weeks

Itrsquos not merely a matter of using different words to express the same thoughts Languages are literally the expressions of cultures and belief systems entirely different ways of making sense of the world And just as we should be concerned about the shrinking diversity of plant and animal species we should also worry about the shrinking diversity of languages

Welsh though seems to be holding on despite 700 years

of efforts by the English to exterminate it The BBC has for

some years now carried television and radio programming

in the language and in Wales itrsquos possible to receive your

entire education from preschool to postgraduate in

Welsh About 20 percent of Walesrsquo population speaks

Welsh and the number appears to be growing slightly

It is not as the Englishman said a ridiculous language But

it is to my eyes and ears a wonderfully strange one Dave

Barry once wrote that the ancient Hawaiians arrived on

their islands after perilous canoe voyages in seas so rough

their consonants fell overboard My guess is that the

letters drifted the worldrsquos oceans until they washed up on

the shores of Wales

T h e   B e a u t y   o f   a   L a n g u a g e

 Tiret Sept 2008

How else to explain for example the Welsh word for

beer Itrsquos cwrw It looks like my Scrabble tray when I

donrsquot have a word to pay (In case you ever need to order

one itrsquos pronounced ldquokooroordquo)

And then therersquos the vexing pronunciation of the double-

1 you find at the beginning of it seems two-thirds of the

town names in Wales ldquoJust put your teeth together and

hiss like a duckrdquo explained a helpful woman I met at the

Dylan Thomas Museum in Swansea She also pointed out

that Llareggub the fictional town in Thomasrsquo ldquoUnder the

Milkwood Treerdquo is merely ldquobugger allrdquo spelled backward

I like the besotted poet a whole lot more after learning

that

One dark and drizzly night I went to a little schoolhouse in

the Rhondda Valley to listen to a rehearsal of the Treorchy

Menrsquos Choir made up mostly of unemployed coal miners

ldquoIn the old daysrdquo one of them told me ldquowe used to sing

together in the pitsrdquo

When they opened their mouths to sing as one in Welsh

all the snarky little comments about their language become

moot It was simply one of the most hauntingly beautiful

sounds Irsquove even heard

I got a lesson in the politics of minority languages recently

when I visited Montreal the capital of French ndash speaking

Canada I hadnrsquot been there since a childhood visit to

Exporsquo67 and I remember the province as decidedly

bilingual Everything from traffic signs to toothpaste

tubes was printed in French and English No more A

law passed in 1977 banned the use of English in signs

throughout Quebec Itrsquos an attempt to do linguistically

what they failed for two centuries to do militarily prevent

the English from conquering them

Theyrsquore quite serious about this Hudson Bay Co the

venerable department store chain that dates back to the

fur-trading days is now known as Compagnie de la Baie

drsquoHudson at least in these parts Kentucky Fried Chicken

outlets arenrsquot allowed to use ldquoKFCrdquo on their signs In

Quebec theyrsquore called ldquoPFKrdquo for Poulet Frit Kentucky

The Quebecois are more vigilant even than their famously

Anglophobic counterparts in Paris All stop signs here say

Arret even though the ones in France say ldquoStoprdquo

It all seemed a little silly and excessive to me until I began

talking to French-speaking Montrealers about it ldquoYou

have to understand that wersquore surrounded by English

speakersrdquo a schoolteacher told me ldquoWe have to be very

firm about defending our language or it will disappear

And when it goes so does our way of life

Signs aside most French Canadians I met were bilingual

I quickly discovered that if I first made atleast a fumbling

attempt to speak their language almost everybody was

happy to switch to English ndash very possibly to spare

themselves the trauma of hearing my phrase-book

French which sounds like someone grinding the gears

of an old Citroen ldquoWe have nothing against Englishrdquo the

schoolteacher told me ldquoItrsquos just that we want to speak

French hererdquo

Vive la differenceJohn Flinn -Travel Editor

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Scale up of HIV Prevention Treatment Care and Support Requires Renewed Leadership and Resources

The 17th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) took place in Mexico City from August 3 -8 2008 with an assessment of the situation of the global epidemic at a panel of researchers public health and civil society leaders examined recent progress towards the scale up of treatment and prevention programmes and called for sustained action to eliminate the barriers to universal access

ldquoDespite the progress we have made we are not on course to meet universal access targets and in fact appear to be slipping away from our existing commitmentsrdquo said Dr Pedro Cahn International Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and President of the International AIDS Society and Fundacioacuten Hueacutesped in Buenos Aires Argentina ldquoIt appears that we are poised to accept defeat when victory is still within our grasp Our failure to meet those commitments will have an impact on millions of lives This cannot be allowed to happen It is time for nations to live up to their commitmentsrdquo

ldquoWith only two years to go until the 2010 deadline for universal access set by world leaders we must redouble our commitment to scaling up all proven HIV prevention strategiesrdquo said Dr Luiacutes Soto Ramiacuterez Local Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and Head of the Molecular Virology Unit at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Meacutedicas y Nutricioacuten Salvador Zubiriaacuten and Coordinator of the Clinical Care Committee of CONASIDA Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council ldquoThe fact that last year 27 million people were newly infected with HIV a disease that is entirely preventable is unacceptablerdquo

Dr Jaime Sepulveda (Mexico) founder of Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council who is now with the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation noted that attention to and resources for AIDS are at all-time high including substantially increased funding for the Global Fund and the US Presidentrsquos Emergency Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief According to Sepulveda reaching the goal of 3 million people in low and middle-income countries on treatment at the end of 2007 was a critical step forward but the world has only scratched the surface of possibilities in responding to the epidemic Greater resources more effectively spent and targeted where they can have the greatest effect would have a dramatic impact on the course of the epidemicrsquos Highlighting the fact that more people become infected

with HIV last year than began treatment Sepulveda called for radically increased investments in prevention research evaluation and delivery of services as well as accelerated research on promising prevention methods including a vaccine In conclusion he reiterated that political leadership from all countries and accountability at all levels are essential for stopping the epidemic

Citing the results in both treatment and prevention scale up in countries with sustained leadership such as Rwanda and Tanzania Alex Coutinho (Uganda) of the Infectious Disease Institute of Makerere University made a passionate call for greater leadership as a path toward meeting the challenges ahead In looking at progress to date Coutinho highlighted increased access to HIV testing and counseling to prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and to pediatric care and treatment as well as the effectiveness of male circumcision as a prevention intervention In contrast he noted that most countries will not achieve universal access by 2010 and that the majority of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are still unaware of their HIV status In his call to action Coutinho urged greater investment in prevention and financial resources flexible enough to support health systems and systems that reach into rural and other hard-to-reach areas and fully embrace PLHIV as partners He also urged outreach to and support of marginalized and at-risk communities as well as the greater involvement of PLHIV as a catalyst for change

Elisabet Fadul (Dominican Republic) of the Dominican Network for Youth RightsGlobal Youth Partners outlined a broad and urgent youth HIVAIDS agenda calling for comprehensive rights ndash and evidence-based plans to provide access for young people Highlighting the 40 of new infections worldwide among young people between the ages of 15-24 Fadul noted that HIV prevention and treatment programmes are failing to effectively reach young people with the most vulnerable and marginalized being stigmatized criminalized or forgotten by many of these programmes

To reverse this course she called for actions and policies that engage youth especially young people living with HIVAIDS as respected partners in developing and implementing programmes that forthrightly address their

needs and diversity

 Tiret Sept 2008

The seminar for second level management personnel held on June 12 2008 on ICT Security and Privacy was attended by 31 participants from MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group Companies and the Head Office in the MIDROC Ethiopia Auditorium The seminar which was part of MIDROC Ethiopiarsquos attempt to keep abreast with ICT Development was opened by Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu who stressed in his brief remarks the need for concern to the protection of data and information and regulating the use of ICT

Also speaking on the occasion was Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting and Chairman of Training Committee who said that training helps to discover various means for success People he noted learn at work place and from challenges He stressed that the technology age called for adaptation of new thoughts and practices while requiring readiness to do ldquoWhat we can with what we haverdquo

The seminar which discussed various issues related to ICT was closed by Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu

 Seminar on ICT Security and Privacy

A view of participants of the seminar

things or difficulties onlyrdquo Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting of MIDROC Ethiopia and Chairman of Training Committee in his opening remark stated that positive thinking was a new scientific subject where investors CEOs and others in various capacities were inspired and motivated to create awareness to their colleagues and to remove all thoughts

of dark shadows from their minds He noted that positive thinking among CEOrsquos and subordinates was required and stressed that self-confidence was one of the prime factors for success in life and hence needed to be maintainedAto Robel Kidane covered a variety of interesting issues related to positive thinking in his presentation after which participants discussed on several importnat issues

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Teklu Haile opening the Seminar

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The seminar on ldquoCorporate Social Responsibilityrdquo

for second level management tier took place on March 27

2008 at the MIDROC Ethiopia Auditorium and attended

by 27 participants from 12 group companies

In accordance with the call to plant ldquoThree Trees in the Third Millenniumrdquo volunteers from MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group and Head Office on August 2007 replanted trees on the Entoto Mountain situated north of the capital city Addis Ababa It is to be recalled that members of MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group under the motto ldquo Two Trees in 2000 Ethiopian Millenniumrdquo have participated in planting trees at the same location last year

Organized again by the MIDROC Ethiopia Public Relations the call for replanting was enthusiastically received by volunteers who went back to the area to replace those trees planted by employees of the Investment Group last year and did not take root and withered

Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting supported and encouraged volunteers of MIDROC Ethiopia and reminded them of the saying - ldquoten thousand dedicated soldiers are better than one million dubious soldiersrdquo and appreciated all the volunteers for actively participating in the tree replanting activity

Seminar on Corporate Social Responsibility

Participants at the seminar Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu delivering his presentation

Volunteers going up the mountain for replanting

Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting Department of MIDROC Ethiopia and Chairman of Training Committee in his opening remarks stressed the importance of participation in community affairs by all Group Companies and cited Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi as a shinning example in playing an active

role in social activities He called on all to strive hard to change the negative image of the country and build a better Ethiopia free from poverty hunger and disease Various papers were presented ensuing fruitful discussions on the above issues

MIDROC Ethiopia Volunteers Participate in Replanting Trees

 Tiret Sept 2008

Equatorial Business Group General Manager Ato Tadelle

Teferra Deputy General Manager Ato Mekuria Ayele and

Automotive Business Senior Director Ato Daniel Seyoum

participated a weeklong Dealerrsquos Conference that was

staged in Cape Town South Africa in February this year

According to Ato Daniel Seyoum around 75 business

leaders from Europe the Middle East Asia and Africa

participated at the Conference Issues discussed included

regional international business concerns VOLVOrsquos strategy

development VOLVO CE business update introduction to

new VOLVO road machinery and other related business

matters Dealersrsquo Conference is an annual event to bring

together leaders in the VOLVO Construction Equipment

business from nearly all over the world for a pull effect

particularly to companies like EBG to provide further

opportunity in the Automotive Industry

EBG is an exclusive dealer in Ethiopia for VOLVO brand

products

Company Observes its 15th Anniversary

A group picture of Dealers Conference participants

EBGrsquos Managers Attended Dealers Conference

Equatorial Business Group (EBG) colorfully observed its 15th Anniversary on April 30 2008 Ato Tadelle Teferra

General Manager of the Company addressing the management and employees expressed gratitude and appreciation

to the Owners of the Company and to the Employees who worked hard since its establishment and urged all company

staff to work with an even more commitment and dedication

Ato Tadelle on the occasion disclosed the implementation of the reform packages that started recently and expressed

hope that the reform packages would bring EBG to a better competitive and profitable position The reform introduces

MIS QMS and companyrsquos new restructuring and other associated jobs

Three employees who served EBG for 15 years were honored with Special Certificates and several employees from

the various businesses and support services of the company were awarded for Best Performances during the year

200607

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Tadesse Haile State Minister of the Ministry of Trade and Industry visited Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc and held discussions with senior members on issues pertaining to the activities of the factory Ato Ahmed Hassen General Manager of the Factory explained to the State Minister that the factory would make all efforts to produce quality products in large quantity so as to reduce import from abroad He however expressed his wish that the government reduces tax on raw materials which are essential for the production of soap and detergent

Ato Tadesse disclosed during the discussion that extensive studies that include soap industries in the country are underway with the aim to strengthen the chemical industry in which the concern would be addressed in the near future He further said that there is a plan to connect the various regions of the country to the port by

EBG was announced First Order Winner for Best Stand in the 12th International Millennium Trade Fair organized by the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations held at the Exhibition Center in February 2008

EBGrsquos stand was visited by large number of visitors including the honorable World Laureate Metre Artist Afework Tekle who not only showed interest in the products and services of EBG but also expressed his appreciation to the Company in his comments while signing in the Special Guest Book

EBG Awarded for Best Stand

Star Soap and Detergent Factory Visited

The Most Honorable Maritre World Laureate Artist

Afework Tekle signing in the Visitors Book at the Trade Fair

Ato Tadesse Haile visiting the Production Unit with Ato Ahmed Hassen General Manager and Ato Seid Ahmed Plant Manager of the Factory

rail within the coming five years for the speedy delivery of export and import of goods which will have a great impact on sales

Ato Tadesse Haile finally appreciated the activities of the factory and said that Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc is capable of being a model in the sector and wished the lsquoBest of Luckrsquo for the management and the staff and affirmed that his Ministry would always support on all their endeavors

Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc is a member of the MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group established at an investment capital of Birr 80 million The factory is one of the biggest in the sector and equipped with the latest machinery and manufactures best quality laundry and toilet soaps liquid and synthetic detergents powder and bar soaps

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the most dedicated health care professionals and support staff SalaM Employees Clinic the Clinic that provides health care services to employees of MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group Companies and affiliates in its efforts to upgrade and improve its services has added to its modern list of medical equipment a Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor an advanced medical equipment Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor is one of the new advanced machineries that the clinic acquired recently which is used for the diagnosis of refraction errors of the eye

The Clinic provides medical and surgical services with sub-specialists in gynecological ophthalmological dermatological and ENT employing advanced diagnostic equipment such as radiography endoscopy and colonoscopy supported by video camera ultrasound and ECG Machines It has a well stocked pharmacy with essential medicines and also provides laboratory diagnostic services

The Clinic recently has moved from its previous location to a large and ideal villa with more rooms and a convenient location near the Genet Hotel and is open 24 hours

SalaM Employees Clinic was established by Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi in 1996 for employees of the Investment Group with an investment capital of over Birr 4 million under the SalaM Health Care Plc He later on increased the investment a lot more

Apart from providing services to the employees of the MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group SalaM Employees Clinic is rendering efficient services to the public as well

Dr Amare Abebe Medical Director of the clinic conducting an examination using endoscopy machine

Employees Clinic Secures Equipment

The Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor which the clinic acquired recently

The front view of the Clinic

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Three delegates from Ethiopia Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu MIDROC Ethiopia Training Director Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch Ato Asfaw Alemu Credit Manager of Dashen Bank attended the International Society of Business Economics and Ethics World Congress under the theme ldquoGlobal Fairness Local Integrityrdquo held in Cape Town from July 13 ndash 20 2008 and organized by BEN-Africa

The ISBEE World Congress is held every four years and is affectionately referred to as the Olympics of Business Ethics It always succeeds in attracting the best minds in the field of ethics of business and economics This yearrsquos Congress was attended by over 400 participants from all corners of the world Top notch world speakers among others Prof Mervyn E King SC Prof Deon Rossow Prof Joka Iwao Prof Georges Enderle Prof Paul Collies and Prof Tom Donaldson attended the Congress and over 80 papers were presented in three plenary sessions on topical international business issues

Ethiopian Delegation Participates at World ISBEE World Congress

Participants of ISBEE Congress Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu (left) Ato Lulseged Teferi (middle) Ato Asfaw Alemu

A Special Certificate of Recognition was awarded to Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu of MIDROC Ethiopia Prof Deon Rossow ndash former President of BEN-Africa and Ms Korien Sander the outgoing Executive Secretary of BEN-Africa

Emeritus Prof Johannes in his brief statement after receiving the certificate said that he accepted the certificate on behalf of those institutions and individuals in Ethiopia who have been behind the BEN-Africa Conference held in Ethiopia

It is to be recalled that MIDROC Ethiopia Corporate Office Dashen Bank the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch and Ato Teklu Haile Manager of Treasury Finance and Accounting of MIDROC Ethiopia played a great role for the successful completion of the ldquo7th Annual BEN-Africa Conferencerdquo held in Addis Ababa in August 2007

 Tiret Sept 2008

MIDROC Ethiopia is involved in the development of

mining and exploration of gold building of heavy mining

industries in central and eastern parts of the country

like cement plants filler plants etc Coal exploration is

also a potential area that is being explored by different

companies including MIDROC Ethiopia for use in the

cement plant power generation and fertilizer Soda ash

being used as a major input in glass soap detergent and

other industrial input is also one area of mining A lot of

investors are involved in gemstones

In an effort to exploit these resources and put them

to good use for the development of Ethiopia one of

MIDROC Ethiopia Group Companies the National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) has since its establishment in

March 1993 been actively engaged in the exploration of

gold and base metals in the various parts of the country

ldquoIt is worth noting that the mineral wealth of Ethiopia is

not fully tapped yet and needs to be given due attention

as it can be the backbone of the economy together with

agriculturerdquo says Ato Melaku Beza CEO of National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) He assertively told TIRET in

an interview at his office regarding the activities and

contributions of NMiC to the mining industry and that

his Company is working hard for a better achievement as

it has commemorated its 15th anniversary recently

He said that NMiC is currently engaged in the exploration

of gold base metals at Dawa Digati and Werri areas in the

Oromia and Tigray Administrative Regions and base metals

in Dire Dawa and Benshangul Gumuz Administrative

Regions It is also engaged in mining of marble and

limestone processing of quarried blocks and on the way

to develop the Abiyata Soda Ash in Southern Ethiopia

The Company in its venture in the development of Soda

Ash has embarked upon a joint investment agreement

with the Public Enterprise Supervising Agency (PPESA)

for a 54 percent share in which PPESArsquos 46 percent share

dilutes while NMICrsquos share shall increase in the process of

implementing tasks set in two phases

Mining Corporation on the Move

Ato Melaku Beza CEO NMiC

Dawa Digati Gold exploration drilling

The potential of the mining industry for the development of the Ethiopian economy is immense as witnessed by the ongoing development activities in the country This includes exploration of petroleum in the Ogaden Gambela and other areas by different companies exploration of gold in different parts of the country and potash exploration in Dallol where there is an estimated of 160 millions of tons of proven reserves

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Melaku stated that NMIC has invested Birr

160817912 (one hundred sixty million eight hundred

seventeen thousand nine hundred twelve) for exploration

and mining activities adding that the size of investment for

soda ash will be in the order of Birr 1150000000 (one

billion one hundred fifty million)

The first phase will cost Birr 640000000 (six hundred

forty million) and the second phase will be Birr 500000000

(five hundred million)

National Mining Corporation Plc is a pioneer in opening

and developing quarrying of marble and limestone using

the latest technology in the field Currently the Companyrsquos

Boka Marble Quarry has six benches and more than

twelve faces that are being worked out at Boka quarry

in the Benshangul Administrative Region In the process

it provides training to quarry workers of other quarry

owners thereby contributing to the development of the

mining culture

The General Manager explained about the processing and

marketing of his Companyrsquos products and said that his

Company applies modern technologies and deploys the

latest equipment in mining that meet export standards

engaging in open pit mining and tunneling for underground

mining which is unique not only in Ethiopia but also in

Africa He further articulated that the Company mines one

of the best quality marble in the industry as evidenced in

Boka multicolor marble once nominated as ldquoThe Stone

of the Yearrdquo by the Marble Institute of America (MIA)

while the blue marble has entered the world market by

a new name ldquoSummer Skyrdquo and is currently being sold

in Italy Samples of both have been tested and analyzed in

American Testing Companies and European Universities

and have proved to be of high quality and suitable both

for internal and external use in the construction industry

These two marbles are unique and are found only in

Ethiopia Also the limestone is of unique colors yellow

white and red which have high demand in the market

The CEO said that the special quality of his Companyrsquos

product that attracts international market is the

uniqueness of the material its beauty (aesthetics) and its

non-absorbent and compact nature

The company has the capacity to supply the export market

with the required quality and size of blocks and slabs both

white and blue marble Export markets include Taiwan

China Italy France USA Africa and the Middle East

In order to improve quality additional modern

state-of-the-art quarry machinery has been injected in the

quarry Plan is underway to replace the old machinery at

the processing plant The Company is also producing its

own ldquoabrasiverdquo used for polishing marble using locally

available minerals and materials

Awash Processing Plant

Blocks at Block Yard

Slabs at Slab Yard in the Awash Processing Plant

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

NMiC holds 40 of the local market share in the construction industry Lots of buildings have been cladded by NMiCrsquos products The Sheraton Addis Bole International Airport Terminal Sunshine Multipurpose Building National Bank of Ethiopia Federal Police Headquarters AUrsquos Building Head Office and the Secretary Generalrsquos Residence Ethiopian Insurance Corporation Worbek Building the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Patriarchrsquos Palace and UNCA Building are some the major buildings in Addis Ababa which are finished with NMiCrsquos products

National Mining Corporation Plc is one of the competent companies in Ethiopia and has contributed to the economy of the country by way of generating hard currency from its exports and saving foreign currency by competing and blocking imports of dimension stones from abroad One word it has added to the Ethiopian economy an amount of over Birr 5000000000 (fifty million) in tax royalties and land rent

NMiC has made valuable studies on the mineral potential areas of the country in dimension stones oil and gas mineral water coal and industrial minerals It has also made sound participation in the employment and training of manpower to the mining sector and has encouraged foreign investors to be involved in exploration of oil and gas and other minerals NMiC provides free training in its quarries and processing plant to new local enterprises coming to the sector The company provides potable water electricity medical services and other financial assistance to the community of its mining areas and has set up HIVAIDS policy for the Company to curb the spread of the pandemic and provides care and support for

those living with the virus

Tunnel Jet Belt Quarrying the latest technology in use at the Eshet Blue Quarry

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

a) Finalizing the work on the exploration phase of the gold and base metals projects both at Dawa Digati and Werri which shall lead to feasibility study and production stage

b) Developing Eshet Blue and Boka Multicolor marble quarries and strengthen export to increase income of foreign currency

c) Supplying blocks to local factories

d) Replacement of machinery at Awash Processing Plant especially to boost production and quality

e) Improve the life of the working force through profit sharing and availing better facilities together with upgrading their knowledge through training

f) Implement the Soda Ash development project

The priority areas of NMiC in its future plan include among others

Asked finally if he was satisfied with his Companyrsquos achievements Ato Melaku Beza CEO of NMiC replied ldquoNot much we could do betterrdquo

Nmic Products

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

ldquoA journey of a thousand miles starts with a single steprdquo

goes the famous Chinese saying as for Bauer MIDROC it

all started 10 years ago with the foundation work of the

construction of the MIDROC Corporate Office (MCO)

commonly known as Nani Building With a single project

at hand Bauer Specialtifbau a German Company ventured

into the slowly budding private construction industry

in equal partnership with MIDROC Ethiopia Although

a small scale business venture in the eyes of both giant

partners MIDROC Ethiopia and Bauer Specialtifbau it

created vast opportunities to the construction sector

with the introduction of a state-of-the-art German based

foundation technology to the Ethiopian market The

miniature move of the two giants opened up a gateway

of possibilities and marked a new construction era for

Ethiopia Over the years changes in shareholders has

led to the current name ldquoMIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plcrdquo with the state-of-the-art foundation solutions still in

place

Several limitations in dealing with unfavorable soil

conditions frequently encountered within Ethiopiarsquos

diverse geological formations most abundantly the

problematic black cotton soil within the city of Addis

Ababa and other parts of the country brought about

several technical barriers when it came to building

massive civil structures Building highrises as well as

massive bridges was inconceivable unless capable soil was

in close vicinity MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with

the introduction of deep foundations based on advanced

and efficient technologies in the construction industry

no doubt brought about remarkable solutions and helped

ease some of these anxieties

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with its fleets of large

diameter drilling rigs and variety of drilling tools capable of

both soil and hard soil formations has made economical

foundation solutions a reality offering developers the

confidence to build high rise buildings without worrying

about the type of soil in Addis Ababa The expertise of

Dedicated Backing for MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is gradually changing

the cityrsquos skyline with the construction of the completed

MCO Building AICAIB Headquarters and KK Building

both to be completed soon and all standing above 20

stories

Entering the city limits through the skyways one can notice

that the Bole Airport has received an entire facelift with

the construction of the International Passenger Terminal

Airport Control Towers the new Cargo Terminal and the

Maintenance Hanger The only thing these landmarks share

other than ownership is that they owe their existence to

foundation solutions of MIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plc As we enter the city limits also the Bole Viaduct

and all the overpasses on the Addis Ababa Ring Road are

comfortably resting still with the construction of the deep

piles by MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc

Drilling of pile with casing

 Tiret Sept 2008

Parallel to pile construction as verification of the

constructed pile capacities is common practice in the

foundation construction industry MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc equipped with the state-of-the-art

automated pile load testing system has recently conducted

1300 metric tons load test at the Derba MIDROC Cement

Factory Project the first of this magnitude in the African

Continent

The introduction of vertical shoring wall systems that

uses reinforced concrete piles and tie back anchors which

is gaining popularity in recent years is another type of

foundation technology solutions made possible in Ethiopia

through MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos expertise

Prior to these shoring system solutions land owners

could not fully utilize their plots at the boundaries for fear

of catastrophic cave-in In fact in most cases plot owners

avoided under ground construction in order to avoid

litigation with next door land owners The utilization of

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos vertical shoring pile

wall system was proposed and implemented in the cases

of Bole Towers and Loli Building In both cases all sides of

the plot were shored exactly at the boundaries without

any land loss In fact the clients gained underground spaces

in the order of two to three times their plot size for

possible parking purpose This has provided developers

with solutions clearing their lumbers from additional

costs for parking facilities

Pile load testing

In line with the construction boom within Addis Ababa

developers are opting to construct on boundary edges

where heavy structures already exist in adjacent plots

In order to excavate at these boundaries the safest and

most economical foundation solution system is shoring

pile wall system These systems were employed at Awash

Bank and Insurance Building KK Building and Orchid

Building

For realization of structures that have to be constructed

below the natural ground water level and or near offshore

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc has construction

approaches that employ waterproof vertical shoring

systems and several options to choose from within

the framework of technical feasibility of foundation

engineering The construction of Diaphragm Wall

Cellular Cofferdam Sheet Pile Wall and Secant

Pile Wall are such solutions to name a few The cost

of construction and the time required for executing the

works is in the order listed above

Anchored pile shoring wall

Foundation Solution

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the equipment already available in the country

MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc has tabled and

implemented an economical and technically feasible

secant pile wall system solution for bridge projects

within Ethiopia If it was not for MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plcrsquos geotechnical solutions construction under

such conditions would have been technically impossible

throughout East Africa

Unlike other options construction of secant pile wall as

waterproof vertical shoring system is not limited to the

soil condition of the site The construction of such high

tech geotechnical engineering solutions by the Company

have been successfully applied on projects like the Omo

River Bridge and on the New Abay Bridge Projects The

application of the secant pile wall system was used for the

construction of the pier foundation on both sides of the

Bridge on the Omo River Bridge Project and one side pier

foundation construction of the New Abay Bridge Project

During the construction of the Omo River Bridge

foundation and substructure works other logistic

challenges non-related to foundation works was

encountered The West Pier and Abutment on the Omo

River Bridge created such a technical impasse On this

side one of the most difficult challenges was to solve the

problem of crossing equipment and construction material

across the 150 m wide river After carefully considering all

the possible alternatives a decision was made to design and

manufacture a water crossing barge using local expertise

and manufacturing capabilities MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc took part in the design manufacturing and

commissioning of this barge and has successfully crossed

a 503 ton drilling rig and other earth moving equipment

With nearly twenty projects within Ethiopia MIDROC

Foundation Specialists Plc is a pioneer in exporting

foundation technology to neighboring Kenya Tanzania

and the Sudan In-house trained Ethiopian experts have

Crossing of drilling rig on Omo River through Barge

 Tiret Sept 2008

Secant pile wall

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Mr Achim Braun General Manager of MIDROC Foundation (left) inspecting a construction site

left their marks on several key projects within those

countries Among the projects successfully carried out in

Tanzania the Songo Songo Offshore Piling Project was the

most challenging and rewarding of all In this Project sixty

per cent of the piles were constructed from a SEWP (Self

Elevating Working Platform) elevated 13 meters from the

sea bed

As the company commemorates the tenth anniversary of

its establishment it is only proper to mark the outstanding

contributions to the construction industry of Ethiopia The

efficiency of the Company and the technology employed

has resulted in creating a broad awareness of foundation

technological solutions in the country particularly

among developers In terms of the spectrum of available

techniques of foundation the projects undertaken so

far are only a tip of the iceberg Although the Company

was confronted with a number of challenges in changing

attitudes and practices the success achieved so far has

been accomplished with great efforts exerted by the

companyrsquos management and its diligent professionals in

the field

Being the only Class I Foundation Specialist Contractors

in the country MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc is now

determined to leap ahead to new and yet un-introduced

foundation construction technologies such as micro 

piles  high  pressure  injection  diaphragm 

walls  slope  protection  and  soil  nailing  As

the countries infrastructure development continues to

reach higher levels MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is

preparing itself to meet the current customer demands

and technological challenges

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Statistics reveal that the country continues to earn hard currency from export of primary commodities such as coffee which tops the list by fetching some 500 million dollars last financial year

Other commodities are hides and skin flowers pulses fruits vegetables and chat

Incidentally it is interesting to note that Chat has fetched over 60 million dollars in foreign currency last fiscal year

The chewing of chat leaves is common in the horn of Africa but in eastern Ethiopia it is big business for some and big worry for others Chat is a major agricultural crop Yet many say it is addictive and harmful to health

In a town where I grew up for instance it is hard to avoid the impact of the stimulant leaf The first thing that strikes you in the main market is the deafening noise The market square is a scene of total chaos as you make your way through a bustling crowd preoccupied with the business of bartering for a prized commodity- the green leafed plant chat

Awadaye market is a market for chat It is estimated that over 25000 kg pass through it daily The buyers and sellers take their jobs seriously shouting to one other They gesture excitedly as they trade thousands of birr daily for the chat which is bought from the local farmers in Awadaye and sent to other areas in Ethiopia It is also exported overseas It is said to be the backbone of the economy as it can be gathered from the revenue it has generated during the current physical year

If you compare chat farmers with other farmers in other parts of the country you will see that their standard of living is so much better

The employment created though chat cultivation is very high as large numbers of people are involved in growing harvesting sorting packing transporting loading and unloading the commodity The wood of the plant is used for fuel and because of its resistance to termites it is also used to make fences Chat is also believed to have medical value being used locally to treat influenza and asthma

Chat farmers used to grow maize sorghum and teff which is the basic Ethiopian staple food but these crops are difficult to grow as they require lots of rain and attention

while chat requires little water or cultivation That is why it is widely believed that its cultivation is expanding at an amazing rate

Chat has now become Ethiopiarsquos biggest export third only to coffee and hides and skin But despite the cash earning and the tradition of chat growing and use among the people many people do not encourage it

They believe that it is addictive and this has a negative impact on the community They allege that people forget about their work commitments and spend hours chewing chat The number of users of chat is increasing particularly among the youth

In urban areas the use of chat combined with alcohol is having an adverse effect on family life Many students chew chat because they say it increases their concentration when they study their lessons

However in some regions where it is widely cultivated business punctuality is a frequent problem as the time after lunch is usually spent chewing chat Even in some regions where the plant has been banned cultivation and usage continue and attempts to replace chat with cash crops like coffee have failed

Regardless of the merit or demerit of chat the country continues to get the much needed hard currency through export of the plant ldquochatrdquo

However many people including development agents are of the opinion that the demerit far out weighs the merit for energy and time is spent chewing the stuff and particularly its negative impact on health especially on the productive force

Another very lucrative business in Ethiopia is the export of leather and leather goods According to recent data export of leather and leather goods registered a surge from 52 million dollars to over 90 million dollars Incidentally ELICO one of MIDROC Ethiopia group companies dealing with finished leather products fetched last financial year over 10 million dollars

In the light of considerable income accrued from export of primary commodities there is a need to do even more by way of establishing more agro-industries that engage in the production of agricultural products for sale locally and internationally

Earning from Export of Primary CommoditiesBy Yohannes Ruphael

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The Third Private Sector Development National Conference ndash 2008 of Ethiopia took place in Addis Ababa on June 30 2008 ndash at the UNECA Conference Center and the draft strategy document and priority strategic issues for improved business environment were discussed by representatives of the Private Sector Development Hub established with basic objectives of coordinating and developing a series of public sector development intervention projects for implementation with international financial support and undertaking related research studies to support the business community in its public and private partnership dialogue The Conference was addressed by an internationally renowned and distinguished authority on Corporate Governance Prof Mervyn E King SC

The Editorial Team of TIRET has taken advantage of communicating with Professor Mervyn E King SC to share his views briefly with our readers

Professor Mervyn E King SC is currently Professor Extraordinaire at the University of South Africa and serves as the Chairperson of the King Committee on Corporate Governance in South Africa He is a Senior Counsel and former Judge of the Supreme Court of South Africa His other credentials include Member of the World Bank Advisory Group on Corporate Governance President of the Commonwealth Association of Corporate Governance Governor of the International Corporate Governance Network President of the South Africa Chamber of Business Vice President of the Institute of Directors of Southern Africa Representatives of South Africa at the International Chamber of Commerce Advisor of Asian Center of Corporate Governance Director of Global Reporting Initiative-Amsterdam Director of Association of business Administrators of South Africa

At the Millennium National Private Sector Development Conference in Addis Ababa recently I spoke about corporate governance in the development of the private sector

Corporate governance is about the principles and practices which guide directors and senior managers in making their decisions to the best interests of their companies It has to be separated from the enterprise side of the business which is about making business judgment calls It is essential that directors and senior managers adopt acceptable principles and practices in steering and directing the company and making business judgment It is about the quality of this governance rather than a quantitative check on whether there has been compliance by the directors and managers with well-known governance practices such as the establishment of a remuneration committee

In my talk I pointed out that the economic value of a company does not equal its book value In Coca Cola for example its book value is approximately 13 of its economic value and its greatest asset is its brand which is dependent on

 Tiret Sept 2008

the companyrsquos reputation Consequentially directors and senior managers of Coca Cola have a duty to protect the companyrsquos brand

In planning for a company the strategic direction needs to be done both short- and long-term If a strategy is developed in which all persons in the corporation at all levels buy-in one can get ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things Unless this is done not even extraordinary people will achieve ordinary things

The important thing for directors to remember is that they have won and maintained the trust and confidence of the stakeholders of the company Consequently they should report at least annually how the company has both positively and negatively affected a communityrsquos economic life through its operations and how it is going to enhance those positive aspects and eradicate or ameliorate the negative aspects in the year ahead

Good governance involves inter alia the approval by the board of the strategy of the company and sustainability can no longer be ignored in developing a long-term strategy

The Private Sector Development Hub (PSD-Hub) has the objective to contribute to the economic development of Ethiopia by improving the entrepreneurial environment and the governance of corporations Consequently the PSD-Hub has held Conferences over the last two years focusing on these issues and on the question of public private partnerships There has also been discussion about expediting the registration of companies the standardization of accounting and auditing capitalization and the finalization of the revision of the Ethiopian Commercial Code Corporate governance has featured prominently in these discussions

Arising out of all the modernization of the registration of companies in Ethiopia has been recognized as a priority

Accounting and auditing standards which should follow IFRS should have legal backing so that everyone in Ethiopia will know the meaning of the reported financial statements

The development of a securities market including an exchange in which not only equities but bonds and derivatives can be bought and sold with the dematerialisation of scrip and electronic settlement is essential

From the above it will be seen that there is much to be done but Ethiopia is striving through the PSD Hub to create platforms on which it can forge ahead in our flat electronic world where capital flows towards those areas where there is good governance and well-regulated markets The Conference at which I spoke was just another step in Ethiopiarsquos endeavours to achieve these goals Positively the essential aspects for creating an entrepreneurial and thriving business environment have been identified and PSD Hub the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other interested bodies are working in partnership with government to achieve them

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Itrsquos a ridiculous

l a n g u a g e rdquo

sputtered the

Englishman at

the next table

his jowls shaking

in anger ldquoA ridiculous languagerdquo

We were sitting in a tiny tea-and-pie shop in Criccieth a

town in northern Wales and everybody but us was speaking

Welsh Like a remarkable number of his countrymen this

man was convinced it was merely a secret code employed

by the local to talk behind the backs of English visitors

ldquoJust you watchrdquo he said ldquoAs soon as we leave theyrsquoll all

go back to speaking Englishrdquo

I rather doubted it And unlike the Englishman I was

thrilled to encounter one of the oldest languages in

Europe a tongue heard in this misty and mountainous

land since the arrival of Roman legions

Being surrounded by people speaking an unfamiliar and

exotic language is to me one of the best things about

travel Just as some people will journey to the Serengeti

to glimpse the rare and endangered white rhino Irsquoll happily

go far out of my way to hear a rare and endangered

language

In the storybook city of Carcassonne in southwest France

I was less thrilled at seeing the towers and turrets than

I was at meeting a man who could speak Occitan the

ancient and fast-vanishing language of the troubadours

As far as I was concerned the most fascinating thing in

Dangriga a coastal town in Belize was the mellifluous

sound of Garifuna a language spoken by the descendants

of shipwrecked slaves from West Africa I once traveled

to Graubunden in eastern Switzerland in the hope of

hearing Romansch a tongue spoken by fewer than one

percent of the nationrsquos residents and said to resemble

Latin I encountered a few signs in the language but no

one who could speak it

According to one oft-cited estimate at least half the

worldrsquos 6000 languages are likely to die out by the end

of this century which means that one is going silent on

average every two weeks

Itrsquos not merely a matter of using different words to express the same thoughts Languages are literally the expressions of cultures and belief systems entirely different ways of making sense of the world And just as we should be concerned about the shrinking diversity of plant and animal species we should also worry about the shrinking diversity of languages

Welsh though seems to be holding on despite 700 years

of efforts by the English to exterminate it The BBC has for

some years now carried television and radio programming

in the language and in Wales itrsquos possible to receive your

entire education from preschool to postgraduate in

Welsh About 20 percent of Walesrsquo population speaks

Welsh and the number appears to be growing slightly

It is not as the Englishman said a ridiculous language But

it is to my eyes and ears a wonderfully strange one Dave

Barry once wrote that the ancient Hawaiians arrived on

their islands after perilous canoe voyages in seas so rough

their consonants fell overboard My guess is that the

letters drifted the worldrsquos oceans until they washed up on

the shores of Wales

T h e   B e a u t y   o f   a   L a n g u a g e

 Tiret Sept 2008

How else to explain for example the Welsh word for

beer Itrsquos cwrw It looks like my Scrabble tray when I

donrsquot have a word to pay (In case you ever need to order

one itrsquos pronounced ldquokooroordquo)

And then therersquos the vexing pronunciation of the double-

1 you find at the beginning of it seems two-thirds of the

town names in Wales ldquoJust put your teeth together and

hiss like a duckrdquo explained a helpful woman I met at the

Dylan Thomas Museum in Swansea She also pointed out

that Llareggub the fictional town in Thomasrsquo ldquoUnder the

Milkwood Treerdquo is merely ldquobugger allrdquo spelled backward

I like the besotted poet a whole lot more after learning

that

One dark and drizzly night I went to a little schoolhouse in

the Rhondda Valley to listen to a rehearsal of the Treorchy

Menrsquos Choir made up mostly of unemployed coal miners

ldquoIn the old daysrdquo one of them told me ldquowe used to sing

together in the pitsrdquo

When they opened their mouths to sing as one in Welsh

all the snarky little comments about their language become

moot It was simply one of the most hauntingly beautiful

sounds Irsquove even heard

I got a lesson in the politics of minority languages recently

when I visited Montreal the capital of French ndash speaking

Canada I hadnrsquot been there since a childhood visit to

Exporsquo67 and I remember the province as decidedly

bilingual Everything from traffic signs to toothpaste

tubes was printed in French and English No more A

law passed in 1977 banned the use of English in signs

throughout Quebec Itrsquos an attempt to do linguistically

what they failed for two centuries to do militarily prevent

the English from conquering them

Theyrsquore quite serious about this Hudson Bay Co the

venerable department store chain that dates back to the

fur-trading days is now known as Compagnie de la Baie

drsquoHudson at least in these parts Kentucky Fried Chicken

outlets arenrsquot allowed to use ldquoKFCrdquo on their signs In

Quebec theyrsquore called ldquoPFKrdquo for Poulet Frit Kentucky

The Quebecois are more vigilant even than their famously

Anglophobic counterparts in Paris All stop signs here say

Arret even though the ones in France say ldquoStoprdquo

It all seemed a little silly and excessive to me until I began

talking to French-speaking Montrealers about it ldquoYou

have to understand that wersquore surrounded by English

speakersrdquo a schoolteacher told me ldquoWe have to be very

firm about defending our language or it will disappear

And when it goes so does our way of life

Signs aside most French Canadians I met were bilingual

I quickly discovered that if I first made atleast a fumbling

attempt to speak their language almost everybody was

happy to switch to English ndash very possibly to spare

themselves the trauma of hearing my phrase-book

French which sounds like someone grinding the gears

of an old Citroen ldquoWe have nothing against Englishrdquo the

schoolteacher told me ldquoItrsquos just that we want to speak

French hererdquo

Vive la differenceJohn Flinn -Travel Editor

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Scale up of HIV Prevention Treatment Care and Support Requires Renewed Leadership and Resources

The 17th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) took place in Mexico City from August 3 -8 2008 with an assessment of the situation of the global epidemic at a panel of researchers public health and civil society leaders examined recent progress towards the scale up of treatment and prevention programmes and called for sustained action to eliminate the barriers to universal access

ldquoDespite the progress we have made we are not on course to meet universal access targets and in fact appear to be slipping away from our existing commitmentsrdquo said Dr Pedro Cahn International Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and President of the International AIDS Society and Fundacioacuten Hueacutesped in Buenos Aires Argentina ldquoIt appears that we are poised to accept defeat when victory is still within our grasp Our failure to meet those commitments will have an impact on millions of lives This cannot be allowed to happen It is time for nations to live up to their commitmentsrdquo

ldquoWith only two years to go until the 2010 deadline for universal access set by world leaders we must redouble our commitment to scaling up all proven HIV prevention strategiesrdquo said Dr Luiacutes Soto Ramiacuterez Local Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and Head of the Molecular Virology Unit at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Meacutedicas y Nutricioacuten Salvador Zubiriaacuten and Coordinator of the Clinical Care Committee of CONASIDA Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council ldquoThe fact that last year 27 million people were newly infected with HIV a disease that is entirely preventable is unacceptablerdquo

Dr Jaime Sepulveda (Mexico) founder of Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council who is now with the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation noted that attention to and resources for AIDS are at all-time high including substantially increased funding for the Global Fund and the US Presidentrsquos Emergency Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief According to Sepulveda reaching the goal of 3 million people in low and middle-income countries on treatment at the end of 2007 was a critical step forward but the world has only scratched the surface of possibilities in responding to the epidemic Greater resources more effectively spent and targeted where they can have the greatest effect would have a dramatic impact on the course of the epidemicrsquos Highlighting the fact that more people become infected

with HIV last year than began treatment Sepulveda called for radically increased investments in prevention research evaluation and delivery of services as well as accelerated research on promising prevention methods including a vaccine In conclusion he reiterated that political leadership from all countries and accountability at all levels are essential for stopping the epidemic

Citing the results in both treatment and prevention scale up in countries with sustained leadership such as Rwanda and Tanzania Alex Coutinho (Uganda) of the Infectious Disease Institute of Makerere University made a passionate call for greater leadership as a path toward meeting the challenges ahead In looking at progress to date Coutinho highlighted increased access to HIV testing and counseling to prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and to pediatric care and treatment as well as the effectiveness of male circumcision as a prevention intervention In contrast he noted that most countries will not achieve universal access by 2010 and that the majority of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are still unaware of their HIV status In his call to action Coutinho urged greater investment in prevention and financial resources flexible enough to support health systems and systems that reach into rural and other hard-to-reach areas and fully embrace PLHIV as partners He also urged outreach to and support of marginalized and at-risk communities as well as the greater involvement of PLHIV as a catalyst for change

Elisabet Fadul (Dominican Republic) of the Dominican Network for Youth RightsGlobal Youth Partners outlined a broad and urgent youth HIVAIDS agenda calling for comprehensive rights ndash and evidence-based plans to provide access for young people Highlighting the 40 of new infections worldwide among young people between the ages of 15-24 Fadul noted that HIV prevention and treatment programmes are failing to effectively reach young people with the most vulnerable and marginalized being stigmatized criminalized or forgotten by many of these programmes

To reverse this course she called for actions and policies that engage youth especially young people living with HIVAIDS as respected partners in developing and implementing programmes that forthrightly address their

needs and diversity

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The seminar on ldquoCorporate Social Responsibilityrdquo

for second level management tier took place on March 27

2008 at the MIDROC Ethiopia Auditorium and attended

by 27 participants from 12 group companies

In accordance with the call to plant ldquoThree Trees in the Third Millenniumrdquo volunteers from MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group and Head Office on August 2007 replanted trees on the Entoto Mountain situated north of the capital city Addis Ababa It is to be recalled that members of MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group under the motto ldquo Two Trees in 2000 Ethiopian Millenniumrdquo have participated in planting trees at the same location last year

Organized again by the MIDROC Ethiopia Public Relations the call for replanting was enthusiastically received by volunteers who went back to the area to replace those trees planted by employees of the Investment Group last year and did not take root and withered

Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting supported and encouraged volunteers of MIDROC Ethiopia and reminded them of the saying - ldquoten thousand dedicated soldiers are better than one million dubious soldiersrdquo and appreciated all the volunteers for actively participating in the tree replanting activity

Seminar on Corporate Social Responsibility

Participants at the seminar Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu delivering his presentation

Volunteers going up the mountain for replanting

Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting Department of MIDROC Ethiopia and Chairman of Training Committee in his opening remarks stressed the importance of participation in community affairs by all Group Companies and cited Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi as a shinning example in playing an active

role in social activities He called on all to strive hard to change the negative image of the country and build a better Ethiopia free from poverty hunger and disease Various papers were presented ensuing fruitful discussions on the above issues

MIDROC Ethiopia Volunteers Participate in Replanting Trees

 Tiret Sept 2008

Equatorial Business Group General Manager Ato Tadelle

Teferra Deputy General Manager Ato Mekuria Ayele and

Automotive Business Senior Director Ato Daniel Seyoum

participated a weeklong Dealerrsquos Conference that was

staged in Cape Town South Africa in February this year

According to Ato Daniel Seyoum around 75 business

leaders from Europe the Middle East Asia and Africa

participated at the Conference Issues discussed included

regional international business concerns VOLVOrsquos strategy

development VOLVO CE business update introduction to

new VOLVO road machinery and other related business

matters Dealersrsquo Conference is an annual event to bring

together leaders in the VOLVO Construction Equipment

business from nearly all over the world for a pull effect

particularly to companies like EBG to provide further

opportunity in the Automotive Industry

EBG is an exclusive dealer in Ethiopia for VOLVO brand

products

Company Observes its 15th Anniversary

A group picture of Dealers Conference participants

EBGrsquos Managers Attended Dealers Conference

Equatorial Business Group (EBG) colorfully observed its 15th Anniversary on April 30 2008 Ato Tadelle Teferra

General Manager of the Company addressing the management and employees expressed gratitude and appreciation

to the Owners of the Company and to the Employees who worked hard since its establishment and urged all company

staff to work with an even more commitment and dedication

Ato Tadelle on the occasion disclosed the implementation of the reform packages that started recently and expressed

hope that the reform packages would bring EBG to a better competitive and profitable position The reform introduces

MIS QMS and companyrsquos new restructuring and other associated jobs

Three employees who served EBG for 15 years were honored with Special Certificates and several employees from

the various businesses and support services of the company were awarded for Best Performances during the year

200607

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Tadesse Haile State Minister of the Ministry of Trade and Industry visited Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc and held discussions with senior members on issues pertaining to the activities of the factory Ato Ahmed Hassen General Manager of the Factory explained to the State Minister that the factory would make all efforts to produce quality products in large quantity so as to reduce import from abroad He however expressed his wish that the government reduces tax on raw materials which are essential for the production of soap and detergent

Ato Tadesse disclosed during the discussion that extensive studies that include soap industries in the country are underway with the aim to strengthen the chemical industry in which the concern would be addressed in the near future He further said that there is a plan to connect the various regions of the country to the port by

EBG was announced First Order Winner for Best Stand in the 12th International Millennium Trade Fair organized by the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations held at the Exhibition Center in February 2008

EBGrsquos stand was visited by large number of visitors including the honorable World Laureate Metre Artist Afework Tekle who not only showed interest in the products and services of EBG but also expressed his appreciation to the Company in his comments while signing in the Special Guest Book

EBG Awarded for Best Stand

Star Soap and Detergent Factory Visited

The Most Honorable Maritre World Laureate Artist

Afework Tekle signing in the Visitors Book at the Trade Fair

Ato Tadesse Haile visiting the Production Unit with Ato Ahmed Hassen General Manager and Ato Seid Ahmed Plant Manager of the Factory

rail within the coming five years for the speedy delivery of export and import of goods which will have a great impact on sales

Ato Tadesse Haile finally appreciated the activities of the factory and said that Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc is capable of being a model in the sector and wished the lsquoBest of Luckrsquo for the management and the staff and affirmed that his Ministry would always support on all their endeavors

Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc is a member of the MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group established at an investment capital of Birr 80 million The factory is one of the biggest in the sector and equipped with the latest machinery and manufactures best quality laundry and toilet soaps liquid and synthetic detergents powder and bar soaps

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the most dedicated health care professionals and support staff SalaM Employees Clinic the Clinic that provides health care services to employees of MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group Companies and affiliates in its efforts to upgrade and improve its services has added to its modern list of medical equipment a Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor an advanced medical equipment Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor is one of the new advanced machineries that the clinic acquired recently which is used for the diagnosis of refraction errors of the eye

The Clinic provides medical and surgical services with sub-specialists in gynecological ophthalmological dermatological and ENT employing advanced diagnostic equipment such as radiography endoscopy and colonoscopy supported by video camera ultrasound and ECG Machines It has a well stocked pharmacy with essential medicines and also provides laboratory diagnostic services

The Clinic recently has moved from its previous location to a large and ideal villa with more rooms and a convenient location near the Genet Hotel and is open 24 hours

SalaM Employees Clinic was established by Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi in 1996 for employees of the Investment Group with an investment capital of over Birr 4 million under the SalaM Health Care Plc He later on increased the investment a lot more

Apart from providing services to the employees of the MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group SalaM Employees Clinic is rendering efficient services to the public as well

Dr Amare Abebe Medical Director of the clinic conducting an examination using endoscopy machine

Employees Clinic Secures Equipment

The Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor which the clinic acquired recently

The front view of the Clinic

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Three delegates from Ethiopia Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu MIDROC Ethiopia Training Director Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch Ato Asfaw Alemu Credit Manager of Dashen Bank attended the International Society of Business Economics and Ethics World Congress under the theme ldquoGlobal Fairness Local Integrityrdquo held in Cape Town from July 13 ndash 20 2008 and organized by BEN-Africa

The ISBEE World Congress is held every four years and is affectionately referred to as the Olympics of Business Ethics It always succeeds in attracting the best minds in the field of ethics of business and economics This yearrsquos Congress was attended by over 400 participants from all corners of the world Top notch world speakers among others Prof Mervyn E King SC Prof Deon Rossow Prof Joka Iwao Prof Georges Enderle Prof Paul Collies and Prof Tom Donaldson attended the Congress and over 80 papers were presented in three plenary sessions on topical international business issues

Ethiopian Delegation Participates at World ISBEE World Congress

Participants of ISBEE Congress Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu (left) Ato Lulseged Teferi (middle) Ato Asfaw Alemu

A Special Certificate of Recognition was awarded to Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu of MIDROC Ethiopia Prof Deon Rossow ndash former President of BEN-Africa and Ms Korien Sander the outgoing Executive Secretary of BEN-Africa

Emeritus Prof Johannes in his brief statement after receiving the certificate said that he accepted the certificate on behalf of those institutions and individuals in Ethiopia who have been behind the BEN-Africa Conference held in Ethiopia

It is to be recalled that MIDROC Ethiopia Corporate Office Dashen Bank the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch and Ato Teklu Haile Manager of Treasury Finance and Accounting of MIDROC Ethiopia played a great role for the successful completion of the ldquo7th Annual BEN-Africa Conferencerdquo held in Addis Ababa in August 2007

 Tiret Sept 2008

MIDROC Ethiopia is involved in the development of

mining and exploration of gold building of heavy mining

industries in central and eastern parts of the country

like cement plants filler plants etc Coal exploration is

also a potential area that is being explored by different

companies including MIDROC Ethiopia for use in the

cement plant power generation and fertilizer Soda ash

being used as a major input in glass soap detergent and

other industrial input is also one area of mining A lot of

investors are involved in gemstones

In an effort to exploit these resources and put them

to good use for the development of Ethiopia one of

MIDROC Ethiopia Group Companies the National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) has since its establishment in

March 1993 been actively engaged in the exploration of

gold and base metals in the various parts of the country

ldquoIt is worth noting that the mineral wealth of Ethiopia is

not fully tapped yet and needs to be given due attention

as it can be the backbone of the economy together with

agriculturerdquo says Ato Melaku Beza CEO of National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) He assertively told TIRET in

an interview at his office regarding the activities and

contributions of NMiC to the mining industry and that

his Company is working hard for a better achievement as

it has commemorated its 15th anniversary recently

He said that NMiC is currently engaged in the exploration

of gold base metals at Dawa Digati and Werri areas in the

Oromia and Tigray Administrative Regions and base metals

in Dire Dawa and Benshangul Gumuz Administrative

Regions It is also engaged in mining of marble and

limestone processing of quarried blocks and on the way

to develop the Abiyata Soda Ash in Southern Ethiopia

The Company in its venture in the development of Soda

Ash has embarked upon a joint investment agreement

with the Public Enterprise Supervising Agency (PPESA)

for a 54 percent share in which PPESArsquos 46 percent share

dilutes while NMICrsquos share shall increase in the process of

implementing tasks set in two phases

Mining Corporation on the Move

Ato Melaku Beza CEO NMiC

Dawa Digati Gold exploration drilling

The potential of the mining industry for the development of the Ethiopian economy is immense as witnessed by the ongoing development activities in the country This includes exploration of petroleum in the Ogaden Gambela and other areas by different companies exploration of gold in different parts of the country and potash exploration in Dallol where there is an estimated of 160 millions of tons of proven reserves

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Melaku stated that NMIC has invested Birr

160817912 (one hundred sixty million eight hundred

seventeen thousand nine hundred twelve) for exploration

and mining activities adding that the size of investment for

soda ash will be in the order of Birr 1150000000 (one

billion one hundred fifty million)

The first phase will cost Birr 640000000 (six hundred

forty million) and the second phase will be Birr 500000000

(five hundred million)

National Mining Corporation Plc is a pioneer in opening

and developing quarrying of marble and limestone using

the latest technology in the field Currently the Companyrsquos

Boka Marble Quarry has six benches and more than

twelve faces that are being worked out at Boka quarry

in the Benshangul Administrative Region In the process

it provides training to quarry workers of other quarry

owners thereby contributing to the development of the

mining culture

The General Manager explained about the processing and

marketing of his Companyrsquos products and said that his

Company applies modern technologies and deploys the

latest equipment in mining that meet export standards

engaging in open pit mining and tunneling for underground

mining which is unique not only in Ethiopia but also in

Africa He further articulated that the Company mines one

of the best quality marble in the industry as evidenced in

Boka multicolor marble once nominated as ldquoThe Stone

of the Yearrdquo by the Marble Institute of America (MIA)

while the blue marble has entered the world market by

a new name ldquoSummer Skyrdquo and is currently being sold

in Italy Samples of both have been tested and analyzed in

American Testing Companies and European Universities

and have proved to be of high quality and suitable both

for internal and external use in the construction industry

These two marbles are unique and are found only in

Ethiopia Also the limestone is of unique colors yellow

white and red which have high demand in the market

The CEO said that the special quality of his Companyrsquos

product that attracts international market is the

uniqueness of the material its beauty (aesthetics) and its

non-absorbent and compact nature

The company has the capacity to supply the export market

with the required quality and size of blocks and slabs both

white and blue marble Export markets include Taiwan

China Italy France USA Africa and the Middle East

In order to improve quality additional modern

state-of-the-art quarry machinery has been injected in the

quarry Plan is underway to replace the old machinery at

the processing plant The Company is also producing its

own ldquoabrasiverdquo used for polishing marble using locally

available minerals and materials

Awash Processing Plant

Blocks at Block Yard

Slabs at Slab Yard in the Awash Processing Plant

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

NMiC holds 40 of the local market share in the construction industry Lots of buildings have been cladded by NMiCrsquos products The Sheraton Addis Bole International Airport Terminal Sunshine Multipurpose Building National Bank of Ethiopia Federal Police Headquarters AUrsquos Building Head Office and the Secretary Generalrsquos Residence Ethiopian Insurance Corporation Worbek Building the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Patriarchrsquos Palace and UNCA Building are some the major buildings in Addis Ababa which are finished with NMiCrsquos products

National Mining Corporation Plc is one of the competent companies in Ethiopia and has contributed to the economy of the country by way of generating hard currency from its exports and saving foreign currency by competing and blocking imports of dimension stones from abroad One word it has added to the Ethiopian economy an amount of over Birr 5000000000 (fifty million) in tax royalties and land rent

NMiC has made valuable studies on the mineral potential areas of the country in dimension stones oil and gas mineral water coal and industrial minerals It has also made sound participation in the employment and training of manpower to the mining sector and has encouraged foreign investors to be involved in exploration of oil and gas and other minerals NMiC provides free training in its quarries and processing plant to new local enterprises coming to the sector The company provides potable water electricity medical services and other financial assistance to the community of its mining areas and has set up HIVAIDS policy for the Company to curb the spread of the pandemic and provides care and support for

those living with the virus

Tunnel Jet Belt Quarrying the latest technology in use at the Eshet Blue Quarry

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

a) Finalizing the work on the exploration phase of the gold and base metals projects both at Dawa Digati and Werri which shall lead to feasibility study and production stage

b) Developing Eshet Blue and Boka Multicolor marble quarries and strengthen export to increase income of foreign currency

c) Supplying blocks to local factories

d) Replacement of machinery at Awash Processing Plant especially to boost production and quality

e) Improve the life of the working force through profit sharing and availing better facilities together with upgrading their knowledge through training

f) Implement the Soda Ash development project

The priority areas of NMiC in its future plan include among others

Asked finally if he was satisfied with his Companyrsquos achievements Ato Melaku Beza CEO of NMiC replied ldquoNot much we could do betterrdquo

Nmic Products

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

ldquoA journey of a thousand miles starts with a single steprdquo

goes the famous Chinese saying as for Bauer MIDROC it

all started 10 years ago with the foundation work of the

construction of the MIDROC Corporate Office (MCO)

commonly known as Nani Building With a single project

at hand Bauer Specialtifbau a German Company ventured

into the slowly budding private construction industry

in equal partnership with MIDROC Ethiopia Although

a small scale business venture in the eyes of both giant

partners MIDROC Ethiopia and Bauer Specialtifbau it

created vast opportunities to the construction sector

with the introduction of a state-of-the-art German based

foundation technology to the Ethiopian market The

miniature move of the two giants opened up a gateway

of possibilities and marked a new construction era for

Ethiopia Over the years changes in shareholders has

led to the current name ldquoMIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plcrdquo with the state-of-the-art foundation solutions still in

place

Several limitations in dealing with unfavorable soil

conditions frequently encountered within Ethiopiarsquos

diverse geological formations most abundantly the

problematic black cotton soil within the city of Addis

Ababa and other parts of the country brought about

several technical barriers when it came to building

massive civil structures Building highrises as well as

massive bridges was inconceivable unless capable soil was

in close vicinity MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with

the introduction of deep foundations based on advanced

and efficient technologies in the construction industry

no doubt brought about remarkable solutions and helped

ease some of these anxieties

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with its fleets of large

diameter drilling rigs and variety of drilling tools capable of

both soil and hard soil formations has made economical

foundation solutions a reality offering developers the

confidence to build high rise buildings without worrying

about the type of soil in Addis Ababa The expertise of

Dedicated Backing for MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is gradually changing

the cityrsquos skyline with the construction of the completed

MCO Building AICAIB Headquarters and KK Building

both to be completed soon and all standing above 20

stories

Entering the city limits through the skyways one can notice

that the Bole Airport has received an entire facelift with

the construction of the International Passenger Terminal

Airport Control Towers the new Cargo Terminal and the

Maintenance Hanger The only thing these landmarks share

other than ownership is that they owe their existence to

foundation solutions of MIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plc As we enter the city limits also the Bole Viaduct

and all the overpasses on the Addis Ababa Ring Road are

comfortably resting still with the construction of the deep

piles by MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc

Drilling of pile with casing

 Tiret Sept 2008

Parallel to pile construction as verification of the

constructed pile capacities is common practice in the

foundation construction industry MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc equipped with the state-of-the-art

automated pile load testing system has recently conducted

1300 metric tons load test at the Derba MIDROC Cement

Factory Project the first of this magnitude in the African

Continent

The introduction of vertical shoring wall systems that

uses reinforced concrete piles and tie back anchors which

is gaining popularity in recent years is another type of

foundation technology solutions made possible in Ethiopia

through MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos expertise

Prior to these shoring system solutions land owners

could not fully utilize their plots at the boundaries for fear

of catastrophic cave-in In fact in most cases plot owners

avoided under ground construction in order to avoid

litigation with next door land owners The utilization of

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos vertical shoring pile

wall system was proposed and implemented in the cases

of Bole Towers and Loli Building In both cases all sides of

the plot were shored exactly at the boundaries without

any land loss In fact the clients gained underground spaces

in the order of two to three times their plot size for

possible parking purpose This has provided developers

with solutions clearing their lumbers from additional

costs for parking facilities

Pile load testing

In line with the construction boom within Addis Ababa

developers are opting to construct on boundary edges

where heavy structures already exist in adjacent plots

In order to excavate at these boundaries the safest and

most economical foundation solution system is shoring

pile wall system These systems were employed at Awash

Bank and Insurance Building KK Building and Orchid

Building

For realization of structures that have to be constructed

below the natural ground water level and or near offshore

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc has construction

approaches that employ waterproof vertical shoring

systems and several options to choose from within

the framework of technical feasibility of foundation

engineering The construction of Diaphragm Wall

Cellular Cofferdam Sheet Pile Wall and Secant

Pile Wall are such solutions to name a few The cost

of construction and the time required for executing the

works is in the order listed above

Anchored pile shoring wall

Foundation Solution

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the equipment already available in the country

MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc has tabled and

implemented an economical and technically feasible

secant pile wall system solution for bridge projects

within Ethiopia If it was not for MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plcrsquos geotechnical solutions construction under

such conditions would have been technically impossible

throughout East Africa

Unlike other options construction of secant pile wall as

waterproof vertical shoring system is not limited to the

soil condition of the site The construction of such high

tech geotechnical engineering solutions by the Company

have been successfully applied on projects like the Omo

River Bridge and on the New Abay Bridge Projects The

application of the secant pile wall system was used for the

construction of the pier foundation on both sides of the

Bridge on the Omo River Bridge Project and one side pier

foundation construction of the New Abay Bridge Project

During the construction of the Omo River Bridge

foundation and substructure works other logistic

challenges non-related to foundation works was

encountered The West Pier and Abutment on the Omo

River Bridge created such a technical impasse On this

side one of the most difficult challenges was to solve the

problem of crossing equipment and construction material

across the 150 m wide river After carefully considering all

the possible alternatives a decision was made to design and

manufacture a water crossing barge using local expertise

and manufacturing capabilities MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc took part in the design manufacturing and

commissioning of this barge and has successfully crossed

a 503 ton drilling rig and other earth moving equipment

With nearly twenty projects within Ethiopia MIDROC

Foundation Specialists Plc is a pioneer in exporting

foundation technology to neighboring Kenya Tanzania

and the Sudan In-house trained Ethiopian experts have

Crossing of drilling rig on Omo River through Barge

 Tiret Sept 2008

Secant pile wall

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Mr Achim Braun General Manager of MIDROC Foundation (left) inspecting a construction site

left their marks on several key projects within those

countries Among the projects successfully carried out in

Tanzania the Songo Songo Offshore Piling Project was the

most challenging and rewarding of all In this Project sixty

per cent of the piles were constructed from a SEWP (Self

Elevating Working Platform) elevated 13 meters from the

sea bed

As the company commemorates the tenth anniversary of

its establishment it is only proper to mark the outstanding

contributions to the construction industry of Ethiopia The

efficiency of the Company and the technology employed

has resulted in creating a broad awareness of foundation

technological solutions in the country particularly

among developers In terms of the spectrum of available

techniques of foundation the projects undertaken so

far are only a tip of the iceberg Although the Company

was confronted with a number of challenges in changing

attitudes and practices the success achieved so far has

been accomplished with great efforts exerted by the

companyrsquos management and its diligent professionals in

the field

Being the only Class I Foundation Specialist Contractors

in the country MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc is now

determined to leap ahead to new and yet un-introduced

foundation construction technologies such as micro 

piles  high  pressure  injection  diaphragm 

walls  slope  protection  and  soil  nailing  As

the countries infrastructure development continues to

reach higher levels MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is

preparing itself to meet the current customer demands

and technological challenges

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Statistics reveal that the country continues to earn hard currency from export of primary commodities such as coffee which tops the list by fetching some 500 million dollars last financial year

Other commodities are hides and skin flowers pulses fruits vegetables and chat

Incidentally it is interesting to note that Chat has fetched over 60 million dollars in foreign currency last fiscal year

The chewing of chat leaves is common in the horn of Africa but in eastern Ethiopia it is big business for some and big worry for others Chat is a major agricultural crop Yet many say it is addictive and harmful to health

In a town where I grew up for instance it is hard to avoid the impact of the stimulant leaf The first thing that strikes you in the main market is the deafening noise The market square is a scene of total chaos as you make your way through a bustling crowd preoccupied with the business of bartering for a prized commodity- the green leafed plant chat

Awadaye market is a market for chat It is estimated that over 25000 kg pass through it daily The buyers and sellers take their jobs seriously shouting to one other They gesture excitedly as they trade thousands of birr daily for the chat which is bought from the local farmers in Awadaye and sent to other areas in Ethiopia It is also exported overseas It is said to be the backbone of the economy as it can be gathered from the revenue it has generated during the current physical year

If you compare chat farmers with other farmers in other parts of the country you will see that their standard of living is so much better

The employment created though chat cultivation is very high as large numbers of people are involved in growing harvesting sorting packing transporting loading and unloading the commodity The wood of the plant is used for fuel and because of its resistance to termites it is also used to make fences Chat is also believed to have medical value being used locally to treat influenza and asthma

Chat farmers used to grow maize sorghum and teff which is the basic Ethiopian staple food but these crops are difficult to grow as they require lots of rain and attention

while chat requires little water or cultivation That is why it is widely believed that its cultivation is expanding at an amazing rate

Chat has now become Ethiopiarsquos biggest export third only to coffee and hides and skin But despite the cash earning and the tradition of chat growing and use among the people many people do not encourage it

They believe that it is addictive and this has a negative impact on the community They allege that people forget about their work commitments and spend hours chewing chat The number of users of chat is increasing particularly among the youth

In urban areas the use of chat combined with alcohol is having an adverse effect on family life Many students chew chat because they say it increases their concentration when they study their lessons

However in some regions where it is widely cultivated business punctuality is a frequent problem as the time after lunch is usually spent chewing chat Even in some regions where the plant has been banned cultivation and usage continue and attempts to replace chat with cash crops like coffee have failed

Regardless of the merit or demerit of chat the country continues to get the much needed hard currency through export of the plant ldquochatrdquo

However many people including development agents are of the opinion that the demerit far out weighs the merit for energy and time is spent chewing the stuff and particularly its negative impact on health especially on the productive force

Another very lucrative business in Ethiopia is the export of leather and leather goods According to recent data export of leather and leather goods registered a surge from 52 million dollars to over 90 million dollars Incidentally ELICO one of MIDROC Ethiopia group companies dealing with finished leather products fetched last financial year over 10 million dollars

In the light of considerable income accrued from export of primary commodities there is a need to do even more by way of establishing more agro-industries that engage in the production of agricultural products for sale locally and internationally

Earning from Export of Primary CommoditiesBy Yohannes Ruphael

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The Third Private Sector Development National Conference ndash 2008 of Ethiopia took place in Addis Ababa on June 30 2008 ndash at the UNECA Conference Center and the draft strategy document and priority strategic issues for improved business environment were discussed by representatives of the Private Sector Development Hub established with basic objectives of coordinating and developing a series of public sector development intervention projects for implementation with international financial support and undertaking related research studies to support the business community in its public and private partnership dialogue The Conference was addressed by an internationally renowned and distinguished authority on Corporate Governance Prof Mervyn E King SC

The Editorial Team of TIRET has taken advantage of communicating with Professor Mervyn E King SC to share his views briefly with our readers

Professor Mervyn E King SC is currently Professor Extraordinaire at the University of South Africa and serves as the Chairperson of the King Committee on Corporate Governance in South Africa He is a Senior Counsel and former Judge of the Supreme Court of South Africa His other credentials include Member of the World Bank Advisory Group on Corporate Governance President of the Commonwealth Association of Corporate Governance Governor of the International Corporate Governance Network President of the South Africa Chamber of Business Vice President of the Institute of Directors of Southern Africa Representatives of South Africa at the International Chamber of Commerce Advisor of Asian Center of Corporate Governance Director of Global Reporting Initiative-Amsterdam Director of Association of business Administrators of South Africa

At the Millennium National Private Sector Development Conference in Addis Ababa recently I spoke about corporate governance in the development of the private sector

Corporate governance is about the principles and practices which guide directors and senior managers in making their decisions to the best interests of their companies It has to be separated from the enterprise side of the business which is about making business judgment calls It is essential that directors and senior managers adopt acceptable principles and practices in steering and directing the company and making business judgment It is about the quality of this governance rather than a quantitative check on whether there has been compliance by the directors and managers with well-known governance practices such as the establishment of a remuneration committee

In my talk I pointed out that the economic value of a company does not equal its book value In Coca Cola for example its book value is approximately 13 of its economic value and its greatest asset is its brand which is dependent on

 Tiret Sept 2008

the companyrsquos reputation Consequentially directors and senior managers of Coca Cola have a duty to protect the companyrsquos brand

In planning for a company the strategic direction needs to be done both short- and long-term If a strategy is developed in which all persons in the corporation at all levels buy-in one can get ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things Unless this is done not even extraordinary people will achieve ordinary things

The important thing for directors to remember is that they have won and maintained the trust and confidence of the stakeholders of the company Consequently they should report at least annually how the company has both positively and negatively affected a communityrsquos economic life through its operations and how it is going to enhance those positive aspects and eradicate or ameliorate the negative aspects in the year ahead

Good governance involves inter alia the approval by the board of the strategy of the company and sustainability can no longer be ignored in developing a long-term strategy

The Private Sector Development Hub (PSD-Hub) has the objective to contribute to the economic development of Ethiopia by improving the entrepreneurial environment and the governance of corporations Consequently the PSD-Hub has held Conferences over the last two years focusing on these issues and on the question of public private partnerships There has also been discussion about expediting the registration of companies the standardization of accounting and auditing capitalization and the finalization of the revision of the Ethiopian Commercial Code Corporate governance has featured prominently in these discussions

Arising out of all the modernization of the registration of companies in Ethiopia has been recognized as a priority

Accounting and auditing standards which should follow IFRS should have legal backing so that everyone in Ethiopia will know the meaning of the reported financial statements

The development of a securities market including an exchange in which not only equities but bonds and derivatives can be bought and sold with the dematerialisation of scrip and electronic settlement is essential

From the above it will be seen that there is much to be done but Ethiopia is striving through the PSD Hub to create platforms on which it can forge ahead in our flat electronic world where capital flows towards those areas where there is good governance and well-regulated markets The Conference at which I spoke was just another step in Ethiopiarsquos endeavours to achieve these goals Positively the essential aspects for creating an entrepreneurial and thriving business environment have been identified and PSD Hub the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other interested bodies are working in partnership with government to achieve them

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Itrsquos a ridiculous

l a n g u a g e rdquo

sputtered the

Englishman at

the next table

his jowls shaking

in anger ldquoA ridiculous languagerdquo

We were sitting in a tiny tea-and-pie shop in Criccieth a

town in northern Wales and everybody but us was speaking

Welsh Like a remarkable number of his countrymen this

man was convinced it was merely a secret code employed

by the local to talk behind the backs of English visitors

ldquoJust you watchrdquo he said ldquoAs soon as we leave theyrsquoll all

go back to speaking Englishrdquo

I rather doubted it And unlike the Englishman I was

thrilled to encounter one of the oldest languages in

Europe a tongue heard in this misty and mountainous

land since the arrival of Roman legions

Being surrounded by people speaking an unfamiliar and

exotic language is to me one of the best things about

travel Just as some people will journey to the Serengeti

to glimpse the rare and endangered white rhino Irsquoll happily

go far out of my way to hear a rare and endangered

language

In the storybook city of Carcassonne in southwest France

I was less thrilled at seeing the towers and turrets than

I was at meeting a man who could speak Occitan the

ancient and fast-vanishing language of the troubadours

As far as I was concerned the most fascinating thing in

Dangriga a coastal town in Belize was the mellifluous

sound of Garifuna a language spoken by the descendants

of shipwrecked slaves from West Africa I once traveled

to Graubunden in eastern Switzerland in the hope of

hearing Romansch a tongue spoken by fewer than one

percent of the nationrsquos residents and said to resemble

Latin I encountered a few signs in the language but no

one who could speak it

According to one oft-cited estimate at least half the

worldrsquos 6000 languages are likely to die out by the end

of this century which means that one is going silent on

average every two weeks

Itrsquos not merely a matter of using different words to express the same thoughts Languages are literally the expressions of cultures and belief systems entirely different ways of making sense of the world And just as we should be concerned about the shrinking diversity of plant and animal species we should also worry about the shrinking diversity of languages

Welsh though seems to be holding on despite 700 years

of efforts by the English to exterminate it The BBC has for

some years now carried television and radio programming

in the language and in Wales itrsquos possible to receive your

entire education from preschool to postgraduate in

Welsh About 20 percent of Walesrsquo population speaks

Welsh and the number appears to be growing slightly

It is not as the Englishman said a ridiculous language But

it is to my eyes and ears a wonderfully strange one Dave

Barry once wrote that the ancient Hawaiians arrived on

their islands after perilous canoe voyages in seas so rough

their consonants fell overboard My guess is that the

letters drifted the worldrsquos oceans until they washed up on

the shores of Wales

T h e   B e a u t y   o f   a   L a n g u a g e

 Tiret Sept 2008

How else to explain for example the Welsh word for

beer Itrsquos cwrw It looks like my Scrabble tray when I

donrsquot have a word to pay (In case you ever need to order

one itrsquos pronounced ldquokooroordquo)

And then therersquos the vexing pronunciation of the double-

1 you find at the beginning of it seems two-thirds of the

town names in Wales ldquoJust put your teeth together and

hiss like a duckrdquo explained a helpful woman I met at the

Dylan Thomas Museum in Swansea She also pointed out

that Llareggub the fictional town in Thomasrsquo ldquoUnder the

Milkwood Treerdquo is merely ldquobugger allrdquo spelled backward

I like the besotted poet a whole lot more after learning

that

One dark and drizzly night I went to a little schoolhouse in

the Rhondda Valley to listen to a rehearsal of the Treorchy

Menrsquos Choir made up mostly of unemployed coal miners

ldquoIn the old daysrdquo one of them told me ldquowe used to sing

together in the pitsrdquo

When they opened their mouths to sing as one in Welsh

all the snarky little comments about their language become

moot It was simply one of the most hauntingly beautiful

sounds Irsquove even heard

I got a lesson in the politics of minority languages recently

when I visited Montreal the capital of French ndash speaking

Canada I hadnrsquot been there since a childhood visit to

Exporsquo67 and I remember the province as decidedly

bilingual Everything from traffic signs to toothpaste

tubes was printed in French and English No more A

law passed in 1977 banned the use of English in signs

throughout Quebec Itrsquos an attempt to do linguistically

what they failed for two centuries to do militarily prevent

the English from conquering them

Theyrsquore quite serious about this Hudson Bay Co the

venerable department store chain that dates back to the

fur-trading days is now known as Compagnie de la Baie

drsquoHudson at least in these parts Kentucky Fried Chicken

outlets arenrsquot allowed to use ldquoKFCrdquo on their signs In

Quebec theyrsquore called ldquoPFKrdquo for Poulet Frit Kentucky

The Quebecois are more vigilant even than their famously

Anglophobic counterparts in Paris All stop signs here say

Arret even though the ones in France say ldquoStoprdquo

It all seemed a little silly and excessive to me until I began

talking to French-speaking Montrealers about it ldquoYou

have to understand that wersquore surrounded by English

speakersrdquo a schoolteacher told me ldquoWe have to be very

firm about defending our language or it will disappear

And when it goes so does our way of life

Signs aside most French Canadians I met were bilingual

I quickly discovered that if I first made atleast a fumbling

attempt to speak their language almost everybody was

happy to switch to English ndash very possibly to spare

themselves the trauma of hearing my phrase-book

French which sounds like someone grinding the gears

of an old Citroen ldquoWe have nothing against Englishrdquo the

schoolteacher told me ldquoItrsquos just that we want to speak

French hererdquo

Vive la differenceJohn Flinn -Travel Editor

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Scale up of HIV Prevention Treatment Care and Support Requires Renewed Leadership and Resources

The 17th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) took place in Mexico City from August 3 -8 2008 with an assessment of the situation of the global epidemic at a panel of researchers public health and civil society leaders examined recent progress towards the scale up of treatment and prevention programmes and called for sustained action to eliminate the barriers to universal access

ldquoDespite the progress we have made we are not on course to meet universal access targets and in fact appear to be slipping away from our existing commitmentsrdquo said Dr Pedro Cahn International Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and President of the International AIDS Society and Fundacioacuten Hueacutesped in Buenos Aires Argentina ldquoIt appears that we are poised to accept defeat when victory is still within our grasp Our failure to meet those commitments will have an impact on millions of lives This cannot be allowed to happen It is time for nations to live up to their commitmentsrdquo

ldquoWith only two years to go until the 2010 deadline for universal access set by world leaders we must redouble our commitment to scaling up all proven HIV prevention strategiesrdquo said Dr Luiacutes Soto Ramiacuterez Local Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and Head of the Molecular Virology Unit at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Meacutedicas y Nutricioacuten Salvador Zubiriaacuten and Coordinator of the Clinical Care Committee of CONASIDA Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council ldquoThe fact that last year 27 million people were newly infected with HIV a disease that is entirely preventable is unacceptablerdquo

Dr Jaime Sepulveda (Mexico) founder of Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council who is now with the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation noted that attention to and resources for AIDS are at all-time high including substantially increased funding for the Global Fund and the US Presidentrsquos Emergency Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief According to Sepulveda reaching the goal of 3 million people in low and middle-income countries on treatment at the end of 2007 was a critical step forward but the world has only scratched the surface of possibilities in responding to the epidemic Greater resources more effectively spent and targeted where they can have the greatest effect would have a dramatic impact on the course of the epidemicrsquos Highlighting the fact that more people become infected

with HIV last year than began treatment Sepulveda called for radically increased investments in prevention research evaluation and delivery of services as well as accelerated research on promising prevention methods including a vaccine In conclusion he reiterated that political leadership from all countries and accountability at all levels are essential for stopping the epidemic

Citing the results in both treatment and prevention scale up in countries with sustained leadership such as Rwanda and Tanzania Alex Coutinho (Uganda) of the Infectious Disease Institute of Makerere University made a passionate call for greater leadership as a path toward meeting the challenges ahead In looking at progress to date Coutinho highlighted increased access to HIV testing and counseling to prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and to pediatric care and treatment as well as the effectiveness of male circumcision as a prevention intervention In contrast he noted that most countries will not achieve universal access by 2010 and that the majority of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are still unaware of their HIV status In his call to action Coutinho urged greater investment in prevention and financial resources flexible enough to support health systems and systems that reach into rural and other hard-to-reach areas and fully embrace PLHIV as partners He also urged outreach to and support of marginalized and at-risk communities as well as the greater involvement of PLHIV as a catalyst for change

Elisabet Fadul (Dominican Republic) of the Dominican Network for Youth RightsGlobal Youth Partners outlined a broad and urgent youth HIVAIDS agenda calling for comprehensive rights ndash and evidence-based plans to provide access for young people Highlighting the 40 of new infections worldwide among young people between the ages of 15-24 Fadul noted that HIV prevention and treatment programmes are failing to effectively reach young people with the most vulnerable and marginalized being stigmatized criminalized or forgotten by many of these programmes

To reverse this course she called for actions and policies that engage youth especially young people living with HIVAIDS as respected partners in developing and implementing programmes that forthrightly address their

needs and diversity

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The seminar on ldquoCorporate Social Responsibilityrdquo

for second level management tier took place on March 27

2008 at the MIDROC Ethiopia Auditorium and attended

by 27 participants from 12 group companies

In accordance with the call to plant ldquoThree Trees in the Third Millenniumrdquo volunteers from MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group and Head Office on August 2007 replanted trees on the Entoto Mountain situated north of the capital city Addis Ababa It is to be recalled that members of MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group under the motto ldquo Two Trees in 2000 Ethiopian Millenniumrdquo have participated in planting trees at the same location last year

Organized again by the MIDROC Ethiopia Public Relations the call for replanting was enthusiastically received by volunteers who went back to the area to replace those trees planted by employees of the Investment Group last year and did not take root and withered

Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting supported and encouraged volunteers of MIDROC Ethiopia and reminded them of the saying - ldquoten thousand dedicated soldiers are better than one million dubious soldiersrdquo and appreciated all the volunteers for actively participating in the tree replanting activity

Seminar on Corporate Social Responsibility

Participants at the seminar Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu delivering his presentation

Volunteers going up the mountain for replanting

Ato Teklu Haile Manager Treasury Finance and Accounting Department of MIDROC Ethiopia and Chairman of Training Committee in his opening remarks stressed the importance of participation in community affairs by all Group Companies and cited Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi as a shinning example in playing an active

role in social activities He called on all to strive hard to change the negative image of the country and build a better Ethiopia free from poverty hunger and disease Various papers were presented ensuing fruitful discussions on the above issues

MIDROC Ethiopia Volunteers Participate in Replanting Trees

 Tiret Sept 2008

Equatorial Business Group General Manager Ato Tadelle

Teferra Deputy General Manager Ato Mekuria Ayele and

Automotive Business Senior Director Ato Daniel Seyoum

participated a weeklong Dealerrsquos Conference that was

staged in Cape Town South Africa in February this year

According to Ato Daniel Seyoum around 75 business

leaders from Europe the Middle East Asia and Africa

participated at the Conference Issues discussed included

regional international business concerns VOLVOrsquos strategy

development VOLVO CE business update introduction to

new VOLVO road machinery and other related business

matters Dealersrsquo Conference is an annual event to bring

together leaders in the VOLVO Construction Equipment

business from nearly all over the world for a pull effect

particularly to companies like EBG to provide further

opportunity in the Automotive Industry

EBG is an exclusive dealer in Ethiopia for VOLVO brand

products

Company Observes its 15th Anniversary

A group picture of Dealers Conference participants

EBGrsquos Managers Attended Dealers Conference

Equatorial Business Group (EBG) colorfully observed its 15th Anniversary on April 30 2008 Ato Tadelle Teferra

General Manager of the Company addressing the management and employees expressed gratitude and appreciation

to the Owners of the Company and to the Employees who worked hard since its establishment and urged all company

staff to work with an even more commitment and dedication

Ato Tadelle on the occasion disclosed the implementation of the reform packages that started recently and expressed

hope that the reform packages would bring EBG to a better competitive and profitable position The reform introduces

MIS QMS and companyrsquos new restructuring and other associated jobs

Three employees who served EBG for 15 years were honored with Special Certificates and several employees from

the various businesses and support services of the company were awarded for Best Performances during the year

200607

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Tadesse Haile State Minister of the Ministry of Trade and Industry visited Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc and held discussions with senior members on issues pertaining to the activities of the factory Ato Ahmed Hassen General Manager of the Factory explained to the State Minister that the factory would make all efforts to produce quality products in large quantity so as to reduce import from abroad He however expressed his wish that the government reduces tax on raw materials which are essential for the production of soap and detergent

Ato Tadesse disclosed during the discussion that extensive studies that include soap industries in the country are underway with the aim to strengthen the chemical industry in which the concern would be addressed in the near future He further said that there is a plan to connect the various regions of the country to the port by

EBG was announced First Order Winner for Best Stand in the 12th International Millennium Trade Fair organized by the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations held at the Exhibition Center in February 2008

EBGrsquos stand was visited by large number of visitors including the honorable World Laureate Metre Artist Afework Tekle who not only showed interest in the products and services of EBG but also expressed his appreciation to the Company in his comments while signing in the Special Guest Book

EBG Awarded for Best Stand

Star Soap and Detergent Factory Visited

The Most Honorable Maritre World Laureate Artist

Afework Tekle signing in the Visitors Book at the Trade Fair

Ato Tadesse Haile visiting the Production Unit with Ato Ahmed Hassen General Manager and Ato Seid Ahmed Plant Manager of the Factory

rail within the coming five years for the speedy delivery of export and import of goods which will have a great impact on sales

Ato Tadesse Haile finally appreciated the activities of the factory and said that Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc is capable of being a model in the sector and wished the lsquoBest of Luckrsquo for the management and the staff and affirmed that his Ministry would always support on all their endeavors

Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc is a member of the MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group established at an investment capital of Birr 80 million The factory is one of the biggest in the sector and equipped with the latest machinery and manufactures best quality laundry and toilet soaps liquid and synthetic detergents powder and bar soaps

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the most dedicated health care professionals and support staff SalaM Employees Clinic the Clinic that provides health care services to employees of MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group Companies and affiliates in its efforts to upgrade and improve its services has added to its modern list of medical equipment a Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor an advanced medical equipment Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor is one of the new advanced machineries that the clinic acquired recently which is used for the diagnosis of refraction errors of the eye

The Clinic provides medical and surgical services with sub-specialists in gynecological ophthalmological dermatological and ENT employing advanced diagnostic equipment such as radiography endoscopy and colonoscopy supported by video camera ultrasound and ECG Machines It has a well stocked pharmacy with essential medicines and also provides laboratory diagnostic services

The Clinic recently has moved from its previous location to a large and ideal villa with more rooms and a convenient location near the Genet Hotel and is open 24 hours

SalaM Employees Clinic was established by Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi in 1996 for employees of the Investment Group with an investment capital of over Birr 4 million under the SalaM Health Care Plc He later on increased the investment a lot more

Apart from providing services to the employees of the MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group SalaM Employees Clinic is rendering efficient services to the public as well

Dr Amare Abebe Medical Director of the clinic conducting an examination using endoscopy machine

Employees Clinic Secures Equipment

The Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor which the clinic acquired recently

The front view of the Clinic

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Three delegates from Ethiopia Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu MIDROC Ethiopia Training Director Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch Ato Asfaw Alemu Credit Manager of Dashen Bank attended the International Society of Business Economics and Ethics World Congress under the theme ldquoGlobal Fairness Local Integrityrdquo held in Cape Town from July 13 ndash 20 2008 and organized by BEN-Africa

The ISBEE World Congress is held every four years and is affectionately referred to as the Olympics of Business Ethics It always succeeds in attracting the best minds in the field of ethics of business and economics This yearrsquos Congress was attended by over 400 participants from all corners of the world Top notch world speakers among others Prof Mervyn E King SC Prof Deon Rossow Prof Joka Iwao Prof Georges Enderle Prof Paul Collies and Prof Tom Donaldson attended the Congress and over 80 papers were presented in three plenary sessions on topical international business issues

Ethiopian Delegation Participates at World ISBEE World Congress

Participants of ISBEE Congress Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu (left) Ato Lulseged Teferi (middle) Ato Asfaw Alemu

A Special Certificate of Recognition was awarded to Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu of MIDROC Ethiopia Prof Deon Rossow ndash former President of BEN-Africa and Ms Korien Sander the outgoing Executive Secretary of BEN-Africa

Emeritus Prof Johannes in his brief statement after receiving the certificate said that he accepted the certificate on behalf of those institutions and individuals in Ethiopia who have been behind the BEN-Africa Conference held in Ethiopia

It is to be recalled that MIDROC Ethiopia Corporate Office Dashen Bank the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch and Ato Teklu Haile Manager of Treasury Finance and Accounting of MIDROC Ethiopia played a great role for the successful completion of the ldquo7th Annual BEN-Africa Conferencerdquo held in Addis Ababa in August 2007

 Tiret Sept 2008

MIDROC Ethiopia is involved in the development of

mining and exploration of gold building of heavy mining

industries in central and eastern parts of the country

like cement plants filler plants etc Coal exploration is

also a potential area that is being explored by different

companies including MIDROC Ethiopia for use in the

cement plant power generation and fertilizer Soda ash

being used as a major input in glass soap detergent and

other industrial input is also one area of mining A lot of

investors are involved in gemstones

In an effort to exploit these resources and put them

to good use for the development of Ethiopia one of

MIDROC Ethiopia Group Companies the National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) has since its establishment in

March 1993 been actively engaged in the exploration of

gold and base metals in the various parts of the country

ldquoIt is worth noting that the mineral wealth of Ethiopia is

not fully tapped yet and needs to be given due attention

as it can be the backbone of the economy together with

agriculturerdquo says Ato Melaku Beza CEO of National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) He assertively told TIRET in

an interview at his office regarding the activities and

contributions of NMiC to the mining industry and that

his Company is working hard for a better achievement as

it has commemorated its 15th anniversary recently

He said that NMiC is currently engaged in the exploration

of gold base metals at Dawa Digati and Werri areas in the

Oromia and Tigray Administrative Regions and base metals

in Dire Dawa and Benshangul Gumuz Administrative

Regions It is also engaged in mining of marble and

limestone processing of quarried blocks and on the way

to develop the Abiyata Soda Ash in Southern Ethiopia

The Company in its venture in the development of Soda

Ash has embarked upon a joint investment agreement

with the Public Enterprise Supervising Agency (PPESA)

for a 54 percent share in which PPESArsquos 46 percent share

dilutes while NMICrsquos share shall increase in the process of

implementing tasks set in two phases

Mining Corporation on the Move

Ato Melaku Beza CEO NMiC

Dawa Digati Gold exploration drilling

The potential of the mining industry for the development of the Ethiopian economy is immense as witnessed by the ongoing development activities in the country This includes exploration of petroleum in the Ogaden Gambela and other areas by different companies exploration of gold in different parts of the country and potash exploration in Dallol where there is an estimated of 160 millions of tons of proven reserves

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Melaku stated that NMIC has invested Birr

160817912 (one hundred sixty million eight hundred

seventeen thousand nine hundred twelve) for exploration

and mining activities adding that the size of investment for

soda ash will be in the order of Birr 1150000000 (one

billion one hundred fifty million)

The first phase will cost Birr 640000000 (six hundred

forty million) and the second phase will be Birr 500000000

(five hundred million)

National Mining Corporation Plc is a pioneer in opening

and developing quarrying of marble and limestone using

the latest technology in the field Currently the Companyrsquos

Boka Marble Quarry has six benches and more than

twelve faces that are being worked out at Boka quarry

in the Benshangul Administrative Region In the process

it provides training to quarry workers of other quarry

owners thereby contributing to the development of the

mining culture

The General Manager explained about the processing and

marketing of his Companyrsquos products and said that his

Company applies modern technologies and deploys the

latest equipment in mining that meet export standards

engaging in open pit mining and tunneling for underground

mining which is unique not only in Ethiopia but also in

Africa He further articulated that the Company mines one

of the best quality marble in the industry as evidenced in

Boka multicolor marble once nominated as ldquoThe Stone

of the Yearrdquo by the Marble Institute of America (MIA)

while the blue marble has entered the world market by

a new name ldquoSummer Skyrdquo and is currently being sold

in Italy Samples of both have been tested and analyzed in

American Testing Companies and European Universities

and have proved to be of high quality and suitable both

for internal and external use in the construction industry

These two marbles are unique and are found only in

Ethiopia Also the limestone is of unique colors yellow

white and red which have high demand in the market

The CEO said that the special quality of his Companyrsquos

product that attracts international market is the

uniqueness of the material its beauty (aesthetics) and its

non-absorbent and compact nature

The company has the capacity to supply the export market

with the required quality and size of blocks and slabs both

white and blue marble Export markets include Taiwan

China Italy France USA Africa and the Middle East

In order to improve quality additional modern

state-of-the-art quarry machinery has been injected in the

quarry Plan is underway to replace the old machinery at

the processing plant The Company is also producing its

own ldquoabrasiverdquo used for polishing marble using locally

available minerals and materials

Awash Processing Plant

Blocks at Block Yard

Slabs at Slab Yard in the Awash Processing Plant

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

NMiC holds 40 of the local market share in the construction industry Lots of buildings have been cladded by NMiCrsquos products The Sheraton Addis Bole International Airport Terminal Sunshine Multipurpose Building National Bank of Ethiopia Federal Police Headquarters AUrsquos Building Head Office and the Secretary Generalrsquos Residence Ethiopian Insurance Corporation Worbek Building the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Patriarchrsquos Palace and UNCA Building are some the major buildings in Addis Ababa which are finished with NMiCrsquos products

National Mining Corporation Plc is one of the competent companies in Ethiopia and has contributed to the economy of the country by way of generating hard currency from its exports and saving foreign currency by competing and blocking imports of dimension stones from abroad One word it has added to the Ethiopian economy an amount of over Birr 5000000000 (fifty million) in tax royalties and land rent

NMiC has made valuable studies on the mineral potential areas of the country in dimension stones oil and gas mineral water coal and industrial minerals It has also made sound participation in the employment and training of manpower to the mining sector and has encouraged foreign investors to be involved in exploration of oil and gas and other minerals NMiC provides free training in its quarries and processing plant to new local enterprises coming to the sector The company provides potable water electricity medical services and other financial assistance to the community of its mining areas and has set up HIVAIDS policy for the Company to curb the spread of the pandemic and provides care and support for

those living with the virus

Tunnel Jet Belt Quarrying the latest technology in use at the Eshet Blue Quarry

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

a) Finalizing the work on the exploration phase of the gold and base metals projects both at Dawa Digati and Werri which shall lead to feasibility study and production stage

b) Developing Eshet Blue and Boka Multicolor marble quarries and strengthen export to increase income of foreign currency

c) Supplying blocks to local factories

d) Replacement of machinery at Awash Processing Plant especially to boost production and quality

e) Improve the life of the working force through profit sharing and availing better facilities together with upgrading their knowledge through training

f) Implement the Soda Ash development project

The priority areas of NMiC in its future plan include among others

Asked finally if he was satisfied with his Companyrsquos achievements Ato Melaku Beza CEO of NMiC replied ldquoNot much we could do betterrdquo

Nmic Products

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

ldquoA journey of a thousand miles starts with a single steprdquo

goes the famous Chinese saying as for Bauer MIDROC it

all started 10 years ago with the foundation work of the

construction of the MIDROC Corporate Office (MCO)

commonly known as Nani Building With a single project

at hand Bauer Specialtifbau a German Company ventured

into the slowly budding private construction industry

in equal partnership with MIDROC Ethiopia Although

a small scale business venture in the eyes of both giant

partners MIDROC Ethiopia and Bauer Specialtifbau it

created vast opportunities to the construction sector

with the introduction of a state-of-the-art German based

foundation technology to the Ethiopian market The

miniature move of the two giants opened up a gateway

of possibilities and marked a new construction era for

Ethiopia Over the years changes in shareholders has

led to the current name ldquoMIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plcrdquo with the state-of-the-art foundation solutions still in

place

Several limitations in dealing with unfavorable soil

conditions frequently encountered within Ethiopiarsquos

diverse geological formations most abundantly the

problematic black cotton soil within the city of Addis

Ababa and other parts of the country brought about

several technical barriers when it came to building

massive civil structures Building highrises as well as

massive bridges was inconceivable unless capable soil was

in close vicinity MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with

the introduction of deep foundations based on advanced

and efficient technologies in the construction industry

no doubt brought about remarkable solutions and helped

ease some of these anxieties

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with its fleets of large

diameter drilling rigs and variety of drilling tools capable of

both soil and hard soil formations has made economical

foundation solutions a reality offering developers the

confidence to build high rise buildings without worrying

about the type of soil in Addis Ababa The expertise of

Dedicated Backing for MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is gradually changing

the cityrsquos skyline with the construction of the completed

MCO Building AICAIB Headquarters and KK Building

both to be completed soon and all standing above 20

stories

Entering the city limits through the skyways one can notice

that the Bole Airport has received an entire facelift with

the construction of the International Passenger Terminal

Airport Control Towers the new Cargo Terminal and the

Maintenance Hanger The only thing these landmarks share

other than ownership is that they owe their existence to

foundation solutions of MIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plc As we enter the city limits also the Bole Viaduct

and all the overpasses on the Addis Ababa Ring Road are

comfortably resting still with the construction of the deep

piles by MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc

Drilling of pile with casing

 Tiret Sept 2008

Parallel to pile construction as verification of the

constructed pile capacities is common practice in the

foundation construction industry MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc equipped with the state-of-the-art

automated pile load testing system has recently conducted

1300 metric tons load test at the Derba MIDROC Cement

Factory Project the first of this magnitude in the African

Continent

The introduction of vertical shoring wall systems that

uses reinforced concrete piles and tie back anchors which

is gaining popularity in recent years is another type of

foundation technology solutions made possible in Ethiopia

through MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos expertise

Prior to these shoring system solutions land owners

could not fully utilize their plots at the boundaries for fear

of catastrophic cave-in In fact in most cases plot owners

avoided under ground construction in order to avoid

litigation with next door land owners The utilization of

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos vertical shoring pile

wall system was proposed and implemented in the cases

of Bole Towers and Loli Building In both cases all sides of

the plot were shored exactly at the boundaries without

any land loss In fact the clients gained underground spaces

in the order of two to three times their plot size for

possible parking purpose This has provided developers

with solutions clearing their lumbers from additional

costs for parking facilities

Pile load testing

In line with the construction boom within Addis Ababa

developers are opting to construct on boundary edges

where heavy structures already exist in adjacent plots

In order to excavate at these boundaries the safest and

most economical foundation solution system is shoring

pile wall system These systems were employed at Awash

Bank and Insurance Building KK Building and Orchid

Building

For realization of structures that have to be constructed

below the natural ground water level and or near offshore

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc has construction

approaches that employ waterproof vertical shoring

systems and several options to choose from within

the framework of technical feasibility of foundation

engineering The construction of Diaphragm Wall

Cellular Cofferdam Sheet Pile Wall and Secant

Pile Wall are such solutions to name a few The cost

of construction and the time required for executing the

works is in the order listed above

Anchored pile shoring wall

Foundation Solution

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the equipment already available in the country

MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc has tabled and

implemented an economical and technically feasible

secant pile wall system solution for bridge projects

within Ethiopia If it was not for MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plcrsquos geotechnical solutions construction under

such conditions would have been technically impossible

throughout East Africa

Unlike other options construction of secant pile wall as

waterproof vertical shoring system is not limited to the

soil condition of the site The construction of such high

tech geotechnical engineering solutions by the Company

have been successfully applied on projects like the Omo

River Bridge and on the New Abay Bridge Projects The

application of the secant pile wall system was used for the

construction of the pier foundation on both sides of the

Bridge on the Omo River Bridge Project and one side pier

foundation construction of the New Abay Bridge Project

During the construction of the Omo River Bridge

foundation and substructure works other logistic

challenges non-related to foundation works was

encountered The West Pier and Abutment on the Omo

River Bridge created such a technical impasse On this

side one of the most difficult challenges was to solve the

problem of crossing equipment and construction material

across the 150 m wide river After carefully considering all

the possible alternatives a decision was made to design and

manufacture a water crossing barge using local expertise

and manufacturing capabilities MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc took part in the design manufacturing and

commissioning of this barge and has successfully crossed

a 503 ton drilling rig and other earth moving equipment

With nearly twenty projects within Ethiopia MIDROC

Foundation Specialists Plc is a pioneer in exporting

foundation technology to neighboring Kenya Tanzania

and the Sudan In-house trained Ethiopian experts have

Crossing of drilling rig on Omo River through Barge

 Tiret Sept 2008

Secant pile wall

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Mr Achim Braun General Manager of MIDROC Foundation (left) inspecting a construction site

left their marks on several key projects within those

countries Among the projects successfully carried out in

Tanzania the Songo Songo Offshore Piling Project was the

most challenging and rewarding of all In this Project sixty

per cent of the piles were constructed from a SEWP (Self

Elevating Working Platform) elevated 13 meters from the

sea bed

As the company commemorates the tenth anniversary of

its establishment it is only proper to mark the outstanding

contributions to the construction industry of Ethiopia The

efficiency of the Company and the technology employed

has resulted in creating a broad awareness of foundation

technological solutions in the country particularly

among developers In terms of the spectrum of available

techniques of foundation the projects undertaken so

far are only a tip of the iceberg Although the Company

was confronted with a number of challenges in changing

attitudes and practices the success achieved so far has

been accomplished with great efforts exerted by the

companyrsquos management and its diligent professionals in

the field

Being the only Class I Foundation Specialist Contractors

in the country MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc is now

determined to leap ahead to new and yet un-introduced

foundation construction technologies such as micro 

piles  high  pressure  injection  diaphragm 

walls  slope  protection  and  soil  nailing  As

the countries infrastructure development continues to

reach higher levels MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is

preparing itself to meet the current customer demands

and technological challenges

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Statistics reveal that the country continues to earn hard currency from export of primary commodities such as coffee which tops the list by fetching some 500 million dollars last financial year

Other commodities are hides and skin flowers pulses fruits vegetables and chat

Incidentally it is interesting to note that Chat has fetched over 60 million dollars in foreign currency last fiscal year

The chewing of chat leaves is common in the horn of Africa but in eastern Ethiopia it is big business for some and big worry for others Chat is a major agricultural crop Yet many say it is addictive and harmful to health

In a town where I grew up for instance it is hard to avoid the impact of the stimulant leaf The first thing that strikes you in the main market is the deafening noise The market square is a scene of total chaos as you make your way through a bustling crowd preoccupied with the business of bartering for a prized commodity- the green leafed plant chat

Awadaye market is a market for chat It is estimated that over 25000 kg pass through it daily The buyers and sellers take their jobs seriously shouting to one other They gesture excitedly as they trade thousands of birr daily for the chat which is bought from the local farmers in Awadaye and sent to other areas in Ethiopia It is also exported overseas It is said to be the backbone of the economy as it can be gathered from the revenue it has generated during the current physical year

If you compare chat farmers with other farmers in other parts of the country you will see that their standard of living is so much better

The employment created though chat cultivation is very high as large numbers of people are involved in growing harvesting sorting packing transporting loading and unloading the commodity The wood of the plant is used for fuel and because of its resistance to termites it is also used to make fences Chat is also believed to have medical value being used locally to treat influenza and asthma

Chat farmers used to grow maize sorghum and teff which is the basic Ethiopian staple food but these crops are difficult to grow as they require lots of rain and attention

while chat requires little water or cultivation That is why it is widely believed that its cultivation is expanding at an amazing rate

Chat has now become Ethiopiarsquos biggest export third only to coffee and hides and skin But despite the cash earning and the tradition of chat growing and use among the people many people do not encourage it

They believe that it is addictive and this has a negative impact on the community They allege that people forget about their work commitments and spend hours chewing chat The number of users of chat is increasing particularly among the youth

In urban areas the use of chat combined with alcohol is having an adverse effect on family life Many students chew chat because they say it increases their concentration when they study their lessons

However in some regions where it is widely cultivated business punctuality is a frequent problem as the time after lunch is usually spent chewing chat Even in some regions where the plant has been banned cultivation and usage continue and attempts to replace chat with cash crops like coffee have failed

Regardless of the merit or demerit of chat the country continues to get the much needed hard currency through export of the plant ldquochatrdquo

However many people including development agents are of the opinion that the demerit far out weighs the merit for energy and time is spent chewing the stuff and particularly its negative impact on health especially on the productive force

Another very lucrative business in Ethiopia is the export of leather and leather goods According to recent data export of leather and leather goods registered a surge from 52 million dollars to over 90 million dollars Incidentally ELICO one of MIDROC Ethiopia group companies dealing with finished leather products fetched last financial year over 10 million dollars

In the light of considerable income accrued from export of primary commodities there is a need to do even more by way of establishing more agro-industries that engage in the production of agricultural products for sale locally and internationally

Earning from Export of Primary CommoditiesBy Yohannes Ruphael

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The Third Private Sector Development National Conference ndash 2008 of Ethiopia took place in Addis Ababa on June 30 2008 ndash at the UNECA Conference Center and the draft strategy document and priority strategic issues for improved business environment were discussed by representatives of the Private Sector Development Hub established with basic objectives of coordinating and developing a series of public sector development intervention projects for implementation with international financial support and undertaking related research studies to support the business community in its public and private partnership dialogue The Conference was addressed by an internationally renowned and distinguished authority on Corporate Governance Prof Mervyn E King SC

The Editorial Team of TIRET has taken advantage of communicating with Professor Mervyn E King SC to share his views briefly with our readers

Professor Mervyn E King SC is currently Professor Extraordinaire at the University of South Africa and serves as the Chairperson of the King Committee on Corporate Governance in South Africa He is a Senior Counsel and former Judge of the Supreme Court of South Africa His other credentials include Member of the World Bank Advisory Group on Corporate Governance President of the Commonwealth Association of Corporate Governance Governor of the International Corporate Governance Network President of the South Africa Chamber of Business Vice President of the Institute of Directors of Southern Africa Representatives of South Africa at the International Chamber of Commerce Advisor of Asian Center of Corporate Governance Director of Global Reporting Initiative-Amsterdam Director of Association of business Administrators of South Africa

At the Millennium National Private Sector Development Conference in Addis Ababa recently I spoke about corporate governance in the development of the private sector

Corporate governance is about the principles and practices which guide directors and senior managers in making their decisions to the best interests of their companies It has to be separated from the enterprise side of the business which is about making business judgment calls It is essential that directors and senior managers adopt acceptable principles and practices in steering and directing the company and making business judgment It is about the quality of this governance rather than a quantitative check on whether there has been compliance by the directors and managers with well-known governance practices such as the establishment of a remuneration committee

In my talk I pointed out that the economic value of a company does not equal its book value In Coca Cola for example its book value is approximately 13 of its economic value and its greatest asset is its brand which is dependent on

 Tiret Sept 2008

the companyrsquos reputation Consequentially directors and senior managers of Coca Cola have a duty to protect the companyrsquos brand

In planning for a company the strategic direction needs to be done both short- and long-term If a strategy is developed in which all persons in the corporation at all levels buy-in one can get ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things Unless this is done not even extraordinary people will achieve ordinary things

The important thing for directors to remember is that they have won and maintained the trust and confidence of the stakeholders of the company Consequently they should report at least annually how the company has both positively and negatively affected a communityrsquos economic life through its operations and how it is going to enhance those positive aspects and eradicate or ameliorate the negative aspects in the year ahead

Good governance involves inter alia the approval by the board of the strategy of the company and sustainability can no longer be ignored in developing a long-term strategy

The Private Sector Development Hub (PSD-Hub) has the objective to contribute to the economic development of Ethiopia by improving the entrepreneurial environment and the governance of corporations Consequently the PSD-Hub has held Conferences over the last two years focusing on these issues and on the question of public private partnerships There has also been discussion about expediting the registration of companies the standardization of accounting and auditing capitalization and the finalization of the revision of the Ethiopian Commercial Code Corporate governance has featured prominently in these discussions

Arising out of all the modernization of the registration of companies in Ethiopia has been recognized as a priority

Accounting and auditing standards which should follow IFRS should have legal backing so that everyone in Ethiopia will know the meaning of the reported financial statements

The development of a securities market including an exchange in which not only equities but bonds and derivatives can be bought and sold with the dematerialisation of scrip and electronic settlement is essential

From the above it will be seen that there is much to be done but Ethiopia is striving through the PSD Hub to create platforms on which it can forge ahead in our flat electronic world where capital flows towards those areas where there is good governance and well-regulated markets The Conference at which I spoke was just another step in Ethiopiarsquos endeavours to achieve these goals Positively the essential aspects for creating an entrepreneurial and thriving business environment have been identified and PSD Hub the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other interested bodies are working in partnership with government to achieve them

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Itrsquos a ridiculous

l a n g u a g e rdquo

sputtered the

Englishman at

the next table

his jowls shaking

in anger ldquoA ridiculous languagerdquo

We were sitting in a tiny tea-and-pie shop in Criccieth a

town in northern Wales and everybody but us was speaking

Welsh Like a remarkable number of his countrymen this

man was convinced it was merely a secret code employed

by the local to talk behind the backs of English visitors

ldquoJust you watchrdquo he said ldquoAs soon as we leave theyrsquoll all

go back to speaking Englishrdquo

I rather doubted it And unlike the Englishman I was

thrilled to encounter one of the oldest languages in

Europe a tongue heard in this misty and mountainous

land since the arrival of Roman legions

Being surrounded by people speaking an unfamiliar and

exotic language is to me one of the best things about

travel Just as some people will journey to the Serengeti

to glimpse the rare and endangered white rhino Irsquoll happily

go far out of my way to hear a rare and endangered

language

In the storybook city of Carcassonne in southwest France

I was less thrilled at seeing the towers and turrets than

I was at meeting a man who could speak Occitan the

ancient and fast-vanishing language of the troubadours

As far as I was concerned the most fascinating thing in

Dangriga a coastal town in Belize was the mellifluous

sound of Garifuna a language spoken by the descendants

of shipwrecked slaves from West Africa I once traveled

to Graubunden in eastern Switzerland in the hope of

hearing Romansch a tongue spoken by fewer than one

percent of the nationrsquos residents and said to resemble

Latin I encountered a few signs in the language but no

one who could speak it

According to one oft-cited estimate at least half the

worldrsquos 6000 languages are likely to die out by the end

of this century which means that one is going silent on

average every two weeks

Itrsquos not merely a matter of using different words to express the same thoughts Languages are literally the expressions of cultures and belief systems entirely different ways of making sense of the world And just as we should be concerned about the shrinking diversity of plant and animal species we should also worry about the shrinking diversity of languages

Welsh though seems to be holding on despite 700 years

of efforts by the English to exterminate it The BBC has for

some years now carried television and radio programming

in the language and in Wales itrsquos possible to receive your

entire education from preschool to postgraduate in

Welsh About 20 percent of Walesrsquo population speaks

Welsh and the number appears to be growing slightly

It is not as the Englishman said a ridiculous language But

it is to my eyes and ears a wonderfully strange one Dave

Barry once wrote that the ancient Hawaiians arrived on

their islands after perilous canoe voyages in seas so rough

their consonants fell overboard My guess is that the

letters drifted the worldrsquos oceans until they washed up on

the shores of Wales

T h e   B e a u t y   o f   a   L a n g u a g e

 Tiret Sept 2008

How else to explain for example the Welsh word for

beer Itrsquos cwrw It looks like my Scrabble tray when I

donrsquot have a word to pay (In case you ever need to order

one itrsquos pronounced ldquokooroordquo)

And then therersquos the vexing pronunciation of the double-

1 you find at the beginning of it seems two-thirds of the

town names in Wales ldquoJust put your teeth together and

hiss like a duckrdquo explained a helpful woman I met at the

Dylan Thomas Museum in Swansea She also pointed out

that Llareggub the fictional town in Thomasrsquo ldquoUnder the

Milkwood Treerdquo is merely ldquobugger allrdquo spelled backward

I like the besotted poet a whole lot more after learning

that

One dark and drizzly night I went to a little schoolhouse in

the Rhondda Valley to listen to a rehearsal of the Treorchy

Menrsquos Choir made up mostly of unemployed coal miners

ldquoIn the old daysrdquo one of them told me ldquowe used to sing

together in the pitsrdquo

When they opened their mouths to sing as one in Welsh

all the snarky little comments about their language become

moot It was simply one of the most hauntingly beautiful

sounds Irsquove even heard

I got a lesson in the politics of minority languages recently

when I visited Montreal the capital of French ndash speaking

Canada I hadnrsquot been there since a childhood visit to

Exporsquo67 and I remember the province as decidedly

bilingual Everything from traffic signs to toothpaste

tubes was printed in French and English No more A

law passed in 1977 banned the use of English in signs

throughout Quebec Itrsquos an attempt to do linguistically

what they failed for two centuries to do militarily prevent

the English from conquering them

Theyrsquore quite serious about this Hudson Bay Co the

venerable department store chain that dates back to the

fur-trading days is now known as Compagnie de la Baie

drsquoHudson at least in these parts Kentucky Fried Chicken

outlets arenrsquot allowed to use ldquoKFCrdquo on their signs In

Quebec theyrsquore called ldquoPFKrdquo for Poulet Frit Kentucky

The Quebecois are more vigilant even than their famously

Anglophobic counterparts in Paris All stop signs here say

Arret even though the ones in France say ldquoStoprdquo

It all seemed a little silly and excessive to me until I began

talking to French-speaking Montrealers about it ldquoYou

have to understand that wersquore surrounded by English

speakersrdquo a schoolteacher told me ldquoWe have to be very

firm about defending our language or it will disappear

And when it goes so does our way of life

Signs aside most French Canadians I met were bilingual

I quickly discovered that if I first made atleast a fumbling

attempt to speak their language almost everybody was

happy to switch to English ndash very possibly to spare

themselves the trauma of hearing my phrase-book

French which sounds like someone grinding the gears

of an old Citroen ldquoWe have nothing against Englishrdquo the

schoolteacher told me ldquoItrsquos just that we want to speak

French hererdquo

Vive la differenceJohn Flinn -Travel Editor

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Scale up of HIV Prevention Treatment Care and Support Requires Renewed Leadership and Resources

The 17th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) took place in Mexico City from August 3 -8 2008 with an assessment of the situation of the global epidemic at a panel of researchers public health and civil society leaders examined recent progress towards the scale up of treatment and prevention programmes and called for sustained action to eliminate the barriers to universal access

ldquoDespite the progress we have made we are not on course to meet universal access targets and in fact appear to be slipping away from our existing commitmentsrdquo said Dr Pedro Cahn International Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and President of the International AIDS Society and Fundacioacuten Hueacutesped in Buenos Aires Argentina ldquoIt appears that we are poised to accept defeat when victory is still within our grasp Our failure to meet those commitments will have an impact on millions of lives This cannot be allowed to happen It is time for nations to live up to their commitmentsrdquo

ldquoWith only two years to go until the 2010 deadline for universal access set by world leaders we must redouble our commitment to scaling up all proven HIV prevention strategiesrdquo said Dr Luiacutes Soto Ramiacuterez Local Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and Head of the Molecular Virology Unit at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Meacutedicas y Nutricioacuten Salvador Zubiriaacuten and Coordinator of the Clinical Care Committee of CONASIDA Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council ldquoThe fact that last year 27 million people were newly infected with HIV a disease that is entirely preventable is unacceptablerdquo

Dr Jaime Sepulveda (Mexico) founder of Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council who is now with the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation noted that attention to and resources for AIDS are at all-time high including substantially increased funding for the Global Fund and the US Presidentrsquos Emergency Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief According to Sepulveda reaching the goal of 3 million people in low and middle-income countries on treatment at the end of 2007 was a critical step forward but the world has only scratched the surface of possibilities in responding to the epidemic Greater resources more effectively spent and targeted where they can have the greatest effect would have a dramatic impact on the course of the epidemicrsquos Highlighting the fact that more people become infected

with HIV last year than began treatment Sepulveda called for radically increased investments in prevention research evaluation and delivery of services as well as accelerated research on promising prevention methods including a vaccine In conclusion he reiterated that political leadership from all countries and accountability at all levels are essential for stopping the epidemic

Citing the results in both treatment and prevention scale up in countries with sustained leadership such as Rwanda and Tanzania Alex Coutinho (Uganda) of the Infectious Disease Institute of Makerere University made a passionate call for greater leadership as a path toward meeting the challenges ahead In looking at progress to date Coutinho highlighted increased access to HIV testing and counseling to prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and to pediatric care and treatment as well as the effectiveness of male circumcision as a prevention intervention In contrast he noted that most countries will not achieve universal access by 2010 and that the majority of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are still unaware of their HIV status In his call to action Coutinho urged greater investment in prevention and financial resources flexible enough to support health systems and systems that reach into rural and other hard-to-reach areas and fully embrace PLHIV as partners He also urged outreach to and support of marginalized and at-risk communities as well as the greater involvement of PLHIV as a catalyst for change

Elisabet Fadul (Dominican Republic) of the Dominican Network for Youth RightsGlobal Youth Partners outlined a broad and urgent youth HIVAIDS agenda calling for comprehensive rights ndash and evidence-based plans to provide access for young people Highlighting the 40 of new infections worldwide among young people between the ages of 15-24 Fadul noted that HIV prevention and treatment programmes are failing to effectively reach young people with the most vulnerable and marginalized being stigmatized criminalized or forgotten by many of these programmes

To reverse this course she called for actions and policies that engage youth especially young people living with HIVAIDS as respected partners in developing and implementing programmes that forthrightly address their

needs and diversity

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Equatorial Business Group General Manager Ato Tadelle

Teferra Deputy General Manager Ato Mekuria Ayele and

Automotive Business Senior Director Ato Daniel Seyoum

participated a weeklong Dealerrsquos Conference that was

staged in Cape Town South Africa in February this year

According to Ato Daniel Seyoum around 75 business

leaders from Europe the Middle East Asia and Africa

participated at the Conference Issues discussed included

regional international business concerns VOLVOrsquos strategy

development VOLVO CE business update introduction to

new VOLVO road machinery and other related business

matters Dealersrsquo Conference is an annual event to bring

together leaders in the VOLVO Construction Equipment

business from nearly all over the world for a pull effect

particularly to companies like EBG to provide further

opportunity in the Automotive Industry

EBG is an exclusive dealer in Ethiopia for VOLVO brand

products

Company Observes its 15th Anniversary

A group picture of Dealers Conference participants

EBGrsquos Managers Attended Dealers Conference

Equatorial Business Group (EBG) colorfully observed its 15th Anniversary on April 30 2008 Ato Tadelle Teferra

General Manager of the Company addressing the management and employees expressed gratitude and appreciation

to the Owners of the Company and to the Employees who worked hard since its establishment and urged all company

staff to work with an even more commitment and dedication

Ato Tadelle on the occasion disclosed the implementation of the reform packages that started recently and expressed

hope that the reform packages would bring EBG to a better competitive and profitable position The reform introduces

MIS QMS and companyrsquos new restructuring and other associated jobs

Three employees who served EBG for 15 years were honored with Special Certificates and several employees from

the various businesses and support services of the company were awarded for Best Performances during the year

200607

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Tadesse Haile State Minister of the Ministry of Trade and Industry visited Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc and held discussions with senior members on issues pertaining to the activities of the factory Ato Ahmed Hassen General Manager of the Factory explained to the State Minister that the factory would make all efforts to produce quality products in large quantity so as to reduce import from abroad He however expressed his wish that the government reduces tax on raw materials which are essential for the production of soap and detergent

Ato Tadesse disclosed during the discussion that extensive studies that include soap industries in the country are underway with the aim to strengthen the chemical industry in which the concern would be addressed in the near future He further said that there is a plan to connect the various regions of the country to the port by

EBG was announced First Order Winner for Best Stand in the 12th International Millennium Trade Fair organized by the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations held at the Exhibition Center in February 2008

EBGrsquos stand was visited by large number of visitors including the honorable World Laureate Metre Artist Afework Tekle who not only showed interest in the products and services of EBG but also expressed his appreciation to the Company in his comments while signing in the Special Guest Book

EBG Awarded for Best Stand

Star Soap and Detergent Factory Visited

The Most Honorable Maritre World Laureate Artist

Afework Tekle signing in the Visitors Book at the Trade Fair

Ato Tadesse Haile visiting the Production Unit with Ato Ahmed Hassen General Manager and Ato Seid Ahmed Plant Manager of the Factory

rail within the coming five years for the speedy delivery of export and import of goods which will have a great impact on sales

Ato Tadesse Haile finally appreciated the activities of the factory and said that Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc is capable of being a model in the sector and wished the lsquoBest of Luckrsquo for the management and the staff and affirmed that his Ministry would always support on all their endeavors

Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc is a member of the MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group established at an investment capital of Birr 80 million The factory is one of the biggest in the sector and equipped with the latest machinery and manufactures best quality laundry and toilet soaps liquid and synthetic detergents powder and bar soaps

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the most dedicated health care professionals and support staff SalaM Employees Clinic the Clinic that provides health care services to employees of MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group Companies and affiliates in its efforts to upgrade and improve its services has added to its modern list of medical equipment a Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor an advanced medical equipment Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor is one of the new advanced machineries that the clinic acquired recently which is used for the diagnosis of refraction errors of the eye

The Clinic provides medical and surgical services with sub-specialists in gynecological ophthalmological dermatological and ENT employing advanced diagnostic equipment such as radiography endoscopy and colonoscopy supported by video camera ultrasound and ECG Machines It has a well stocked pharmacy with essential medicines and also provides laboratory diagnostic services

The Clinic recently has moved from its previous location to a large and ideal villa with more rooms and a convenient location near the Genet Hotel and is open 24 hours

SalaM Employees Clinic was established by Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi in 1996 for employees of the Investment Group with an investment capital of over Birr 4 million under the SalaM Health Care Plc He later on increased the investment a lot more

Apart from providing services to the employees of the MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group SalaM Employees Clinic is rendering efficient services to the public as well

Dr Amare Abebe Medical Director of the clinic conducting an examination using endoscopy machine

Employees Clinic Secures Equipment

The Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor which the clinic acquired recently

The front view of the Clinic

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Three delegates from Ethiopia Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu MIDROC Ethiopia Training Director Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch Ato Asfaw Alemu Credit Manager of Dashen Bank attended the International Society of Business Economics and Ethics World Congress under the theme ldquoGlobal Fairness Local Integrityrdquo held in Cape Town from July 13 ndash 20 2008 and organized by BEN-Africa

The ISBEE World Congress is held every four years and is affectionately referred to as the Olympics of Business Ethics It always succeeds in attracting the best minds in the field of ethics of business and economics This yearrsquos Congress was attended by over 400 participants from all corners of the world Top notch world speakers among others Prof Mervyn E King SC Prof Deon Rossow Prof Joka Iwao Prof Georges Enderle Prof Paul Collies and Prof Tom Donaldson attended the Congress and over 80 papers were presented in three plenary sessions on topical international business issues

Ethiopian Delegation Participates at World ISBEE World Congress

Participants of ISBEE Congress Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu (left) Ato Lulseged Teferi (middle) Ato Asfaw Alemu

A Special Certificate of Recognition was awarded to Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu of MIDROC Ethiopia Prof Deon Rossow ndash former President of BEN-Africa and Ms Korien Sander the outgoing Executive Secretary of BEN-Africa

Emeritus Prof Johannes in his brief statement after receiving the certificate said that he accepted the certificate on behalf of those institutions and individuals in Ethiopia who have been behind the BEN-Africa Conference held in Ethiopia

It is to be recalled that MIDROC Ethiopia Corporate Office Dashen Bank the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch and Ato Teklu Haile Manager of Treasury Finance and Accounting of MIDROC Ethiopia played a great role for the successful completion of the ldquo7th Annual BEN-Africa Conferencerdquo held in Addis Ababa in August 2007

 Tiret Sept 2008

MIDROC Ethiopia is involved in the development of

mining and exploration of gold building of heavy mining

industries in central and eastern parts of the country

like cement plants filler plants etc Coal exploration is

also a potential area that is being explored by different

companies including MIDROC Ethiopia for use in the

cement plant power generation and fertilizer Soda ash

being used as a major input in glass soap detergent and

other industrial input is also one area of mining A lot of

investors are involved in gemstones

In an effort to exploit these resources and put them

to good use for the development of Ethiopia one of

MIDROC Ethiopia Group Companies the National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) has since its establishment in

March 1993 been actively engaged in the exploration of

gold and base metals in the various parts of the country

ldquoIt is worth noting that the mineral wealth of Ethiopia is

not fully tapped yet and needs to be given due attention

as it can be the backbone of the economy together with

agriculturerdquo says Ato Melaku Beza CEO of National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) He assertively told TIRET in

an interview at his office regarding the activities and

contributions of NMiC to the mining industry and that

his Company is working hard for a better achievement as

it has commemorated its 15th anniversary recently

He said that NMiC is currently engaged in the exploration

of gold base metals at Dawa Digati and Werri areas in the

Oromia and Tigray Administrative Regions and base metals

in Dire Dawa and Benshangul Gumuz Administrative

Regions It is also engaged in mining of marble and

limestone processing of quarried blocks and on the way

to develop the Abiyata Soda Ash in Southern Ethiopia

The Company in its venture in the development of Soda

Ash has embarked upon a joint investment agreement

with the Public Enterprise Supervising Agency (PPESA)

for a 54 percent share in which PPESArsquos 46 percent share

dilutes while NMICrsquos share shall increase in the process of

implementing tasks set in two phases

Mining Corporation on the Move

Ato Melaku Beza CEO NMiC

Dawa Digati Gold exploration drilling

The potential of the mining industry for the development of the Ethiopian economy is immense as witnessed by the ongoing development activities in the country This includes exploration of petroleum in the Ogaden Gambela and other areas by different companies exploration of gold in different parts of the country and potash exploration in Dallol where there is an estimated of 160 millions of tons of proven reserves

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Melaku stated that NMIC has invested Birr

160817912 (one hundred sixty million eight hundred

seventeen thousand nine hundred twelve) for exploration

and mining activities adding that the size of investment for

soda ash will be in the order of Birr 1150000000 (one

billion one hundred fifty million)

The first phase will cost Birr 640000000 (six hundred

forty million) and the second phase will be Birr 500000000

(five hundred million)

National Mining Corporation Plc is a pioneer in opening

and developing quarrying of marble and limestone using

the latest technology in the field Currently the Companyrsquos

Boka Marble Quarry has six benches and more than

twelve faces that are being worked out at Boka quarry

in the Benshangul Administrative Region In the process

it provides training to quarry workers of other quarry

owners thereby contributing to the development of the

mining culture

The General Manager explained about the processing and

marketing of his Companyrsquos products and said that his

Company applies modern technologies and deploys the

latest equipment in mining that meet export standards

engaging in open pit mining and tunneling for underground

mining which is unique not only in Ethiopia but also in

Africa He further articulated that the Company mines one

of the best quality marble in the industry as evidenced in

Boka multicolor marble once nominated as ldquoThe Stone

of the Yearrdquo by the Marble Institute of America (MIA)

while the blue marble has entered the world market by

a new name ldquoSummer Skyrdquo and is currently being sold

in Italy Samples of both have been tested and analyzed in

American Testing Companies and European Universities

and have proved to be of high quality and suitable both

for internal and external use in the construction industry

These two marbles are unique and are found only in

Ethiopia Also the limestone is of unique colors yellow

white and red which have high demand in the market

The CEO said that the special quality of his Companyrsquos

product that attracts international market is the

uniqueness of the material its beauty (aesthetics) and its

non-absorbent and compact nature

The company has the capacity to supply the export market

with the required quality and size of blocks and slabs both

white and blue marble Export markets include Taiwan

China Italy France USA Africa and the Middle East

In order to improve quality additional modern

state-of-the-art quarry machinery has been injected in the

quarry Plan is underway to replace the old machinery at

the processing plant The Company is also producing its

own ldquoabrasiverdquo used for polishing marble using locally

available minerals and materials

Awash Processing Plant

Blocks at Block Yard

Slabs at Slab Yard in the Awash Processing Plant

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

NMiC holds 40 of the local market share in the construction industry Lots of buildings have been cladded by NMiCrsquos products The Sheraton Addis Bole International Airport Terminal Sunshine Multipurpose Building National Bank of Ethiopia Federal Police Headquarters AUrsquos Building Head Office and the Secretary Generalrsquos Residence Ethiopian Insurance Corporation Worbek Building the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Patriarchrsquos Palace and UNCA Building are some the major buildings in Addis Ababa which are finished with NMiCrsquos products

National Mining Corporation Plc is one of the competent companies in Ethiopia and has contributed to the economy of the country by way of generating hard currency from its exports and saving foreign currency by competing and blocking imports of dimension stones from abroad One word it has added to the Ethiopian economy an amount of over Birr 5000000000 (fifty million) in tax royalties and land rent

NMiC has made valuable studies on the mineral potential areas of the country in dimension stones oil and gas mineral water coal and industrial minerals It has also made sound participation in the employment and training of manpower to the mining sector and has encouraged foreign investors to be involved in exploration of oil and gas and other minerals NMiC provides free training in its quarries and processing plant to new local enterprises coming to the sector The company provides potable water electricity medical services and other financial assistance to the community of its mining areas and has set up HIVAIDS policy for the Company to curb the spread of the pandemic and provides care and support for

those living with the virus

Tunnel Jet Belt Quarrying the latest technology in use at the Eshet Blue Quarry

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

a) Finalizing the work on the exploration phase of the gold and base metals projects both at Dawa Digati and Werri which shall lead to feasibility study and production stage

b) Developing Eshet Blue and Boka Multicolor marble quarries and strengthen export to increase income of foreign currency

c) Supplying blocks to local factories

d) Replacement of machinery at Awash Processing Plant especially to boost production and quality

e) Improve the life of the working force through profit sharing and availing better facilities together with upgrading their knowledge through training

f) Implement the Soda Ash development project

The priority areas of NMiC in its future plan include among others

Asked finally if he was satisfied with his Companyrsquos achievements Ato Melaku Beza CEO of NMiC replied ldquoNot much we could do betterrdquo

Nmic Products

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

ldquoA journey of a thousand miles starts with a single steprdquo

goes the famous Chinese saying as for Bauer MIDROC it

all started 10 years ago with the foundation work of the

construction of the MIDROC Corporate Office (MCO)

commonly known as Nani Building With a single project

at hand Bauer Specialtifbau a German Company ventured

into the slowly budding private construction industry

in equal partnership with MIDROC Ethiopia Although

a small scale business venture in the eyes of both giant

partners MIDROC Ethiopia and Bauer Specialtifbau it

created vast opportunities to the construction sector

with the introduction of a state-of-the-art German based

foundation technology to the Ethiopian market The

miniature move of the two giants opened up a gateway

of possibilities and marked a new construction era for

Ethiopia Over the years changes in shareholders has

led to the current name ldquoMIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plcrdquo with the state-of-the-art foundation solutions still in

place

Several limitations in dealing with unfavorable soil

conditions frequently encountered within Ethiopiarsquos

diverse geological formations most abundantly the

problematic black cotton soil within the city of Addis

Ababa and other parts of the country brought about

several technical barriers when it came to building

massive civil structures Building highrises as well as

massive bridges was inconceivable unless capable soil was

in close vicinity MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with

the introduction of deep foundations based on advanced

and efficient technologies in the construction industry

no doubt brought about remarkable solutions and helped

ease some of these anxieties

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with its fleets of large

diameter drilling rigs and variety of drilling tools capable of

both soil and hard soil formations has made economical

foundation solutions a reality offering developers the

confidence to build high rise buildings without worrying

about the type of soil in Addis Ababa The expertise of

Dedicated Backing for MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is gradually changing

the cityrsquos skyline with the construction of the completed

MCO Building AICAIB Headquarters and KK Building

both to be completed soon and all standing above 20

stories

Entering the city limits through the skyways one can notice

that the Bole Airport has received an entire facelift with

the construction of the International Passenger Terminal

Airport Control Towers the new Cargo Terminal and the

Maintenance Hanger The only thing these landmarks share

other than ownership is that they owe their existence to

foundation solutions of MIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plc As we enter the city limits also the Bole Viaduct

and all the overpasses on the Addis Ababa Ring Road are

comfortably resting still with the construction of the deep

piles by MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc

Drilling of pile with casing

 Tiret Sept 2008

Parallel to pile construction as verification of the

constructed pile capacities is common practice in the

foundation construction industry MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc equipped with the state-of-the-art

automated pile load testing system has recently conducted

1300 metric tons load test at the Derba MIDROC Cement

Factory Project the first of this magnitude in the African

Continent

The introduction of vertical shoring wall systems that

uses reinforced concrete piles and tie back anchors which

is gaining popularity in recent years is another type of

foundation technology solutions made possible in Ethiopia

through MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos expertise

Prior to these shoring system solutions land owners

could not fully utilize their plots at the boundaries for fear

of catastrophic cave-in In fact in most cases plot owners

avoided under ground construction in order to avoid

litigation with next door land owners The utilization of

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos vertical shoring pile

wall system was proposed and implemented in the cases

of Bole Towers and Loli Building In both cases all sides of

the plot were shored exactly at the boundaries without

any land loss In fact the clients gained underground spaces

in the order of two to three times their plot size for

possible parking purpose This has provided developers

with solutions clearing their lumbers from additional

costs for parking facilities

Pile load testing

In line with the construction boom within Addis Ababa

developers are opting to construct on boundary edges

where heavy structures already exist in adjacent plots

In order to excavate at these boundaries the safest and

most economical foundation solution system is shoring

pile wall system These systems were employed at Awash

Bank and Insurance Building KK Building and Orchid

Building

For realization of structures that have to be constructed

below the natural ground water level and or near offshore

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc has construction

approaches that employ waterproof vertical shoring

systems and several options to choose from within

the framework of technical feasibility of foundation

engineering The construction of Diaphragm Wall

Cellular Cofferdam Sheet Pile Wall and Secant

Pile Wall are such solutions to name a few The cost

of construction and the time required for executing the

works is in the order listed above

Anchored pile shoring wall

Foundation Solution

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the equipment already available in the country

MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc has tabled and

implemented an economical and technically feasible

secant pile wall system solution for bridge projects

within Ethiopia If it was not for MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plcrsquos geotechnical solutions construction under

such conditions would have been technically impossible

throughout East Africa

Unlike other options construction of secant pile wall as

waterproof vertical shoring system is not limited to the

soil condition of the site The construction of such high

tech geotechnical engineering solutions by the Company

have been successfully applied on projects like the Omo

River Bridge and on the New Abay Bridge Projects The

application of the secant pile wall system was used for the

construction of the pier foundation on both sides of the

Bridge on the Omo River Bridge Project and one side pier

foundation construction of the New Abay Bridge Project

During the construction of the Omo River Bridge

foundation and substructure works other logistic

challenges non-related to foundation works was

encountered The West Pier and Abutment on the Omo

River Bridge created such a technical impasse On this

side one of the most difficult challenges was to solve the

problem of crossing equipment and construction material

across the 150 m wide river After carefully considering all

the possible alternatives a decision was made to design and

manufacture a water crossing barge using local expertise

and manufacturing capabilities MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc took part in the design manufacturing and

commissioning of this barge and has successfully crossed

a 503 ton drilling rig and other earth moving equipment

With nearly twenty projects within Ethiopia MIDROC

Foundation Specialists Plc is a pioneer in exporting

foundation technology to neighboring Kenya Tanzania

and the Sudan In-house trained Ethiopian experts have

Crossing of drilling rig on Omo River through Barge

 Tiret Sept 2008

Secant pile wall

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Mr Achim Braun General Manager of MIDROC Foundation (left) inspecting a construction site

left their marks on several key projects within those

countries Among the projects successfully carried out in

Tanzania the Songo Songo Offshore Piling Project was the

most challenging and rewarding of all In this Project sixty

per cent of the piles were constructed from a SEWP (Self

Elevating Working Platform) elevated 13 meters from the

sea bed

As the company commemorates the tenth anniversary of

its establishment it is only proper to mark the outstanding

contributions to the construction industry of Ethiopia The

efficiency of the Company and the technology employed

has resulted in creating a broad awareness of foundation

technological solutions in the country particularly

among developers In terms of the spectrum of available

techniques of foundation the projects undertaken so

far are only a tip of the iceberg Although the Company

was confronted with a number of challenges in changing

attitudes and practices the success achieved so far has

been accomplished with great efforts exerted by the

companyrsquos management and its diligent professionals in

the field

Being the only Class I Foundation Specialist Contractors

in the country MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc is now

determined to leap ahead to new and yet un-introduced

foundation construction technologies such as micro 

piles  high  pressure  injection  diaphragm 

walls  slope  protection  and  soil  nailing  As

the countries infrastructure development continues to

reach higher levels MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is

preparing itself to meet the current customer demands

and technological challenges

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Statistics reveal that the country continues to earn hard currency from export of primary commodities such as coffee which tops the list by fetching some 500 million dollars last financial year

Other commodities are hides and skin flowers pulses fruits vegetables and chat

Incidentally it is interesting to note that Chat has fetched over 60 million dollars in foreign currency last fiscal year

The chewing of chat leaves is common in the horn of Africa but in eastern Ethiopia it is big business for some and big worry for others Chat is a major agricultural crop Yet many say it is addictive and harmful to health

In a town where I grew up for instance it is hard to avoid the impact of the stimulant leaf The first thing that strikes you in the main market is the deafening noise The market square is a scene of total chaos as you make your way through a bustling crowd preoccupied with the business of bartering for a prized commodity- the green leafed plant chat

Awadaye market is a market for chat It is estimated that over 25000 kg pass through it daily The buyers and sellers take their jobs seriously shouting to one other They gesture excitedly as they trade thousands of birr daily for the chat which is bought from the local farmers in Awadaye and sent to other areas in Ethiopia It is also exported overseas It is said to be the backbone of the economy as it can be gathered from the revenue it has generated during the current physical year

If you compare chat farmers with other farmers in other parts of the country you will see that their standard of living is so much better

The employment created though chat cultivation is very high as large numbers of people are involved in growing harvesting sorting packing transporting loading and unloading the commodity The wood of the plant is used for fuel and because of its resistance to termites it is also used to make fences Chat is also believed to have medical value being used locally to treat influenza and asthma

Chat farmers used to grow maize sorghum and teff which is the basic Ethiopian staple food but these crops are difficult to grow as they require lots of rain and attention

while chat requires little water or cultivation That is why it is widely believed that its cultivation is expanding at an amazing rate

Chat has now become Ethiopiarsquos biggest export third only to coffee and hides and skin But despite the cash earning and the tradition of chat growing and use among the people many people do not encourage it

They believe that it is addictive and this has a negative impact on the community They allege that people forget about their work commitments and spend hours chewing chat The number of users of chat is increasing particularly among the youth

In urban areas the use of chat combined with alcohol is having an adverse effect on family life Many students chew chat because they say it increases their concentration when they study their lessons

However in some regions where it is widely cultivated business punctuality is a frequent problem as the time after lunch is usually spent chewing chat Even in some regions where the plant has been banned cultivation and usage continue and attempts to replace chat with cash crops like coffee have failed

Regardless of the merit or demerit of chat the country continues to get the much needed hard currency through export of the plant ldquochatrdquo

However many people including development agents are of the opinion that the demerit far out weighs the merit for energy and time is spent chewing the stuff and particularly its negative impact on health especially on the productive force

Another very lucrative business in Ethiopia is the export of leather and leather goods According to recent data export of leather and leather goods registered a surge from 52 million dollars to over 90 million dollars Incidentally ELICO one of MIDROC Ethiopia group companies dealing with finished leather products fetched last financial year over 10 million dollars

In the light of considerable income accrued from export of primary commodities there is a need to do even more by way of establishing more agro-industries that engage in the production of agricultural products for sale locally and internationally

Earning from Export of Primary CommoditiesBy Yohannes Ruphael

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The Third Private Sector Development National Conference ndash 2008 of Ethiopia took place in Addis Ababa on June 30 2008 ndash at the UNECA Conference Center and the draft strategy document and priority strategic issues for improved business environment were discussed by representatives of the Private Sector Development Hub established with basic objectives of coordinating and developing a series of public sector development intervention projects for implementation with international financial support and undertaking related research studies to support the business community in its public and private partnership dialogue The Conference was addressed by an internationally renowned and distinguished authority on Corporate Governance Prof Mervyn E King SC

The Editorial Team of TIRET has taken advantage of communicating with Professor Mervyn E King SC to share his views briefly with our readers

Professor Mervyn E King SC is currently Professor Extraordinaire at the University of South Africa and serves as the Chairperson of the King Committee on Corporate Governance in South Africa He is a Senior Counsel and former Judge of the Supreme Court of South Africa His other credentials include Member of the World Bank Advisory Group on Corporate Governance President of the Commonwealth Association of Corporate Governance Governor of the International Corporate Governance Network President of the South Africa Chamber of Business Vice President of the Institute of Directors of Southern Africa Representatives of South Africa at the International Chamber of Commerce Advisor of Asian Center of Corporate Governance Director of Global Reporting Initiative-Amsterdam Director of Association of business Administrators of South Africa

At the Millennium National Private Sector Development Conference in Addis Ababa recently I spoke about corporate governance in the development of the private sector

Corporate governance is about the principles and practices which guide directors and senior managers in making their decisions to the best interests of their companies It has to be separated from the enterprise side of the business which is about making business judgment calls It is essential that directors and senior managers adopt acceptable principles and practices in steering and directing the company and making business judgment It is about the quality of this governance rather than a quantitative check on whether there has been compliance by the directors and managers with well-known governance practices such as the establishment of a remuneration committee

In my talk I pointed out that the economic value of a company does not equal its book value In Coca Cola for example its book value is approximately 13 of its economic value and its greatest asset is its brand which is dependent on

 Tiret Sept 2008

the companyrsquos reputation Consequentially directors and senior managers of Coca Cola have a duty to protect the companyrsquos brand

In planning for a company the strategic direction needs to be done both short- and long-term If a strategy is developed in which all persons in the corporation at all levels buy-in one can get ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things Unless this is done not even extraordinary people will achieve ordinary things

The important thing for directors to remember is that they have won and maintained the trust and confidence of the stakeholders of the company Consequently they should report at least annually how the company has both positively and negatively affected a communityrsquos economic life through its operations and how it is going to enhance those positive aspects and eradicate or ameliorate the negative aspects in the year ahead

Good governance involves inter alia the approval by the board of the strategy of the company and sustainability can no longer be ignored in developing a long-term strategy

The Private Sector Development Hub (PSD-Hub) has the objective to contribute to the economic development of Ethiopia by improving the entrepreneurial environment and the governance of corporations Consequently the PSD-Hub has held Conferences over the last two years focusing on these issues and on the question of public private partnerships There has also been discussion about expediting the registration of companies the standardization of accounting and auditing capitalization and the finalization of the revision of the Ethiopian Commercial Code Corporate governance has featured prominently in these discussions

Arising out of all the modernization of the registration of companies in Ethiopia has been recognized as a priority

Accounting and auditing standards which should follow IFRS should have legal backing so that everyone in Ethiopia will know the meaning of the reported financial statements

The development of a securities market including an exchange in which not only equities but bonds and derivatives can be bought and sold with the dematerialisation of scrip and electronic settlement is essential

From the above it will be seen that there is much to be done but Ethiopia is striving through the PSD Hub to create platforms on which it can forge ahead in our flat electronic world where capital flows towards those areas where there is good governance and well-regulated markets The Conference at which I spoke was just another step in Ethiopiarsquos endeavours to achieve these goals Positively the essential aspects for creating an entrepreneurial and thriving business environment have been identified and PSD Hub the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other interested bodies are working in partnership with government to achieve them

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Itrsquos a ridiculous

l a n g u a g e rdquo

sputtered the

Englishman at

the next table

his jowls shaking

in anger ldquoA ridiculous languagerdquo

We were sitting in a tiny tea-and-pie shop in Criccieth a

town in northern Wales and everybody but us was speaking

Welsh Like a remarkable number of his countrymen this

man was convinced it was merely a secret code employed

by the local to talk behind the backs of English visitors

ldquoJust you watchrdquo he said ldquoAs soon as we leave theyrsquoll all

go back to speaking Englishrdquo

I rather doubted it And unlike the Englishman I was

thrilled to encounter one of the oldest languages in

Europe a tongue heard in this misty and mountainous

land since the arrival of Roman legions

Being surrounded by people speaking an unfamiliar and

exotic language is to me one of the best things about

travel Just as some people will journey to the Serengeti

to glimpse the rare and endangered white rhino Irsquoll happily

go far out of my way to hear a rare and endangered

language

In the storybook city of Carcassonne in southwest France

I was less thrilled at seeing the towers and turrets than

I was at meeting a man who could speak Occitan the

ancient and fast-vanishing language of the troubadours

As far as I was concerned the most fascinating thing in

Dangriga a coastal town in Belize was the mellifluous

sound of Garifuna a language spoken by the descendants

of shipwrecked slaves from West Africa I once traveled

to Graubunden in eastern Switzerland in the hope of

hearing Romansch a tongue spoken by fewer than one

percent of the nationrsquos residents and said to resemble

Latin I encountered a few signs in the language but no

one who could speak it

According to one oft-cited estimate at least half the

worldrsquos 6000 languages are likely to die out by the end

of this century which means that one is going silent on

average every two weeks

Itrsquos not merely a matter of using different words to express the same thoughts Languages are literally the expressions of cultures and belief systems entirely different ways of making sense of the world And just as we should be concerned about the shrinking diversity of plant and animal species we should also worry about the shrinking diversity of languages

Welsh though seems to be holding on despite 700 years

of efforts by the English to exterminate it The BBC has for

some years now carried television and radio programming

in the language and in Wales itrsquos possible to receive your

entire education from preschool to postgraduate in

Welsh About 20 percent of Walesrsquo population speaks

Welsh and the number appears to be growing slightly

It is not as the Englishman said a ridiculous language But

it is to my eyes and ears a wonderfully strange one Dave

Barry once wrote that the ancient Hawaiians arrived on

their islands after perilous canoe voyages in seas so rough

their consonants fell overboard My guess is that the

letters drifted the worldrsquos oceans until they washed up on

the shores of Wales

T h e   B e a u t y   o f   a   L a n g u a g e

 Tiret Sept 2008

How else to explain for example the Welsh word for

beer Itrsquos cwrw It looks like my Scrabble tray when I

donrsquot have a word to pay (In case you ever need to order

one itrsquos pronounced ldquokooroordquo)

And then therersquos the vexing pronunciation of the double-

1 you find at the beginning of it seems two-thirds of the

town names in Wales ldquoJust put your teeth together and

hiss like a duckrdquo explained a helpful woman I met at the

Dylan Thomas Museum in Swansea She also pointed out

that Llareggub the fictional town in Thomasrsquo ldquoUnder the

Milkwood Treerdquo is merely ldquobugger allrdquo spelled backward

I like the besotted poet a whole lot more after learning

that

One dark and drizzly night I went to a little schoolhouse in

the Rhondda Valley to listen to a rehearsal of the Treorchy

Menrsquos Choir made up mostly of unemployed coal miners

ldquoIn the old daysrdquo one of them told me ldquowe used to sing

together in the pitsrdquo

When they opened their mouths to sing as one in Welsh

all the snarky little comments about their language become

moot It was simply one of the most hauntingly beautiful

sounds Irsquove even heard

I got a lesson in the politics of minority languages recently

when I visited Montreal the capital of French ndash speaking

Canada I hadnrsquot been there since a childhood visit to

Exporsquo67 and I remember the province as decidedly

bilingual Everything from traffic signs to toothpaste

tubes was printed in French and English No more A

law passed in 1977 banned the use of English in signs

throughout Quebec Itrsquos an attempt to do linguistically

what they failed for two centuries to do militarily prevent

the English from conquering them

Theyrsquore quite serious about this Hudson Bay Co the

venerable department store chain that dates back to the

fur-trading days is now known as Compagnie de la Baie

drsquoHudson at least in these parts Kentucky Fried Chicken

outlets arenrsquot allowed to use ldquoKFCrdquo on their signs In

Quebec theyrsquore called ldquoPFKrdquo for Poulet Frit Kentucky

The Quebecois are more vigilant even than their famously

Anglophobic counterparts in Paris All stop signs here say

Arret even though the ones in France say ldquoStoprdquo

It all seemed a little silly and excessive to me until I began

talking to French-speaking Montrealers about it ldquoYou

have to understand that wersquore surrounded by English

speakersrdquo a schoolteacher told me ldquoWe have to be very

firm about defending our language or it will disappear

And when it goes so does our way of life

Signs aside most French Canadians I met were bilingual

I quickly discovered that if I first made atleast a fumbling

attempt to speak their language almost everybody was

happy to switch to English ndash very possibly to spare

themselves the trauma of hearing my phrase-book

French which sounds like someone grinding the gears

of an old Citroen ldquoWe have nothing against Englishrdquo the

schoolteacher told me ldquoItrsquos just that we want to speak

French hererdquo

Vive la differenceJohn Flinn -Travel Editor

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Scale up of HIV Prevention Treatment Care and Support Requires Renewed Leadership and Resources

The 17th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) took place in Mexico City from August 3 -8 2008 with an assessment of the situation of the global epidemic at a panel of researchers public health and civil society leaders examined recent progress towards the scale up of treatment and prevention programmes and called for sustained action to eliminate the barriers to universal access

ldquoDespite the progress we have made we are not on course to meet universal access targets and in fact appear to be slipping away from our existing commitmentsrdquo said Dr Pedro Cahn International Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and President of the International AIDS Society and Fundacioacuten Hueacutesped in Buenos Aires Argentina ldquoIt appears that we are poised to accept defeat when victory is still within our grasp Our failure to meet those commitments will have an impact on millions of lives This cannot be allowed to happen It is time for nations to live up to their commitmentsrdquo

ldquoWith only two years to go until the 2010 deadline for universal access set by world leaders we must redouble our commitment to scaling up all proven HIV prevention strategiesrdquo said Dr Luiacutes Soto Ramiacuterez Local Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and Head of the Molecular Virology Unit at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Meacutedicas y Nutricioacuten Salvador Zubiriaacuten and Coordinator of the Clinical Care Committee of CONASIDA Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council ldquoThe fact that last year 27 million people were newly infected with HIV a disease that is entirely preventable is unacceptablerdquo

Dr Jaime Sepulveda (Mexico) founder of Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council who is now with the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation noted that attention to and resources for AIDS are at all-time high including substantially increased funding for the Global Fund and the US Presidentrsquos Emergency Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief According to Sepulveda reaching the goal of 3 million people in low and middle-income countries on treatment at the end of 2007 was a critical step forward but the world has only scratched the surface of possibilities in responding to the epidemic Greater resources more effectively spent and targeted where they can have the greatest effect would have a dramatic impact on the course of the epidemicrsquos Highlighting the fact that more people become infected

with HIV last year than began treatment Sepulveda called for radically increased investments in prevention research evaluation and delivery of services as well as accelerated research on promising prevention methods including a vaccine In conclusion he reiterated that political leadership from all countries and accountability at all levels are essential for stopping the epidemic

Citing the results in both treatment and prevention scale up in countries with sustained leadership such as Rwanda and Tanzania Alex Coutinho (Uganda) of the Infectious Disease Institute of Makerere University made a passionate call for greater leadership as a path toward meeting the challenges ahead In looking at progress to date Coutinho highlighted increased access to HIV testing and counseling to prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and to pediatric care and treatment as well as the effectiveness of male circumcision as a prevention intervention In contrast he noted that most countries will not achieve universal access by 2010 and that the majority of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are still unaware of their HIV status In his call to action Coutinho urged greater investment in prevention and financial resources flexible enough to support health systems and systems that reach into rural and other hard-to-reach areas and fully embrace PLHIV as partners He also urged outreach to and support of marginalized and at-risk communities as well as the greater involvement of PLHIV as a catalyst for change

Elisabet Fadul (Dominican Republic) of the Dominican Network for Youth RightsGlobal Youth Partners outlined a broad and urgent youth HIVAIDS agenda calling for comprehensive rights ndash and evidence-based plans to provide access for young people Highlighting the 40 of new infections worldwide among young people between the ages of 15-24 Fadul noted that HIV prevention and treatment programmes are failing to effectively reach young people with the most vulnerable and marginalized being stigmatized criminalized or forgotten by many of these programmes

To reverse this course she called for actions and policies that engage youth especially young people living with HIVAIDS as respected partners in developing and implementing programmes that forthrightly address their

needs and diversity

 Tiret Sept 2008

Equatorial Business Group General Manager Ato Tadelle

Teferra Deputy General Manager Ato Mekuria Ayele and

Automotive Business Senior Director Ato Daniel Seyoum

participated a weeklong Dealerrsquos Conference that was

staged in Cape Town South Africa in February this year

According to Ato Daniel Seyoum around 75 business

leaders from Europe the Middle East Asia and Africa

participated at the Conference Issues discussed included

regional international business concerns VOLVOrsquos strategy

development VOLVO CE business update introduction to

new VOLVO road machinery and other related business

matters Dealersrsquo Conference is an annual event to bring

together leaders in the VOLVO Construction Equipment

business from nearly all over the world for a pull effect

particularly to companies like EBG to provide further

opportunity in the Automotive Industry

EBG is an exclusive dealer in Ethiopia for VOLVO brand

products

Company Observes its 15th Anniversary

A group picture of Dealers Conference participants

EBGrsquos Managers Attended Dealers Conference

Equatorial Business Group (EBG) colorfully observed its 15th Anniversary on April 30 2008 Ato Tadelle Teferra

General Manager of the Company addressing the management and employees expressed gratitude and appreciation

to the Owners of the Company and to the Employees who worked hard since its establishment and urged all company

staff to work with an even more commitment and dedication

Ato Tadelle on the occasion disclosed the implementation of the reform packages that started recently and expressed

hope that the reform packages would bring EBG to a better competitive and profitable position The reform introduces

MIS QMS and companyrsquos new restructuring and other associated jobs

Three employees who served EBG for 15 years were honored with Special Certificates and several employees from

the various businesses and support services of the company were awarded for Best Performances during the year

200607

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Tadesse Haile State Minister of the Ministry of Trade and Industry visited Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc and held discussions with senior members on issues pertaining to the activities of the factory Ato Ahmed Hassen General Manager of the Factory explained to the State Minister that the factory would make all efforts to produce quality products in large quantity so as to reduce import from abroad He however expressed his wish that the government reduces tax on raw materials which are essential for the production of soap and detergent

Ato Tadesse disclosed during the discussion that extensive studies that include soap industries in the country are underway with the aim to strengthen the chemical industry in which the concern would be addressed in the near future He further said that there is a plan to connect the various regions of the country to the port by

EBG was announced First Order Winner for Best Stand in the 12th International Millennium Trade Fair organized by the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations held at the Exhibition Center in February 2008

EBGrsquos stand was visited by large number of visitors including the honorable World Laureate Metre Artist Afework Tekle who not only showed interest in the products and services of EBG but also expressed his appreciation to the Company in his comments while signing in the Special Guest Book

EBG Awarded for Best Stand

Star Soap and Detergent Factory Visited

The Most Honorable Maritre World Laureate Artist

Afework Tekle signing in the Visitors Book at the Trade Fair

Ato Tadesse Haile visiting the Production Unit with Ato Ahmed Hassen General Manager and Ato Seid Ahmed Plant Manager of the Factory

rail within the coming five years for the speedy delivery of export and import of goods which will have a great impact on sales

Ato Tadesse Haile finally appreciated the activities of the factory and said that Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc is capable of being a model in the sector and wished the lsquoBest of Luckrsquo for the management and the staff and affirmed that his Ministry would always support on all their endeavors

Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc is a member of the MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group established at an investment capital of Birr 80 million The factory is one of the biggest in the sector and equipped with the latest machinery and manufactures best quality laundry and toilet soaps liquid and synthetic detergents powder and bar soaps

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the most dedicated health care professionals and support staff SalaM Employees Clinic the Clinic that provides health care services to employees of MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group Companies and affiliates in its efforts to upgrade and improve its services has added to its modern list of medical equipment a Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor an advanced medical equipment Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor is one of the new advanced machineries that the clinic acquired recently which is used for the diagnosis of refraction errors of the eye

The Clinic provides medical and surgical services with sub-specialists in gynecological ophthalmological dermatological and ENT employing advanced diagnostic equipment such as radiography endoscopy and colonoscopy supported by video camera ultrasound and ECG Machines It has a well stocked pharmacy with essential medicines and also provides laboratory diagnostic services

The Clinic recently has moved from its previous location to a large and ideal villa with more rooms and a convenient location near the Genet Hotel and is open 24 hours

SalaM Employees Clinic was established by Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi in 1996 for employees of the Investment Group with an investment capital of over Birr 4 million under the SalaM Health Care Plc He later on increased the investment a lot more

Apart from providing services to the employees of the MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group SalaM Employees Clinic is rendering efficient services to the public as well

Dr Amare Abebe Medical Director of the clinic conducting an examination using endoscopy machine

Employees Clinic Secures Equipment

The Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor which the clinic acquired recently

The front view of the Clinic

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Three delegates from Ethiopia Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu MIDROC Ethiopia Training Director Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch Ato Asfaw Alemu Credit Manager of Dashen Bank attended the International Society of Business Economics and Ethics World Congress under the theme ldquoGlobal Fairness Local Integrityrdquo held in Cape Town from July 13 ndash 20 2008 and organized by BEN-Africa

The ISBEE World Congress is held every four years and is affectionately referred to as the Olympics of Business Ethics It always succeeds in attracting the best minds in the field of ethics of business and economics This yearrsquos Congress was attended by over 400 participants from all corners of the world Top notch world speakers among others Prof Mervyn E King SC Prof Deon Rossow Prof Joka Iwao Prof Georges Enderle Prof Paul Collies and Prof Tom Donaldson attended the Congress and over 80 papers were presented in three plenary sessions on topical international business issues

Ethiopian Delegation Participates at World ISBEE World Congress

Participants of ISBEE Congress Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu (left) Ato Lulseged Teferi (middle) Ato Asfaw Alemu

A Special Certificate of Recognition was awarded to Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu of MIDROC Ethiopia Prof Deon Rossow ndash former President of BEN-Africa and Ms Korien Sander the outgoing Executive Secretary of BEN-Africa

Emeritus Prof Johannes in his brief statement after receiving the certificate said that he accepted the certificate on behalf of those institutions and individuals in Ethiopia who have been behind the BEN-Africa Conference held in Ethiopia

It is to be recalled that MIDROC Ethiopia Corporate Office Dashen Bank the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch and Ato Teklu Haile Manager of Treasury Finance and Accounting of MIDROC Ethiopia played a great role for the successful completion of the ldquo7th Annual BEN-Africa Conferencerdquo held in Addis Ababa in August 2007

 Tiret Sept 2008

MIDROC Ethiopia is involved in the development of

mining and exploration of gold building of heavy mining

industries in central and eastern parts of the country

like cement plants filler plants etc Coal exploration is

also a potential area that is being explored by different

companies including MIDROC Ethiopia for use in the

cement plant power generation and fertilizer Soda ash

being used as a major input in glass soap detergent and

other industrial input is also one area of mining A lot of

investors are involved in gemstones

In an effort to exploit these resources and put them

to good use for the development of Ethiopia one of

MIDROC Ethiopia Group Companies the National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) has since its establishment in

March 1993 been actively engaged in the exploration of

gold and base metals in the various parts of the country

ldquoIt is worth noting that the mineral wealth of Ethiopia is

not fully tapped yet and needs to be given due attention

as it can be the backbone of the economy together with

agriculturerdquo says Ato Melaku Beza CEO of National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) He assertively told TIRET in

an interview at his office regarding the activities and

contributions of NMiC to the mining industry and that

his Company is working hard for a better achievement as

it has commemorated its 15th anniversary recently

He said that NMiC is currently engaged in the exploration

of gold base metals at Dawa Digati and Werri areas in the

Oromia and Tigray Administrative Regions and base metals

in Dire Dawa and Benshangul Gumuz Administrative

Regions It is also engaged in mining of marble and

limestone processing of quarried blocks and on the way

to develop the Abiyata Soda Ash in Southern Ethiopia

The Company in its venture in the development of Soda

Ash has embarked upon a joint investment agreement

with the Public Enterprise Supervising Agency (PPESA)

for a 54 percent share in which PPESArsquos 46 percent share

dilutes while NMICrsquos share shall increase in the process of

implementing tasks set in two phases

Mining Corporation on the Move

Ato Melaku Beza CEO NMiC

Dawa Digati Gold exploration drilling

The potential of the mining industry for the development of the Ethiopian economy is immense as witnessed by the ongoing development activities in the country This includes exploration of petroleum in the Ogaden Gambela and other areas by different companies exploration of gold in different parts of the country and potash exploration in Dallol where there is an estimated of 160 millions of tons of proven reserves

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Melaku stated that NMIC has invested Birr

160817912 (one hundred sixty million eight hundred

seventeen thousand nine hundred twelve) for exploration

and mining activities adding that the size of investment for

soda ash will be in the order of Birr 1150000000 (one

billion one hundred fifty million)

The first phase will cost Birr 640000000 (six hundred

forty million) and the second phase will be Birr 500000000

(five hundred million)

National Mining Corporation Plc is a pioneer in opening

and developing quarrying of marble and limestone using

the latest technology in the field Currently the Companyrsquos

Boka Marble Quarry has six benches and more than

twelve faces that are being worked out at Boka quarry

in the Benshangul Administrative Region In the process

it provides training to quarry workers of other quarry

owners thereby contributing to the development of the

mining culture

The General Manager explained about the processing and

marketing of his Companyrsquos products and said that his

Company applies modern technologies and deploys the

latest equipment in mining that meet export standards

engaging in open pit mining and tunneling for underground

mining which is unique not only in Ethiopia but also in

Africa He further articulated that the Company mines one

of the best quality marble in the industry as evidenced in

Boka multicolor marble once nominated as ldquoThe Stone

of the Yearrdquo by the Marble Institute of America (MIA)

while the blue marble has entered the world market by

a new name ldquoSummer Skyrdquo and is currently being sold

in Italy Samples of both have been tested and analyzed in

American Testing Companies and European Universities

and have proved to be of high quality and suitable both

for internal and external use in the construction industry

These two marbles are unique and are found only in

Ethiopia Also the limestone is of unique colors yellow

white and red which have high demand in the market

The CEO said that the special quality of his Companyrsquos

product that attracts international market is the

uniqueness of the material its beauty (aesthetics) and its

non-absorbent and compact nature

The company has the capacity to supply the export market

with the required quality and size of blocks and slabs both

white and blue marble Export markets include Taiwan

China Italy France USA Africa and the Middle East

In order to improve quality additional modern

state-of-the-art quarry machinery has been injected in the

quarry Plan is underway to replace the old machinery at

the processing plant The Company is also producing its

own ldquoabrasiverdquo used for polishing marble using locally

available minerals and materials

Awash Processing Plant

Blocks at Block Yard

Slabs at Slab Yard in the Awash Processing Plant

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

NMiC holds 40 of the local market share in the construction industry Lots of buildings have been cladded by NMiCrsquos products The Sheraton Addis Bole International Airport Terminal Sunshine Multipurpose Building National Bank of Ethiopia Federal Police Headquarters AUrsquos Building Head Office and the Secretary Generalrsquos Residence Ethiopian Insurance Corporation Worbek Building the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Patriarchrsquos Palace and UNCA Building are some the major buildings in Addis Ababa which are finished with NMiCrsquos products

National Mining Corporation Plc is one of the competent companies in Ethiopia and has contributed to the economy of the country by way of generating hard currency from its exports and saving foreign currency by competing and blocking imports of dimension stones from abroad One word it has added to the Ethiopian economy an amount of over Birr 5000000000 (fifty million) in tax royalties and land rent

NMiC has made valuable studies on the mineral potential areas of the country in dimension stones oil and gas mineral water coal and industrial minerals It has also made sound participation in the employment and training of manpower to the mining sector and has encouraged foreign investors to be involved in exploration of oil and gas and other minerals NMiC provides free training in its quarries and processing plant to new local enterprises coming to the sector The company provides potable water electricity medical services and other financial assistance to the community of its mining areas and has set up HIVAIDS policy for the Company to curb the spread of the pandemic and provides care and support for

those living with the virus

Tunnel Jet Belt Quarrying the latest technology in use at the Eshet Blue Quarry

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

a) Finalizing the work on the exploration phase of the gold and base metals projects both at Dawa Digati and Werri which shall lead to feasibility study and production stage

b) Developing Eshet Blue and Boka Multicolor marble quarries and strengthen export to increase income of foreign currency

c) Supplying blocks to local factories

d) Replacement of machinery at Awash Processing Plant especially to boost production and quality

e) Improve the life of the working force through profit sharing and availing better facilities together with upgrading their knowledge through training

f) Implement the Soda Ash development project

The priority areas of NMiC in its future plan include among others

Asked finally if he was satisfied with his Companyrsquos achievements Ato Melaku Beza CEO of NMiC replied ldquoNot much we could do betterrdquo

Nmic Products

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

ldquoA journey of a thousand miles starts with a single steprdquo

goes the famous Chinese saying as for Bauer MIDROC it

all started 10 years ago with the foundation work of the

construction of the MIDROC Corporate Office (MCO)

commonly known as Nani Building With a single project

at hand Bauer Specialtifbau a German Company ventured

into the slowly budding private construction industry

in equal partnership with MIDROC Ethiopia Although

a small scale business venture in the eyes of both giant

partners MIDROC Ethiopia and Bauer Specialtifbau it

created vast opportunities to the construction sector

with the introduction of a state-of-the-art German based

foundation technology to the Ethiopian market The

miniature move of the two giants opened up a gateway

of possibilities and marked a new construction era for

Ethiopia Over the years changes in shareholders has

led to the current name ldquoMIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plcrdquo with the state-of-the-art foundation solutions still in

place

Several limitations in dealing with unfavorable soil

conditions frequently encountered within Ethiopiarsquos

diverse geological formations most abundantly the

problematic black cotton soil within the city of Addis

Ababa and other parts of the country brought about

several technical barriers when it came to building

massive civil structures Building highrises as well as

massive bridges was inconceivable unless capable soil was

in close vicinity MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with

the introduction of deep foundations based on advanced

and efficient technologies in the construction industry

no doubt brought about remarkable solutions and helped

ease some of these anxieties

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with its fleets of large

diameter drilling rigs and variety of drilling tools capable of

both soil and hard soil formations has made economical

foundation solutions a reality offering developers the

confidence to build high rise buildings without worrying

about the type of soil in Addis Ababa The expertise of

Dedicated Backing for MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is gradually changing

the cityrsquos skyline with the construction of the completed

MCO Building AICAIB Headquarters and KK Building

both to be completed soon and all standing above 20

stories

Entering the city limits through the skyways one can notice

that the Bole Airport has received an entire facelift with

the construction of the International Passenger Terminal

Airport Control Towers the new Cargo Terminal and the

Maintenance Hanger The only thing these landmarks share

other than ownership is that they owe their existence to

foundation solutions of MIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plc As we enter the city limits also the Bole Viaduct

and all the overpasses on the Addis Ababa Ring Road are

comfortably resting still with the construction of the deep

piles by MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc

Drilling of pile with casing

 Tiret Sept 2008

Parallel to pile construction as verification of the

constructed pile capacities is common practice in the

foundation construction industry MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc equipped with the state-of-the-art

automated pile load testing system has recently conducted

1300 metric tons load test at the Derba MIDROC Cement

Factory Project the first of this magnitude in the African

Continent

The introduction of vertical shoring wall systems that

uses reinforced concrete piles and tie back anchors which

is gaining popularity in recent years is another type of

foundation technology solutions made possible in Ethiopia

through MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos expertise

Prior to these shoring system solutions land owners

could not fully utilize their plots at the boundaries for fear

of catastrophic cave-in In fact in most cases plot owners

avoided under ground construction in order to avoid

litigation with next door land owners The utilization of

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos vertical shoring pile

wall system was proposed and implemented in the cases

of Bole Towers and Loli Building In both cases all sides of

the plot were shored exactly at the boundaries without

any land loss In fact the clients gained underground spaces

in the order of two to three times their plot size for

possible parking purpose This has provided developers

with solutions clearing their lumbers from additional

costs for parking facilities

Pile load testing

In line with the construction boom within Addis Ababa

developers are opting to construct on boundary edges

where heavy structures already exist in adjacent plots

In order to excavate at these boundaries the safest and

most economical foundation solution system is shoring

pile wall system These systems were employed at Awash

Bank and Insurance Building KK Building and Orchid

Building

For realization of structures that have to be constructed

below the natural ground water level and or near offshore

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc has construction

approaches that employ waterproof vertical shoring

systems and several options to choose from within

the framework of technical feasibility of foundation

engineering The construction of Diaphragm Wall

Cellular Cofferdam Sheet Pile Wall and Secant

Pile Wall are such solutions to name a few The cost

of construction and the time required for executing the

works is in the order listed above

Anchored pile shoring wall

Foundation Solution

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the equipment already available in the country

MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc has tabled and

implemented an economical and technically feasible

secant pile wall system solution for bridge projects

within Ethiopia If it was not for MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plcrsquos geotechnical solutions construction under

such conditions would have been technically impossible

throughout East Africa

Unlike other options construction of secant pile wall as

waterproof vertical shoring system is not limited to the

soil condition of the site The construction of such high

tech geotechnical engineering solutions by the Company

have been successfully applied on projects like the Omo

River Bridge and on the New Abay Bridge Projects The

application of the secant pile wall system was used for the

construction of the pier foundation on both sides of the

Bridge on the Omo River Bridge Project and one side pier

foundation construction of the New Abay Bridge Project

During the construction of the Omo River Bridge

foundation and substructure works other logistic

challenges non-related to foundation works was

encountered The West Pier and Abutment on the Omo

River Bridge created such a technical impasse On this

side one of the most difficult challenges was to solve the

problem of crossing equipment and construction material

across the 150 m wide river After carefully considering all

the possible alternatives a decision was made to design and

manufacture a water crossing barge using local expertise

and manufacturing capabilities MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc took part in the design manufacturing and

commissioning of this barge and has successfully crossed

a 503 ton drilling rig and other earth moving equipment

With nearly twenty projects within Ethiopia MIDROC

Foundation Specialists Plc is a pioneer in exporting

foundation technology to neighboring Kenya Tanzania

and the Sudan In-house trained Ethiopian experts have

Crossing of drilling rig on Omo River through Barge

 Tiret Sept 2008

Secant pile wall

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Mr Achim Braun General Manager of MIDROC Foundation (left) inspecting a construction site

left their marks on several key projects within those

countries Among the projects successfully carried out in

Tanzania the Songo Songo Offshore Piling Project was the

most challenging and rewarding of all In this Project sixty

per cent of the piles were constructed from a SEWP (Self

Elevating Working Platform) elevated 13 meters from the

sea bed

As the company commemorates the tenth anniversary of

its establishment it is only proper to mark the outstanding

contributions to the construction industry of Ethiopia The

efficiency of the Company and the technology employed

has resulted in creating a broad awareness of foundation

technological solutions in the country particularly

among developers In terms of the spectrum of available

techniques of foundation the projects undertaken so

far are only a tip of the iceberg Although the Company

was confronted with a number of challenges in changing

attitudes and practices the success achieved so far has

been accomplished with great efforts exerted by the

companyrsquos management and its diligent professionals in

the field

Being the only Class I Foundation Specialist Contractors

in the country MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc is now

determined to leap ahead to new and yet un-introduced

foundation construction technologies such as micro 

piles  high  pressure  injection  diaphragm 

walls  slope  protection  and  soil  nailing  As

the countries infrastructure development continues to

reach higher levels MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is

preparing itself to meet the current customer demands

and technological challenges

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Statistics reveal that the country continues to earn hard currency from export of primary commodities such as coffee which tops the list by fetching some 500 million dollars last financial year

Other commodities are hides and skin flowers pulses fruits vegetables and chat

Incidentally it is interesting to note that Chat has fetched over 60 million dollars in foreign currency last fiscal year

The chewing of chat leaves is common in the horn of Africa but in eastern Ethiopia it is big business for some and big worry for others Chat is a major agricultural crop Yet many say it is addictive and harmful to health

In a town where I grew up for instance it is hard to avoid the impact of the stimulant leaf The first thing that strikes you in the main market is the deafening noise The market square is a scene of total chaos as you make your way through a bustling crowd preoccupied with the business of bartering for a prized commodity- the green leafed plant chat

Awadaye market is a market for chat It is estimated that over 25000 kg pass through it daily The buyers and sellers take their jobs seriously shouting to one other They gesture excitedly as they trade thousands of birr daily for the chat which is bought from the local farmers in Awadaye and sent to other areas in Ethiopia It is also exported overseas It is said to be the backbone of the economy as it can be gathered from the revenue it has generated during the current physical year

If you compare chat farmers with other farmers in other parts of the country you will see that their standard of living is so much better

The employment created though chat cultivation is very high as large numbers of people are involved in growing harvesting sorting packing transporting loading and unloading the commodity The wood of the plant is used for fuel and because of its resistance to termites it is also used to make fences Chat is also believed to have medical value being used locally to treat influenza and asthma

Chat farmers used to grow maize sorghum and teff which is the basic Ethiopian staple food but these crops are difficult to grow as they require lots of rain and attention

while chat requires little water or cultivation That is why it is widely believed that its cultivation is expanding at an amazing rate

Chat has now become Ethiopiarsquos biggest export third only to coffee and hides and skin But despite the cash earning and the tradition of chat growing and use among the people many people do not encourage it

They believe that it is addictive and this has a negative impact on the community They allege that people forget about their work commitments and spend hours chewing chat The number of users of chat is increasing particularly among the youth

In urban areas the use of chat combined with alcohol is having an adverse effect on family life Many students chew chat because they say it increases their concentration when they study their lessons

However in some regions where it is widely cultivated business punctuality is a frequent problem as the time after lunch is usually spent chewing chat Even in some regions where the plant has been banned cultivation and usage continue and attempts to replace chat with cash crops like coffee have failed

Regardless of the merit or demerit of chat the country continues to get the much needed hard currency through export of the plant ldquochatrdquo

However many people including development agents are of the opinion that the demerit far out weighs the merit for energy and time is spent chewing the stuff and particularly its negative impact on health especially on the productive force

Another very lucrative business in Ethiopia is the export of leather and leather goods According to recent data export of leather and leather goods registered a surge from 52 million dollars to over 90 million dollars Incidentally ELICO one of MIDROC Ethiopia group companies dealing with finished leather products fetched last financial year over 10 million dollars

In the light of considerable income accrued from export of primary commodities there is a need to do even more by way of establishing more agro-industries that engage in the production of agricultural products for sale locally and internationally

Earning from Export of Primary CommoditiesBy Yohannes Ruphael

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The Third Private Sector Development National Conference ndash 2008 of Ethiopia took place in Addis Ababa on June 30 2008 ndash at the UNECA Conference Center and the draft strategy document and priority strategic issues for improved business environment were discussed by representatives of the Private Sector Development Hub established with basic objectives of coordinating and developing a series of public sector development intervention projects for implementation with international financial support and undertaking related research studies to support the business community in its public and private partnership dialogue The Conference was addressed by an internationally renowned and distinguished authority on Corporate Governance Prof Mervyn E King SC

The Editorial Team of TIRET has taken advantage of communicating with Professor Mervyn E King SC to share his views briefly with our readers

Professor Mervyn E King SC is currently Professor Extraordinaire at the University of South Africa and serves as the Chairperson of the King Committee on Corporate Governance in South Africa He is a Senior Counsel and former Judge of the Supreme Court of South Africa His other credentials include Member of the World Bank Advisory Group on Corporate Governance President of the Commonwealth Association of Corporate Governance Governor of the International Corporate Governance Network President of the South Africa Chamber of Business Vice President of the Institute of Directors of Southern Africa Representatives of South Africa at the International Chamber of Commerce Advisor of Asian Center of Corporate Governance Director of Global Reporting Initiative-Amsterdam Director of Association of business Administrators of South Africa

At the Millennium National Private Sector Development Conference in Addis Ababa recently I spoke about corporate governance in the development of the private sector

Corporate governance is about the principles and practices which guide directors and senior managers in making their decisions to the best interests of their companies It has to be separated from the enterprise side of the business which is about making business judgment calls It is essential that directors and senior managers adopt acceptable principles and practices in steering and directing the company and making business judgment It is about the quality of this governance rather than a quantitative check on whether there has been compliance by the directors and managers with well-known governance practices such as the establishment of a remuneration committee

In my talk I pointed out that the economic value of a company does not equal its book value In Coca Cola for example its book value is approximately 13 of its economic value and its greatest asset is its brand which is dependent on

 Tiret Sept 2008

the companyrsquos reputation Consequentially directors and senior managers of Coca Cola have a duty to protect the companyrsquos brand

In planning for a company the strategic direction needs to be done both short- and long-term If a strategy is developed in which all persons in the corporation at all levels buy-in one can get ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things Unless this is done not even extraordinary people will achieve ordinary things

The important thing for directors to remember is that they have won and maintained the trust and confidence of the stakeholders of the company Consequently they should report at least annually how the company has both positively and negatively affected a communityrsquos economic life through its operations and how it is going to enhance those positive aspects and eradicate or ameliorate the negative aspects in the year ahead

Good governance involves inter alia the approval by the board of the strategy of the company and sustainability can no longer be ignored in developing a long-term strategy

The Private Sector Development Hub (PSD-Hub) has the objective to contribute to the economic development of Ethiopia by improving the entrepreneurial environment and the governance of corporations Consequently the PSD-Hub has held Conferences over the last two years focusing on these issues and on the question of public private partnerships There has also been discussion about expediting the registration of companies the standardization of accounting and auditing capitalization and the finalization of the revision of the Ethiopian Commercial Code Corporate governance has featured prominently in these discussions

Arising out of all the modernization of the registration of companies in Ethiopia has been recognized as a priority

Accounting and auditing standards which should follow IFRS should have legal backing so that everyone in Ethiopia will know the meaning of the reported financial statements

The development of a securities market including an exchange in which not only equities but bonds and derivatives can be bought and sold with the dematerialisation of scrip and electronic settlement is essential

From the above it will be seen that there is much to be done but Ethiopia is striving through the PSD Hub to create platforms on which it can forge ahead in our flat electronic world where capital flows towards those areas where there is good governance and well-regulated markets The Conference at which I spoke was just another step in Ethiopiarsquos endeavours to achieve these goals Positively the essential aspects for creating an entrepreneurial and thriving business environment have been identified and PSD Hub the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other interested bodies are working in partnership with government to achieve them

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Itrsquos a ridiculous

l a n g u a g e rdquo

sputtered the

Englishman at

the next table

his jowls shaking

in anger ldquoA ridiculous languagerdquo

We were sitting in a tiny tea-and-pie shop in Criccieth a

town in northern Wales and everybody but us was speaking

Welsh Like a remarkable number of his countrymen this

man was convinced it was merely a secret code employed

by the local to talk behind the backs of English visitors

ldquoJust you watchrdquo he said ldquoAs soon as we leave theyrsquoll all

go back to speaking Englishrdquo

I rather doubted it And unlike the Englishman I was

thrilled to encounter one of the oldest languages in

Europe a tongue heard in this misty and mountainous

land since the arrival of Roman legions

Being surrounded by people speaking an unfamiliar and

exotic language is to me one of the best things about

travel Just as some people will journey to the Serengeti

to glimpse the rare and endangered white rhino Irsquoll happily

go far out of my way to hear a rare and endangered

language

In the storybook city of Carcassonne in southwest France

I was less thrilled at seeing the towers and turrets than

I was at meeting a man who could speak Occitan the

ancient and fast-vanishing language of the troubadours

As far as I was concerned the most fascinating thing in

Dangriga a coastal town in Belize was the mellifluous

sound of Garifuna a language spoken by the descendants

of shipwrecked slaves from West Africa I once traveled

to Graubunden in eastern Switzerland in the hope of

hearing Romansch a tongue spoken by fewer than one

percent of the nationrsquos residents and said to resemble

Latin I encountered a few signs in the language but no

one who could speak it

According to one oft-cited estimate at least half the

worldrsquos 6000 languages are likely to die out by the end

of this century which means that one is going silent on

average every two weeks

Itrsquos not merely a matter of using different words to express the same thoughts Languages are literally the expressions of cultures and belief systems entirely different ways of making sense of the world And just as we should be concerned about the shrinking diversity of plant and animal species we should also worry about the shrinking diversity of languages

Welsh though seems to be holding on despite 700 years

of efforts by the English to exterminate it The BBC has for

some years now carried television and radio programming

in the language and in Wales itrsquos possible to receive your

entire education from preschool to postgraduate in

Welsh About 20 percent of Walesrsquo population speaks

Welsh and the number appears to be growing slightly

It is not as the Englishman said a ridiculous language But

it is to my eyes and ears a wonderfully strange one Dave

Barry once wrote that the ancient Hawaiians arrived on

their islands after perilous canoe voyages in seas so rough

their consonants fell overboard My guess is that the

letters drifted the worldrsquos oceans until they washed up on

the shores of Wales

T h e   B e a u t y   o f   a   L a n g u a g e

 Tiret Sept 2008

How else to explain for example the Welsh word for

beer Itrsquos cwrw It looks like my Scrabble tray when I

donrsquot have a word to pay (In case you ever need to order

one itrsquos pronounced ldquokooroordquo)

And then therersquos the vexing pronunciation of the double-

1 you find at the beginning of it seems two-thirds of the

town names in Wales ldquoJust put your teeth together and

hiss like a duckrdquo explained a helpful woman I met at the

Dylan Thomas Museum in Swansea She also pointed out

that Llareggub the fictional town in Thomasrsquo ldquoUnder the

Milkwood Treerdquo is merely ldquobugger allrdquo spelled backward

I like the besotted poet a whole lot more after learning

that

One dark and drizzly night I went to a little schoolhouse in

the Rhondda Valley to listen to a rehearsal of the Treorchy

Menrsquos Choir made up mostly of unemployed coal miners

ldquoIn the old daysrdquo one of them told me ldquowe used to sing

together in the pitsrdquo

When they opened their mouths to sing as one in Welsh

all the snarky little comments about their language become

moot It was simply one of the most hauntingly beautiful

sounds Irsquove even heard

I got a lesson in the politics of minority languages recently

when I visited Montreal the capital of French ndash speaking

Canada I hadnrsquot been there since a childhood visit to

Exporsquo67 and I remember the province as decidedly

bilingual Everything from traffic signs to toothpaste

tubes was printed in French and English No more A

law passed in 1977 banned the use of English in signs

throughout Quebec Itrsquos an attempt to do linguistically

what they failed for two centuries to do militarily prevent

the English from conquering them

Theyrsquore quite serious about this Hudson Bay Co the

venerable department store chain that dates back to the

fur-trading days is now known as Compagnie de la Baie

drsquoHudson at least in these parts Kentucky Fried Chicken

outlets arenrsquot allowed to use ldquoKFCrdquo on their signs In

Quebec theyrsquore called ldquoPFKrdquo for Poulet Frit Kentucky

The Quebecois are more vigilant even than their famously

Anglophobic counterparts in Paris All stop signs here say

Arret even though the ones in France say ldquoStoprdquo

It all seemed a little silly and excessive to me until I began

talking to French-speaking Montrealers about it ldquoYou

have to understand that wersquore surrounded by English

speakersrdquo a schoolteacher told me ldquoWe have to be very

firm about defending our language or it will disappear

And when it goes so does our way of life

Signs aside most French Canadians I met were bilingual

I quickly discovered that if I first made atleast a fumbling

attempt to speak their language almost everybody was

happy to switch to English ndash very possibly to spare

themselves the trauma of hearing my phrase-book

French which sounds like someone grinding the gears

of an old Citroen ldquoWe have nothing against Englishrdquo the

schoolteacher told me ldquoItrsquos just that we want to speak

French hererdquo

Vive la differenceJohn Flinn -Travel Editor

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Scale up of HIV Prevention Treatment Care and Support Requires Renewed Leadership and Resources

The 17th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) took place in Mexico City from August 3 -8 2008 with an assessment of the situation of the global epidemic at a panel of researchers public health and civil society leaders examined recent progress towards the scale up of treatment and prevention programmes and called for sustained action to eliminate the barriers to universal access

ldquoDespite the progress we have made we are not on course to meet universal access targets and in fact appear to be slipping away from our existing commitmentsrdquo said Dr Pedro Cahn International Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and President of the International AIDS Society and Fundacioacuten Hueacutesped in Buenos Aires Argentina ldquoIt appears that we are poised to accept defeat when victory is still within our grasp Our failure to meet those commitments will have an impact on millions of lives This cannot be allowed to happen It is time for nations to live up to their commitmentsrdquo

ldquoWith only two years to go until the 2010 deadline for universal access set by world leaders we must redouble our commitment to scaling up all proven HIV prevention strategiesrdquo said Dr Luiacutes Soto Ramiacuterez Local Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and Head of the Molecular Virology Unit at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Meacutedicas y Nutricioacuten Salvador Zubiriaacuten and Coordinator of the Clinical Care Committee of CONASIDA Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council ldquoThe fact that last year 27 million people were newly infected with HIV a disease that is entirely preventable is unacceptablerdquo

Dr Jaime Sepulveda (Mexico) founder of Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council who is now with the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation noted that attention to and resources for AIDS are at all-time high including substantially increased funding for the Global Fund and the US Presidentrsquos Emergency Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief According to Sepulveda reaching the goal of 3 million people in low and middle-income countries on treatment at the end of 2007 was a critical step forward but the world has only scratched the surface of possibilities in responding to the epidemic Greater resources more effectively spent and targeted where they can have the greatest effect would have a dramatic impact on the course of the epidemicrsquos Highlighting the fact that more people become infected

with HIV last year than began treatment Sepulveda called for radically increased investments in prevention research evaluation and delivery of services as well as accelerated research on promising prevention methods including a vaccine In conclusion he reiterated that political leadership from all countries and accountability at all levels are essential for stopping the epidemic

Citing the results in both treatment and prevention scale up in countries with sustained leadership such as Rwanda and Tanzania Alex Coutinho (Uganda) of the Infectious Disease Institute of Makerere University made a passionate call for greater leadership as a path toward meeting the challenges ahead In looking at progress to date Coutinho highlighted increased access to HIV testing and counseling to prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and to pediatric care and treatment as well as the effectiveness of male circumcision as a prevention intervention In contrast he noted that most countries will not achieve universal access by 2010 and that the majority of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are still unaware of their HIV status In his call to action Coutinho urged greater investment in prevention and financial resources flexible enough to support health systems and systems that reach into rural and other hard-to-reach areas and fully embrace PLHIV as partners He also urged outreach to and support of marginalized and at-risk communities as well as the greater involvement of PLHIV as a catalyst for change

Elisabet Fadul (Dominican Republic) of the Dominican Network for Youth RightsGlobal Youth Partners outlined a broad and urgent youth HIVAIDS agenda calling for comprehensive rights ndash and evidence-based plans to provide access for young people Highlighting the 40 of new infections worldwide among young people between the ages of 15-24 Fadul noted that HIV prevention and treatment programmes are failing to effectively reach young people with the most vulnerable and marginalized being stigmatized criminalized or forgotten by many of these programmes

To reverse this course she called for actions and policies that engage youth especially young people living with HIVAIDS as respected partners in developing and implementing programmes that forthrightly address their

needs and diversity

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Tadesse Haile State Minister of the Ministry of Trade and Industry visited Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc and held discussions with senior members on issues pertaining to the activities of the factory Ato Ahmed Hassen General Manager of the Factory explained to the State Minister that the factory would make all efforts to produce quality products in large quantity so as to reduce import from abroad He however expressed his wish that the government reduces tax on raw materials which are essential for the production of soap and detergent

Ato Tadesse disclosed during the discussion that extensive studies that include soap industries in the country are underway with the aim to strengthen the chemical industry in which the concern would be addressed in the near future He further said that there is a plan to connect the various regions of the country to the port by

EBG was announced First Order Winner for Best Stand in the 12th International Millennium Trade Fair organized by the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations held at the Exhibition Center in February 2008

EBGrsquos stand was visited by large number of visitors including the honorable World Laureate Metre Artist Afework Tekle who not only showed interest in the products and services of EBG but also expressed his appreciation to the Company in his comments while signing in the Special Guest Book

EBG Awarded for Best Stand

Star Soap and Detergent Factory Visited

The Most Honorable Maritre World Laureate Artist

Afework Tekle signing in the Visitors Book at the Trade Fair

Ato Tadesse Haile visiting the Production Unit with Ato Ahmed Hassen General Manager and Ato Seid Ahmed Plant Manager of the Factory

rail within the coming five years for the speedy delivery of export and import of goods which will have a great impact on sales

Ato Tadesse Haile finally appreciated the activities of the factory and said that Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc is capable of being a model in the sector and wished the lsquoBest of Luckrsquo for the management and the staff and affirmed that his Ministry would always support on all their endeavors

Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc is a member of the MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group established at an investment capital of Birr 80 million The factory is one of the biggest in the sector and equipped with the latest machinery and manufactures best quality laundry and toilet soaps liquid and synthetic detergents powder and bar soaps

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the most dedicated health care professionals and support staff SalaM Employees Clinic the Clinic that provides health care services to employees of MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group Companies and affiliates in its efforts to upgrade and improve its services has added to its modern list of medical equipment a Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor an advanced medical equipment Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor is one of the new advanced machineries that the clinic acquired recently which is used for the diagnosis of refraction errors of the eye

The Clinic provides medical and surgical services with sub-specialists in gynecological ophthalmological dermatological and ENT employing advanced diagnostic equipment such as radiography endoscopy and colonoscopy supported by video camera ultrasound and ECG Machines It has a well stocked pharmacy with essential medicines and also provides laboratory diagnostic services

The Clinic recently has moved from its previous location to a large and ideal villa with more rooms and a convenient location near the Genet Hotel and is open 24 hours

SalaM Employees Clinic was established by Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi in 1996 for employees of the Investment Group with an investment capital of over Birr 4 million under the SalaM Health Care Plc He later on increased the investment a lot more

Apart from providing services to the employees of the MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group SalaM Employees Clinic is rendering efficient services to the public as well

Dr Amare Abebe Medical Director of the clinic conducting an examination using endoscopy machine

Employees Clinic Secures Equipment

The Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor which the clinic acquired recently

The front view of the Clinic

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Three delegates from Ethiopia Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu MIDROC Ethiopia Training Director Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch Ato Asfaw Alemu Credit Manager of Dashen Bank attended the International Society of Business Economics and Ethics World Congress under the theme ldquoGlobal Fairness Local Integrityrdquo held in Cape Town from July 13 ndash 20 2008 and organized by BEN-Africa

The ISBEE World Congress is held every four years and is affectionately referred to as the Olympics of Business Ethics It always succeeds in attracting the best minds in the field of ethics of business and economics This yearrsquos Congress was attended by over 400 participants from all corners of the world Top notch world speakers among others Prof Mervyn E King SC Prof Deon Rossow Prof Joka Iwao Prof Georges Enderle Prof Paul Collies and Prof Tom Donaldson attended the Congress and over 80 papers were presented in three plenary sessions on topical international business issues

Ethiopian Delegation Participates at World ISBEE World Congress

Participants of ISBEE Congress Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu (left) Ato Lulseged Teferi (middle) Ato Asfaw Alemu

A Special Certificate of Recognition was awarded to Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu of MIDROC Ethiopia Prof Deon Rossow ndash former President of BEN-Africa and Ms Korien Sander the outgoing Executive Secretary of BEN-Africa

Emeritus Prof Johannes in his brief statement after receiving the certificate said that he accepted the certificate on behalf of those institutions and individuals in Ethiopia who have been behind the BEN-Africa Conference held in Ethiopia

It is to be recalled that MIDROC Ethiopia Corporate Office Dashen Bank the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch and Ato Teklu Haile Manager of Treasury Finance and Accounting of MIDROC Ethiopia played a great role for the successful completion of the ldquo7th Annual BEN-Africa Conferencerdquo held in Addis Ababa in August 2007

 Tiret Sept 2008

MIDROC Ethiopia is involved in the development of

mining and exploration of gold building of heavy mining

industries in central and eastern parts of the country

like cement plants filler plants etc Coal exploration is

also a potential area that is being explored by different

companies including MIDROC Ethiopia for use in the

cement plant power generation and fertilizer Soda ash

being used as a major input in glass soap detergent and

other industrial input is also one area of mining A lot of

investors are involved in gemstones

In an effort to exploit these resources and put them

to good use for the development of Ethiopia one of

MIDROC Ethiopia Group Companies the National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) has since its establishment in

March 1993 been actively engaged in the exploration of

gold and base metals in the various parts of the country

ldquoIt is worth noting that the mineral wealth of Ethiopia is

not fully tapped yet and needs to be given due attention

as it can be the backbone of the economy together with

agriculturerdquo says Ato Melaku Beza CEO of National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) He assertively told TIRET in

an interview at his office regarding the activities and

contributions of NMiC to the mining industry and that

his Company is working hard for a better achievement as

it has commemorated its 15th anniversary recently

He said that NMiC is currently engaged in the exploration

of gold base metals at Dawa Digati and Werri areas in the

Oromia and Tigray Administrative Regions and base metals

in Dire Dawa and Benshangul Gumuz Administrative

Regions It is also engaged in mining of marble and

limestone processing of quarried blocks and on the way

to develop the Abiyata Soda Ash in Southern Ethiopia

The Company in its venture in the development of Soda

Ash has embarked upon a joint investment agreement

with the Public Enterprise Supervising Agency (PPESA)

for a 54 percent share in which PPESArsquos 46 percent share

dilutes while NMICrsquos share shall increase in the process of

implementing tasks set in two phases

Mining Corporation on the Move

Ato Melaku Beza CEO NMiC

Dawa Digati Gold exploration drilling

The potential of the mining industry for the development of the Ethiopian economy is immense as witnessed by the ongoing development activities in the country This includes exploration of petroleum in the Ogaden Gambela and other areas by different companies exploration of gold in different parts of the country and potash exploration in Dallol where there is an estimated of 160 millions of tons of proven reserves

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Melaku stated that NMIC has invested Birr

160817912 (one hundred sixty million eight hundred

seventeen thousand nine hundred twelve) for exploration

and mining activities adding that the size of investment for

soda ash will be in the order of Birr 1150000000 (one

billion one hundred fifty million)

The first phase will cost Birr 640000000 (six hundred

forty million) and the second phase will be Birr 500000000

(five hundred million)

National Mining Corporation Plc is a pioneer in opening

and developing quarrying of marble and limestone using

the latest technology in the field Currently the Companyrsquos

Boka Marble Quarry has six benches and more than

twelve faces that are being worked out at Boka quarry

in the Benshangul Administrative Region In the process

it provides training to quarry workers of other quarry

owners thereby contributing to the development of the

mining culture

The General Manager explained about the processing and

marketing of his Companyrsquos products and said that his

Company applies modern technologies and deploys the

latest equipment in mining that meet export standards

engaging in open pit mining and tunneling for underground

mining which is unique not only in Ethiopia but also in

Africa He further articulated that the Company mines one

of the best quality marble in the industry as evidenced in

Boka multicolor marble once nominated as ldquoThe Stone

of the Yearrdquo by the Marble Institute of America (MIA)

while the blue marble has entered the world market by

a new name ldquoSummer Skyrdquo and is currently being sold

in Italy Samples of both have been tested and analyzed in

American Testing Companies and European Universities

and have proved to be of high quality and suitable both

for internal and external use in the construction industry

These two marbles are unique and are found only in

Ethiopia Also the limestone is of unique colors yellow

white and red which have high demand in the market

The CEO said that the special quality of his Companyrsquos

product that attracts international market is the

uniqueness of the material its beauty (aesthetics) and its

non-absorbent and compact nature

The company has the capacity to supply the export market

with the required quality and size of blocks and slabs both

white and blue marble Export markets include Taiwan

China Italy France USA Africa and the Middle East

In order to improve quality additional modern

state-of-the-art quarry machinery has been injected in the

quarry Plan is underway to replace the old machinery at

the processing plant The Company is also producing its

own ldquoabrasiverdquo used for polishing marble using locally

available minerals and materials

Awash Processing Plant

Blocks at Block Yard

Slabs at Slab Yard in the Awash Processing Plant

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

NMiC holds 40 of the local market share in the construction industry Lots of buildings have been cladded by NMiCrsquos products The Sheraton Addis Bole International Airport Terminal Sunshine Multipurpose Building National Bank of Ethiopia Federal Police Headquarters AUrsquos Building Head Office and the Secretary Generalrsquos Residence Ethiopian Insurance Corporation Worbek Building the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Patriarchrsquos Palace and UNCA Building are some the major buildings in Addis Ababa which are finished with NMiCrsquos products

National Mining Corporation Plc is one of the competent companies in Ethiopia and has contributed to the economy of the country by way of generating hard currency from its exports and saving foreign currency by competing and blocking imports of dimension stones from abroad One word it has added to the Ethiopian economy an amount of over Birr 5000000000 (fifty million) in tax royalties and land rent

NMiC has made valuable studies on the mineral potential areas of the country in dimension stones oil and gas mineral water coal and industrial minerals It has also made sound participation in the employment and training of manpower to the mining sector and has encouraged foreign investors to be involved in exploration of oil and gas and other minerals NMiC provides free training in its quarries and processing plant to new local enterprises coming to the sector The company provides potable water electricity medical services and other financial assistance to the community of its mining areas and has set up HIVAIDS policy for the Company to curb the spread of the pandemic and provides care and support for

those living with the virus

Tunnel Jet Belt Quarrying the latest technology in use at the Eshet Blue Quarry

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

a) Finalizing the work on the exploration phase of the gold and base metals projects both at Dawa Digati and Werri which shall lead to feasibility study and production stage

b) Developing Eshet Blue and Boka Multicolor marble quarries and strengthen export to increase income of foreign currency

c) Supplying blocks to local factories

d) Replacement of machinery at Awash Processing Plant especially to boost production and quality

e) Improve the life of the working force through profit sharing and availing better facilities together with upgrading their knowledge through training

f) Implement the Soda Ash development project

The priority areas of NMiC in its future plan include among others

Asked finally if he was satisfied with his Companyrsquos achievements Ato Melaku Beza CEO of NMiC replied ldquoNot much we could do betterrdquo

Nmic Products

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

ldquoA journey of a thousand miles starts with a single steprdquo

goes the famous Chinese saying as for Bauer MIDROC it

all started 10 years ago with the foundation work of the

construction of the MIDROC Corporate Office (MCO)

commonly known as Nani Building With a single project

at hand Bauer Specialtifbau a German Company ventured

into the slowly budding private construction industry

in equal partnership with MIDROC Ethiopia Although

a small scale business venture in the eyes of both giant

partners MIDROC Ethiopia and Bauer Specialtifbau it

created vast opportunities to the construction sector

with the introduction of a state-of-the-art German based

foundation technology to the Ethiopian market The

miniature move of the two giants opened up a gateway

of possibilities and marked a new construction era for

Ethiopia Over the years changes in shareholders has

led to the current name ldquoMIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plcrdquo with the state-of-the-art foundation solutions still in

place

Several limitations in dealing with unfavorable soil

conditions frequently encountered within Ethiopiarsquos

diverse geological formations most abundantly the

problematic black cotton soil within the city of Addis

Ababa and other parts of the country brought about

several technical barriers when it came to building

massive civil structures Building highrises as well as

massive bridges was inconceivable unless capable soil was

in close vicinity MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with

the introduction of deep foundations based on advanced

and efficient technologies in the construction industry

no doubt brought about remarkable solutions and helped

ease some of these anxieties

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with its fleets of large

diameter drilling rigs and variety of drilling tools capable of

both soil and hard soil formations has made economical

foundation solutions a reality offering developers the

confidence to build high rise buildings without worrying

about the type of soil in Addis Ababa The expertise of

Dedicated Backing for MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is gradually changing

the cityrsquos skyline with the construction of the completed

MCO Building AICAIB Headquarters and KK Building

both to be completed soon and all standing above 20

stories

Entering the city limits through the skyways one can notice

that the Bole Airport has received an entire facelift with

the construction of the International Passenger Terminal

Airport Control Towers the new Cargo Terminal and the

Maintenance Hanger The only thing these landmarks share

other than ownership is that they owe their existence to

foundation solutions of MIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plc As we enter the city limits also the Bole Viaduct

and all the overpasses on the Addis Ababa Ring Road are

comfortably resting still with the construction of the deep

piles by MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc

Drilling of pile with casing

 Tiret Sept 2008

Parallel to pile construction as verification of the

constructed pile capacities is common practice in the

foundation construction industry MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc equipped with the state-of-the-art

automated pile load testing system has recently conducted

1300 metric tons load test at the Derba MIDROC Cement

Factory Project the first of this magnitude in the African

Continent

The introduction of vertical shoring wall systems that

uses reinforced concrete piles and tie back anchors which

is gaining popularity in recent years is another type of

foundation technology solutions made possible in Ethiopia

through MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos expertise

Prior to these shoring system solutions land owners

could not fully utilize their plots at the boundaries for fear

of catastrophic cave-in In fact in most cases plot owners

avoided under ground construction in order to avoid

litigation with next door land owners The utilization of

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos vertical shoring pile

wall system was proposed and implemented in the cases

of Bole Towers and Loli Building In both cases all sides of

the plot were shored exactly at the boundaries without

any land loss In fact the clients gained underground spaces

in the order of two to three times their plot size for

possible parking purpose This has provided developers

with solutions clearing their lumbers from additional

costs for parking facilities

Pile load testing

In line with the construction boom within Addis Ababa

developers are opting to construct on boundary edges

where heavy structures already exist in adjacent plots

In order to excavate at these boundaries the safest and

most economical foundation solution system is shoring

pile wall system These systems were employed at Awash

Bank and Insurance Building KK Building and Orchid

Building

For realization of structures that have to be constructed

below the natural ground water level and or near offshore

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc has construction

approaches that employ waterproof vertical shoring

systems and several options to choose from within

the framework of technical feasibility of foundation

engineering The construction of Diaphragm Wall

Cellular Cofferdam Sheet Pile Wall and Secant

Pile Wall are such solutions to name a few The cost

of construction and the time required for executing the

works is in the order listed above

Anchored pile shoring wall

Foundation Solution

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the equipment already available in the country

MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc has tabled and

implemented an economical and technically feasible

secant pile wall system solution for bridge projects

within Ethiopia If it was not for MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plcrsquos geotechnical solutions construction under

such conditions would have been technically impossible

throughout East Africa

Unlike other options construction of secant pile wall as

waterproof vertical shoring system is not limited to the

soil condition of the site The construction of such high

tech geotechnical engineering solutions by the Company

have been successfully applied on projects like the Omo

River Bridge and on the New Abay Bridge Projects The

application of the secant pile wall system was used for the

construction of the pier foundation on both sides of the

Bridge on the Omo River Bridge Project and one side pier

foundation construction of the New Abay Bridge Project

During the construction of the Omo River Bridge

foundation and substructure works other logistic

challenges non-related to foundation works was

encountered The West Pier and Abutment on the Omo

River Bridge created such a technical impasse On this

side one of the most difficult challenges was to solve the

problem of crossing equipment and construction material

across the 150 m wide river After carefully considering all

the possible alternatives a decision was made to design and

manufacture a water crossing barge using local expertise

and manufacturing capabilities MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc took part in the design manufacturing and

commissioning of this barge and has successfully crossed

a 503 ton drilling rig and other earth moving equipment

With nearly twenty projects within Ethiopia MIDROC

Foundation Specialists Plc is a pioneer in exporting

foundation technology to neighboring Kenya Tanzania

and the Sudan In-house trained Ethiopian experts have

Crossing of drilling rig on Omo River through Barge

 Tiret Sept 2008

Secant pile wall

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Mr Achim Braun General Manager of MIDROC Foundation (left) inspecting a construction site

left their marks on several key projects within those

countries Among the projects successfully carried out in

Tanzania the Songo Songo Offshore Piling Project was the

most challenging and rewarding of all In this Project sixty

per cent of the piles were constructed from a SEWP (Self

Elevating Working Platform) elevated 13 meters from the

sea bed

As the company commemorates the tenth anniversary of

its establishment it is only proper to mark the outstanding

contributions to the construction industry of Ethiopia The

efficiency of the Company and the technology employed

has resulted in creating a broad awareness of foundation

technological solutions in the country particularly

among developers In terms of the spectrum of available

techniques of foundation the projects undertaken so

far are only a tip of the iceberg Although the Company

was confronted with a number of challenges in changing

attitudes and practices the success achieved so far has

been accomplished with great efforts exerted by the

companyrsquos management and its diligent professionals in

the field

Being the only Class I Foundation Specialist Contractors

in the country MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc is now

determined to leap ahead to new and yet un-introduced

foundation construction technologies such as micro 

piles  high  pressure  injection  diaphragm 

walls  slope  protection  and  soil  nailing  As

the countries infrastructure development continues to

reach higher levels MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is

preparing itself to meet the current customer demands

and technological challenges

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Statistics reveal that the country continues to earn hard currency from export of primary commodities such as coffee which tops the list by fetching some 500 million dollars last financial year

Other commodities are hides and skin flowers pulses fruits vegetables and chat

Incidentally it is interesting to note that Chat has fetched over 60 million dollars in foreign currency last fiscal year

The chewing of chat leaves is common in the horn of Africa but in eastern Ethiopia it is big business for some and big worry for others Chat is a major agricultural crop Yet many say it is addictive and harmful to health

In a town where I grew up for instance it is hard to avoid the impact of the stimulant leaf The first thing that strikes you in the main market is the deafening noise The market square is a scene of total chaos as you make your way through a bustling crowd preoccupied with the business of bartering for a prized commodity- the green leafed plant chat

Awadaye market is a market for chat It is estimated that over 25000 kg pass through it daily The buyers and sellers take their jobs seriously shouting to one other They gesture excitedly as they trade thousands of birr daily for the chat which is bought from the local farmers in Awadaye and sent to other areas in Ethiopia It is also exported overseas It is said to be the backbone of the economy as it can be gathered from the revenue it has generated during the current physical year

If you compare chat farmers with other farmers in other parts of the country you will see that their standard of living is so much better

The employment created though chat cultivation is very high as large numbers of people are involved in growing harvesting sorting packing transporting loading and unloading the commodity The wood of the plant is used for fuel and because of its resistance to termites it is also used to make fences Chat is also believed to have medical value being used locally to treat influenza and asthma

Chat farmers used to grow maize sorghum and teff which is the basic Ethiopian staple food but these crops are difficult to grow as they require lots of rain and attention

while chat requires little water or cultivation That is why it is widely believed that its cultivation is expanding at an amazing rate

Chat has now become Ethiopiarsquos biggest export third only to coffee and hides and skin But despite the cash earning and the tradition of chat growing and use among the people many people do not encourage it

They believe that it is addictive and this has a negative impact on the community They allege that people forget about their work commitments and spend hours chewing chat The number of users of chat is increasing particularly among the youth

In urban areas the use of chat combined with alcohol is having an adverse effect on family life Many students chew chat because they say it increases their concentration when they study their lessons

However in some regions where it is widely cultivated business punctuality is a frequent problem as the time after lunch is usually spent chewing chat Even in some regions where the plant has been banned cultivation and usage continue and attempts to replace chat with cash crops like coffee have failed

Regardless of the merit or demerit of chat the country continues to get the much needed hard currency through export of the plant ldquochatrdquo

However many people including development agents are of the opinion that the demerit far out weighs the merit for energy and time is spent chewing the stuff and particularly its negative impact on health especially on the productive force

Another very lucrative business in Ethiopia is the export of leather and leather goods According to recent data export of leather and leather goods registered a surge from 52 million dollars to over 90 million dollars Incidentally ELICO one of MIDROC Ethiopia group companies dealing with finished leather products fetched last financial year over 10 million dollars

In the light of considerable income accrued from export of primary commodities there is a need to do even more by way of establishing more agro-industries that engage in the production of agricultural products for sale locally and internationally

Earning from Export of Primary CommoditiesBy Yohannes Ruphael

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The Third Private Sector Development National Conference ndash 2008 of Ethiopia took place in Addis Ababa on June 30 2008 ndash at the UNECA Conference Center and the draft strategy document and priority strategic issues for improved business environment were discussed by representatives of the Private Sector Development Hub established with basic objectives of coordinating and developing a series of public sector development intervention projects for implementation with international financial support and undertaking related research studies to support the business community in its public and private partnership dialogue The Conference was addressed by an internationally renowned and distinguished authority on Corporate Governance Prof Mervyn E King SC

The Editorial Team of TIRET has taken advantage of communicating with Professor Mervyn E King SC to share his views briefly with our readers

Professor Mervyn E King SC is currently Professor Extraordinaire at the University of South Africa and serves as the Chairperson of the King Committee on Corporate Governance in South Africa He is a Senior Counsel and former Judge of the Supreme Court of South Africa His other credentials include Member of the World Bank Advisory Group on Corporate Governance President of the Commonwealth Association of Corporate Governance Governor of the International Corporate Governance Network President of the South Africa Chamber of Business Vice President of the Institute of Directors of Southern Africa Representatives of South Africa at the International Chamber of Commerce Advisor of Asian Center of Corporate Governance Director of Global Reporting Initiative-Amsterdam Director of Association of business Administrators of South Africa

At the Millennium National Private Sector Development Conference in Addis Ababa recently I spoke about corporate governance in the development of the private sector

Corporate governance is about the principles and practices which guide directors and senior managers in making their decisions to the best interests of their companies It has to be separated from the enterprise side of the business which is about making business judgment calls It is essential that directors and senior managers adopt acceptable principles and practices in steering and directing the company and making business judgment It is about the quality of this governance rather than a quantitative check on whether there has been compliance by the directors and managers with well-known governance practices such as the establishment of a remuneration committee

In my talk I pointed out that the economic value of a company does not equal its book value In Coca Cola for example its book value is approximately 13 of its economic value and its greatest asset is its brand which is dependent on

 Tiret Sept 2008

the companyrsquos reputation Consequentially directors and senior managers of Coca Cola have a duty to protect the companyrsquos brand

In planning for a company the strategic direction needs to be done both short- and long-term If a strategy is developed in which all persons in the corporation at all levels buy-in one can get ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things Unless this is done not even extraordinary people will achieve ordinary things

The important thing for directors to remember is that they have won and maintained the trust and confidence of the stakeholders of the company Consequently they should report at least annually how the company has both positively and negatively affected a communityrsquos economic life through its operations and how it is going to enhance those positive aspects and eradicate or ameliorate the negative aspects in the year ahead

Good governance involves inter alia the approval by the board of the strategy of the company and sustainability can no longer be ignored in developing a long-term strategy

The Private Sector Development Hub (PSD-Hub) has the objective to contribute to the economic development of Ethiopia by improving the entrepreneurial environment and the governance of corporations Consequently the PSD-Hub has held Conferences over the last two years focusing on these issues and on the question of public private partnerships There has also been discussion about expediting the registration of companies the standardization of accounting and auditing capitalization and the finalization of the revision of the Ethiopian Commercial Code Corporate governance has featured prominently in these discussions

Arising out of all the modernization of the registration of companies in Ethiopia has been recognized as a priority

Accounting and auditing standards which should follow IFRS should have legal backing so that everyone in Ethiopia will know the meaning of the reported financial statements

The development of a securities market including an exchange in which not only equities but bonds and derivatives can be bought and sold with the dematerialisation of scrip and electronic settlement is essential

From the above it will be seen that there is much to be done but Ethiopia is striving through the PSD Hub to create platforms on which it can forge ahead in our flat electronic world where capital flows towards those areas where there is good governance and well-regulated markets The Conference at which I spoke was just another step in Ethiopiarsquos endeavours to achieve these goals Positively the essential aspects for creating an entrepreneurial and thriving business environment have been identified and PSD Hub the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other interested bodies are working in partnership with government to achieve them

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Itrsquos a ridiculous

l a n g u a g e rdquo

sputtered the

Englishman at

the next table

his jowls shaking

in anger ldquoA ridiculous languagerdquo

We were sitting in a tiny tea-and-pie shop in Criccieth a

town in northern Wales and everybody but us was speaking

Welsh Like a remarkable number of his countrymen this

man was convinced it was merely a secret code employed

by the local to talk behind the backs of English visitors

ldquoJust you watchrdquo he said ldquoAs soon as we leave theyrsquoll all

go back to speaking Englishrdquo

I rather doubted it And unlike the Englishman I was

thrilled to encounter one of the oldest languages in

Europe a tongue heard in this misty and mountainous

land since the arrival of Roman legions

Being surrounded by people speaking an unfamiliar and

exotic language is to me one of the best things about

travel Just as some people will journey to the Serengeti

to glimpse the rare and endangered white rhino Irsquoll happily

go far out of my way to hear a rare and endangered

language

In the storybook city of Carcassonne in southwest France

I was less thrilled at seeing the towers and turrets than

I was at meeting a man who could speak Occitan the

ancient and fast-vanishing language of the troubadours

As far as I was concerned the most fascinating thing in

Dangriga a coastal town in Belize was the mellifluous

sound of Garifuna a language spoken by the descendants

of shipwrecked slaves from West Africa I once traveled

to Graubunden in eastern Switzerland in the hope of

hearing Romansch a tongue spoken by fewer than one

percent of the nationrsquos residents and said to resemble

Latin I encountered a few signs in the language but no

one who could speak it

According to one oft-cited estimate at least half the

worldrsquos 6000 languages are likely to die out by the end

of this century which means that one is going silent on

average every two weeks

Itrsquos not merely a matter of using different words to express the same thoughts Languages are literally the expressions of cultures and belief systems entirely different ways of making sense of the world And just as we should be concerned about the shrinking diversity of plant and animal species we should also worry about the shrinking diversity of languages

Welsh though seems to be holding on despite 700 years

of efforts by the English to exterminate it The BBC has for

some years now carried television and radio programming

in the language and in Wales itrsquos possible to receive your

entire education from preschool to postgraduate in

Welsh About 20 percent of Walesrsquo population speaks

Welsh and the number appears to be growing slightly

It is not as the Englishman said a ridiculous language But

it is to my eyes and ears a wonderfully strange one Dave

Barry once wrote that the ancient Hawaiians arrived on

their islands after perilous canoe voyages in seas so rough

their consonants fell overboard My guess is that the

letters drifted the worldrsquos oceans until they washed up on

the shores of Wales

T h e   B e a u t y   o f   a   L a n g u a g e

 Tiret Sept 2008

How else to explain for example the Welsh word for

beer Itrsquos cwrw It looks like my Scrabble tray when I

donrsquot have a word to pay (In case you ever need to order

one itrsquos pronounced ldquokooroordquo)

And then therersquos the vexing pronunciation of the double-

1 you find at the beginning of it seems two-thirds of the

town names in Wales ldquoJust put your teeth together and

hiss like a duckrdquo explained a helpful woman I met at the

Dylan Thomas Museum in Swansea She also pointed out

that Llareggub the fictional town in Thomasrsquo ldquoUnder the

Milkwood Treerdquo is merely ldquobugger allrdquo spelled backward

I like the besotted poet a whole lot more after learning

that

One dark and drizzly night I went to a little schoolhouse in

the Rhondda Valley to listen to a rehearsal of the Treorchy

Menrsquos Choir made up mostly of unemployed coal miners

ldquoIn the old daysrdquo one of them told me ldquowe used to sing

together in the pitsrdquo

When they opened their mouths to sing as one in Welsh

all the snarky little comments about their language become

moot It was simply one of the most hauntingly beautiful

sounds Irsquove even heard

I got a lesson in the politics of minority languages recently

when I visited Montreal the capital of French ndash speaking

Canada I hadnrsquot been there since a childhood visit to

Exporsquo67 and I remember the province as decidedly

bilingual Everything from traffic signs to toothpaste

tubes was printed in French and English No more A

law passed in 1977 banned the use of English in signs

throughout Quebec Itrsquos an attempt to do linguistically

what they failed for two centuries to do militarily prevent

the English from conquering them

Theyrsquore quite serious about this Hudson Bay Co the

venerable department store chain that dates back to the

fur-trading days is now known as Compagnie de la Baie

drsquoHudson at least in these parts Kentucky Fried Chicken

outlets arenrsquot allowed to use ldquoKFCrdquo on their signs In

Quebec theyrsquore called ldquoPFKrdquo for Poulet Frit Kentucky

The Quebecois are more vigilant even than their famously

Anglophobic counterparts in Paris All stop signs here say

Arret even though the ones in France say ldquoStoprdquo

It all seemed a little silly and excessive to me until I began

talking to French-speaking Montrealers about it ldquoYou

have to understand that wersquore surrounded by English

speakersrdquo a schoolteacher told me ldquoWe have to be very

firm about defending our language or it will disappear

And when it goes so does our way of life

Signs aside most French Canadians I met were bilingual

I quickly discovered that if I first made atleast a fumbling

attempt to speak their language almost everybody was

happy to switch to English ndash very possibly to spare

themselves the trauma of hearing my phrase-book

French which sounds like someone grinding the gears

of an old Citroen ldquoWe have nothing against Englishrdquo the

schoolteacher told me ldquoItrsquos just that we want to speak

French hererdquo

Vive la differenceJohn Flinn -Travel Editor

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Scale up of HIV Prevention Treatment Care and Support Requires Renewed Leadership and Resources

The 17th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) took place in Mexico City from August 3 -8 2008 with an assessment of the situation of the global epidemic at a panel of researchers public health and civil society leaders examined recent progress towards the scale up of treatment and prevention programmes and called for sustained action to eliminate the barriers to universal access

ldquoDespite the progress we have made we are not on course to meet universal access targets and in fact appear to be slipping away from our existing commitmentsrdquo said Dr Pedro Cahn International Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and President of the International AIDS Society and Fundacioacuten Hueacutesped in Buenos Aires Argentina ldquoIt appears that we are poised to accept defeat when victory is still within our grasp Our failure to meet those commitments will have an impact on millions of lives This cannot be allowed to happen It is time for nations to live up to their commitmentsrdquo

ldquoWith only two years to go until the 2010 deadline for universal access set by world leaders we must redouble our commitment to scaling up all proven HIV prevention strategiesrdquo said Dr Luiacutes Soto Ramiacuterez Local Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and Head of the Molecular Virology Unit at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Meacutedicas y Nutricioacuten Salvador Zubiriaacuten and Coordinator of the Clinical Care Committee of CONASIDA Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council ldquoThe fact that last year 27 million people were newly infected with HIV a disease that is entirely preventable is unacceptablerdquo

Dr Jaime Sepulveda (Mexico) founder of Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council who is now with the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation noted that attention to and resources for AIDS are at all-time high including substantially increased funding for the Global Fund and the US Presidentrsquos Emergency Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief According to Sepulveda reaching the goal of 3 million people in low and middle-income countries on treatment at the end of 2007 was a critical step forward but the world has only scratched the surface of possibilities in responding to the epidemic Greater resources more effectively spent and targeted where they can have the greatest effect would have a dramatic impact on the course of the epidemicrsquos Highlighting the fact that more people become infected

with HIV last year than began treatment Sepulveda called for radically increased investments in prevention research evaluation and delivery of services as well as accelerated research on promising prevention methods including a vaccine In conclusion he reiterated that political leadership from all countries and accountability at all levels are essential for stopping the epidemic

Citing the results in both treatment and prevention scale up in countries with sustained leadership such as Rwanda and Tanzania Alex Coutinho (Uganda) of the Infectious Disease Institute of Makerere University made a passionate call for greater leadership as a path toward meeting the challenges ahead In looking at progress to date Coutinho highlighted increased access to HIV testing and counseling to prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and to pediatric care and treatment as well as the effectiveness of male circumcision as a prevention intervention In contrast he noted that most countries will not achieve universal access by 2010 and that the majority of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are still unaware of their HIV status In his call to action Coutinho urged greater investment in prevention and financial resources flexible enough to support health systems and systems that reach into rural and other hard-to-reach areas and fully embrace PLHIV as partners He also urged outreach to and support of marginalized and at-risk communities as well as the greater involvement of PLHIV as a catalyst for change

Elisabet Fadul (Dominican Republic) of the Dominican Network for Youth RightsGlobal Youth Partners outlined a broad and urgent youth HIVAIDS agenda calling for comprehensive rights ndash and evidence-based plans to provide access for young people Highlighting the 40 of new infections worldwide among young people between the ages of 15-24 Fadul noted that HIV prevention and treatment programmes are failing to effectively reach young people with the most vulnerable and marginalized being stigmatized criminalized or forgotten by many of these programmes

To reverse this course she called for actions and policies that engage youth especially young people living with HIVAIDS as respected partners in developing and implementing programmes that forthrightly address their

needs and diversity

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Tadesse Haile State Minister of the Ministry of Trade and Industry visited Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc and held discussions with senior members on issues pertaining to the activities of the factory Ato Ahmed Hassen General Manager of the Factory explained to the State Minister that the factory would make all efforts to produce quality products in large quantity so as to reduce import from abroad He however expressed his wish that the government reduces tax on raw materials which are essential for the production of soap and detergent

Ato Tadesse disclosed during the discussion that extensive studies that include soap industries in the country are underway with the aim to strengthen the chemical industry in which the concern would be addressed in the near future He further said that there is a plan to connect the various regions of the country to the port by

EBG was announced First Order Winner for Best Stand in the 12th International Millennium Trade Fair organized by the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations held at the Exhibition Center in February 2008

EBGrsquos stand was visited by large number of visitors including the honorable World Laureate Metre Artist Afework Tekle who not only showed interest in the products and services of EBG but also expressed his appreciation to the Company in his comments while signing in the Special Guest Book

EBG Awarded for Best Stand

Star Soap and Detergent Factory Visited

The Most Honorable Maritre World Laureate Artist

Afework Tekle signing in the Visitors Book at the Trade Fair

Ato Tadesse Haile visiting the Production Unit with Ato Ahmed Hassen General Manager and Ato Seid Ahmed Plant Manager of the Factory

rail within the coming five years for the speedy delivery of export and import of goods which will have a great impact on sales

Ato Tadesse Haile finally appreciated the activities of the factory and said that Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc is capable of being a model in the sector and wished the lsquoBest of Luckrsquo for the management and the staff and affirmed that his Ministry would always support on all their endeavors

Star Soap and Detergent Factory Plc is a member of the MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group established at an investment capital of Birr 80 million The factory is one of the biggest in the sector and equipped with the latest machinery and manufactures best quality laundry and toilet soaps liquid and synthetic detergents powder and bar soaps

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the most dedicated health care professionals and support staff SalaM Employees Clinic the Clinic that provides health care services to employees of MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group Companies and affiliates in its efforts to upgrade and improve its services has added to its modern list of medical equipment a Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor an advanced medical equipment Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor is one of the new advanced machineries that the clinic acquired recently which is used for the diagnosis of refraction errors of the eye

The Clinic provides medical and surgical services with sub-specialists in gynecological ophthalmological dermatological and ENT employing advanced diagnostic equipment such as radiography endoscopy and colonoscopy supported by video camera ultrasound and ECG Machines It has a well stocked pharmacy with essential medicines and also provides laboratory diagnostic services

The Clinic recently has moved from its previous location to a large and ideal villa with more rooms and a convenient location near the Genet Hotel and is open 24 hours

SalaM Employees Clinic was established by Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi in 1996 for employees of the Investment Group with an investment capital of over Birr 4 million under the SalaM Health Care Plc He later on increased the investment a lot more

Apart from providing services to the employees of the MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group SalaM Employees Clinic is rendering efficient services to the public as well

Dr Amare Abebe Medical Director of the clinic conducting an examination using endoscopy machine

Employees Clinic Secures Equipment

The Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor which the clinic acquired recently

The front view of the Clinic

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Three delegates from Ethiopia Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu MIDROC Ethiopia Training Director Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch Ato Asfaw Alemu Credit Manager of Dashen Bank attended the International Society of Business Economics and Ethics World Congress under the theme ldquoGlobal Fairness Local Integrityrdquo held in Cape Town from July 13 ndash 20 2008 and organized by BEN-Africa

The ISBEE World Congress is held every four years and is affectionately referred to as the Olympics of Business Ethics It always succeeds in attracting the best minds in the field of ethics of business and economics This yearrsquos Congress was attended by over 400 participants from all corners of the world Top notch world speakers among others Prof Mervyn E King SC Prof Deon Rossow Prof Joka Iwao Prof Georges Enderle Prof Paul Collies and Prof Tom Donaldson attended the Congress and over 80 papers were presented in three plenary sessions on topical international business issues

Ethiopian Delegation Participates at World ISBEE World Congress

Participants of ISBEE Congress Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu (left) Ato Lulseged Teferi (middle) Ato Asfaw Alemu

A Special Certificate of Recognition was awarded to Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu of MIDROC Ethiopia Prof Deon Rossow ndash former President of BEN-Africa and Ms Korien Sander the outgoing Executive Secretary of BEN-Africa

Emeritus Prof Johannes in his brief statement after receiving the certificate said that he accepted the certificate on behalf of those institutions and individuals in Ethiopia who have been behind the BEN-Africa Conference held in Ethiopia

It is to be recalled that MIDROC Ethiopia Corporate Office Dashen Bank the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch and Ato Teklu Haile Manager of Treasury Finance and Accounting of MIDROC Ethiopia played a great role for the successful completion of the ldquo7th Annual BEN-Africa Conferencerdquo held in Addis Ababa in August 2007

 Tiret Sept 2008

MIDROC Ethiopia is involved in the development of

mining and exploration of gold building of heavy mining

industries in central and eastern parts of the country

like cement plants filler plants etc Coal exploration is

also a potential area that is being explored by different

companies including MIDROC Ethiopia for use in the

cement plant power generation and fertilizer Soda ash

being used as a major input in glass soap detergent and

other industrial input is also one area of mining A lot of

investors are involved in gemstones

In an effort to exploit these resources and put them

to good use for the development of Ethiopia one of

MIDROC Ethiopia Group Companies the National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) has since its establishment in

March 1993 been actively engaged in the exploration of

gold and base metals in the various parts of the country

ldquoIt is worth noting that the mineral wealth of Ethiopia is

not fully tapped yet and needs to be given due attention

as it can be the backbone of the economy together with

agriculturerdquo says Ato Melaku Beza CEO of National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) He assertively told TIRET in

an interview at his office regarding the activities and

contributions of NMiC to the mining industry and that

his Company is working hard for a better achievement as

it has commemorated its 15th anniversary recently

He said that NMiC is currently engaged in the exploration

of gold base metals at Dawa Digati and Werri areas in the

Oromia and Tigray Administrative Regions and base metals

in Dire Dawa and Benshangul Gumuz Administrative

Regions It is also engaged in mining of marble and

limestone processing of quarried blocks and on the way

to develop the Abiyata Soda Ash in Southern Ethiopia

The Company in its venture in the development of Soda

Ash has embarked upon a joint investment agreement

with the Public Enterprise Supervising Agency (PPESA)

for a 54 percent share in which PPESArsquos 46 percent share

dilutes while NMICrsquos share shall increase in the process of

implementing tasks set in two phases

Mining Corporation on the Move

Ato Melaku Beza CEO NMiC

Dawa Digati Gold exploration drilling

The potential of the mining industry for the development of the Ethiopian economy is immense as witnessed by the ongoing development activities in the country This includes exploration of petroleum in the Ogaden Gambela and other areas by different companies exploration of gold in different parts of the country and potash exploration in Dallol where there is an estimated of 160 millions of tons of proven reserves

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Melaku stated that NMIC has invested Birr

160817912 (one hundred sixty million eight hundred

seventeen thousand nine hundred twelve) for exploration

and mining activities adding that the size of investment for

soda ash will be in the order of Birr 1150000000 (one

billion one hundred fifty million)

The first phase will cost Birr 640000000 (six hundred

forty million) and the second phase will be Birr 500000000

(five hundred million)

National Mining Corporation Plc is a pioneer in opening

and developing quarrying of marble and limestone using

the latest technology in the field Currently the Companyrsquos

Boka Marble Quarry has six benches and more than

twelve faces that are being worked out at Boka quarry

in the Benshangul Administrative Region In the process

it provides training to quarry workers of other quarry

owners thereby contributing to the development of the

mining culture

The General Manager explained about the processing and

marketing of his Companyrsquos products and said that his

Company applies modern technologies and deploys the

latest equipment in mining that meet export standards

engaging in open pit mining and tunneling for underground

mining which is unique not only in Ethiopia but also in

Africa He further articulated that the Company mines one

of the best quality marble in the industry as evidenced in

Boka multicolor marble once nominated as ldquoThe Stone

of the Yearrdquo by the Marble Institute of America (MIA)

while the blue marble has entered the world market by

a new name ldquoSummer Skyrdquo and is currently being sold

in Italy Samples of both have been tested and analyzed in

American Testing Companies and European Universities

and have proved to be of high quality and suitable both

for internal and external use in the construction industry

These two marbles are unique and are found only in

Ethiopia Also the limestone is of unique colors yellow

white and red which have high demand in the market

The CEO said that the special quality of his Companyrsquos

product that attracts international market is the

uniqueness of the material its beauty (aesthetics) and its

non-absorbent and compact nature

The company has the capacity to supply the export market

with the required quality and size of blocks and slabs both

white and blue marble Export markets include Taiwan

China Italy France USA Africa and the Middle East

In order to improve quality additional modern

state-of-the-art quarry machinery has been injected in the

quarry Plan is underway to replace the old machinery at

the processing plant The Company is also producing its

own ldquoabrasiverdquo used for polishing marble using locally

available minerals and materials

Awash Processing Plant

Blocks at Block Yard

Slabs at Slab Yard in the Awash Processing Plant

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

NMiC holds 40 of the local market share in the construction industry Lots of buildings have been cladded by NMiCrsquos products The Sheraton Addis Bole International Airport Terminal Sunshine Multipurpose Building National Bank of Ethiopia Federal Police Headquarters AUrsquos Building Head Office and the Secretary Generalrsquos Residence Ethiopian Insurance Corporation Worbek Building the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Patriarchrsquos Palace and UNCA Building are some the major buildings in Addis Ababa which are finished with NMiCrsquos products

National Mining Corporation Plc is one of the competent companies in Ethiopia and has contributed to the economy of the country by way of generating hard currency from its exports and saving foreign currency by competing and blocking imports of dimension stones from abroad One word it has added to the Ethiopian economy an amount of over Birr 5000000000 (fifty million) in tax royalties and land rent

NMiC has made valuable studies on the mineral potential areas of the country in dimension stones oil and gas mineral water coal and industrial minerals It has also made sound participation in the employment and training of manpower to the mining sector and has encouraged foreign investors to be involved in exploration of oil and gas and other minerals NMiC provides free training in its quarries and processing plant to new local enterprises coming to the sector The company provides potable water electricity medical services and other financial assistance to the community of its mining areas and has set up HIVAIDS policy for the Company to curb the spread of the pandemic and provides care and support for

those living with the virus

Tunnel Jet Belt Quarrying the latest technology in use at the Eshet Blue Quarry

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

a) Finalizing the work on the exploration phase of the gold and base metals projects both at Dawa Digati and Werri which shall lead to feasibility study and production stage

b) Developing Eshet Blue and Boka Multicolor marble quarries and strengthen export to increase income of foreign currency

c) Supplying blocks to local factories

d) Replacement of machinery at Awash Processing Plant especially to boost production and quality

e) Improve the life of the working force through profit sharing and availing better facilities together with upgrading their knowledge through training

f) Implement the Soda Ash development project

The priority areas of NMiC in its future plan include among others

Asked finally if he was satisfied with his Companyrsquos achievements Ato Melaku Beza CEO of NMiC replied ldquoNot much we could do betterrdquo

Nmic Products

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

ldquoA journey of a thousand miles starts with a single steprdquo

goes the famous Chinese saying as for Bauer MIDROC it

all started 10 years ago with the foundation work of the

construction of the MIDROC Corporate Office (MCO)

commonly known as Nani Building With a single project

at hand Bauer Specialtifbau a German Company ventured

into the slowly budding private construction industry

in equal partnership with MIDROC Ethiopia Although

a small scale business venture in the eyes of both giant

partners MIDROC Ethiopia and Bauer Specialtifbau it

created vast opportunities to the construction sector

with the introduction of a state-of-the-art German based

foundation technology to the Ethiopian market The

miniature move of the two giants opened up a gateway

of possibilities and marked a new construction era for

Ethiopia Over the years changes in shareholders has

led to the current name ldquoMIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plcrdquo with the state-of-the-art foundation solutions still in

place

Several limitations in dealing with unfavorable soil

conditions frequently encountered within Ethiopiarsquos

diverse geological formations most abundantly the

problematic black cotton soil within the city of Addis

Ababa and other parts of the country brought about

several technical barriers when it came to building

massive civil structures Building highrises as well as

massive bridges was inconceivable unless capable soil was

in close vicinity MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with

the introduction of deep foundations based on advanced

and efficient technologies in the construction industry

no doubt brought about remarkable solutions and helped

ease some of these anxieties

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with its fleets of large

diameter drilling rigs and variety of drilling tools capable of

both soil and hard soil formations has made economical

foundation solutions a reality offering developers the

confidence to build high rise buildings without worrying

about the type of soil in Addis Ababa The expertise of

Dedicated Backing for MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is gradually changing

the cityrsquos skyline with the construction of the completed

MCO Building AICAIB Headquarters and KK Building

both to be completed soon and all standing above 20

stories

Entering the city limits through the skyways one can notice

that the Bole Airport has received an entire facelift with

the construction of the International Passenger Terminal

Airport Control Towers the new Cargo Terminal and the

Maintenance Hanger The only thing these landmarks share

other than ownership is that they owe their existence to

foundation solutions of MIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plc As we enter the city limits also the Bole Viaduct

and all the overpasses on the Addis Ababa Ring Road are

comfortably resting still with the construction of the deep

piles by MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc

Drilling of pile with casing

 Tiret Sept 2008

Parallel to pile construction as verification of the

constructed pile capacities is common practice in the

foundation construction industry MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc equipped with the state-of-the-art

automated pile load testing system has recently conducted

1300 metric tons load test at the Derba MIDROC Cement

Factory Project the first of this magnitude in the African

Continent

The introduction of vertical shoring wall systems that

uses reinforced concrete piles and tie back anchors which

is gaining popularity in recent years is another type of

foundation technology solutions made possible in Ethiopia

through MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos expertise

Prior to these shoring system solutions land owners

could not fully utilize their plots at the boundaries for fear

of catastrophic cave-in In fact in most cases plot owners

avoided under ground construction in order to avoid

litigation with next door land owners The utilization of

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos vertical shoring pile

wall system was proposed and implemented in the cases

of Bole Towers and Loli Building In both cases all sides of

the plot were shored exactly at the boundaries without

any land loss In fact the clients gained underground spaces

in the order of two to three times their plot size for

possible parking purpose This has provided developers

with solutions clearing their lumbers from additional

costs for parking facilities

Pile load testing

In line with the construction boom within Addis Ababa

developers are opting to construct on boundary edges

where heavy structures already exist in adjacent plots

In order to excavate at these boundaries the safest and

most economical foundation solution system is shoring

pile wall system These systems were employed at Awash

Bank and Insurance Building KK Building and Orchid

Building

For realization of structures that have to be constructed

below the natural ground water level and or near offshore

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc has construction

approaches that employ waterproof vertical shoring

systems and several options to choose from within

the framework of technical feasibility of foundation

engineering The construction of Diaphragm Wall

Cellular Cofferdam Sheet Pile Wall and Secant

Pile Wall are such solutions to name a few The cost

of construction and the time required for executing the

works is in the order listed above

Anchored pile shoring wall

Foundation Solution

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the equipment already available in the country

MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc has tabled and

implemented an economical and technically feasible

secant pile wall system solution for bridge projects

within Ethiopia If it was not for MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plcrsquos geotechnical solutions construction under

such conditions would have been technically impossible

throughout East Africa

Unlike other options construction of secant pile wall as

waterproof vertical shoring system is not limited to the

soil condition of the site The construction of such high

tech geotechnical engineering solutions by the Company

have been successfully applied on projects like the Omo

River Bridge and on the New Abay Bridge Projects The

application of the secant pile wall system was used for the

construction of the pier foundation on both sides of the

Bridge on the Omo River Bridge Project and one side pier

foundation construction of the New Abay Bridge Project

During the construction of the Omo River Bridge

foundation and substructure works other logistic

challenges non-related to foundation works was

encountered The West Pier and Abutment on the Omo

River Bridge created such a technical impasse On this

side one of the most difficult challenges was to solve the

problem of crossing equipment and construction material

across the 150 m wide river After carefully considering all

the possible alternatives a decision was made to design and

manufacture a water crossing barge using local expertise

and manufacturing capabilities MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc took part in the design manufacturing and

commissioning of this barge and has successfully crossed

a 503 ton drilling rig and other earth moving equipment

With nearly twenty projects within Ethiopia MIDROC

Foundation Specialists Plc is a pioneer in exporting

foundation technology to neighboring Kenya Tanzania

and the Sudan In-house trained Ethiopian experts have

Crossing of drilling rig on Omo River through Barge

 Tiret Sept 2008

Secant pile wall

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Mr Achim Braun General Manager of MIDROC Foundation (left) inspecting a construction site

left their marks on several key projects within those

countries Among the projects successfully carried out in

Tanzania the Songo Songo Offshore Piling Project was the

most challenging and rewarding of all In this Project sixty

per cent of the piles were constructed from a SEWP (Self

Elevating Working Platform) elevated 13 meters from the

sea bed

As the company commemorates the tenth anniversary of

its establishment it is only proper to mark the outstanding

contributions to the construction industry of Ethiopia The

efficiency of the Company and the technology employed

has resulted in creating a broad awareness of foundation

technological solutions in the country particularly

among developers In terms of the spectrum of available

techniques of foundation the projects undertaken so

far are only a tip of the iceberg Although the Company

was confronted with a number of challenges in changing

attitudes and practices the success achieved so far has

been accomplished with great efforts exerted by the

companyrsquos management and its diligent professionals in

the field

Being the only Class I Foundation Specialist Contractors

in the country MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc is now

determined to leap ahead to new and yet un-introduced

foundation construction technologies such as micro 

piles  high  pressure  injection  diaphragm 

walls  slope  protection  and  soil  nailing  As

the countries infrastructure development continues to

reach higher levels MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is

preparing itself to meet the current customer demands

and technological challenges

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Statistics reveal that the country continues to earn hard currency from export of primary commodities such as coffee which tops the list by fetching some 500 million dollars last financial year

Other commodities are hides and skin flowers pulses fruits vegetables and chat

Incidentally it is interesting to note that Chat has fetched over 60 million dollars in foreign currency last fiscal year

The chewing of chat leaves is common in the horn of Africa but in eastern Ethiopia it is big business for some and big worry for others Chat is a major agricultural crop Yet many say it is addictive and harmful to health

In a town where I grew up for instance it is hard to avoid the impact of the stimulant leaf The first thing that strikes you in the main market is the deafening noise The market square is a scene of total chaos as you make your way through a bustling crowd preoccupied with the business of bartering for a prized commodity- the green leafed plant chat

Awadaye market is a market for chat It is estimated that over 25000 kg pass through it daily The buyers and sellers take their jobs seriously shouting to one other They gesture excitedly as they trade thousands of birr daily for the chat which is bought from the local farmers in Awadaye and sent to other areas in Ethiopia It is also exported overseas It is said to be the backbone of the economy as it can be gathered from the revenue it has generated during the current physical year

If you compare chat farmers with other farmers in other parts of the country you will see that their standard of living is so much better

The employment created though chat cultivation is very high as large numbers of people are involved in growing harvesting sorting packing transporting loading and unloading the commodity The wood of the plant is used for fuel and because of its resistance to termites it is also used to make fences Chat is also believed to have medical value being used locally to treat influenza and asthma

Chat farmers used to grow maize sorghum and teff which is the basic Ethiopian staple food but these crops are difficult to grow as they require lots of rain and attention

while chat requires little water or cultivation That is why it is widely believed that its cultivation is expanding at an amazing rate

Chat has now become Ethiopiarsquos biggest export third only to coffee and hides and skin But despite the cash earning and the tradition of chat growing and use among the people many people do not encourage it

They believe that it is addictive and this has a negative impact on the community They allege that people forget about their work commitments and spend hours chewing chat The number of users of chat is increasing particularly among the youth

In urban areas the use of chat combined with alcohol is having an adverse effect on family life Many students chew chat because they say it increases their concentration when they study their lessons

However in some regions where it is widely cultivated business punctuality is a frequent problem as the time after lunch is usually spent chewing chat Even in some regions where the plant has been banned cultivation and usage continue and attempts to replace chat with cash crops like coffee have failed

Regardless of the merit or demerit of chat the country continues to get the much needed hard currency through export of the plant ldquochatrdquo

However many people including development agents are of the opinion that the demerit far out weighs the merit for energy and time is spent chewing the stuff and particularly its negative impact on health especially on the productive force

Another very lucrative business in Ethiopia is the export of leather and leather goods According to recent data export of leather and leather goods registered a surge from 52 million dollars to over 90 million dollars Incidentally ELICO one of MIDROC Ethiopia group companies dealing with finished leather products fetched last financial year over 10 million dollars

In the light of considerable income accrued from export of primary commodities there is a need to do even more by way of establishing more agro-industries that engage in the production of agricultural products for sale locally and internationally

Earning from Export of Primary CommoditiesBy Yohannes Ruphael

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The Third Private Sector Development National Conference ndash 2008 of Ethiopia took place in Addis Ababa on June 30 2008 ndash at the UNECA Conference Center and the draft strategy document and priority strategic issues for improved business environment were discussed by representatives of the Private Sector Development Hub established with basic objectives of coordinating and developing a series of public sector development intervention projects for implementation with international financial support and undertaking related research studies to support the business community in its public and private partnership dialogue The Conference was addressed by an internationally renowned and distinguished authority on Corporate Governance Prof Mervyn E King SC

The Editorial Team of TIRET has taken advantage of communicating with Professor Mervyn E King SC to share his views briefly with our readers

Professor Mervyn E King SC is currently Professor Extraordinaire at the University of South Africa and serves as the Chairperson of the King Committee on Corporate Governance in South Africa He is a Senior Counsel and former Judge of the Supreme Court of South Africa His other credentials include Member of the World Bank Advisory Group on Corporate Governance President of the Commonwealth Association of Corporate Governance Governor of the International Corporate Governance Network President of the South Africa Chamber of Business Vice President of the Institute of Directors of Southern Africa Representatives of South Africa at the International Chamber of Commerce Advisor of Asian Center of Corporate Governance Director of Global Reporting Initiative-Amsterdam Director of Association of business Administrators of South Africa

At the Millennium National Private Sector Development Conference in Addis Ababa recently I spoke about corporate governance in the development of the private sector

Corporate governance is about the principles and practices which guide directors and senior managers in making their decisions to the best interests of their companies It has to be separated from the enterprise side of the business which is about making business judgment calls It is essential that directors and senior managers adopt acceptable principles and practices in steering and directing the company and making business judgment It is about the quality of this governance rather than a quantitative check on whether there has been compliance by the directors and managers with well-known governance practices such as the establishment of a remuneration committee

In my talk I pointed out that the economic value of a company does not equal its book value In Coca Cola for example its book value is approximately 13 of its economic value and its greatest asset is its brand which is dependent on

 Tiret Sept 2008

the companyrsquos reputation Consequentially directors and senior managers of Coca Cola have a duty to protect the companyrsquos brand

In planning for a company the strategic direction needs to be done both short- and long-term If a strategy is developed in which all persons in the corporation at all levels buy-in one can get ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things Unless this is done not even extraordinary people will achieve ordinary things

The important thing for directors to remember is that they have won and maintained the trust and confidence of the stakeholders of the company Consequently they should report at least annually how the company has both positively and negatively affected a communityrsquos economic life through its operations and how it is going to enhance those positive aspects and eradicate or ameliorate the negative aspects in the year ahead

Good governance involves inter alia the approval by the board of the strategy of the company and sustainability can no longer be ignored in developing a long-term strategy

The Private Sector Development Hub (PSD-Hub) has the objective to contribute to the economic development of Ethiopia by improving the entrepreneurial environment and the governance of corporations Consequently the PSD-Hub has held Conferences over the last two years focusing on these issues and on the question of public private partnerships There has also been discussion about expediting the registration of companies the standardization of accounting and auditing capitalization and the finalization of the revision of the Ethiopian Commercial Code Corporate governance has featured prominently in these discussions

Arising out of all the modernization of the registration of companies in Ethiopia has been recognized as a priority

Accounting and auditing standards which should follow IFRS should have legal backing so that everyone in Ethiopia will know the meaning of the reported financial statements

The development of a securities market including an exchange in which not only equities but bonds and derivatives can be bought and sold with the dematerialisation of scrip and electronic settlement is essential

From the above it will be seen that there is much to be done but Ethiopia is striving through the PSD Hub to create platforms on which it can forge ahead in our flat electronic world where capital flows towards those areas where there is good governance and well-regulated markets The Conference at which I spoke was just another step in Ethiopiarsquos endeavours to achieve these goals Positively the essential aspects for creating an entrepreneurial and thriving business environment have been identified and PSD Hub the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other interested bodies are working in partnership with government to achieve them

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Itrsquos a ridiculous

l a n g u a g e rdquo

sputtered the

Englishman at

the next table

his jowls shaking

in anger ldquoA ridiculous languagerdquo

We were sitting in a tiny tea-and-pie shop in Criccieth a

town in northern Wales and everybody but us was speaking

Welsh Like a remarkable number of his countrymen this

man was convinced it was merely a secret code employed

by the local to talk behind the backs of English visitors

ldquoJust you watchrdquo he said ldquoAs soon as we leave theyrsquoll all

go back to speaking Englishrdquo

I rather doubted it And unlike the Englishman I was

thrilled to encounter one of the oldest languages in

Europe a tongue heard in this misty and mountainous

land since the arrival of Roman legions

Being surrounded by people speaking an unfamiliar and

exotic language is to me one of the best things about

travel Just as some people will journey to the Serengeti

to glimpse the rare and endangered white rhino Irsquoll happily

go far out of my way to hear a rare and endangered

language

In the storybook city of Carcassonne in southwest France

I was less thrilled at seeing the towers and turrets than

I was at meeting a man who could speak Occitan the

ancient and fast-vanishing language of the troubadours

As far as I was concerned the most fascinating thing in

Dangriga a coastal town in Belize was the mellifluous

sound of Garifuna a language spoken by the descendants

of shipwrecked slaves from West Africa I once traveled

to Graubunden in eastern Switzerland in the hope of

hearing Romansch a tongue spoken by fewer than one

percent of the nationrsquos residents and said to resemble

Latin I encountered a few signs in the language but no

one who could speak it

According to one oft-cited estimate at least half the

worldrsquos 6000 languages are likely to die out by the end

of this century which means that one is going silent on

average every two weeks

Itrsquos not merely a matter of using different words to express the same thoughts Languages are literally the expressions of cultures and belief systems entirely different ways of making sense of the world And just as we should be concerned about the shrinking diversity of plant and animal species we should also worry about the shrinking diversity of languages

Welsh though seems to be holding on despite 700 years

of efforts by the English to exterminate it The BBC has for

some years now carried television and radio programming

in the language and in Wales itrsquos possible to receive your

entire education from preschool to postgraduate in

Welsh About 20 percent of Walesrsquo population speaks

Welsh and the number appears to be growing slightly

It is not as the Englishman said a ridiculous language But

it is to my eyes and ears a wonderfully strange one Dave

Barry once wrote that the ancient Hawaiians arrived on

their islands after perilous canoe voyages in seas so rough

their consonants fell overboard My guess is that the

letters drifted the worldrsquos oceans until they washed up on

the shores of Wales

T h e   B e a u t y   o f   a   L a n g u a g e

 Tiret Sept 2008

How else to explain for example the Welsh word for

beer Itrsquos cwrw It looks like my Scrabble tray when I

donrsquot have a word to pay (In case you ever need to order

one itrsquos pronounced ldquokooroordquo)

And then therersquos the vexing pronunciation of the double-

1 you find at the beginning of it seems two-thirds of the

town names in Wales ldquoJust put your teeth together and

hiss like a duckrdquo explained a helpful woman I met at the

Dylan Thomas Museum in Swansea She also pointed out

that Llareggub the fictional town in Thomasrsquo ldquoUnder the

Milkwood Treerdquo is merely ldquobugger allrdquo spelled backward

I like the besotted poet a whole lot more after learning

that

One dark and drizzly night I went to a little schoolhouse in

the Rhondda Valley to listen to a rehearsal of the Treorchy

Menrsquos Choir made up mostly of unemployed coal miners

ldquoIn the old daysrdquo one of them told me ldquowe used to sing

together in the pitsrdquo

When they opened their mouths to sing as one in Welsh

all the snarky little comments about their language become

moot It was simply one of the most hauntingly beautiful

sounds Irsquove even heard

I got a lesson in the politics of minority languages recently

when I visited Montreal the capital of French ndash speaking

Canada I hadnrsquot been there since a childhood visit to

Exporsquo67 and I remember the province as decidedly

bilingual Everything from traffic signs to toothpaste

tubes was printed in French and English No more A

law passed in 1977 banned the use of English in signs

throughout Quebec Itrsquos an attempt to do linguistically

what they failed for two centuries to do militarily prevent

the English from conquering them

Theyrsquore quite serious about this Hudson Bay Co the

venerable department store chain that dates back to the

fur-trading days is now known as Compagnie de la Baie

drsquoHudson at least in these parts Kentucky Fried Chicken

outlets arenrsquot allowed to use ldquoKFCrdquo on their signs In

Quebec theyrsquore called ldquoPFKrdquo for Poulet Frit Kentucky

The Quebecois are more vigilant even than their famously

Anglophobic counterparts in Paris All stop signs here say

Arret even though the ones in France say ldquoStoprdquo

It all seemed a little silly and excessive to me until I began

talking to French-speaking Montrealers about it ldquoYou

have to understand that wersquore surrounded by English

speakersrdquo a schoolteacher told me ldquoWe have to be very

firm about defending our language or it will disappear

And when it goes so does our way of life

Signs aside most French Canadians I met were bilingual

I quickly discovered that if I first made atleast a fumbling

attempt to speak their language almost everybody was

happy to switch to English ndash very possibly to spare

themselves the trauma of hearing my phrase-book

French which sounds like someone grinding the gears

of an old Citroen ldquoWe have nothing against Englishrdquo the

schoolteacher told me ldquoItrsquos just that we want to speak

French hererdquo

Vive la differenceJohn Flinn -Travel Editor

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Scale up of HIV Prevention Treatment Care and Support Requires Renewed Leadership and Resources

The 17th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) took place in Mexico City from August 3 -8 2008 with an assessment of the situation of the global epidemic at a panel of researchers public health and civil society leaders examined recent progress towards the scale up of treatment and prevention programmes and called for sustained action to eliminate the barriers to universal access

ldquoDespite the progress we have made we are not on course to meet universal access targets and in fact appear to be slipping away from our existing commitmentsrdquo said Dr Pedro Cahn International Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and President of the International AIDS Society and Fundacioacuten Hueacutesped in Buenos Aires Argentina ldquoIt appears that we are poised to accept defeat when victory is still within our grasp Our failure to meet those commitments will have an impact on millions of lives This cannot be allowed to happen It is time for nations to live up to their commitmentsrdquo

ldquoWith only two years to go until the 2010 deadline for universal access set by world leaders we must redouble our commitment to scaling up all proven HIV prevention strategiesrdquo said Dr Luiacutes Soto Ramiacuterez Local Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and Head of the Molecular Virology Unit at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Meacutedicas y Nutricioacuten Salvador Zubiriaacuten and Coordinator of the Clinical Care Committee of CONASIDA Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council ldquoThe fact that last year 27 million people were newly infected with HIV a disease that is entirely preventable is unacceptablerdquo

Dr Jaime Sepulveda (Mexico) founder of Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council who is now with the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation noted that attention to and resources for AIDS are at all-time high including substantially increased funding for the Global Fund and the US Presidentrsquos Emergency Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief According to Sepulveda reaching the goal of 3 million people in low and middle-income countries on treatment at the end of 2007 was a critical step forward but the world has only scratched the surface of possibilities in responding to the epidemic Greater resources more effectively spent and targeted where they can have the greatest effect would have a dramatic impact on the course of the epidemicrsquos Highlighting the fact that more people become infected

with HIV last year than began treatment Sepulveda called for radically increased investments in prevention research evaluation and delivery of services as well as accelerated research on promising prevention methods including a vaccine In conclusion he reiterated that political leadership from all countries and accountability at all levels are essential for stopping the epidemic

Citing the results in both treatment and prevention scale up in countries with sustained leadership such as Rwanda and Tanzania Alex Coutinho (Uganda) of the Infectious Disease Institute of Makerere University made a passionate call for greater leadership as a path toward meeting the challenges ahead In looking at progress to date Coutinho highlighted increased access to HIV testing and counseling to prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and to pediatric care and treatment as well as the effectiveness of male circumcision as a prevention intervention In contrast he noted that most countries will not achieve universal access by 2010 and that the majority of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are still unaware of their HIV status In his call to action Coutinho urged greater investment in prevention and financial resources flexible enough to support health systems and systems that reach into rural and other hard-to-reach areas and fully embrace PLHIV as partners He also urged outreach to and support of marginalized and at-risk communities as well as the greater involvement of PLHIV as a catalyst for change

Elisabet Fadul (Dominican Republic) of the Dominican Network for Youth RightsGlobal Youth Partners outlined a broad and urgent youth HIVAIDS agenda calling for comprehensive rights ndash and evidence-based plans to provide access for young people Highlighting the 40 of new infections worldwide among young people between the ages of 15-24 Fadul noted that HIV prevention and treatment programmes are failing to effectively reach young people with the most vulnerable and marginalized being stigmatized criminalized or forgotten by many of these programmes

To reverse this course she called for actions and policies that engage youth especially young people living with HIVAIDS as respected partners in developing and implementing programmes that forthrightly address their

needs and diversity

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the most dedicated health care professionals and support staff SalaM Employees Clinic the Clinic that provides health care services to employees of MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group Companies and affiliates in its efforts to upgrade and improve its services has added to its modern list of medical equipment a Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor an advanced medical equipment Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor is one of the new advanced machineries that the clinic acquired recently which is used for the diagnosis of refraction errors of the eye

The Clinic provides medical and surgical services with sub-specialists in gynecological ophthalmological dermatological and ENT employing advanced diagnostic equipment such as radiography endoscopy and colonoscopy supported by video camera ultrasound and ECG Machines It has a well stocked pharmacy with essential medicines and also provides laboratory diagnostic services

The Clinic recently has moved from its previous location to a large and ideal villa with more rooms and a convenient location near the Genet Hotel and is open 24 hours

SalaM Employees Clinic was established by Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi in 1996 for employees of the Investment Group with an investment capital of over Birr 4 million under the SalaM Health Care Plc He later on increased the investment a lot more

Apart from providing services to the employees of the MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group SalaM Employees Clinic is rendering efficient services to the public as well

Dr Amare Abebe Medical Director of the clinic conducting an examination using endoscopy machine

Employees Clinic Secures Equipment

The Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor which the clinic acquired recently

The front view of the Clinic

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Three delegates from Ethiopia Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu MIDROC Ethiopia Training Director Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch Ato Asfaw Alemu Credit Manager of Dashen Bank attended the International Society of Business Economics and Ethics World Congress under the theme ldquoGlobal Fairness Local Integrityrdquo held in Cape Town from July 13 ndash 20 2008 and organized by BEN-Africa

The ISBEE World Congress is held every four years and is affectionately referred to as the Olympics of Business Ethics It always succeeds in attracting the best minds in the field of ethics of business and economics This yearrsquos Congress was attended by over 400 participants from all corners of the world Top notch world speakers among others Prof Mervyn E King SC Prof Deon Rossow Prof Joka Iwao Prof Georges Enderle Prof Paul Collies and Prof Tom Donaldson attended the Congress and over 80 papers were presented in three plenary sessions on topical international business issues

Ethiopian Delegation Participates at World ISBEE World Congress

Participants of ISBEE Congress Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu (left) Ato Lulseged Teferi (middle) Ato Asfaw Alemu

A Special Certificate of Recognition was awarded to Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu of MIDROC Ethiopia Prof Deon Rossow ndash former President of BEN-Africa and Ms Korien Sander the outgoing Executive Secretary of BEN-Africa

Emeritus Prof Johannes in his brief statement after receiving the certificate said that he accepted the certificate on behalf of those institutions and individuals in Ethiopia who have been behind the BEN-Africa Conference held in Ethiopia

It is to be recalled that MIDROC Ethiopia Corporate Office Dashen Bank the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch and Ato Teklu Haile Manager of Treasury Finance and Accounting of MIDROC Ethiopia played a great role for the successful completion of the ldquo7th Annual BEN-Africa Conferencerdquo held in Addis Ababa in August 2007

 Tiret Sept 2008

MIDROC Ethiopia is involved in the development of

mining and exploration of gold building of heavy mining

industries in central and eastern parts of the country

like cement plants filler plants etc Coal exploration is

also a potential area that is being explored by different

companies including MIDROC Ethiopia for use in the

cement plant power generation and fertilizer Soda ash

being used as a major input in glass soap detergent and

other industrial input is also one area of mining A lot of

investors are involved in gemstones

In an effort to exploit these resources and put them

to good use for the development of Ethiopia one of

MIDROC Ethiopia Group Companies the National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) has since its establishment in

March 1993 been actively engaged in the exploration of

gold and base metals in the various parts of the country

ldquoIt is worth noting that the mineral wealth of Ethiopia is

not fully tapped yet and needs to be given due attention

as it can be the backbone of the economy together with

agriculturerdquo says Ato Melaku Beza CEO of National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) He assertively told TIRET in

an interview at his office regarding the activities and

contributions of NMiC to the mining industry and that

his Company is working hard for a better achievement as

it has commemorated its 15th anniversary recently

He said that NMiC is currently engaged in the exploration

of gold base metals at Dawa Digati and Werri areas in the

Oromia and Tigray Administrative Regions and base metals

in Dire Dawa and Benshangul Gumuz Administrative

Regions It is also engaged in mining of marble and

limestone processing of quarried blocks and on the way

to develop the Abiyata Soda Ash in Southern Ethiopia

The Company in its venture in the development of Soda

Ash has embarked upon a joint investment agreement

with the Public Enterprise Supervising Agency (PPESA)

for a 54 percent share in which PPESArsquos 46 percent share

dilutes while NMICrsquos share shall increase in the process of

implementing tasks set in two phases

Mining Corporation on the Move

Ato Melaku Beza CEO NMiC

Dawa Digati Gold exploration drilling

The potential of the mining industry for the development of the Ethiopian economy is immense as witnessed by the ongoing development activities in the country This includes exploration of petroleum in the Ogaden Gambela and other areas by different companies exploration of gold in different parts of the country and potash exploration in Dallol where there is an estimated of 160 millions of tons of proven reserves

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Melaku stated that NMIC has invested Birr

160817912 (one hundred sixty million eight hundred

seventeen thousand nine hundred twelve) for exploration

and mining activities adding that the size of investment for

soda ash will be in the order of Birr 1150000000 (one

billion one hundred fifty million)

The first phase will cost Birr 640000000 (six hundred

forty million) and the second phase will be Birr 500000000

(five hundred million)

National Mining Corporation Plc is a pioneer in opening

and developing quarrying of marble and limestone using

the latest technology in the field Currently the Companyrsquos

Boka Marble Quarry has six benches and more than

twelve faces that are being worked out at Boka quarry

in the Benshangul Administrative Region In the process

it provides training to quarry workers of other quarry

owners thereby contributing to the development of the

mining culture

The General Manager explained about the processing and

marketing of his Companyrsquos products and said that his

Company applies modern technologies and deploys the

latest equipment in mining that meet export standards

engaging in open pit mining and tunneling for underground

mining which is unique not only in Ethiopia but also in

Africa He further articulated that the Company mines one

of the best quality marble in the industry as evidenced in

Boka multicolor marble once nominated as ldquoThe Stone

of the Yearrdquo by the Marble Institute of America (MIA)

while the blue marble has entered the world market by

a new name ldquoSummer Skyrdquo and is currently being sold

in Italy Samples of both have been tested and analyzed in

American Testing Companies and European Universities

and have proved to be of high quality and suitable both

for internal and external use in the construction industry

These two marbles are unique and are found only in

Ethiopia Also the limestone is of unique colors yellow

white and red which have high demand in the market

The CEO said that the special quality of his Companyrsquos

product that attracts international market is the

uniqueness of the material its beauty (aesthetics) and its

non-absorbent and compact nature

The company has the capacity to supply the export market

with the required quality and size of blocks and slabs both

white and blue marble Export markets include Taiwan

China Italy France USA Africa and the Middle East

In order to improve quality additional modern

state-of-the-art quarry machinery has been injected in the

quarry Plan is underway to replace the old machinery at

the processing plant The Company is also producing its

own ldquoabrasiverdquo used for polishing marble using locally

available minerals and materials

Awash Processing Plant

Blocks at Block Yard

Slabs at Slab Yard in the Awash Processing Plant

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

NMiC holds 40 of the local market share in the construction industry Lots of buildings have been cladded by NMiCrsquos products The Sheraton Addis Bole International Airport Terminal Sunshine Multipurpose Building National Bank of Ethiopia Federal Police Headquarters AUrsquos Building Head Office and the Secretary Generalrsquos Residence Ethiopian Insurance Corporation Worbek Building the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Patriarchrsquos Palace and UNCA Building are some the major buildings in Addis Ababa which are finished with NMiCrsquos products

National Mining Corporation Plc is one of the competent companies in Ethiopia and has contributed to the economy of the country by way of generating hard currency from its exports and saving foreign currency by competing and blocking imports of dimension stones from abroad One word it has added to the Ethiopian economy an amount of over Birr 5000000000 (fifty million) in tax royalties and land rent

NMiC has made valuable studies on the mineral potential areas of the country in dimension stones oil and gas mineral water coal and industrial minerals It has also made sound participation in the employment and training of manpower to the mining sector and has encouraged foreign investors to be involved in exploration of oil and gas and other minerals NMiC provides free training in its quarries and processing plant to new local enterprises coming to the sector The company provides potable water electricity medical services and other financial assistance to the community of its mining areas and has set up HIVAIDS policy for the Company to curb the spread of the pandemic and provides care and support for

those living with the virus

Tunnel Jet Belt Quarrying the latest technology in use at the Eshet Blue Quarry

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

a) Finalizing the work on the exploration phase of the gold and base metals projects both at Dawa Digati and Werri which shall lead to feasibility study and production stage

b) Developing Eshet Blue and Boka Multicolor marble quarries and strengthen export to increase income of foreign currency

c) Supplying blocks to local factories

d) Replacement of machinery at Awash Processing Plant especially to boost production and quality

e) Improve the life of the working force through profit sharing and availing better facilities together with upgrading their knowledge through training

f) Implement the Soda Ash development project

The priority areas of NMiC in its future plan include among others

Asked finally if he was satisfied with his Companyrsquos achievements Ato Melaku Beza CEO of NMiC replied ldquoNot much we could do betterrdquo

Nmic Products

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

ldquoA journey of a thousand miles starts with a single steprdquo

goes the famous Chinese saying as for Bauer MIDROC it

all started 10 years ago with the foundation work of the

construction of the MIDROC Corporate Office (MCO)

commonly known as Nani Building With a single project

at hand Bauer Specialtifbau a German Company ventured

into the slowly budding private construction industry

in equal partnership with MIDROC Ethiopia Although

a small scale business venture in the eyes of both giant

partners MIDROC Ethiopia and Bauer Specialtifbau it

created vast opportunities to the construction sector

with the introduction of a state-of-the-art German based

foundation technology to the Ethiopian market The

miniature move of the two giants opened up a gateway

of possibilities and marked a new construction era for

Ethiopia Over the years changes in shareholders has

led to the current name ldquoMIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plcrdquo with the state-of-the-art foundation solutions still in

place

Several limitations in dealing with unfavorable soil

conditions frequently encountered within Ethiopiarsquos

diverse geological formations most abundantly the

problematic black cotton soil within the city of Addis

Ababa and other parts of the country brought about

several technical barriers when it came to building

massive civil structures Building highrises as well as

massive bridges was inconceivable unless capable soil was

in close vicinity MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with

the introduction of deep foundations based on advanced

and efficient technologies in the construction industry

no doubt brought about remarkable solutions and helped

ease some of these anxieties

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with its fleets of large

diameter drilling rigs and variety of drilling tools capable of

both soil and hard soil formations has made economical

foundation solutions a reality offering developers the

confidence to build high rise buildings without worrying

about the type of soil in Addis Ababa The expertise of

Dedicated Backing for MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is gradually changing

the cityrsquos skyline with the construction of the completed

MCO Building AICAIB Headquarters and KK Building

both to be completed soon and all standing above 20

stories

Entering the city limits through the skyways one can notice

that the Bole Airport has received an entire facelift with

the construction of the International Passenger Terminal

Airport Control Towers the new Cargo Terminal and the

Maintenance Hanger The only thing these landmarks share

other than ownership is that they owe their existence to

foundation solutions of MIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plc As we enter the city limits also the Bole Viaduct

and all the overpasses on the Addis Ababa Ring Road are

comfortably resting still with the construction of the deep

piles by MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc

Drilling of pile with casing

 Tiret Sept 2008

Parallel to pile construction as verification of the

constructed pile capacities is common practice in the

foundation construction industry MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc equipped with the state-of-the-art

automated pile load testing system has recently conducted

1300 metric tons load test at the Derba MIDROC Cement

Factory Project the first of this magnitude in the African

Continent

The introduction of vertical shoring wall systems that

uses reinforced concrete piles and tie back anchors which

is gaining popularity in recent years is another type of

foundation technology solutions made possible in Ethiopia

through MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos expertise

Prior to these shoring system solutions land owners

could not fully utilize their plots at the boundaries for fear

of catastrophic cave-in In fact in most cases plot owners

avoided under ground construction in order to avoid

litigation with next door land owners The utilization of

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos vertical shoring pile

wall system was proposed and implemented in the cases

of Bole Towers and Loli Building In both cases all sides of

the plot were shored exactly at the boundaries without

any land loss In fact the clients gained underground spaces

in the order of two to three times their plot size for

possible parking purpose This has provided developers

with solutions clearing their lumbers from additional

costs for parking facilities

Pile load testing

In line with the construction boom within Addis Ababa

developers are opting to construct on boundary edges

where heavy structures already exist in adjacent plots

In order to excavate at these boundaries the safest and

most economical foundation solution system is shoring

pile wall system These systems were employed at Awash

Bank and Insurance Building KK Building and Orchid

Building

For realization of structures that have to be constructed

below the natural ground water level and or near offshore

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc has construction

approaches that employ waterproof vertical shoring

systems and several options to choose from within

the framework of technical feasibility of foundation

engineering The construction of Diaphragm Wall

Cellular Cofferdam Sheet Pile Wall and Secant

Pile Wall are such solutions to name a few The cost

of construction and the time required for executing the

works is in the order listed above

Anchored pile shoring wall

Foundation Solution

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the equipment already available in the country

MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc has tabled and

implemented an economical and technically feasible

secant pile wall system solution for bridge projects

within Ethiopia If it was not for MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plcrsquos geotechnical solutions construction under

such conditions would have been technically impossible

throughout East Africa

Unlike other options construction of secant pile wall as

waterproof vertical shoring system is not limited to the

soil condition of the site The construction of such high

tech geotechnical engineering solutions by the Company

have been successfully applied on projects like the Omo

River Bridge and on the New Abay Bridge Projects The

application of the secant pile wall system was used for the

construction of the pier foundation on both sides of the

Bridge on the Omo River Bridge Project and one side pier

foundation construction of the New Abay Bridge Project

During the construction of the Omo River Bridge

foundation and substructure works other logistic

challenges non-related to foundation works was

encountered The West Pier and Abutment on the Omo

River Bridge created such a technical impasse On this

side one of the most difficult challenges was to solve the

problem of crossing equipment and construction material

across the 150 m wide river After carefully considering all

the possible alternatives a decision was made to design and

manufacture a water crossing barge using local expertise

and manufacturing capabilities MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc took part in the design manufacturing and

commissioning of this barge and has successfully crossed

a 503 ton drilling rig and other earth moving equipment

With nearly twenty projects within Ethiopia MIDROC

Foundation Specialists Plc is a pioneer in exporting

foundation technology to neighboring Kenya Tanzania

and the Sudan In-house trained Ethiopian experts have

Crossing of drilling rig on Omo River through Barge

 Tiret Sept 2008

Secant pile wall

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Mr Achim Braun General Manager of MIDROC Foundation (left) inspecting a construction site

left their marks on several key projects within those

countries Among the projects successfully carried out in

Tanzania the Songo Songo Offshore Piling Project was the

most challenging and rewarding of all In this Project sixty

per cent of the piles were constructed from a SEWP (Self

Elevating Working Platform) elevated 13 meters from the

sea bed

As the company commemorates the tenth anniversary of

its establishment it is only proper to mark the outstanding

contributions to the construction industry of Ethiopia The

efficiency of the Company and the technology employed

has resulted in creating a broad awareness of foundation

technological solutions in the country particularly

among developers In terms of the spectrum of available

techniques of foundation the projects undertaken so

far are only a tip of the iceberg Although the Company

was confronted with a number of challenges in changing

attitudes and practices the success achieved so far has

been accomplished with great efforts exerted by the

companyrsquos management and its diligent professionals in

the field

Being the only Class I Foundation Specialist Contractors

in the country MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc is now

determined to leap ahead to new and yet un-introduced

foundation construction technologies such as micro 

piles  high  pressure  injection  diaphragm 

walls  slope  protection  and  soil  nailing  As

the countries infrastructure development continues to

reach higher levels MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is

preparing itself to meet the current customer demands

and technological challenges

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Statistics reveal that the country continues to earn hard currency from export of primary commodities such as coffee which tops the list by fetching some 500 million dollars last financial year

Other commodities are hides and skin flowers pulses fruits vegetables and chat

Incidentally it is interesting to note that Chat has fetched over 60 million dollars in foreign currency last fiscal year

The chewing of chat leaves is common in the horn of Africa but in eastern Ethiopia it is big business for some and big worry for others Chat is a major agricultural crop Yet many say it is addictive and harmful to health

In a town where I grew up for instance it is hard to avoid the impact of the stimulant leaf The first thing that strikes you in the main market is the deafening noise The market square is a scene of total chaos as you make your way through a bustling crowd preoccupied with the business of bartering for a prized commodity- the green leafed plant chat

Awadaye market is a market for chat It is estimated that over 25000 kg pass through it daily The buyers and sellers take their jobs seriously shouting to one other They gesture excitedly as they trade thousands of birr daily for the chat which is bought from the local farmers in Awadaye and sent to other areas in Ethiopia It is also exported overseas It is said to be the backbone of the economy as it can be gathered from the revenue it has generated during the current physical year

If you compare chat farmers with other farmers in other parts of the country you will see that their standard of living is so much better

The employment created though chat cultivation is very high as large numbers of people are involved in growing harvesting sorting packing transporting loading and unloading the commodity The wood of the plant is used for fuel and because of its resistance to termites it is also used to make fences Chat is also believed to have medical value being used locally to treat influenza and asthma

Chat farmers used to grow maize sorghum and teff which is the basic Ethiopian staple food but these crops are difficult to grow as they require lots of rain and attention

while chat requires little water or cultivation That is why it is widely believed that its cultivation is expanding at an amazing rate

Chat has now become Ethiopiarsquos biggest export third only to coffee and hides and skin But despite the cash earning and the tradition of chat growing and use among the people many people do not encourage it

They believe that it is addictive and this has a negative impact on the community They allege that people forget about their work commitments and spend hours chewing chat The number of users of chat is increasing particularly among the youth

In urban areas the use of chat combined with alcohol is having an adverse effect on family life Many students chew chat because they say it increases their concentration when they study their lessons

However in some regions where it is widely cultivated business punctuality is a frequent problem as the time after lunch is usually spent chewing chat Even in some regions where the plant has been banned cultivation and usage continue and attempts to replace chat with cash crops like coffee have failed

Regardless of the merit or demerit of chat the country continues to get the much needed hard currency through export of the plant ldquochatrdquo

However many people including development agents are of the opinion that the demerit far out weighs the merit for energy and time is spent chewing the stuff and particularly its negative impact on health especially on the productive force

Another very lucrative business in Ethiopia is the export of leather and leather goods According to recent data export of leather and leather goods registered a surge from 52 million dollars to over 90 million dollars Incidentally ELICO one of MIDROC Ethiopia group companies dealing with finished leather products fetched last financial year over 10 million dollars

In the light of considerable income accrued from export of primary commodities there is a need to do even more by way of establishing more agro-industries that engage in the production of agricultural products for sale locally and internationally

Earning from Export of Primary CommoditiesBy Yohannes Ruphael

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The Third Private Sector Development National Conference ndash 2008 of Ethiopia took place in Addis Ababa on June 30 2008 ndash at the UNECA Conference Center and the draft strategy document and priority strategic issues for improved business environment were discussed by representatives of the Private Sector Development Hub established with basic objectives of coordinating and developing a series of public sector development intervention projects for implementation with international financial support and undertaking related research studies to support the business community in its public and private partnership dialogue The Conference was addressed by an internationally renowned and distinguished authority on Corporate Governance Prof Mervyn E King SC

The Editorial Team of TIRET has taken advantage of communicating with Professor Mervyn E King SC to share his views briefly with our readers

Professor Mervyn E King SC is currently Professor Extraordinaire at the University of South Africa and serves as the Chairperson of the King Committee on Corporate Governance in South Africa He is a Senior Counsel and former Judge of the Supreme Court of South Africa His other credentials include Member of the World Bank Advisory Group on Corporate Governance President of the Commonwealth Association of Corporate Governance Governor of the International Corporate Governance Network President of the South Africa Chamber of Business Vice President of the Institute of Directors of Southern Africa Representatives of South Africa at the International Chamber of Commerce Advisor of Asian Center of Corporate Governance Director of Global Reporting Initiative-Amsterdam Director of Association of business Administrators of South Africa

At the Millennium National Private Sector Development Conference in Addis Ababa recently I spoke about corporate governance in the development of the private sector

Corporate governance is about the principles and practices which guide directors and senior managers in making their decisions to the best interests of their companies It has to be separated from the enterprise side of the business which is about making business judgment calls It is essential that directors and senior managers adopt acceptable principles and practices in steering and directing the company and making business judgment It is about the quality of this governance rather than a quantitative check on whether there has been compliance by the directors and managers with well-known governance practices such as the establishment of a remuneration committee

In my talk I pointed out that the economic value of a company does not equal its book value In Coca Cola for example its book value is approximately 13 of its economic value and its greatest asset is its brand which is dependent on

 Tiret Sept 2008

the companyrsquos reputation Consequentially directors and senior managers of Coca Cola have a duty to protect the companyrsquos brand

In planning for a company the strategic direction needs to be done both short- and long-term If a strategy is developed in which all persons in the corporation at all levels buy-in one can get ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things Unless this is done not even extraordinary people will achieve ordinary things

The important thing for directors to remember is that they have won and maintained the trust and confidence of the stakeholders of the company Consequently they should report at least annually how the company has both positively and negatively affected a communityrsquos economic life through its operations and how it is going to enhance those positive aspects and eradicate or ameliorate the negative aspects in the year ahead

Good governance involves inter alia the approval by the board of the strategy of the company and sustainability can no longer be ignored in developing a long-term strategy

The Private Sector Development Hub (PSD-Hub) has the objective to contribute to the economic development of Ethiopia by improving the entrepreneurial environment and the governance of corporations Consequently the PSD-Hub has held Conferences over the last two years focusing on these issues and on the question of public private partnerships There has also been discussion about expediting the registration of companies the standardization of accounting and auditing capitalization and the finalization of the revision of the Ethiopian Commercial Code Corporate governance has featured prominently in these discussions

Arising out of all the modernization of the registration of companies in Ethiopia has been recognized as a priority

Accounting and auditing standards which should follow IFRS should have legal backing so that everyone in Ethiopia will know the meaning of the reported financial statements

The development of a securities market including an exchange in which not only equities but bonds and derivatives can be bought and sold with the dematerialisation of scrip and electronic settlement is essential

From the above it will be seen that there is much to be done but Ethiopia is striving through the PSD Hub to create platforms on which it can forge ahead in our flat electronic world where capital flows towards those areas where there is good governance and well-regulated markets The Conference at which I spoke was just another step in Ethiopiarsquos endeavours to achieve these goals Positively the essential aspects for creating an entrepreneurial and thriving business environment have been identified and PSD Hub the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other interested bodies are working in partnership with government to achieve them

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Itrsquos a ridiculous

l a n g u a g e rdquo

sputtered the

Englishman at

the next table

his jowls shaking

in anger ldquoA ridiculous languagerdquo

We were sitting in a tiny tea-and-pie shop in Criccieth a

town in northern Wales and everybody but us was speaking

Welsh Like a remarkable number of his countrymen this

man was convinced it was merely a secret code employed

by the local to talk behind the backs of English visitors

ldquoJust you watchrdquo he said ldquoAs soon as we leave theyrsquoll all

go back to speaking Englishrdquo

I rather doubted it And unlike the Englishman I was

thrilled to encounter one of the oldest languages in

Europe a tongue heard in this misty and mountainous

land since the arrival of Roman legions

Being surrounded by people speaking an unfamiliar and

exotic language is to me one of the best things about

travel Just as some people will journey to the Serengeti

to glimpse the rare and endangered white rhino Irsquoll happily

go far out of my way to hear a rare and endangered

language

In the storybook city of Carcassonne in southwest France

I was less thrilled at seeing the towers and turrets than

I was at meeting a man who could speak Occitan the

ancient and fast-vanishing language of the troubadours

As far as I was concerned the most fascinating thing in

Dangriga a coastal town in Belize was the mellifluous

sound of Garifuna a language spoken by the descendants

of shipwrecked slaves from West Africa I once traveled

to Graubunden in eastern Switzerland in the hope of

hearing Romansch a tongue spoken by fewer than one

percent of the nationrsquos residents and said to resemble

Latin I encountered a few signs in the language but no

one who could speak it

According to one oft-cited estimate at least half the

worldrsquos 6000 languages are likely to die out by the end

of this century which means that one is going silent on

average every two weeks

Itrsquos not merely a matter of using different words to express the same thoughts Languages are literally the expressions of cultures and belief systems entirely different ways of making sense of the world And just as we should be concerned about the shrinking diversity of plant and animal species we should also worry about the shrinking diversity of languages

Welsh though seems to be holding on despite 700 years

of efforts by the English to exterminate it The BBC has for

some years now carried television and radio programming

in the language and in Wales itrsquos possible to receive your

entire education from preschool to postgraduate in

Welsh About 20 percent of Walesrsquo population speaks

Welsh and the number appears to be growing slightly

It is not as the Englishman said a ridiculous language But

it is to my eyes and ears a wonderfully strange one Dave

Barry once wrote that the ancient Hawaiians arrived on

their islands after perilous canoe voyages in seas so rough

their consonants fell overboard My guess is that the

letters drifted the worldrsquos oceans until they washed up on

the shores of Wales

T h e   B e a u t y   o f   a   L a n g u a g e

 Tiret Sept 2008

How else to explain for example the Welsh word for

beer Itrsquos cwrw It looks like my Scrabble tray when I

donrsquot have a word to pay (In case you ever need to order

one itrsquos pronounced ldquokooroordquo)

And then therersquos the vexing pronunciation of the double-

1 you find at the beginning of it seems two-thirds of the

town names in Wales ldquoJust put your teeth together and

hiss like a duckrdquo explained a helpful woman I met at the

Dylan Thomas Museum in Swansea She also pointed out

that Llareggub the fictional town in Thomasrsquo ldquoUnder the

Milkwood Treerdquo is merely ldquobugger allrdquo spelled backward

I like the besotted poet a whole lot more after learning

that

One dark and drizzly night I went to a little schoolhouse in

the Rhondda Valley to listen to a rehearsal of the Treorchy

Menrsquos Choir made up mostly of unemployed coal miners

ldquoIn the old daysrdquo one of them told me ldquowe used to sing

together in the pitsrdquo

When they opened their mouths to sing as one in Welsh

all the snarky little comments about their language become

moot It was simply one of the most hauntingly beautiful

sounds Irsquove even heard

I got a lesson in the politics of minority languages recently

when I visited Montreal the capital of French ndash speaking

Canada I hadnrsquot been there since a childhood visit to

Exporsquo67 and I remember the province as decidedly

bilingual Everything from traffic signs to toothpaste

tubes was printed in French and English No more A

law passed in 1977 banned the use of English in signs

throughout Quebec Itrsquos an attempt to do linguistically

what they failed for two centuries to do militarily prevent

the English from conquering them

Theyrsquore quite serious about this Hudson Bay Co the

venerable department store chain that dates back to the

fur-trading days is now known as Compagnie de la Baie

drsquoHudson at least in these parts Kentucky Fried Chicken

outlets arenrsquot allowed to use ldquoKFCrdquo on their signs In

Quebec theyrsquore called ldquoPFKrdquo for Poulet Frit Kentucky

The Quebecois are more vigilant even than their famously

Anglophobic counterparts in Paris All stop signs here say

Arret even though the ones in France say ldquoStoprdquo

It all seemed a little silly and excessive to me until I began

talking to French-speaking Montrealers about it ldquoYou

have to understand that wersquore surrounded by English

speakersrdquo a schoolteacher told me ldquoWe have to be very

firm about defending our language or it will disappear

And when it goes so does our way of life

Signs aside most French Canadians I met were bilingual

I quickly discovered that if I first made atleast a fumbling

attempt to speak their language almost everybody was

happy to switch to English ndash very possibly to spare

themselves the trauma of hearing my phrase-book

French which sounds like someone grinding the gears

of an old Citroen ldquoWe have nothing against Englishrdquo the

schoolteacher told me ldquoItrsquos just that we want to speak

French hererdquo

Vive la differenceJohn Flinn -Travel Editor

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Scale up of HIV Prevention Treatment Care and Support Requires Renewed Leadership and Resources

The 17th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) took place in Mexico City from August 3 -8 2008 with an assessment of the situation of the global epidemic at a panel of researchers public health and civil society leaders examined recent progress towards the scale up of treatment and prevention programmes and called for sustained action to eliminate the barriers to universal access

ldquoDespite the progress we have made we are not on course to meet universal access targets and in fact appear to be slipping away from our existing commitmentsrdquo said Dr Pedro Cahn International Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and President of the International AIDS Society and Fundacioacuten Hueacutesped in Buenos Aires Argentina ldquoIt appears that we are poised to accept defeat when victory is still within our grasp Our failure to meet those commitments will have an impact on millions of lives This cannot be allowed to happen It is time for nations to live up to their commitmentsrdquo

ldquoWith only two years to go until the 2010 deadline for universal access set by world leaders we must redouble our commitment to scaling up all proven HIV prevention strategiesrdquo said Dr Luiacutes Soto Ramiacuterez Local Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and Head of the Molecular Virology Unit at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Meacutedicas y Nutricioacuten Salvador Zubiriaacuten and Coordinator of the Clinical Care Committee of CONASIDA Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council ldquoThe fact that last year 27 million people were newly infected with HIV a disease that is entirely preventable is unacceptablerdquo

Dr Jaime Sepulveda (Mexico) founder of Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council who is now with the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation noted that attention to and resources for AIDS are at all-time high including substantially increased funding for the Global Fund and the US Presidentrsquos Emergency Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief According to Sepulveda reaching the goal of 3 million people in low and middle-income countries on treatment at the end of 2007 was a critical step forward but the world has only scratched the surface of possibilities in responding to the epidemic Greater resources more effectively spent and targeted where they can have the greatest effect would have a dramatic impact on the course of the epidemicrsquos Highlighting the fact that more people become infected

with HIV last year than began treatment Sepulveda called for radically increased investments in prevention research evaluation and delivery of services as well as accelerated research on promising prevention methods including a vaccine In conclusion he reiterated that political leadership from all countries and accountability at all levels are essential for stopping the epidemic

Citing the results in both treatment and prevention scale up in countries with sustained leadership such as Rwanda and Tanzania Alex Coutinho (Uganda) of the Infectious Disease Institute of Makerere University made a passionate call for greater leadership as a path toward meeting the challenges ahead In looking at progress to date Coutinho highlighted increased access to HIV testing and counseling to prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and to pediatric care and treatment as well as the effectiveness of male circumcision as a prevention intervention In contrast he noted that most countries will not achieve universal access by 2010 and that the majority of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are still unaware of their HIV status In his call to action Coutinho urged greater investment in prevention and financial resources flexible enough to support health systems and systems that reach into rural and other hard-to-reach areas and fully embrace PLHIV as partners He also urged outreach to and support of marginalized and at-risk communities as well as the greater involvement of PLHIV as a catalyst for change

Elisabet Fadul (Dominican Republic) of the Dominican Network for Youth RightsGlobal Youth Partners outlined a broad and urgent youth HIVAIDS agenda calling for comprehensive rights ndash and evidence-based plans to provide access for young people Highlighting the 40 of new infections worldwide among young people between the ages of 15-24 Fadul noted that HIV prevention and treatment programmes are failing to effectively reach young people with the most vulnerable and marginalized being stigmatized criminalized or forgotten by many of these programmes

To reverse this course she called for actions and policies that engage youth especially young people living with HIVAIDS as respected partners in developing and implementing programmes that forthrightly address their

needs and diversity

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the most dedicated health care professionals and support staff SalaM Employees Clinic the Clinic that provides health care services to employees of MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group Companies and affiliates in its efforts to upgrade and improve its services has added to its modern list of medical equipment a Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor an advanced medical equipment Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor is one of the new advanced machineries that the clinic acquired recently which is used for the diagnosis of refraction errors of the eye

The Clinic provides medical and surgical services with sub-specialists in gynecological ophthalmological dermatological and ENT employing advanced diagnostic equipment such as radiography endoscopy and colonoscopy supported by video camera ultrasound and ECG Machines It has a well stocked pharmacy with essential medicines and also provides laboratory diagnostic services

The Clinic recently has moved from its previous location to a large and ideal villa with more rooms and a convenient location near the Genet Hotel and is open 24 hours

SalaM Employees Clinic was established by Sheikh Mohammed H Al-Amoudi in 1996 for employees of the Investment Group with an investment capital of over Birr 4 million under the SalaM Health Care Plc He later on increased the investment a lot more

Apart from providing services to the employees of the MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group SalaM Employees Clinic is rendering efficient services to the public as well

Dr Amare Abebe Medical Director of the clinic conducting an examination using endoscopy machine

Employees Clinic Secures Equipment

The Slit Lamp and Automatic Refractor which the clinic acquired recently

The front view of the Clinic

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Three delegates from Ethiopia Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu MIDROC Ethiopia Training Director Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch Ato Asfaw Alemu Credit Manager of Dashen Bank attended the International Society of Business Economics and Ethics World Congress under the theme ldquoGlobal Fairness Local Integrityrdquo held in Cape Town from July 13 ndash 20 2008 and organized by BEN-Africa

The ISBEE World Congress is held every four years and is affectionately referred to as the Olympics of Business Ethics It always succeeds in attracting the best minds in the field of ethics of business and economics This yearrsquos Congress was attended by over 400 participants from all corners of the world Top notch world speakers among others Prof Mervyn E King SC Prof Deon Rossow Prof Joka Iwao Prof Georges Enderle Prof Paul Collies and Prof Tom Donaldson attended the Congress and over 80 papers were presented in three plenary sessions on topical international business issues

Ethiopian Delegation Participates at World ISBEE World Congress

Participants of ISBEE Congress Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu (left) Ato Lulseged Teferi (middle) Ato Asfaw Alemu

A Special Certificate of Recognition was awarded to Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu of MIDROC Ethiopia Prof Deon Rossow ndash former President of BEN-Africa and Ms Korien Sander the outgoing Executive Secretary of BEN-Africa

Emeritus Prof Johannes in his brief statement after receiving the certificate said that he accepted the certificate on behalf of those institutions and individuals in Ethiopia who have been behind the BEN-Africa Conference held in Ethiopia

It is to be recalled that MIDROC Ethiopia Corporate Office Dashen Bank the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch and Ato Teklu Haile Manager of Treasury Finance and Accounting of MIDROC Ethiopia played a great role for the successful completion of the ldquo7th Annual BEN-Africa Conferencerdquo held in Addis Ababa in August 2007

 Tiret Sept 2008

MIDROC Ethiopia is involved in the development of

mining and exploration of gold building of heavy mining

industries in central and eastern parts of the country

like cement plants filler plants etc Coal exploration is

also a potential area that is being explored by different

companies including MIDROC Ethiopia for use in the

cement plant power generation and fertilizer Soda ash

being used as a major input in glass soap detergent and

other industrial input is also one area of mining A lot of

investors are involved in gemstones

In an effort to exploit these resources and put them

to good use for the development of Ethiopia one of

MIDROC Ethiopia Group Companies the National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) has since its establishment in

March 1993 been actively engaged in the exploration of

gold and base metals in the various parts of the country

ldquoIt is worth noting that the mineral wealth of Ethiopia is

not fully tapped yet and needs to be given due attention

as it can be the backbone of the economy together with

agriculturerdquo says Ato Melaku Beza CEO of National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) He assertively told TIRET in

an interview at his office regarding the activities and

contributions of NMiC to the mining industry and that

his Company is working hard for a better achievement as

it has commemorated its 15th anniversary recently

He said that NMiC is currently engaged in the exploration

of gold base metals at Dawa Digati and Werri areas in the

Oromia and Tigray Administrative Regions and base metals

in Dire Dawa and Benshangul Gumuz Administrative

Regions It is also engaged in mining of marble and

limestone processing of quarried blocks and on the way

to develop the Abiyata Soda Ash in Southern Ethiopia

The Company in its venture in the development of Soda

Ash has embarked upon a joint investment agreement

with the Public Enterprise Supervising Agency (PPESA)

for a 54 percent share in which PPESArsquos 46 percent share

dilutes while NMICrsquos share shall increase in the process of

implementing tasks set in two phases

Mining Corporation on the Move

Ato Melaku Beza CEO NMiC

Dawa Digati Gold exploration drilling

The potential of the mining industry for the development of the Ethiopian economy is immense as witnessed by the ongoing development activities in the country This includes exploration of petroleum in the Ogaden Gambela and other areas by different companies exploration of gold in different parts of the country and potash exploration in Dallol where there is an estimated of 160 millions of tons of proven reserves

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Melaku stated that NMIC has invested Birr

160817912 (one hundred sixty million eight hundred

seventeen thousand nine hundred twelve) for exploration

and mining activities adding that the size of investment for

soda ash will be in the order of Birr 1150000000 (one

billion one hundred fifty million)

The first phase will cost Birr 640000000 (six hundred

forty million) and the second phase will be Birr 500000000

(five hundred million)

National Mining Corporation Plc is a pioneer in opening

and developing quarrying of marble and limestone using

the latest technology in the field Currently the Companyrsquos

Boka Marble Quarry has six benches and more than

twelve faces that are being worked out at Boka quarry

in the Benshangul Administrative Region In the process

it provides training to quarry workers of other quarry

owners thereby contributing to the development of the

mining culture

The General Manager explained about the processing and

marketing of his Companyrsquos products and said that his

Company applies modern technologies and deploys the

latest equipment in mining that meet export standards

engaging in open pit mining and tunneling for underground

mining which is unique not only in Ethiopia but also in

Africa He further articulated that the Company mines one

of the best quality marble in the industry as evidenced in

Boka multicolor marble once nominated as ldquoThe Stone

of the Yearrdquo by the Marble Institute of America (MIA)

while the blue marble has entered the world market by

a new name ldquoSummer Skyrdquo and is currently being sold

in Italy Samples of both have been tested and analyzed in

American Testing Companies and European Universities

and have proved to be of high quality and suitable both

for internal and external use in the construction industry

These two marbles are unique and are found only in

Ethiopia Also the limestone is of unique colors yellow

white and red which have high demand in the market

The CEO said that the special quality of his Companyrsquos

product that attracts international market is the

uniqueness of the material its beauty (aesthetics) and its

non-absorbent and compact nature

The company has the capacity to supply the export market

with the required quality and size of blocks and slabs both

white and blue marble Export markets include Taiwan

China Italy France USA Africa and the Middle East

In order to improve quality additional modern

state-of-the-art quarry machinery has been injected in the

quarry Plan is underway to replace the old machinery at

the processing plant The Company is also producing its

own ldquoabrasiverdquo used for polishing marble using locally

available minerals and materials

Awash Processing Plant

Blocks at Block Yard

Slabs at Slab Yard in the Awash Processing Plant

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

NMiC holds 40 of the local market share in the construction industry Lots of buildings have been cladded by NMiCrsquos products The Sheraton Addis Bole International Airport Terminal Sunshine Multipurpose Building National Bank of Ethiopia Federal Police Headquarters AUrsquos Building Head Office and the Secretary Generalrsquos Residence Ethiopian Insurance Corporation Worbek Building the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Patriarchrsquos Palace and UNCA Building are some the major buildings in Addis Ababa which are finished with NMiCrsquos products

National Mining Corporation Plc is one of the competent companies in Ethiopia and has contributed to the economy of the country by way of generating hard currency from its exports and saving foreign currency by competing and blocking imports of dimension stones from abroad One word it has added to the Ethiopian economy an amount of over Birr 5000000000 (fifty million) in tax royalties and land rent

NMiC has made valuable studies on the mineral potential areas of the country in dimension stones oil and gas mineral water coal and industrial minerals It has also made sound participation in the employment and training of manpower to the mining sector and has encouraged foreign investors to be involved in exploration of oil and gas and other minerals NMiC provides free training in its quarries and processing plant to new local enterprises coming to the sector The company provides potable water electricity medical services and other financial assistance to the community of its mining areas and has set up HIVAIDS policy for the Company to curb the spread of the pandemic and provides care and support for

those living with the virus

Tunnel Jet Belt Quarrying the latest technology in use at the Eshet Blue Quarry

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

a) Finalizing the work on the exploration phase of the gold and base metals projects both at Dawa Digati and Werri which shall lead to feasibility study and production stage

b) Developing Eshet Blue and Boka Multicolor marble quarries and strengthen export to increase income of foreign currency

c) Supplying blocks to local factories

d) Replacement of machinery at Awash Processing Plant especially to boost production and quality

e) Improve the life of the working force through profit sharing and availing better facilities together with upgrading their knowledge through training

f) Implement the Soda Ash development project

The priority areas of NMiC in its future plan include among others

Asked finally if he was satisfied with his Companyrsquos achievements Ato Melaku Beza CEO of NMiC replied ldquoNot much we could do betterrdquo

Nmic Products

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

ldquoA journey of a thousand miles starts with a single steprdquo

goes the famous Chinese saying as for Bauer MIDROC it

all started 10 years ago with the foundation work of the

construction of the MIDROC Corporate Office (MCO)

commonly known as Nani Building With a single project

at hand Bauer Specialtifbau a German Company ventured

into the slowly budding private construction industry

in equal partnership with MIDROC Ethiopia Although

a small scale business venture in the eyes of both giant

partners MIDROC Ethiopia and Bauer Specialtifbau it

created vast opportunities to the construction sector

with the introduction of a state-of-the-art German based

foundation technology to the Ethiopian market The

miniature move of the two giants opened up a gateway

of possibilities and marked a new construction era for

Ethiopia Over the years changes in shareholders has

led to the current name ldquoMIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plcrdquo with the state-of-the-art foundation solutions still in

place

Several limitations in dealing with unfavorable soil

conditions frequently encountered within Ethiopiarsquos

diverse geological formations most abundantly the

problematic black cotton soil within the city of Addis

Ababa and other parts of the country brought about

several technical barriers when it came to building

massive civil structures Building highrises as well as

massive bridges was inconceivable unless capable soil was

in close vicinity MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with

the introduction of deep foundations based on advanced

and efficient technologies in the construction industry

no doubt brought about remarkable solutions and helped

ease some of these anxieties

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with its fleets of large

diameter drilling rigs and variety of drilling tools capable of

both soil and hard soil formations has made economical

foundation solutions a reality offering developers the

confidence to build high rise buildings without worrying

about the type of soil in Addis Ababa The expertise of

Dedicated Backing for MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is gradually changing

the cityrsquos skyline with the construction of the completed

MCO Building AICAIB Headquarters and KK Building

both to be completed soon and all standing above 20

stories

Entering the city limits through the skyways one can notice

that the Bole Airport has received an entire facelift with

the construction of the International Passenger Terminal

Airport Control Towers the new Cargo Terminal and the

Maintenance Hanger The only thing these landmarks share

other than ownership is that they owe their existence to

foundation solutions of MIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plc As we enter the city limits also the Bole Viaduct

and all the overpasses on the Addis Ababa Ring Road are

comfortably resting still with the construction of the deep

piles by MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc

Drilling of pile with casing

 Tiret Sept 2008

Parallel to pile construction as verification of the

constructed pile capacities is common practice in the

foundation construction industry MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc equipped with the state-of-the-art

automated pile load testing system has recently conducted

1300 metric tons load test at the Derba MIDROC Cement

Factory Project the first of this magnitude in the African

Continent

The introduction of vertical shoring wall systems that

uses reinforced concrete piles and tie back anchors which

is gaining popularity in recent years is another type of

foundation technology solutions made possible in Ethiopia

through MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos expertise

Prior to these shoring system solutions land owners

could not fully utilize their plots at the boundaries for fear

of catastrophic cave-in In fact in most cases plot owners

avoided under ground construction in order to avoid

litigation with next door land owners The utilization of

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos vertical shoring pile

wall system was proposed and implemented in the cases

of Bole Towers and Loli Building In both cases all sides of

the plot were shored exactly at the boundaries without

any land loss In fact the clients gained underground spaces

in the order of two to three times their plot size for

possible parking purpose This has provided developers

with solutions clearing their lumbers from additional

costs for parking facilities

Pile load testing

In line with the construction boom within Addis Ababa

developers are opting to construct on boundary edges

where heavy structures already exist in adjacent plots

In order to excavate at these boundaries the safest and

most economical foundation solution system is shoring

pile wall system These systems were employed at Awash

Bank and Insurance Building KK Building and Orchid

Building

For realization of structures that have to be constructed

below the natural ground water level and or near offshore

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc has construction

approaches that employ waterproof vertical shoring

systems and several options to choose from within

the framework of technical feasibility of foundation

engineering The construction of Diaphragm Wall

Cellular Cofferdam Sheet Pile Wall and Secant

Pile Wall are such solutions to name a few The cost

of construction and the time required for executing the

works is in the order listed above

Anchored pile shoring wall

Foundation Solution

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the equipment already available in the country

MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc has tabled and

implemented an economical and technically feasible

secant pile wall system solution for bridge projects

within Ethiopia If it was not for MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plcrsquos geotechnical solutions construction under

such conditions would have been technically impossible

throughout East Africa

Unlike other options construction of secant pile wall as

waterproof vertical shoring system is not limited to the

soil condition of the site The construction of such high

tech geotechnical engineering solutions by the Company

have been successfully applied on projects like the Omo

River Bridge and on the New Abay Bridge Projects The

application of the secant pile wall system was used for the

construction of the pier foundation on both sides of the

Bridge on the Omo River Bridge Project and one side pier

foundation construction of the New Abay Bridge Project

During the construction of the Omo River Bridge

foundation and substructure works other logistic

challenges non-related to foundation works was

encountered The West Pier and Abutment on the Omo

River Bridge created such a technical impasse On this

side one of the most difficult challenges was to solve the

problem of crossing equipment and construction material

across the 150 m wide river After carefully considering all

the possible alternatives a decision was made to design and

manufacture a water crossing barge using local expertise

and manufacturing capabilities MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc took part in the design manufacturing and

commissioning of this barge and has successfully crossed

a 503 ton drilling rig and other earth moving equipment

With nearly twenty projects within Ethiopia MIDROC

Foundation Specialists Plc is a pioneer in exporting

foundation technology to neighboring Kenya Tanzania

and the Sudan In-house trained Ethiopian experts have

Crossing of drilling rig on Omo River through Barge

 Tiret Sept 2008

Secant pile wall

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Mr Achim Braun General Manager of MIDROC Foundation (left) inspecting a construction site

left their marks on several key projects within those

countries Among the projects successfully carried out in

Tanzania the Songo Songo Offshore Piling Project was the

most challenging and rewarding of all In this Project sixty

per cent of the piles were constructed from a SEWP (Self

Elevating Working Platform) elevated 13 meters from the

sea bed

As the company commemorates the tenth anniversary of

its establishment it is only proper to mark the outstanding

contributions to the construction industry of Ethiopia The

efficiency of the Company and the technology employed

has resulted in creating a broad awareness of foundation

technological solutions in the country particularly

among developers In terms of the spectrum of available

techniques of foundation the projects undertaken so

far are only a tip of the iceberg Although the Company

was confronted with a number of challenges in changing

attitudes and practices the success achieved so far has

been accomplished with great efforts exerted by the

companyrsquos management and its diligent professionals in

the field

Being the only Class I Foundation Specialist Contractors

in the country MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc is now

determined to leap ahead to new and yet un-introduced

foundation construction technologies such as micro 

piles  high  pressure  injection  diaphragm 

walls  slope  protection  and  soil  nailing  As

the countries infrastructure development continues to

reach higher levels MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is

preparing itself to meet the current customer demands

and technological challenges

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Statistics reveal that the country continues to earn hard currency from export of primary commodities such as coffee which tops the list by fetching some 500 million dollars last financial year

Other commodities are hides and skin flowers pulses fruits vegetables and chat

Incidentally it is interesting to note that Chat has fetched over 60 million dollars in foreign currency last fiscal year

The chewing of chat leaves is common in the horn of Africa but in eastern Ethiopia it is big business for some and big worry for others Chat is a major agricultural crop Yet many say it is addictive and harmful to health

In a town where I grew up for instance it is hard to avoid the impact of the stimulant leaf The first thing that strikes you in the main market is the deafening noise The market square is a scene of total chaos as you make your way through a bustling crowd preoccupied with the business of bartering for a prized commodity- the green leafed plant chat

Awadaye market is a market for chat It is estimated that over 25000 kg pass through it daily The buyers and sellers take their jobs seriously shouting to one other They gesture excitedly as they trade thousands of birr daily for the chat which is bought from the local farmers in Awadaye and sent to other areas in Ethiopia It is also exported overseas It is said to be the backbone of the economy as it can be gathered from the revenue it has generated during the current physical year

If you compare chat farmers with other farmers in other parts of the country you will see that their standard of living is so much better

The employment created though chat cultivation is very high as large numbers of people are involved in growing harvesting sorting packing transporting loading and unloading the commodity The wood of the plant is used for fuel and because of its resistance to termites it is also used to make fences Chat is also believed to have medical value being used locally to treat influenza and asthma

Chat farmers used to grow maize sorghum and teff which is the basic Ethiopian staple food but these crops are difficult to grow as they require lots of rain and attention

while chat requires little water or cultivation That is why it is widely believed that its cultivation is expanding at an amazing rate

Chat has now become Ethiopiarsquos biggest export third only to coffee and hides and skin But despite the cash earning and the tradition of chat growing and use among the people many people do not encourage it

They believe that it is addictive and this has a negative impact on the community They allege that people forget about their work commitments and spend hours chewing chat The number of users of chat is increasing particularly among the youth

In urban areas the use of chat combined with alcohol is having an adverse effect on family life Many students chew chat because they say it increases their concentration when they study their lessons

However in some regions where it is widely cultivated business punctuality is a frequent problem as the time after lunch is usually spent chewing chat Even in some regions where the plant has been banned cultivation and usage continue and attempts to replace chat with cash crops like coffee have failed

Regardless of the merit or demerit of chat the country continues to get the much needed hard currency through export of the plant ldquochatrdquo

However many people including development agents are of the opinion that the demerit far out weighs the merit for energy and time is spent chewing the stuff and particularly its negative impact on health especially on the productive force

Another very lucrative business in Ethiopia is the export of leather and leather goods According to recent data export of leather and leather goods registered a surge from 52 million dollars to over 90 million dollars Incidentally ELICO one of MIDROC Ethiopia group companies dealing with finished leather products fetched last financial year over 10 million dollars

In the light of considerable income accrued from export of primary commodities there is a need to do even more by way of establishing more agro-industries that engage in the production of agricultural products for sale locally and internationally

Earning from Export of Primary CommoditiesBy Yohannes Ruphael

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The Third Private Sector Development National Conference ndash 2008 of Ethiopia took place in Addis Ababa on June 30 2008 ndash at the UNECA Conference Center and the draft strategy document and priority strategic issues for improved business environment were discussed by representatives of the Private Sector Development Hub established with basic objectives of coordinating and developing a series of public sector development intervention projects for implementation with international financial support and undertaking related research studies to support the business community in its public and private partnership dialogue The Conference was addressed by an internationally renowned and distinguished authority on Corporate Governance Prof Mervyn E King SC

The Editorial Team of TIRET has taken advantage of communicating with Professor Mervyn E King SC to share his views briefly with our readers

Professor Mervyn E King SC is currently Professor Extraordinaire at the University of South Africa and serves as the Chairperson of the King Committee on Corporate Governance in South Africa He is a Senior Counsel and former Judge of the Supreme Court of South Africa His other credentials include Member of the World Bank Advisory Group on Corporate Governance President of the Commonwealth Association of Corporate Governance Governor of the International Corporate Governance Network President of the South Africa Chamber of Business Vice President of the Institute of Directors of Southern Africa Representatives of South Africa at the International Chamber of Commerce Advisor of Asian Center of Corporate Governance Director of Global Reporting Initiative-Amsterdam Director of Association of business Administrators of South Africa

At the Millennium National Private Sector Development Conference in Addis Ababa recently I spoke about corporate governance in the development of the private sector

Corporate governance is about the principles and practices which guide directors and senior managers in making their decisions to the best interests of their companies It has to be separated from the enterprise side of the business which is about making business judgment calls It is essential that directors and senior managers adopt acceptable principles and practices in steering and directing the company and making business judgment It is about the quality of this governance rather than a quantitative check on whether there has been compliance by the directors and managers with well-known governance practices such as the establishment of a remuneration committee

In my talk I pointed out that the economic value of a company does not equal its book value In Coca Cola for example its book value is approximately 13 of its economic value and its greatest asset is its brand which is dependent on

 Tiret Sept 2008

the companyrsquos reputation Consequentially directors and senior managers of Coca Cola have a duty to protect the companyrsquos brand

In planning for a company the strategic direction needs to be done both short- and long-term If a strategy is developed in which all persons in the corporation at all levels buy-in one can get ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things Unless this is done not even extraordinary people will achieve ordinary things

The important thing for directors to remember is that they have won and maintained the trust and confidence of the stakeholders of the company Consequently they should report at least annually how the company has both positively and negatively affected a communityrsquos economic life through its operations and how it is going to enhance those positive aspects and eradicate or ameliorate the negative aspects in the year ahead

Good governance involves inter alia the approval by the board of the strategy of the company and sustainability can no longer be ignored in developing a long-term strategy

The Private Sector Development Hub (PSD-Hub) has the objective to contribute to the economic development of Ethiopia by improving the entrepreneurial environment and the governance of corporations Consequently the PSD-Hub has held Conferences over the last two years focusing on these issues and on the question of public private partnerships There has also been discussion about expediting the registration of companies the standardization of accounting and auditing capitalization and the finalization of the revision of the Ethiopian Commercial Code Corporate governance has featured prominently in these discussions

Arising out of all the modernization of the registration of companies in Ethiopia has been recognized as a priority

Accounting and auditing standards which should follow IFRS should have legal backing so that everyone in Ethiopia will know the meaning of the reported financial statements

The development of a securities market including an exchange in which not only equities but bonds and derivatives can be bought and sold with the dematerialisation of scrip and electronic settlement is essential

From the above it will be seen that there is much to be done but Ethiopia is striving through the PSD Hub to create platforms on which it can forge ahead in our flat electronic world where capital flows towards those areas where there is good governance and well-regulated markets The Conference at which I spoke was just another step in Ethiopiarsquos endeavours to achieve these goals Positively the essential aspects for creating an entrepreneurial and thriving business environment have been identified and PSD Hub the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other interested bodies are working in partnership with government to achieve them

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Itrsquos a ridiculous

l a n g u a g e rdquo

sputtered the

Englishman at

the next table

his jowls shaking

in anger ldquoA ridiculous languagerdquo

We were sitting in a tiny tea-and-pie shop in Criccieth a

town in northern Wales and everybody but us was speaking

Welsh Like a remarkable number of his countrymen this

man was convinced it was merely a secret code employed

by the local to talk behind the backs of English visitors

ldquoJust you watchrdquo he said ldquoAs soon as we leave theyrsquoll all

go back to speaking Englishrdquo

I rather doubted it And unlike the Englishman I was

thrilled to encounter one of the oldest languages in

Europe a tongue heard in this misty and mountainous

land since the arrival of Roman legions

Being surrounded by people speaking an unfamiliar and

exotic language is to me one of the best things about

travel Just as some people will journey to the Serengeti

to glimpse the rare and endangered white rhino Irsquoll happily

go far out of my way to hear a rare and endangered

language

In the storybook city of Carcassonne in southwest France

I was less thrilled at seeing the towers and turrets than

I was at meeting a man who could speak Occitan the

ancient and fast-vanishing language of the troubadours

As far as I was concerned the most fascinating thing in

Dangriga a coastal town in Belize was the mellifluous

sound of Garifuna a language spoken by the descendants

of shipwrecked slaves from West Africa I once traveled

to Graubunden in eastern Switzerland in the hope of

hearing Romansch a tongue spoken by fewer than one

percent of the nationrsquos residents and said to resemble

Latin I encountered a few signs in the language but no

one who could speak it

According to one oft-cited estimate at least half the

worldrsquos 6000 languages are likely to die out by the end

of this century which means that one is going silent on

average every two weeks

Itrsquos not merely a matter of using different words to express the same thoughts Languages are literally the expressions of cultures and belief systems entirely different ways of making sense of the world And just as we should be concerned about the shrinking diversity of plant and animal species we should also worry about the shrinking diversity of languages

Welsh though seems to be holding on despite 700 years

of efforts by the English to exterminate it The BBC has for

some years now carried television and radio programming

in the language and in Wales itrsquos possible to receive your

entire education from preschool to postgraduate in

Welsh About 20 percent of Walesrsquo population speaks

Welsh and the number appears to be growing slightly

It is not as the Englishman said a ridiculous language But

it is to my eyes and ears a wonderfully strange one Dave

Barry once wrote that the ancient Hawaiians arrived on

their islands after perilous canoe voyages in seas so rough

their consonants fell overboard My guess is that the

letters drifted the worldrsquos oceans until they washed up on

the shores of Wales

T h e   B e a u t y   o f   a   L a n g u a g e

 Tiret Sept 2008

How else to explain for example the Welsh word for

beer Itrsquos cwrw It looks like my Scrabble tray when I

donrsquot have a word to pay (In case you ever need to order

one itrsquos pronounced ldquokooroordquo)

And then therersquos the vexing pronunciation of the double-

1 you find at the beginning of it seems two-thirds of the

town names in Wales ldquoJust put your teeth together and

hiss like a duckrdquo explained a helpful woman I met at the

Dylan Thomas Museum in Swansea She also pointed out

that Llareggub the fictional town in Thomasrsquo ldquoUnder the

Milkwood Treerdquo is merely ldquobugger allrdquo spelled backward

I like the besotted poet a whole lot more after learning

that

One dark and drizzly night I went to a little schoolhouse in

the Rhondda Valley to listen to a rehearsal of the Treorchy

Menrsquos Choir made up mostly of unemployed coal miners

ldquoIn the old daysrdquo one of them told me ldquowe used to sing

together in the pitsrdquo

When they opened their mouths to sing as one in Welsh

all the snarky little comments about their language become

moot It was simply one of the most hauntingly beautiful

sounds Irsquove even heard

I got a lesson in the politics of minority languages recently

when I visited Montreal the capital of French ndash speaking

Canada I hadnrsquot been there since a childhood visit to

Exporsquo67 and I remember the province as decidedly

bilingual Everything from traffic signs to toothpaste

tubes was printed in French and English No more A

law passed in 1977 banned the use of English in signs

throughout Quebec Itrsquos an attempt to do linguistically

what they failed for two centuries to do militarily prevent

the English from conquering them

Theyrsquore quite serious about this Hudson Bay Co the

venerable department store chain that dates back to the

fur-trading days is now known as Compagnie de la Baie

drsquoHudson at least in these parts Kentucky Fried Chicken

outlets arenrsquot allowed to use ldquoKFCrdquo on their signs In

Quebec theyrsquore called ldquoPFKrdquo for Poulet Frit Kentucky

The Quebecois are more vigilant even than their famously

Anglophobic counterparts in Paris All stop signs here say

Arret even though the ones in France say ldquoStoprdquo

It all seemed a little silly and excessive to me until I began

talking to French-speaking Montrealers about it ldquoYou

have to understand that wersquore surrounded by English

speakersrdquo a schoolteacher told me ldquoWe have to be very

firm about defending our language or it will disappear

And when it goes so does our way of life

Signs aside most French Canadians I met were bilingual

I quickly discovered that if I first made atleast a fumbling

attempt to speak their language almost everybody was

happy to switch to English ndash very possibly to spare

themselves the trauma of hearing my phrase-book

French which sounds like someone grinding the gears

of an old Citroen ldquoWe have nothing against Englishrdquo the

schoolteacher told me ldquoItrsquos just that we want to speak

French hererdquo

Vive la differenceJohn Flinn -Travel Editor

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Scale up of HIV Prevention Treatment Care and Support Requires Renewed Leadership and Resources

The 17th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) took place in Mexico City from August 3 -8 2008 with an assessment of the situation of the global epidemic at a panel of researchers public health and civil society leaders examined recent progress towards the scale up of treatment and prevention programmes and called for sustained action to eliminate the barriers to universal access

ldquoDespite the progress we have made we are not on course to meet universal access targets and in fact appear to be slipping away from our existing commitmentsrdquo said Dr Pedro Cahn International Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and President of the International AIDS Society and Fundacioacuten Hueacutesped in Buenos Aires Argentina ldquoIt appears that we are poised to accept defeat when victory is still within our grasp Our failure to meet those commitments will have an impact on millions of lives This cannot be allowed to happen It is time for nations to live up to their commitmentsrdquo

ldquoWith only two years to go until the 2010 deadline for universal access set by world leaders we must redouble our commitment to scaling up all proven HIV prevention strategiesrdquo said Dr Luiacutes Soto Ramiacuterez Local Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and Head of the Molecular Virology Unit at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Meacutedicas y Nutricioacuten Salvador Zubiriaacuten and Coordinator of the Clinical Care Committee of CONASIDA Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council ldquoThe fact that last year 27 million people were newly infected with HIV a disease that is entirely preventable is unacceptablerdquo

Dr Jaime Sepulveda (Mexico) founder of Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council who is now with the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation noted that attention to and resources for AIDS are at all-time high including substantially increased funding for the Global Fund and the US Presidentrsquos Emergency Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief According to Sepulveda reaching the goal of 3 million people in low and middle-income countries on treatment at the end of 2007 was a critical step forward but the world has only scratched the surface of possibilities in responding to the epidemic Greater resources more effectively spent and targeted where they can have the greatest effect would have a dramatic impact on the course of the epidemicrsquos Highlighting the fact that more people become infected

with HIV last year than began treatment Sepulveda called for radically increased investments in prevention research evaluation and delivery of services as well as accelerated research on promising prevention methods including a vaccine In conclusion he reiterated that political leadership from all countries and accountability at all levels are essential for stopping the epidemic

Citing the results in both treatment and prevention scale up in countries with sustained leadership such as Rwanda and Tanzania Alex Coutinho (Uganda) of the Infectious Disease Institute of Makerere University made a passionate call for greater leadership as a path toward meeting the challenges ahead In looking at progress to date Coutinho highlighted increased access to HIV testing and counseling to prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and to pediatric care and treatment as well as the effectiveness of male circumcision as a prevention intervention In contrast he noted that most countries will not achieve universal access by 2010 and that the majority of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are still unaware of their HIV status In his call to action Coutinho urged greater investment in prevention and financial resources flexible enough to support health systems and systems that reach into rural and other hard-to-reach areas and fully embrace PLHIV as partners He also urged outreach to and support of marginalized and at-risk communities as well as the greater involvement of PLHIV as a catalyst for change

Elisabet Fadul (Dominican Republic) of the Dominican Network for Youth RightsGlobal Youth Partners outlined a broad and urgent youth HIVAIDS agenda calling for comprehensive rights ndash and evidence-based plans to provide access for young people Highlighting the 40 of new infections worldwide among young people between the ages of 15-24 Fadul noted that HIV prevention and treatment programmes are failing to effectively reach young people with the most vulnerable and marginalized being stigmatized criminalized or forgotten by many of these programmes

To reverse this course she called for actions and policies that engage youth especially young people living with HIVAIDS as respected partners in developing and implementing programmes that forthrightly address their

needs and diversity

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Three delegates from Ethiopia Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu MIDROC Ethiopia Training Director Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch Ato Asfaw Alemu Credit Manager of Dashen Bank attended the International Society of Business Economics and Ethics World Congress under the theme ldquoGlobal Fairness Local Integrityrdquo held in Cape Town from July 13 ndash 20 2008 and organized by BEN-Africa

The ISBEE World Congress is held every four years and is affectionately referred to as the Olympics of Business Ethics It always succeeds in attracting the best minds in the field of ethics of business and economics This yearrsquos Congress was attended by over 400 participants from all corners of the world Top notch world speakers among others Prof Mervyn E King SC Prof Deon Rossow Prof Joka Iwao Prof Georges Enderle Prof Paul Collies and Prof Tom Donaldson attended the Congress and over 80 papers were presented in three plenary sessions on topical international business issues

Ethiopian Delegation Participates at World ISBEE World Congress

Participants of ISBEE Congress Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu (left) Ato Lulseged Teferi (middle) Ato Asfaw Alemu

A Special Certificate of Recognition was awarded to Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu of MIDROC Ethiopia Prof Deon Rossow ndash former President of BEN-Africa and Ms Korien Sander the outgoing Executive Secretary of BEN-Africa

Emeritus Prof Johannes in his brief statement after receiving the certificate said that he accepted the certificate on behalf of those institutions and individuals in Ethiopia who have been behind the BEN-Africa Conference held in Ethiopia

It is to be recalled that MIDROC Ethiopia Corporate Office Dashen Bank the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch and Ato Teklu Haile Manager of Treasury Finance and Accounting of MIDROC Ethiopia played a great role for the successful completion of the ldquo7th Annual BEN-Africa Conferencerdquo held in Addis Ababa in August 2007

 Tiret Sept 2008

MIDROC Ethiopia is involved in the development of

mining and exploration of gold building of heavy mining

industries in central and eastern parts of the country

like cement plants filler plants etc Coal exploration is

also a potential area that is being explored by different

companies including MIDROC Ethiopia for use in the

cement plant power generation and fertilizer Soda ash

being used as a major input in glass soap detergent and

other industrial input is also one area of mining A lot of

investors are involved in gemstones

In an effort to exploit these resources and put them

to good use for the development of Ethiopia one of

MIDROC Ethiopia Group Companies the National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) has since its establishment in

March 1993 been actively engaged in the exploration of

gold and base metals in the various parts of the country

ldquoIt is worth noting that the mineral wealth of Ethiopia is

not fully tapped yet and needs to be given due attention

as it can be the backbone of the economy together with

agriculturerdquo says Ato Melaku Beza CEO of National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) He assertively told TIRET in

an interview at his office regarding the activities and

contributions of NMiC to the mining industry and that

his Company is working hard for a better achievement as

it has commemorated its 15th anniversary recently

He said that NMiC is currently engaged in the exploration

of gold base metals at Dawa Digati and Werri areas in the

Oromia and Tigray Administrative Regions and base metals

in Dire Dawa and Benshangul Gumuz Administrative

Regions It is also engaged in mining of marble and

limestone processing of quarried blocks and on the way

to develop the Abiyata Soda Ash in Southern Ethiopia

The Company in its venture in the development of Soda

Ash has embarked upon a joint investment agreement

with the Public Enterprise Supervising Agency (PPESA)

for a 54 percent share in which PPESArsquos 46 percent share

dilutes while NMICrsquos share shall increase in the process of

implementing tasks set in two phases

Mining Corporation on the Move

Ato Melaku Beza CEO NMiC

Dawa Digati Gold exploration drilling

The potential of the mining industry for the development of the Ethiopian economy is immense as witnessed by the ongoing development activities in the country This includes exploration of petroleum in the Ogaden Gambela and other areas by different companies exploration of gold in different parts of the country and potash exploration in Dallol where there is an estimated of 160 millions of tons of proven reserves

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Melaku stated that NMIC has invested Birr

160817912 (one hundred sixty million eight hundred

seventeen thousand nine hundred twelve) for exploration

and mining activities adding that the size of investment for

soda ash will be in the order of Birr 1150000000 (one

billion one hundred fifty million)

The first phase will cost Birr 640000000 (six hundred

forty million) and the second phase will be Birr 500000000

(five hundred million)

National Mining Corporation Plc is a pioneer in opening

and developing quarrying of marble and limestone using

the latest technology in the field Currently the Companyrsquos

Boka Marble Quarry has six benches and more than

twelve faces that are being worked out at Boka quarry

in the Benshangul Administrative Region In the process

it provides training to quarry workers of other quarry

owners thereby contributing to the development of the

mining culture

The General Manager explained about the processing and

marketing of his Companyrsquos products and said that his

Company applies modern technologies and deploys the

latest equipment in mining that meet export standards

engaging in open pit mining and tunneling for underground

mining which is unique not only in Ethiopia but also in

Africa He further articulated that the Company mines one

of the best quality marble in the industry as evidenced in

Boka multicolor marble once nominated as ldquoThe Stone

of the Yearrdquo by the Marble Institute of America (MIA)

while the blue marble has entered the world market by

a new name ldquoSummer Skyrdquo and is currently being sold

in Italy Samples of both have been tested and analyzed in

American Testing Companies and European Universities

and have proved to be of high quality and suitable both

for internal and external use in the construction industry

These two marbles are unique and are found only in

Ethiopia Also the limestone is of unique colors yellow

white and red which have high demand in the market

The CEO said that the special quality of his Companyrsquos

product that attracts international market is the

uniqueness of the material its beauty (aesthetics) and its

non-absorbent and compact nature

The company has the capacity to supply the export market

with the required quality and size of blocks and slabs both

white and blue marble Export markets include Taiwan

China Italy France USA Africa and the Middle East

In order to improve quality additional modern

state-of-the-art quarry machinery has been injected in the

quarry Plan is underway to replace the old machinery at

the processing plant The Company is also producing its

own ldquoabrasiverdquo used for polishing marble using locally

available minerals and materials

Awash Processing Plant

Blocks at Block Yard

Slabs at Slab Yard in the Awash Processing Plant

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

NMiC holds 40 of the local market share in the construction industry Lots of buildings have been cladded by NMiCrsquos products The Sheraton Addis Bole International Airport Terminal Sunshine Multipurpose Building National Bank of Ethiopia Federal Police Headquarters AUrsquos Building Head Office and the Secretary Generalrsquos Residence Ethiopian Insurance Corporation Worbek Building the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Patriarchrsquos Palace and UNCA Building are some the major buildings in Addis Ababa which are finished with NMiCrsquos products

National Mining Corporation Plc is one of the competent companies in Ethiopia and has contributed to the economy of the country by way of generating hard currency from its exports and saving foreign currency by competing and blocking imports of dimension stones from abroad One word it has added to the Ethiopian economy an amount of over Birr 5000000000 (fifty million) in tax royalties and land rent

NMiC has made valuable studies on the mineral potential areas of the country in dimension stones oil and gas mineral water coal and industrial minerals It has also made sound participation in the employment and training of manpower to the mining sector and has encouraged foreign investors to be involved in exploration of oil and gas and other minerals NMiC provides free training in its quarries and processing plant to new local enterprises coming to the sector The company provides potable water electricity medical services and other financial assistance to the community of its mining areas and has set up HIVAIDS policy for the Company to curb the spread of the pandemic and provides care and support for

those living with the virus

Tunnel Jet Belt Quarrying the latest technology in use at the Eshet Blue Quarry

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

a) Finalizing the work on the exploration phase of the gold and base metals projects both at Dawa Digati and Werri which shall lead to feasibility study and production stage

b) Developing Eshet Blue and Boka Multicolor marble quarries and strengthen export to increase income of foreign currency

c) Supplying blocks to local factories

d) Replacement of machinery at Awash Processing Plant especially to boost production and quality

e) Improve the life of the working force through profit sharing and availing better facilities together with upgrading their knowledge through training

f) Implement the Soda Ash development project

The priority areas of NMiC in its future plan include among others

Asked finally if he was satisfied with his Companyrsquos achievements Ato Melaku Beza CEO of NMiC replied ldquoNot much we could do betterrdquo

Nmic Products

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

ldquoA journey of a thousand miles starts with a single steprdquo

goes the famous Chinese saying as for Bauer MIDROC it

all started 10 years ago with the foundation work of the

construction of the MIDROC Corporate Office (MCO)

commonly known as Nani Building With a single project

at hand Bauer Specialtifbau a German Company ventured

into the slowly budding private construction industry

in equal partnership with MIDROC Ethiopia Although

a small scale business venture in the eyes of both giant

partners MIDROC Ethiopia and Bauer Specialtifbau it

created vast opportunities to the construction sector

with the introduction of a state-of-the-art German based

foundation technology to the Ethiopian market The

miniature move of the two giants opened up a gateway

of possibilities and marked a new construction era for

Ethiopia Over the years changes in shareholders has

led to the current name ldquoMIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plcrdquo with the state-of-the-art foundation solutions still in

place

Several limitations in dealing with unfavorable soil

conditions frequently encountered within Ethiopiarsquos

diverse geological formations most abundantly the

problematic black cotton soil within the city of Addis

Ababa and other parts of the country brought about

several technical barriers when it came to building

massive civil structures Building highrises as well as

massive bridges was inconceivable unless capable soil was

in close vicinity MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with

the introduction of deep foundations based on advanced

and efficient technologies in the construction industry

no doubt brought about remarkable solutions and helped

ease some of these anxieties

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with its fleets of large

diameter drilling rigs and variety of drilling tools capable of

both soil and hard soil formations has made economical

foundation solutions a reality offering developers the

confidence to build high rise buildings without worrying

about the type of soil in Addis Ababa The expertise of

Dedicated Backing for MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is gradually changing

the cityrsquos skyline with the construction of the completed

MCO Building AICAIB Headquarters and KK Building

both to be completed soon and all standing above 20

stories

Entering the city limits through the skyways one can notice

that the Bole Airport has received an entire facelift with

the construction of the International Passenger Terminal

Airport Control Towers the new Cargo Terminal and the

Maintenance Hanger The only thing these landmarks share

other than ownership is that they owe their existence to

foundation solutions of MIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plc As we enter the city limits also the Bole Viaduct

and all the overpasses on the Addis Ababa Ring Road are

comfortably resting still with the construction of the deep

piles by MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc

Drilling of pile with casing

 Tiret Sept 2008

Parallel to pile construction as verification of the

constructed pile capacities is common practice in the

foundation construction industry MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc equipped with the state-of-the-art

automated pile load testing system has recently conducted

1300 metric tons load test at the Derba MIDROC Cement

Factory Project the first of this magnitude in the African

Continent

The introduction of vertical shoring wall systems that

uses reinforced concrete piles and tie back anchors which

is gaining popularity in recent years is another type of

foundation technology solutions made possible in Ethiopia

through MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos expertise

Prior to these shoring system solutions land owners

could not fully utilize their plots at the boundaries for fear

of catastrophic cave-in In fact in most cases plot owners

avoided under ground construction in order to avoid

litigation with next door land owners The utilization of

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos vertical shoring pile

wall system was proposed and implemented in the cases

of Bole Towers and Loli Building In both cases all sides of

the plot were shored exactly at the boundaries without

any land loss In fact the clients gained underground spaces

in the order of two to three times their plot size for

possible parking purpose This has provided developers

with solutions clearing their lumbers from additional

costs for parking facilities

Pile load testing

In line with the construction boom within Addis Ababa

developers are opting to construct on boundary edges

where heavy structures already exist in adjacent plots

In order to excavate at these boundaries the safest and

most economical foundation solution system is shoring

pile wall system These systems were employed at Awash

Bank and Insurance Building KK Building and Orchid

Building

For realization of structures that have to be constructed

below the natural ground water level and or near offshore

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc has construction

approaches that employ waterproof vertical shoring

systems and several options to choose from within

the framework of technical feasibility of foundation

engineering The construction of Diaphragm Wall

Cellular Cofferdam Sheet Pile Wall and Secant

Pile Wall are such solutions to name a few The cost

of construction and the time required for executing the

works is in the order listed above

Anchored pile shoring wall

Foundation Solution

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the equipment already available in the country

MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc has tabled and

implemented an economical and technically feasible

secant pile wall system solution for bridge projects

within Ethiopia If it was not for MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plcrsquos geotechnical solutions construction under

such conditions would have been technically impossible

throughout East Africa

Unlike other options construction of secant pile wall as

waterproof vertical shoring system is not limited to the

soil condition of the site The construction of such high

tech geotechnical engineering solutions by the Company

have been successfully applied on projects like the Omo

River Bridge and on the New Abay Bridge Projects The

application of the secant pile wall system was used for the

construction of the pier foundation on both sides of the

Bridge on the Omo River Bridge Project and one side pier

foundation construction of the New Abay Bridge Project

During the construction of the Omo River Bridge

foundation and substructure works other logistic

challenges non-related to foundation works was

encountered The West Pier and Abutment on the Omo

River Bridge created such a technical impasse On this

side one of the most difficult challenges was to solve the

problem of crossing equipment and construction material

across the 150 m wide river After carefully considering all

the possible alternatives a decision was made to design and

manufacture a water crossing barge using local expertise

and manufacturing capabilities MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc took part in the design manufacturing and

commissioning of this barge and has successfully crossed

a 503 ton drilling rig and other earth moving equipment

With nearly twenty projects within Ethiopia MIDROC

Foundation Specialists Plc is a pioneer in exporting

foundation technology to neighboring Kenya Tanzania

and the Sudan In-house trained Ethiopian experts have

Crossing of drilling rig on Omo River through Barge

 Tiret Sept 2008

Secant pile wall

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Mr Achim Braun General Manager of MIDROC Foundation (left) inspecting a construction site

left their marks on several key projects within those

countries Among the projects successfully carried out in

Tanzania the Songo Songo Offshore Piling Project was the

most challenging and rewarding of all In this Project sixty

per cent of the piles were constructed from a SEWP (Self

Elevating Working Platform) elevated 13 meters from the

sea bed

As the company commemorates the tenth anniversary of

its establishment it is only proper to mark the outstanding

contributions to the construction industry of Ethiopia The

efficiency of the Company and the technology employed

has resulted in creating a broad awareness of foundation

technological solutions in the country particularly

among developers In terms of the spectrum of available

techniques of foundation the projects undertaken so

far are only a tip of the iceberg Although the Company

was confronted with a number of challenges in changing

attitudes and practices the success achieved so far has

been accomplished with great efforts exerted by the

companyrsquos management and its diligent professionals in

the field

Being the only Class I Foundation Specialist Contractors

in the country MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc is now

determined to leap ahead to new and yet un-introduced

foundation construction technologies such as micro 

piles  high  pressure  injection  diaphragm 

walls  slope  protection  and  soil  nailing  As

the countries infrastructure development continues to

reach higher levels MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is

preparing itself to meet the current customer demands

and technological challenges

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Statistics reveal that the country continues to earn hard currency from export of primary commodities such as coffee which tops the list by fetching some 500 million dollars last financial year

Other commodities are hides and skin flowers pulses fruits vegetables and chat

Incidentally it is interesting to note that Chat has fetched over 60 million dollars in foreign currency last fiscal year

The chewing of chat leaves is common in the horn of Africa but in eastern Ethiopia it is big business for some and big worry for others Chat is a major agricultural crop Yet many say it is addictive and harmful to health

In a town where I grew up for instance it is hard to avoid the impact of the stimulant leaf The first thing that strikes you in the main market is the deafening noise The market square is a scene of total chaos as you make your way through a bustling crowd preoccupied with the business of bartering for a prized commodity- the green leafed plant chat

Awadaye market is a market for chat It is estimated that over 25000 kg pass through it daily The buyers and sellers take their jobs seriously shouting to one other They gesture excitedly as they trade thousands of birr daily for the chat which is bought from the local farmers in Awadaye and sent to other areas in Ethiopia It is also exported overseas It is said to be the backbone of the economy as it can be gathered from the revenue it has generated during the current physical year

If you compare chat farmers with other farmers in other parts of the country you will see that their standard of living is so much better

The employment created though chat cultivation is very high as large numbers of people are involved in growing harvesting sorting packing transporting loading and unloading the commodity The wood of the plant is used for fuel and because of its resistance to termites it is also used to make fences Chat is also believed to have medical value being used locally to treat influenza and asthma

Chat farmers used to grow maize sorghum and teff which is the basic Ethiopian staple food but these crops are difficult to grow as they require lots of rain and attention

while chat requires little water or cultivation That is why it is widely believed that its cultivation is expanding at an amazing rate

Chat has now become Ethiopiarsquos biggest export third only to coffee and hides and skin But despite the cash earning and the tradition of chat growing and use among the people many people do not encourage it

They believe that it is addictive and this has a negative impact on the community They allege that people forget about their work commitments and spend hours chewing chat The number of users of chat is increasing particularly among the youth

In urban areas the use of chat combined with alcohol is having an adverse effect on family life Many students chew chat because they say it increases their concentration when they study their lessons

However in some regions where it is widely cultivated business punctuality is a frequent problem as the time after lunch is usually spent chewing chat Even in some regions where the plant has been banned cultivation and usage continue and attempts to replace chat with cash crops like coffee have failed

Regardless of the merit or demerit of chat the country continues to get the much needed hard currency through export of the plant ldquochatrdquo

However many people including development agents are of the opinion that the demerit far out weighs the merit for energy and time is spent chewing the stuff and particularly its negative impact on health especially on the productive force

Another very lucrative business in Ethiopia is the export of leather and leather goods According to recent data export of leather and leather goods registered a surge from 52 million dollars to over 90 million dollars Incidentally ELICO one of MIDROC Ethiopia group companies dealing with finished leather products fetched last financial year over 10 million dollars

In the light of considerable income accrued from export of primary commodities there is a need to do even more by way of establishing more agro-industries that engage in the production of agricultural products for sale locally and internationally

Earning from Export of Primary CommoditiesBy Yohannes Ruphael

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The Third Private Sector Development National Conference ndash 2008 of Ethiopia took place in Addis Ababa on June 30 2008 ndash at the UNECA Conference Center and the draft strategy document and priority strategic issues for improved business environment were discussed by representatives of the Private Sector Development Hub established with basic objectives of coordinating and developing a series of public sector development intervention projects for implementation with international financial support and undertaking related research studies to support the business community in its public and private partnership dialogue The Conference was addressed by an internationally renowned and distinguished authority on Corporate Governance Prof Mervyn E King SC

The Editorial Team of TIRET has taken advantage of communicating with Professor Mervyn E King SC to share his views briefly with our readers

Professor Mervyn E King SC is currently Professor Extraordinaire at the University of South Africa and serves as the Chairperson of the King Committee on Corporate Governance in South Africa He is a Senior Counsel and former Judge of the Supreme Court of South Africa His other credentials include Member of the World Bank Advisory Group on Corporate Governance President of the Commonwealth Association of Corporate Governance Governor of the International Corporate Governance Network President of the South Africa Chamber of Business Vice President of the Institute of Directors of Southern Africa Representatives of South Africa at the International Chamber of Commerce Advisor of Asian Center of Corporate Governance Director of Global Reporting Initiative-Amsterdam Director of Association of business Administrators of South Africa

At the Millennium National Private Sector Development Conference in Addis Ababa recently I spoke about corporate governance in the development of the private sector

Corporate governance is about the principles and practices which guide directors and senior managers in making their decisions to the best interests of their companies It has to be separated from the enterprise side of the business which is about making business judgment calls It is essential that directors and senior managers adopt acceptable principles and practices in steering and directing the company and making business judgment It is about the quality of this governance rather than a quantitative check on whether there has been compliance by the directors and managers with well-known governance practices such as the establishment of a remuneration committee

In my talk I pointed out that the economic value of a company does not equal its book value In Coca Cola for example its book value is approximately 13 of its economic value and its greatest asset is its brand which is dependent on

 Tiret Sept 2008

the companyrsquos reputation Consequentially directors and senior managers of Coca Cola have a duty to protect the companyrsquos brand

In planning for a company the strategic direction needs to be done both short- and long-term If a strategy is developed in which all persons in the corporation at all levels buy-in one can get ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things Unless this is done not even extraordinary people will achieve ordinary things

The important thing for directors to remember is that they have won and maintained the trust and confidence of the stakeholders of the company Consequently they should report at least annually how the company has both positively and negatively affected a communityrsquos economic life through its operations and how it is going to enhance those positive aspects and eradicate or ameliorate the negative aspects in the year ahead

Good governance involves inter alia the approval by the board of the strategy of the company and sustainability can no longer be ignored in developing a long-term strategy

The Private Sector Development Hub (PSD-Hub) has the objective to contribute to the economic development of Ethiopia by improving the entrepreneurial environment and the governance of corporations Consequently the PSD-Hub has held Conferences over the last two years focusing on these issues and on the question of public private partnerships There has also been discussion about expediting the registration of companies the standardization of accounting and auditing capitalization and the finalization of the revision of the Ethiopian Commercial Code Corporate governance has featured prominently in these discussions

Arising out of all the modernization of the registration of companies in Ethiopia has been recognized as a priority

Accounting and auditing standards which should follow IFRS should have legal backing so that everyone in Ethiopia will know the meaning of the reported financial statements

The development of a securities market including an exchange in which not only equities but bonds and derivatives can be bought and sold with the dematerialisation of scrip and electronic settlement is essential

From the above it will be seen that there is much to be done but Ethiopia is striving through the PSD Hub to create platforms on which it can forge ahead in our flat electronic world where capital flows towards those areas where there is good governance and well-regulated markets The Conference at which I spoke was just another step in Ethiopiarsquos endeavours to achieve these goals Positively the essential aspects for creating an entrepreneurial and thriving business environment have been identified and PSD Hub the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other interested bodies are working in partnership with government to achieve them

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Itrsquos a ridiculous

l a n g u a g e rdquo

sputtered the

Englishman at

the next table

his jowls shaking

in anger ldquoA ridiculous languagerdquo

We were sitting in a tiny tea-and-pie shop in Criccieth a

town in northern Wales and everybody but us was speaking

Welsh Like a remarkable number of his countrymen this

man was convinced it was merely a secret code employed

by the local to talk behind the backs of English visitors

ldquoJust you watchrdquo he said ldquoAs soon as we leave theyrsquoll all

go back to speaking Englishrdquo

I rather doubted it And unlike the Englishman I was

thrilled to encounter one of the oldest languages in

Europe a tongue heard in this misty and mountainous

land since the arrival of Roman legions

Being surrounded by people speaking an unfamiliar and

exotic language is to me one of the best things about

travel Just as some people will journey to the Serengeti

to glimpse the rare and endangered white rhino Irsquoll happily

go far out of my way to hear a rare and endangered

language

In the storybook city of Carcassonne in southwest France

I was less thrilled at seeing the towers and turrets than

I was at meeting a man who could speak Occitan the

ancient and fast-vanishing language of the troubadours

As far as I was concerned the most fascinating thing in

Dangriga a coastal town in Belize was the mellifluous

sound of Garifuna a language spoken by the descendants

of shipwrecked slaves from West Africa I once traveled

to Graubunden in eastern Switzerland in the hope of

hearing Romansch a tongue spoken by fewer than one

percent of the nationrsquos residents and said to resemble

Latin I encountered a few signs in the language but no

one who could speak it

According to one oft-cited estimate at least half the

worldrsquos 6000 languages are likely to die out by the end

of this century which means that one is going silent on

average every two weeks

Itrsquos not merely a matter of using different words to express the same thoughts Languages are literally the expressions of cultures and belief systems entirely different ways of making sense of the world And just as we should be concerned about the shrinking diversity of plant and animal species we should also worry about the shrinking diversity of languages

Welsh though seems to be holding on despite 700 years

of efforts by the English to exterminate it The BBC has for

some years now carried television and radio programming

in the language and in Wales itrsquos possible to receive your

entire education from preschool to postgraduate in

Welsh About 20 percent of Walesrsquo population speaks

Welsh and the number appears to be growing slightly

It is not as the Englishman said a ridiculous language But

it is to my eyes and ears a wonderfully strange one Dave

Barry once wrote that the ancient Hawaiians arrived on

their islands after perilous canoe voyages in seas so rough

their consonants fell overboard My guess is that the

letters drifted the worldrsquos oceans until they washed up on

the shores of Wales

T h e   B e a u t y   o f   a   L a n g u a g e

 Tiret Sept 2008

How else to explain for example the Welsh word for

beer Itrsquos cwrw It looks like my Scrabble tray when I

donrsquot have a word to pay (In case you ever need to order

one itrsquos pronounced ldquokooroordquo)

And then therersquos the vexing pronunciation of the double-

1 you find at the beginning of it seems two-thirds of the

town names in Wales ldquoJust put your teeth together and

hiss like a duckrdquo explained a helpful woman I met at the

Dylan Thomas Museum in Swansea She also pointed out

that Llareggub the fictional town in Thomasrsquo ldquoUnder the

Milkwood Treerdquo is merely ldquobugger allrdquo spelled backward

I like the besotted poet a whole lot more after learning

that

One dark and drizzly night I went to a little schoolhouse in

the Rhondda Valley to listen to a rehearsal of the Treorchy

Menrsquos Choir made up mostly of unemployed coal miners

ldquoIn the old daysrdquo one of them told me ldquowe used to sing

together in the pitsrdquo

When they opened their mouths to sing as one in Welsh

all the snarky little comments about their language become

moot It was simply one of the most hauntingly beautiful

sounds Irsquove even heard

I got a lesson in the politics of minority languages recently

when I visited Montreal the capital of French ndash speaking

Canada I hadnrsquot been there since a childhood visit to

Exporsquo67 and I remember the province as decidedly

bilingual Everything from traffic signs to toothpaste

tubes was printed in French and English No more A

law passed in 1977 banned the use of English in signs

throughout Quebec Itrsquos an attempt to do linguistically

what they failed for two centuries to do militarily prevent

the English from conquering them

Theyrsquore quite serious about this Hudson Bay Co the

venerable department store chain that dates back to the

fur-trading days is now known as Compagnie de la Baie

drsquoHudson at least in these parts Kentucky Fried Chicken

outlets arenrsquot allowed to use ldquoKFCrdquo on their signs In

Quebec theyrsquore called ldquoPFKrdquo for Poulet Frit Kentucky

The Quebecois are more vigilant even than their famously

Anglophobic counterparts in Paris All stop signs here say

Arret even though the ones in France say ldquoStoprdquo

It all seemed a little silly and excessive to me until I began

talking to French-speaking Montrealers about it ldquoYou

have to understand that wersquore surrounded by English

speakersrdquo a schoolteacher told me ldquoWe have to be very

firm about defending our language or it will disappear

And when it goes so does our way of life

Signs aside most French Canadians I met were bilingual

I quickly discovered that if I first made atleast a fumbling

attempt to speak their language almost everybody was

happy to switch to English ndash very possibly to spare

themselves the trauma of hearing my phrase-book

French which sounds like someone grinding the gears

of an old Citroen ldquoWe have nothing against Englishrdquo the

schoolteacher told me ldquoItrsquos just that we want to speak

French hererdquo

Vive la differenceJohn Flinn -Travel Editor

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Scale up of HIV Prevention Treatment Care and Support Requires Renewed Leadership and Resources

The 17th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) took place in Mexico City from August 3 -8 2008 with an assessment of the situation of the global epidemic at a panel of researchers public health and civil society leaders examined recent progress towards the scale up of treatment and prevention programmes and called for sustained action to eliminate the barriers to universal access

ldquoDespite the progress we have made we are not on course to meet universal access targets and in fact appear to be slipping away from our existing commitmentsrdquo said Dr Pedro Cahn International Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and President of the International AIDS Society and Fundacioacuten Hueacutesped in Buenos Aires Argentina ldquoIt appears that we are poised to accept defeat when victory is still within our grasp Our failure to meet those commitments will have an impact on millions of lives This cannot be allowed to happen It is time for nations to live up to their commitmentsrdquo

ldquoWith only two years to go until the 2010 deadline for universal access set by world leaders we must redouble our commitment to scaling up all proven HIV prevention strategiesrdquo said Dr Luiacutes Soto Ramiacuterez Local Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and Head of the Molecular Virology Unit at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Meacutedicas y Nutricioacuten Salvador Zubiriaacuten and Coordinator of the Clinical Care Committee of CONASIDA Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council ldquoThe fact that last year 27 million people were newly infected with HIV a disease that is entirely preventable is unacceptablerdquo

Dr Jaime Sepulveda (Mexico) founder of Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council who is now with the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation noted that attention to and resources for AIDS are at all-time high including substantially increased funding for the Global Fund and the US Presidentrsquos Emergency Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief According to Sepulveda reaching the goal of 3 million people in low and middle-income countries on treatment at the end of 2007 was a critical step forward but the world has only scratched the surface of possibilities in responding to the epidemic Greater resources more effectively spent and targeted where they can have the greatest effect would have a dramatic impact on the course of the epidemicrsquos Highlighting the fact that more people become infected

with HIV last year than began treatment Sepulveda called for radically increased investments in prevention research evaluation and delivery of services as well as accelerated research on promising prevention methods including a vaccine In conclusion he reiterated that political leadership from all countries and accountability at all levels are essential for stopping the epidemic

Citing the results in both treatment and prevention scale up in countries with sustained leadership such as Rwanda and Tanzania Alex Coutinho (Uganda) of the Infectious Disease Institute of Makerere University made a passionate call for greater leadership as a path toward meeting the challenges ahead In looking at progress to date Coutinho highlighted increased access to HIV testing and counseling to prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and to pediatric care and treatment as well as the effectiveness of male circumcision as a prevention intervention In contrast he noted that most countries will not achieve universal access by 2010 and that the majority of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are still unaware of their HIV status In his call to action Coutinho urged greater investment in prevention and financial resources flexible enough to support health systems and systems that reach into rural and other hard-to-reach areas and fully embrace PLHIV as partners He also urged outreach to and support of marginalized and at-risk communities as well as the greater involvement of PLHIV as a catalyst for change

Elisabet Fadul (Dominican Republic) of the Dominican Network for Youth RightsGlobal Youth Partners outlined a broad and urgent youth HIVAIDS agenda calling for comprehensive rights ndash and evidence-based plans to provide access for young people Highlighting the 40 of new infections worldwide among young people between the ages of 15-24 Fadul noted that HIV prevention and treatment programmes are failing to effectively reach young people with the most vulnerable and marginalized being stigmatized criminalized or forgotten by many of these programmes

To reverse this course she called for actions and policies that engage youth especially young people living with HIVAIDS as respected partners in developing and implementing programmes that forthrightly address their

needs and diversity

 Tiret Sept 2008

Three delegates from Ethiopia Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu MIDROC Ethiopia Training Director Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch Ato Asfaw Alemu Credit Manager of Dashen Bank attended the International Society of Business Economics and Ethics World Congress under the theme ldquoGlobal Fairness Local Integrityrdquo held in Cape Town from July 13 ndash 20 2008 and organized by BEN-Africa

The ISBEE World Congress is held every four years and is affectionately referred to as the Olympics of Business Ethics It always succeeds in attracting the best minds in the field of ethics of business and economics This yearrsquos Congress was attended by over 400 participants from all corners of the world Top notch world speakers among others Prof Mervyn E King SC Prof Deon Rossow Prof Joka Iwao Prof Georges Enderle Prof Paul Collies and Prof Tom Donaldson attended the Congress and over 80 papers were presented in three plenary sessions on topical international business issues

Ethiopian Delegation Participates at World ISBEE World Congress

Participants of ISBEE Congress Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu (left) Ato Lulseged Teferi (middle) Ato Asfaw Alemu

A Special Certificate of Recognition was awarded to Emeritus Prof Johannes Kinfu of MIDROC Ethiopia Prof Deon Rossow ndash former President of BEN-Africa and Ms Korien Sander the outgoing Executive Secretary of BEN-Africa

Emeritus Prof Johannes in his brief statement after receiving the certificate said that he accepted the certificate on behalf of those institutions and individuals in Ethiopia who have been behind the BEN-Africa Conference held in Ethiopia

It is to be recalled that MIDROC Ethiopia Corporate Office Dashen Bank the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission Ato Lulseged Teferi President of Dashen Bank and President of BEN-Africa ndash Ethiopia Branch and Ato Teklu Haile Manager of Treasury Finance and Accounting of MIDROC Ethiopia played a great role for the successful completion of the ldquo7th Annual BEN-Africa Conferencerdquo held in Addis Ababa in August 2007

 Tiret Sept 2008

MIDROC Ethiopia is involved in the development of

mining and exploration of gold building of heavy mining

industries in central and eastern parts of the country

like cement plants filler plants etc Coal exploration is

also a potential area that is being explored by different

companies including MIDROC Ethiopia for use in the

cement plant power generation and fertilizer Soda ash

being used as a major input in glass soap detergent and

other industrial input is also one area of mining A lot of

investors are involved in gemstones

In an effort to exploit these resources and put them

to good use for the development of Ethiopia one of

MIDROC Ethiopia Group Companies the National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) has since its establishment in

March 1993 been actively engaged in the exploration of

gold and base metals in the various parts of the country

ldquoIt is worth noting that the mineral wealth of Ethiopia is

not fully tapped yet and needs to be given due attention

as it can be the backbone of the economy together with

agriculturerdquo says Ato Melaku Beza CEO of National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) He assertively told TIRET in

an interview at his office regarding the activities and

contributions of NMiC to the mining industry and that

his Company is working hard for a better achievement as

it has commemorated its 15th anniversary recently

He said that NMiC is currently engaged in the exploration

of gold base metals at Dawa Digati and Werri areas in the

Oromia and Tigray Administrative Regions and base metals

in Dire Dawa and Benshangul Gumuz Administrative

Regions It is also engaged in mining of marble and

limestone processing of quarried blocks and on the way

to develop the Abiyata Soda Ash in Southern Ethiopia

The Company in its venture in the development of Soda

Ash has embarked upon a joint investment agreement

with the Public Enterprise Supervising Agency (PPESA)

for a 54 percent share in which PPESArsquos 46 percent share

dilutes while NMICrsquos share shall increase in the process of

implementing tasks set in two phases

Mining Corporation on the Move

Ato Melaku Beza CEO NMiC

Dawa Digati Gold exploration drilling

The potential of the mining industry for the development of the Ethiopian economy is immense as witnessed by the ongoing development activities in the country This includes exploration of petroleum in the Ogaden Gambela and other areas by different companies exploration of gold in different parts of the country and potash exploration in Dallol where there is an estimated of 160 millions of tons of proven reserves

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Melaku stated that NMIC has invested Birr

160817912 (one hundred sixty million eight hundred

seventeen thousand nine hundred twelve) for exploration

and mining activities adding that the size of investment for

soda ash will be in the order of Birr 1150000000 (one

billion one hundred fifty million)

The first phase will cost Birr 640000000 (six hundred

forty million) and the second phase will be Birr 500000000

(five hundred million)

National Mining Corporation Plc is a pioneer in opening

and developing quarrying of marble and limestone using

the latest technology in the field Currently the Companyrsquos

Boka Marble Quarry has six benches and more than

twelve faces that are being worked out at Boka quarry

in the Benshangul Administrative Region In the process

it provides training to quarry workers of other quarry

owners thereby contributing to the development of the

mining culture

The General Manager explained about the processing and

marketing of his Companyrsquos products and said that his

Company applies modern technologies and deploys the

latest equipment in mining that meet export standards

engaging in open pit mining and tunneling for underground

mining which is unique not only in Ethiopia but also in

Africa He further articulated that the Company mines one

of the best quality marble in the industry as evidenced in

Boka multicolor marble once nominated as ldquoThe Stone

of the Yearrdquo by the Marble Institute of America (MIA)

while the blue marble has entered the world market by

a new name ldquoSummer Skyrdquo and is currently being sold

in Italy Samples of both have been tested and analyzed in

American Testing Companies and European Universities

and have proved to be of high quality and suitable both

for internal and external use in the construction industry

These two marbles are unique and are found only in

Ethiopia Also the limestone is of unique colors yellow

white and red which have high demand in the market

The CEO said that the special quality of his Companyrsquos

product that attracts international market is the

uniqueness of the material its beauty (aesthetics) and its

non-absorbent and compact nature

The company has the capacity to supply the export market

with the required quality and size of blocks and slabs both

white and blue marble Export markets include Taiwan

China Italy France USA Africa and the Middle East

In order to improve quality additional modern

state-of-the-art quarry machinery has been injected in the

quarry Plan is underway to replace the old machinery at

the processing plant The Company is also producing its

own ldquoabrasiverdquo used for polishing marble using locally

available minerals and materials

Awash Processing Plant

Blocks at Block Yard

Slabs at Slab Yard in the Awash Processing Plant

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

NMiC holds 40 of the local market share in the construction industry Lots of buildings have been cladded by NMiCrsquos products The Sheraton Addis Bole International Airport Terminal Sunshine Multipurpose Building National Bank of Ethiopia Federal Police Headquarters AUrsquos Building Head Office and the Secretary Generalrsquos Residence Ethiopian Insurance Corporation Worbek Building the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Patriarchrsquos Palace and UNCA Building are some the major buildings in Addis Ababa which are finished with NMiCrsquos products

National Mining Corporation Plc is one of the competent companies in Ethiopia and has contributed to the economy of the country by way of generating hard currency from its exports and saving foreign currency by competing and blocking imports of dimension stones from abroad One word it has added to the Ethiopian economy an amount of over Birr 5000000000 (fifty million) in tax royalties and land rent

NMiC has made valuable studies on the mineral potential areas of the country in dimension stones oil and gas mineral water coal and industrial minerals It has also made sound participation in the employment and training of manpower to the mining sector and has encouraged foreign investors to be involved in exploration of oil and gas and other minerals NMiC provides free training in its quarries and processing plant to new local enterprises coming to the sector The company provides potable water electricity medical services and other financial assistance to the community of its mining areas and has set up HIVAIDS policy for the Company to curb the spread of the pandemic and provides care and support for

those living with the virus

Tunnel Jet Belt Quarrying the latest technology in use at the Eshet Blue Quarry

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

a) Finalizing the work on the exploration phase of the gold and base metals projects both at Dawa Digati and Werri which shall lead to feasibility study and production stage

b) Developing Eshet Blue and Boka Multicolor marble quarries and strengthen export to increase income of foreign currency

c) Supplying blocks to local factories

d) Replacement of machinery at Awash Processing Plant especially to boost production and quality

e) Improve the life of the working force through profit sharing and availing better facilities together with upgrading their knowledge through training

f) Implement the Soda Ash development project

The priority areas of NMiC in its future plan include among others

Asked finally if he was satisfied with his Companyrsquos achievements Ato Melaku Beza CEO of NMiC replied ldquoNot much we could do betterrdquo

Nmic Products

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

ldquoA journey of a thousand miles starts with a single steprdquo

goes the famous Chinese saying as for Bauer MIDROC it

all started 10 years ago with the foundation work of the

construction of the MIDROC Corporate Office (MCO)

commonly known as Nani Building With a single project

at hand Bauer Specialtifbau a German Company ventured

into the slowly budding private construction industry

in equal partnership with MIDROC Ethiopia Although

a small scale business venture in the eyes of both giant

partners MIDROC Ethiopia and Bauer Specialtifbau it

created vast opportunities to the construction sector

with the introduction of a state-of-the-art German based

foundation technology to the Ethiopian market The

miniature move of the two giants opened up a gateway

of possibilities and marked a new construction era for

Ethiopia Over the years changes in shareholders has

led to the current name ldquoMIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plcrdquo with the state-of-the-art foundation solutions still in

place

Several limitations in dealing with unfavorable soil

conditions frequently encountered within Ethiopiarsquos

diverse geological formations most abundantly the

problematic black cotton soil within the city of Addis

Ababa and other parts of the country brought about

several technical barriers when it came to building

massive civil structures Building highrises as well as

massive bridges was inconceivable unless capable soil was

in close vicinity MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with

the introduction of deep foundations based on advanced

and efficient technologies in the construction industry

no doubt brought about remarkable solutions and helped

ease some of these anxieties

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with its fleets of large

diameter drilling rigs and variety of drilling tools capable of

both soil and hard soil formations has made economical

foundation solutions a reality offering developers the

confidence to build high rise buildings without worrying

about the type of soil in Addis Ababa The expertise of

Dedicated Backing for MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is gradually changing

the cityrsquos skyline with the construction of the completed

MCO Building AICAIB Headquarters and KK Building

both to be completed soon and all standing above 20

stories

Entering the city limits through the skyways one can notice

that the Bole Airport has received an entire facelift with

the construction of the International Passenger Terminal

Airport Control Towers the new Cargo Terminal and the

Maintenance Hanger The only thing these landmarks share

other than ownership is that they owe their existence to

foundation solutions of MIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plc As we enter the city limits also the Bole Viaduct

and all the overpasses on the Addis Ababa Ring Road are

comfortably resting still with the construction of the deep

piles by MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc

Drilling of pile with casing

 Tiret Sept 2008

Parallel to pile construction as verification of the

constructed pile capacities is common practice in the

foundation construction industry MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc equipped with the state-of-the-art

automated pile load testing system has recently conducted

1300 metric tons load test at the Derba MIDROC Cement

Factory Project the first of this magnitude in the African

Continent

The introduction of vertical shoring wall systems that

uses reinforced concrete piles and tie back anchors which

is gaining popularity in recent years is another type of

foundation technology solutions made possible in Ethiopia

through MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos expertise

Prior to these shoring system solutions land owners

could not fully utilize their plots at the boundaries for fear

of catastrophic cave-in In fact in most cases plot owners

avoided under ground construction in order to avoid

litigation with next door land owners The utilization of

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos vertical shoring pile

wall system was proposed and implemented in the cases

of Bole Towers and Loli Building In both cases all sides of

the plot were shored exactly at the boundaries without

any land loss In fact the clients gained underground spaces

in the order of two to three times their plot size for

possible parking purpose This has provided developers

with solutions clearing their lumbers from additional

costs for parking facilities

Pile load testing

In line with the construction boom within Addis Ababa

developers are opting to construct on boundary edges

where heavy structures already exist in adjacent plots

In order to excavate at these boundaries the safest and

most economical foundation solution system is shoring

pile wall system These systems were employed at Awash

Bank and Insurance Building KK Building and Orchid

Building

For realization of structures that have to be constructed

below the natural ground water level and or near offshore

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc has construction

approaches that employ waterproof vertical shoring

systems and several options to choose from within

the framework of technical feasibility of foundation

engineering The construction of Diaphragm Wall

Cellular Cofferdam Sheet Pile Wall and Secant

Pile Wall are such solutions to name a few The cost

of construction and the time required for executing the

works is in the order listed above

Anchored pile shoring wall

Foundation Solution

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the equipment already available in the country

MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc has tabled and

implemented an economical and technically feasible

secant pile wall system solution for bridge projects

within Ethiopia If it was not for MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plcrsquos geotechnical solutions construction under

such conditions would have been technically impossible

throughout East Africa

Unlike other options construction of secant pile wall as

waterproof vertical shoring system is not limited to the

soil condition of the site The construction of such high

tech geotechnical engineering solutions by the Company

have been successfully applied on projects like the Omo

River Bridge and on the New Abay Bridge Projects The

application of the secant pile wall system was used for the

construction of the pier foundation on both sides of the

Bridge on the Omo River Bridge Project and one side pier

foundation construction of the New Abay Bridge Project

During the construction of the Omo River Bridge

foundation and substructure works other logistic

challenges non-related to foundation works was

encountered The West Pier and Abutment on the Omo

River Bridge created such a technical impasse On this

side one of the most difficult challenges was to solve the

problem of crossing equipment and construction material

across the 150 m wide river After carefully considering all

the possible alternatives a decision was made to design and

manufacture a water crossing barge using local expertise

and manufacturing capabilities MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc took part in the design manufacturing and

commissioning of this barge and has successfully crossed

a 503 ton drilling rig and other earth moving equipment

With nearly twenty projects within Ethiopia MIDROC

Foundation Specialists Plc is a pioneer in exporting

foundation technology to neighboring Kenya Tanzania

and the Sudan In-house trained Ethiopian experts have

Crossing of drilling rig on Omo River through Barge

 Tiret Sept 2008

Secant pile wall

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Mr Achim Braun General Manager of MIDROC Foundation (left) inspecting a construction site

left their marks on several key projects within those

countries Among the projects successfully carried out in

Tanzania the Songo Songo Offshore Piling Project was the

most challenging and rewarding of all In this Project sixty

per cent of the piles were constructed from a SEWP (Self

Elevating Working Platform) elevated 13 meters from the

sea bed

As the company commemorates the tenth anniversary of

its establishment it is only proper to mark the outstanding

contributions to the construction industry of Ethiopia The

efficiency of the Company and the technology employed

has resulted in creating a broad awareness of foundation

technological solutions in the country particularly

among developers In terms of the spectrum of available

techniques of foundation the projects undertaken so

far are only a tip of the iceberg Although the Company

was confronted with a number of challenges in changing

attitudes and practices the success achieved so far has

been accomplished with great efforts exerted by the

companyrsquos management and its diligent professionals in

the field

Being the only Class I Foundation Specialist Contractors

in the country MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc is now

determined to leap ahead to new and yet un-introduced

foundation construction technologies such as micro 

piles  high  pressure  injection  diaphragm 

walls  slope  protection  and  soil  nailing  As

the countries infrastructure development continues to

reach higher levels MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is

preparing itself to meet the current customer demands

and technological challenges

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Statistics reveal that the country continues to earn hard currency from export of primary commodities such as coffee which tops the list by fetching some 500 million dollars last financial year

Other commodities are hides and skin flowers pulses fruits vegetables and chat

Incidentally it is interesting to note that Chat has fetched over 60 million dollars in foreign currency last fiscal year

The chewing of chat leaves is common in the horn of Africa but in eastern Ethiopia it is big business for some and big worry for others Chat is a major agricultural crop Yet many say it is addictive and harmful to health

In a town where I grew up for instance it is hard to avoid the impact of the stimulant leaf The first thing that strikes you in the main market is the deafening noise The market square is a scene of total chaos as you make your way through a bustling crowd preoccupied with the business of bartering for a prized commodity- the green leafed plant chat

Awadaye market is a market for chat It is estimated that over 25000 kg pass through it daily The buyers and sellers take their jobs seriously shouting to one other They gesture excitedly as they trade thousands of birr daily for the chat which is bought from the local farmers in Awadaye and sent to other areas in Ethiopia It is also exported overseas It is said to be the backbone of the economy as it can be gathered from the revenue it has generated during the current physical year

If you compare chat farmers with other farmers in other parts of the country you will see that their standard of living is so much better

The employment created though chat cultivation is very high as large numbers of people are involved in growing harvesting sorting packing transporting loading and unloading the commodity The wood of the plant is used for fuel and because of its resistance to termites it is also used to make fences Chat is also believed to have medical value being used locally to treat influenza and asthma

Chat farmers used to grow maize sorghum and teff which is the basic Ethiopian staple food but these crops are difficult to grow as they require lots of rain and attention

while chat requires little water or cultivation That is why it is widely believed that its cultivation is expanding at an amazing rate

Chat has now become Ethiopiarsquos biggest export third only to coffee and hides and skin But despite the cash earning and the tradition of chat growing and use among the people many people do not encourage it

They believe that it is addictive and this has a negative impact on the community They allege that people forget about their work commitments and spend hours chewing chat The number of users of chat is increasing particularly among the youth

In urban areas the use of chat combined with alcohol is having an adverse effect on family life Many students chew chat because they say it increases their concentration when they study their lessons

However in some regions where it is widely cultivated business punctuality is a frequent problem as the time after lunch is usually spent chewing chat Even in some regions where the plant has been banned cultivation and usage continue and attempts to replace chat with cash crops like coffee have failed

Regardless of the merit or demerit of chat the country continues to get the much needed hard currency through export of the plant ldquochatrdquo

However many people including development agents are of the opinion that the demerit far out weighs the merit for energy and time is spent chewing the stuff and particularly its negative impact on health especially on the productive force

Another very lucrative business in Ethiopia is the export of leather and leather goods According to recent data export of leather and leather goods registered a surge from 52 million dollars to over 90 million dollars Incidentally ELICO one of MIDROC Ethiopia group companies dealing with finished leather products fetched last financial year over 10 million dollars

In the light of considerable income accrued from export of primary commodities there is a need to do even more by way of establishing more agro-industries that engage in the production of agricultural products for sale locally and internationally

Earning from Export of Primary CommoditiesBy Yohannes Ruphael

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The Third Private Sector Development National Conference ndash 2008 of Ethiopia took place in Addis Ababa on June 30 2008 ndash at the UNECA Conference Center and the draft strategy document and priority strategic issues for improved business environment were discussed by representatives of the Private Sector Development Hub established with basic objectives of coordinating and developing a series of public sector development intervention projects for implementation with international financial support and undertaking related research studies to support the business community in its public and private partnership dialogue The Conference was addressed by an internationally renowned and distinguished authority on Corporate Governance Prof Mervyn E King SC

The Editorial Team of TIRET has taken advantage of communicating with Professor Mervyn E King SC to share his views briefly with our readers

Professor Mervyn E King SC is currently Professor Extraordinaire at the University of South Africa and serves as the Chairperson of the King Committee on Corporate Governance in South Africa He is a Senior Counsel and former Judge of the Supreme Court of South Africa His other credentials include Member of the World Bank Advisory Group on Corporate Governance President of the Commonwealth Association of Corporate Governance Governor of the International Corporate Governance Network President of the South Africa Chamber of Business Vice President of the Institute of Directors of Southern Africa Representatives of South Africa at the International Chamber of Commerce Advisor of Asian Center of Corporate Governance Director of Global Reporting Initiative-Amsterdam Director of Association of business Administrators of South Africa

At the Millennium National Private Sector Development Conference in Addis Ababa recently I spoke about corporate governance in the development of the private sector

Corporate governance is about the principles and practices which guide directors and senior managers in making their decisions to the best interests of their companies It has to be separated from the enterprise side of the business which is about making business judgment calls It is essential that directors and senior managers adopt acceptable principles and practices in steering and directing the company and making business judgment It is about the quality of this governance rather than a quantitative check on whether there has been compliance by the directors and managers with well-known governance practices such as the establishment of a remuneration committee

In my talk I pointed out that the economic value of a company does not equal its book value In Coca Cola for example its book value is approximately 13 of its economic value and its greatest asset is its brand which is dependent on

 Tiret Sept 2008

the companyrsquos reputation Consequentially directors and senior managers of Coca Cola have a duty to protect the companyrsquos brand

In planning for a company the strategic direction needs to be done both short- and long-term If a strategy is developed in which all persons in the corporation at all levels buy-in one can get ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things Unless this is done not even extraordinary people will achieve ordinary things

The important thing for directors to remember is that they have won and maintained the trust and confidence of the stakeholders of the company Consequently they should report at least annually how the company has both positively and negatively affected a communityrsquos economic life through its operations and how it is going to enhance those positive aspects and eradicate or ameliorate the negative aspects in the year ahead

Good governance involves inter alia the approval by the board of the strategy of the company and sustainability can no longer be ignored in developing a long-term strategy

The Private Sector Development Hub (PSD-Hub) has the objective to contribute to the economic development of Ethiopia by improving the entrepreneurial environment and the governance of corporations Consequently the PSD-Hub has held Conferences over the last two years focusing on these issues and on the question of public private partnerships There has also been discussion about expediting the registration of companies the standardization of accounting and auditing capitalization and the finalization of the revision of the Ethiopian Commercial Code Corporate governance has featured prominently in these discussions

Arising out of all the modernization of the registration of companies in Ethiopia has been recognized as a priority

Accounting and auditing standards which should follow IFRS should have legal backing so that everyone in Ethiopia will know the meaning of the reported financial statements

The development of a securities market including an exchange in which not only equities but bonds and derivatives can be bought and sold with the dematerialisation of scrip and electronic settlement is essential

From the above it will be seen that there is much to be done but Ethiopia is striving through the PSD Hub to create platforms on which it can forge ahead in our flat electronic world where capital flows towards those areas where there is good governance and well-regulated markets The Conference at which I spoke was just another step in Ethiopiarsquos endeavours to achieve these goals Positively the essential aspects for creating an entrepreneurial and thriving business environment have been identified and PSD Hub the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other interested bodies are working in partnership with government to achieve them

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Itrsquos a ridiculous

l a n g u a g e rdquo

sputtered the

Englishman at

the next table

his jowls shaking

in anger ldquoA ridiculous languagerdquo

We were sitting in a tiny tea-and-pie shop in Criccieth a

town in northern Wales and everybody but us was speaking

Welsh Like a remarkable number of his countrymen this

man was convinced it was merely a secret code employed

by the local to talk behind the backs of English visitors

ldquoJust you watchrdquo he said ldquoAs soon as we leave theyrsquoll all

go back to speaking Englishrdquo

I rather doubted it And unlike the Englishman I was

thrilled to encounter one of the oldest languages in

Europe a tongue heard in this misty and mountainous

land since the arrival of Roman legions

Being surrounded by people speaking an unfamiliar and

exotic language is to me one of the best things about

travel Just as some people will journey to the Serengeti

to glimpse the rare and endangered white rhino Irsquoll happily

go far out of my way to hear a rare and endangered

language

In the storybook city of Carcassonne in southwest France

I was less thrilled at seeing the towers and turrets than

I was at meeting a man who could speak Occitan the

ancient and fast-vanishing language of the troubadours

As far as I was concerned the most fascinating thing in

Dangriga a coastal town in Belize was the mellifluous

sound of Garifuna a language spoken by the descendants

of shipwrecked slaves from West Africa I once traveled

to Graubunden in eastern Switzerland in the hope of

hearing Romansch a tongue spoken by fewer than one

percent of the nationrsquos residents and said to resemble

Latin I encountered a few signs in the language but no

one who could speak it

According to one oft-cited estimate at least half the

worldrsquos 6000 languages are likely to die out by the end

of this century which means that one is going silent on

average every two weeks

Itrsquos not merely a matter of using different words to express the same thoughts Languages are literally the expressions of cultures and belief systems entirely different ways of making sense of the world And just as we should be concerned about the shrinking diversity of plant and animal species we should also worry about the shrinking diversity of languages

Welsh though seems to be holding on despite 700 years

of efforts by the English to exterminate it The BBC has for

some years now carried television and radio programming

in the language and in Wales itrsquos possible to receive your

entire education from preschool to postgraduate in

Welsh About 20 percent of Walesrsquo population speaks

Welsh and the number appears to be growing slightly

It is not as the Englishman said a ridiculous language But

it is to my eyes and ears a wonderfully strange one Dave

Barry once wrote that the ancient Hawaiians arrived on

their islands after perilous canoe voyages in seas so rough

their consonants fell overboard My guess is that the

letters drifted the worldrsquos oceans until they washed up on

the shores of Wales

T h e   B e a u t y   o f   a   L a n g u a g e

 Tiret Sept 2008

How else to explain for example the Welsh word for

beer Itrsquos cwrw It looks like my Scrabble tray when I

donrsquot have a word to pay (In case you ever need to order

one itrsquos pronounced ldquokooroordquo)

And then therersquos the vexing pronunciation of the double-

1 you find at the beginning of it seems two-thirds of the

town names in Wales ldquoJust put your teeth together and

hiss like a duckrdquo explained a helpful woman I met at the

Dylan Thomas Museum in Swansea She also pointed out

that Llareggub the fictional town in Thomasrsquo ldquoUnder the

Milkwood Treerdquo is merely ldquobugger allrdquo spelled backward

I like the besotted poet a whole lot more after learning

that

One dark and drizzly night I went to a little schoolhouse in

the Rhondda Valley to listen to a rehearsal of the Treorchy

Menrsquos Choir made up mostly of unemployed coal miners

ldquoIn the old daysrdquo one of them told me ldquowe used to sing

together in the pitsrdquo

When they opened their mouths to sing as one in Welsh

all the snarky little comments about their language become

moot It was simply one of the most hauntingly beautiful

sounds Irsquove even heard

I got a lesson in the politics of minority languages recently

when I visited Montreal the capital of French ndash speaking

Canada I hadnrsquot been there since a childhood visit to

Exporsquo67 and I remember the province as decidedly

bilingual Everything from traffic signs to toothpaste

tubes was printed in French and English No more A

law passed in 1977 banned the use of English in signs

throughout Quebec Itrsquos an attempt to do linguistically

what they failed for two centuries to do militarily prevent

the English from conquering them

Theyrsquore quite serious about this Hudson Bay Co the

venerable department store chain that dates back to the

fur-trading days is now known as Compagnie de la Baie

drsquoHudson at least in these parts Kentucky Fried Chicken

outlets arenrsquot allowed to use ldquoKFCrdquo on their signs In

Quebec theyrsquore called ldquoPFKrdquo for Poulet Frit Kentucky

The Quebecois are more vigilant even than their famously

Anglophobic counterparts in Paris All stop signs here say

Arret even though the ones in France say ldquoStoprdquo

It all seemed a little silly and excessive to me until I began

talking to French-speaking Montrealers about it ldquoYou

have to understand that wersquore surrounded by English

speakersrdquo a schoolteacher told me ldquoWe have to be very

firm about defending our language or it will disappear

And when it goes so does our way of life

Signs aside most French Canadians I met were bilingual

I quickly discovered that if I first made atleast a fumbling

attempt to speak their language almost everybody was

happy to switch to English ndash very possibly to spare

themselves the trauma of hearing my phrase-book

French which sounds like someone grinding the gears

of an old Citroen ldquoWe have nothing against Englishrdquo the

schoolteacher told me ldquoItrsquos just that we want to speak

French hererdquo

Vive la differenceJohn Flinn -Travel Editor

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Scale up of HIV Prevention Treatment Care and Support Requires Renewed Leadership and Resources

The 17th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) took place in Mexico City from August 3 -8 2008 with an assessment of the situation of the global epidemic at a panel of researchers public health and civil society leaders examined recent progress towards the scale up of treatment and prevention programmes and called for sustained action to eliminate the barriers to universal access

ldquoDespite the progress we have made we are not on course to meet universal access targets and in fact appear to be slipping away from our existing commitmentsrdquo said Dr Pedro Cahn International Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and President of the International AIDS Society and Fundacioacuten Hueacutesped in Buenos Aires Argentina ldquoIt appears that we are poised to accept defeat when victory is still within our grasp Our failure to meet those commitments will have an impact on millions of lives This cannot be allowed to happen It is time for nations to live up to their commitmentsrdquo

ldquoWith only two years to go until the 2010 deadline for universal access set by world leaders we must redouble our commitment to scaling up all proven HIV prevention strategiesrdquo said Dr Luiacutes Soto Ramiacuterez Local Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and Head of the Molecular Virology Unit at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Meacutedicas y Nutricioacuten Salvador Zubiriaacuten and Coordinator of the Clinical Care Committee of CONASIDA Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council ldquoThe fact that last year 27 million people were newly infected with HIV a disease that is entirely preventable is unacceptablerdquo

Dr Jaime Sepulveda (Mexico) founder of Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council who is now with the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation noted that attention to and resources for AIDS are at all-time high including substantially increased funding for the Global Fund and the US Presidentrsquos Emergency Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief According to Sepulveda reaching the goal of 3 million people in low and middle-income countries on treatment at the end of 2007 was a critical step forward but the world has only scratched the surface of possibilities in responding to the epidemic Greater resources more effectively spent and targeted where they can have the greatest effect would have a dramatic impact on the course of the epidemicrsquos Highlighting the fact that more people become infected

with HIV last year than began treatment Sepulveda called for radically increased investments in prevention research evaluation and delivery of services as well as accelerated research on promising prevention methods including a vaccine In conclusion he reiterated that political leadership from all countries and accountability at all levels are essential for stopping the epidemic

Citing the results in both treatment and prevention scale up in countries with sustained leadership such as Rwanda and Tanzania Alex Coutinho (Uganda) of the Infectious Disease Institute of Makerere University made a passionate call for greater leadership as a path toward meeting the challenges ahead In looking at progress to date Coutinho highlighted increased access to HIV testing and counseling to prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and to pediatric care and treatment as well as the effectiveness of male circumcision as a prevention intervention In contrast he noted that most countries will not achieve universal access by 2010 and that the majority of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are still unaware of their HIV status In his call to action Coutinho urged greater investment in prevention and financial resources flexible enough to support health systems and systems that reach into rural and other hard-to-reach areas and fully embrace PLHIV as partners He also urged outreach to and support of marginalized and at-risk communities as well as the greater involvement of PLHIV as a catalyst for change

Elisabet Fadul (Dominican Republic) of the Dominican Network for Youth RightsGlobal Youth Partners outlined a broad and urgent youth HIVAIDS agenda calling for comprehensive rights ndash and evidence-based plans to provide access for young people Highlighting the 40 of new infections worldwide among young people between the ages of 15-24 Fadul noted that HIV prevention and treatment programmes are failing to effectively reach young people with the most vulnerable and marginalized being stigmatized criminalized or forgotten by many of these programmes

To reverse this course she called for actions and policies that engage youth especially young people living with HIVAIDS as respected partners in developing and implementing programmes that forthrightly address their

needs and diversity

 Tiret Sept 2008

MIDROC Ethiopia is involved in the development of

mining and exploration of gold building of heavy mining

industries in central and eastern parts of the country

like cement plants filler plants etc Coal exploration is

also a potential area that is being explored by different

companies including MIDROC Ethiopia for use in the

cement plant power generation and fertilizer Soda ash

being used as a major input in glass soap detergent and

other industrial input is also one area of mining A lot of

investors are involved in gemstones

In an effort to exploit these resources and put them

to good use for the development of Ethiopia one of

MIDROC Ethiopia Group Companies the National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) has since its establishment in

March 1993 been actively engaged in the exploration of

gold and base metals in the various parts of the country

ldquoIt is worth noting that the mineral wealth of Ethiopia is

not fully tapped yet and needs to be given due attention

as it can be the backbone of the economy together with

agriculturerdquo says Ato Melaku Beza CEO of National Mining

Corporation Plc (NMiC) He assertively told TIRET in

an interview at his office regarding the activities and

contributions of NMiC to the mining industry and that

his Company is working hard for a better achievement as

it has commemorated its 15th anniversary recently

He said that NMiC is currently engaged in the exploration

of gold base metals at Dawa Digati and Werri areas in the

Oromia and Tigray Administrative Regions and base metals

in Dire Dawa and Benshangul Gumuz Administrative

Regions It is also engaged in mining of marble and

limestone processing of quarried blocks and on the way

to develop the Abiyata Soda Ash in Southern Ethiopia

The Company in its venture in the development of Soda

Ash has embarked upon a joint investment agreement

with the Public Enterprise Supervising Agency (PPESA)

for a 54 percent share in which PPESArsquos 46 percent share

dilutes while NMICrsquos share shall increase in the process of

implementing tasks set in two phases

Mining Corporation on the Move

Ato Melaku Beza CEO NMiC

Dawa Digati Gold exploration drilling

The potential of the mining industry for the development of the Ethiopian economy is immense as witnessed by the ongoing development activities in the country This includes exploration of petroleum in the Ogaden Gambela and other areas by different companies exploration of gold in different parts of the country and potash exploration in Dallol where there is an estimated of 160 millions of tons of proven reserves

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Melaku stated that NMIC has invested Birr

160817912 (one hundred sixty million eight hundred

seventeen thousand nine hundred twelve) for exploration

and mining activities adding that the size of investment for

soda ash will be in the order of Birr 1150000000 (one

billion one hundred fifty million)

The first phase will cost Birr 640000000 (six hundred

forty million) and the second phase will be Birr 500000000

(five hundred million)

National Mining Corporation Plc is a pioneer in opening

and developing quarrying of marble and limestone using

the latest technology in the field Currently the Companyrsquos

Boka Marble Quarry has six benches and more than

twelve faces that are being worked out at Boka quarry

in the Benshangul Administrative Region In the process

it provides training to quarry workers of other quarry

owners thereby contributing to the development of the

mining culture

The General Manager explained about the processing and

marketing of his Companyrsquos products and said that his

Company applies modern technologies and deploys the

latest equipment in mining that meet export standards

engaging in open pit mining and tunneling for underground

mining which is unique not only in Ethiopia but also in

Africa He further articulated that the Company mines one

of the best quality marble in the industry as evidenced in

Boka multicolor marble once nominated as ldquoThe Stone

of the Yearrdquo by the Marble Institute of America (MIA)

while the blue marble has entered the world market by

a new name ldquoSummer Skyrdquo and is currently being sold

in Italy Samples of both have been tested and analyzed in

American Testing Companies and European Universities

and have proved to be of high quality and suitable both

for internal and external use in the construction industry

These two marbles are unique and are found only in

Ethiopia Also the limestone is of unique colors yellow

white and red which have high demand in the market

The CEO said that the special quality of his Companyrsquos

product that attracts international market is the

uniqueness of the material its beauty (aesthetics) and its

non-absorbent and compact nature

The company has the capacity to supply the export market

with the required quality and size of blocks and slabs both

white and blue marble Export markets include Taiwan

China Italy France USA Africa and the Middle East

In order to improve quality additional modern

state-of-the-art quarry machinery has been injected in the

quarry Plan is underway to replace the old machinery at

the processing plant The Company is also producing its

own ldquoabrasiverdquo used for polishing marble using locally

available minerals and materials

Awash Processing Plant

Blocks at Block Yard

Slabs at Slab Yard in the Awash Processing Plant

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

NMiC holds 40 of the local market share in the construction industry Lots of buildings have been cladded by NMiCrsquos products The Sheraton Addis Bole International Airport Terminal Sunshine Multipurpose Building National Bank of Ethiopia Federal Police Headquarters AUrsquos Building Head Office and the Secretary Generalrsquos Residence Ethiopian Insurance Corporation Worbek Building the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Patriarchrsquos Palace and UNCA Building are some the major buildings in Addis Ababa which are finished with NMiCrsquos products

National Mining Corporation Plc is one of the competent companies in Ethiopia and has contributed to the economy of the country by way of generating hard currency from its exports and saving foreign currency by competing and blocking imports of dimension stones from abroad One word it has added to the Ethiopian economy an amount of over Birr 5000000000 (fifty million) in tax royalties and land rent

NMiC has made valuable studies on the mineral potential areas of the country in dimension stones oil and gas mineral water coal and industrial minerals It has also made sound participation in the employment and training of manpower to the mining sector and has encouraged foreign investors to be involved in exploration of oil and gas and other minerals NMiC provides free training in its quarries and processing plant to new local enterprises coming to the sector The company provides potable water electricity medical services and other financial assistance to the community of its mining areas and has set up HIVAIDS policy for the Company to curb the spread of the pandemic and provides care and support for

those living with the virus

Tunnel Jet Belt Quarrying the latest technology in use at the Eshet Blue Quarry

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

a) Finalizing the work on the exploration phase of the gold and base metals projects both at Dawa Digati and Werri which shall lead to feasibility study and production stage

b) Developing Eshet Blue and Boka Multicolor marble quarries and strengthen export to increase income of foreign currency

c) Supplying blocks to local factories

d) Replacement of machinery at Awash Processing Plant especially to boost production and quality

e) Improve the life of the working force through profit sharing and availing better facilities together with upgrading their knowledge through training

f) Implement the Soda Ash development project

The priority areas of NMiC in its future plan include among others

Asked finally if he was satisfied with his Companyrsquos achievements Ato Melaku Beza CEO of NMiC replied ldquoNot much we could do betterrdquo

Nmic Products

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

ldquoA journey of a thousand miles starts with a single steprdquo

goes the famous Chinese saying as for Bauer MIDROC it

all started 10 years ago with the foundation work of the

construction of the MIDROC Corporate Office (MCO)

commonly known as Nani Building With a single project

at hand Bauer Specialtifbau a German Company ventured

into the slowly budding private construction industry

in equal partnership with MIDROC Ethiopia Although

a small scale business venture in the eyes of both giant

partners MIDROC Ethiopia and Bauer Specialtifbau it

created vast opportunities to the construction sector

with the introduction of a state-of-the-art German based

foundation technology to the Ethiopian market The

miniature move of the two giants opened up a gateway

of possibilities and marked a new construction era for

Ethiopia Over the years changes in shareholders has

led to the current name ldquoMIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plcrdquo with the state-of-the-art foundation solutions still in

place

Several limitations in dealing with unfavorable soil

conditions frequently encountered within Ethiopiarsquos

diverse geological formations most abundantly the

problematic black cotton soil within the city of Addis

Ababa and other parts of the country brought about

several technical barriers when it came to building

massive civil structures Building highrises as well as

massive bridges was inconceivable unless capable soil was

in close vicinity MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with

the introduction of deep foundations based on advanced

and efficient technologies in the construction industry

no doubt brought about remarkable solutions and helped

ease some of these anxieties

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with its fleets of large

diameter drilling rigs and variety of drilling tools capable of

both soil and hard soil formations has made economical

foundation solutions a reality offering developers the

confidence to build high rise buildings without worrying

about the type of soil in Addis Ababa The expertise of

Dedicated Backing for MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is gradually changing

the cityrsquos skyline with the construction of the completed

MCO Building AICAIB Headquarters and KK Building

both to be completed soon and all standing above 20

stories

Entering the city limits through the skyways one can notice

that the Bole Airport has received an entire facelift with

the construction of the International Passenger Terminal

Airport Control Towers the new Cargo Terminal and the

Maintenance Hanger The only thing these landmarks share

other than ownership is that they owe their existence to

foundation solutions of MIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plc As we enter the city limits also the Bole Viaduct

and all the overpasses on the Addis Ababa Ring Road are

comfortably resting still with the construction of the deep

piles by MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc

Drilling of pile with casing

 Tiret Sept 2008

Parallel to pile construction as verification of the

constructed pile capacities is common practice in the

foundation construction industry MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc equipped with the state-of-the-art

automated pile load testing system has recently conducted

1300 metric tons load test at the Derba MIDROC Cement

Factory Project the first of this magnitude in the African

Continent

The introduction of vertical shoring wall systems that

uses reinforced concrete piles and tie back anchors which

is gaining popularity in recent years is another type of

foundation technology solutions made possible in Ethiopia

through MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos expertise

Prior to these shoring system solutions land owners

could not fully utilize their plots at the boundaries for fear

of catastrophic cave-in In fact in most cases plot owners

avoided under ground construction in order to avoid

litigation with next door land owners The utilization of

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos vertical shoring pile

wall system was proposed and implemented in the cases

of Bole Towers and Loli Building In both cases all sides of

the plot were shored exactly at the boundaries without

any land loss In fact the clients gained underground spaces

in the order of two to three times their plot size for

possible parking purpose This has provided developers

with solutions clearing their lumbers from additional

costs for parking facilities

Pile load testing

In line with the construction boom within Addis Ababa

developers are opting to construct on boundary edges

where heavy structures already exist in adjacent plots

In order to excavate at these boundaries the safest and

most economical foundation solution system is shoring

pile wall system These systems were employed at Awash

Bank and Insurance Building KK Building and Orchid

Building

For realization of structures that have to be constructed

below the natural ground water level and or near offshore

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc has construction

approaches that employ waterproof vertical shoring

systems and several options to choose from within

the framework of technical feasibility of foundation

engineering The construction of Diaphragm Wall

Cellular Cofferdam Sheet Pile Wall and Secant

Pile Wall are such solutions to name a few The cost

of construction and the time required for executing the

works is in the order listed above

Anchored pile shoring wall

Foundation Solution

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the equipment already available in the country

MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc has tabled and

implemented an economical and technically feasible

secant pile wall system solution for bridge projects

within Ethiopia If it was not for MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plcrsquos geotechnical solutions construction under

such conditions would have been technically impossible

throughout East Africa

Unlike other options construction of secant pile wall as

waterproof vertical shoring system is not limited to the

soil condition of the site The construction of such high

tech geotechnical engineering solutions by the Company

have been successfully applied on projects like the Omo

River Bridge and on the New Abay Bridge Projects The

application of the secant pile wall system was used for the

construction of the pier foundation on both sides of the

Bridge on the Omo River Bridge Project and one side pier

foundation construction of the New Abay Bridge Project

During the construction of the Omo River Bridge

foundation and substructure works other logistic

challenges non-related to foundation works was

encountered The West Pier and Abutment on the Omo

River Bridge created such a technical impasse On this

side one of the most difficult challenges was to solve the

problem of crossing equipment and construction material

across the 150 m wide river After carefully considering all

the possible alternatives a decision was made to design and

manufacture a water crossing barge using local expertise

and manufacturing capabilities MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc took part in the design manufacturing and

commissioning of this barge and has successfully crossed

a 503 ton drilling rig and other earth moving equipment

With nearly twenty projects within Ethiopia MIDROC

Foundation Specialists Plc is a pioneer in exporting

foundation technology to neighboring Kenya Tanzania

and the Sudan In-house trained Ethiopian experts have

Crossing of drilling rig on Omo River through Barge

 Tiret Sept 2008

Secant pile wall

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Mr Achim Braun General Manager of MIDROC Foundation (left) inspecting a construction site

left their marks on several key projects within those

countries Among the projects successfully carried out in

Tanzania the Songo Songo Offshore Piling Project was the

most challenging and rewarding of all In this Project sixty

per cent of the piles were constructed from a SEWP (Self

Elevating Working Platform) elevated 13 meters from the

sea bed

As the company commemorates the tenth anniversary of

its establishment it is only proper to mark the outstanding

contributions to the construction industry of Ethiopia The

efficiency of the Company and the technology employed

has resulted in creating a broad awareness of foundation

technological solutions in the country particularly

among developers In terms of the spectrum of available

techniques of foundation the projects undertaken so

far are only a tip of the iceberg Although the Company

was confronted with a number of challenges in changing

attitudes and practices the success achieved so far has

been accomplished with great efforts exerted by the

companyrsquos management and its diligent professionals in

the field

Being the only Class I Foundation Specialist Contractors

in the country MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc is now

determined to leap ahead to new and yet un-introduced

foundation construction technologies such as micro 

piles  high  pressure  injection  diaphragm 

walls  slope  protection  and  soil  nailing  As

the countries infrastructure development continues to

reach higher levels MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is

preparing itself to meet the current customer demands

and technological challenges

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Statistics reveal that the country continues to earn hard currency from export of primary commodities such as coffee which tops the list by fetching some 500 million dollars last financial year

Other commodities are hides and skin flowers pulses fruits vegetables and chat

Incidentally it is interesting to note that Chat has fetched over 60 million dollars in foreign currency last fiscal year

The chewing of chat leaves is common in the horn of Africa but in eastern Ethiopia it is big business for some and big worry for others Chat is a major agricultural crop Yet many say it is addictive and harmful to health

In a town where I grew up for instance it is hard to avoid the impact of the stimulant leaf The first thing that strikes you in the main market is the deafening noise The market square is a scene of total chaos as you make your way through a bustling crowd preoccupied with the business of bartering for a prized commodity- the green leafed plant chat

Awadaye market is a market for chat It is estimated that over 25000 kg pass through it daily The buyers and sellers take their jobs seriously shouting to one other They gesture excitedly as they trade thousands of birr daily for the chat which is bought from the local farmers in Awadaye and sent to other areas in Ethiopia It is also exported overseas It is said to be the backbone of the economy as it can be gathered from the revenue it has generated during the current physical year

If you compare chat farmers with other farmers in other parts of the country you will see that their standard of living is so much better

The employment created though chat cultivation is very high as large numbers of people are involved in growing harvesting sorting packing transporting loading and unloading the commodity The wood of the plant is used for fuel and because of its resistance to termites it is also used to make fences Chat is also believed to have medical value being used locally to treat influenza and asthma

Chat farmers used to grow maize sorghum and teff which is the basic Ethiopian staple food but these crops are difficult to grow as they require lots of rain and attention

while chat requires little water or cultivation That is why it is widely believed that its cultivation is expanding at an amazing rate

Chat has now become Ethiopiarsquos biggest export third only to coffee and hides and skin But despite the cash earning and the tradition of chat growing and use among the people many people do not encourage it

They believe that it is addictive and this has a negative impact on the community They allege that people forget about their work commitments and spend hours chewing chat The number of users of chat is increasing particularly among the youth

In urban areas the use of chat combined with alcohol is having an adverse effect on family life Many students chew chat because they say it increases their concentration when they study their lessons

However in some regions where it is widely cultivated business punctuality is a frequent problem as the time after lunch is usually spent chewing chat Even in some regions where the plant has been banned cultivation and usage continue and attempts to replace chat with cash crops like coffee have failed

Regardless of the merit or demerit of chat the country continues to get the much needed hard currency through export of the plant ldquochatrdquo

However many people including development agents are of the opinion that the demerit far out weighs the merit for energy and time is spent chewing the stuff and particularly its negative impact on health especially on the productive force

Another very lucrative business in Ethiopia is the export of leather and leather goods According to recent data export of leather and leather goods registered a surge from 52 million dollars to over 90 million dollars Incidentally ELICO one of MIDROC Ethiopia group companies dealing with finished leather products fetched last financial year over 10 million dollars

In the light of considerable income accrued from export of primary commodities there is a need to do even more by way of establishing more agro-industries that engage in the production of agricultural products for sale locally and internationally

Earning from Export of Primary CommoditiesBy Yohannes Ruphael

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The Third Private Sector Development National Conference ndash 2008 of Ethiopia took place in Addis Ababa on June 30 2008 ndash at the UNECA Conference Center and the draft strategy document and priority strategic issues for improved business environment were discussed by representatives of the Private Sector Development Hub established with basic objectives of coordinating and developing a series of public sector development intervention projects for implementation with international financial support and undertaking related research studies to support the business community in its public and private partnership dialogue The Conference was addressed by an internationally renowned and distinguished authority on Corporate Governance Prof Mervyn E King SC

The Editorial Team of TIRET has taken advantage of communicating with Professor Mervyn E King SC to share his views briefly with our readers

Professor Mervyn E King SC is currently Professor Extraordinaire at the University of South Africa and serves as the Chairperson of the King Committee on Corporate Governance in South Africa He is a Senior Counsel and former Judge of the Supreme Court of South Africa His other credentials include Member of the World Bank Advisory Group on Corporate Governance President of the Commonwealth Association of Corporate Governance Governor of the International Corporate Governance Network President of the South Africa Chamber of Business Vice President of the Institute of Directors of Southern Africa Representatives of South Africa at the International Chamber of Commerce Advisor of Asian Center of Corporate Governance Director of Global Reporting Initiative-Amsterdam Director of Association of business Administrators of South Africa

At the Millennium National Private Sector Development Conference in Addis Ababa recently I spoke about corporate governance in the development of the private sector

Corporate governance is about the principles and practices which guide directors and senior managers in making their decisions to the best interests of their companies It has to be separated from the enterprise side of the business which is about making business judgment calls It is essential that directors and senior managers adopt acceptable principles and practices in steering and directing the company and making business judgment It is about the quality of this governance rather than a quantitative check on whether there has been compliance by the directors and managers with well-known governance practices such as the establishment of a remuneration committee

In my talk I pointed out that the economic value of a company does not equal its book value In Coca Cola for example its book value is approximately 13 of its economic value and its greatest asset is its brand which is dependent on

 Tiret Sept 2008

the companyrsquos reputation Consequentially directors and senior managers of Coca Cola have a duty to protect the companyrsquos brand

In planning for a company the strategic direction needs to be done both short- and long-term If a strategy is developed in which all persons in the corporation at all levels buy-in one can get ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things Unless this is done not even extraordinary people will achieve ordinary things

The important thing for directors to remember is that they have won and maintained the trust and confidence of the stakeholders of the company Consequently they should report at least annually how the company has both positively and negatively affected a communityrsquos economic life through its operations and how it is going to enhance those positive aspects and eradicate or ameliorate the negative aspects in the year ahead

Good governance involves inter alia the approval by the board of the strategy of the company and sustainability can no longer be ignored in developing a long-term strategy

The Private Sector Development Hub (PSD-Hub) has the objective to contribute to the economic development of Ethiopia by improving the entrepreneurial environment and the governance of corporations Consequently the PSD-Hub has held Conferences over the last two years focusing on these issues and on the question of public private partnerships There has also been discussion about expediting the registration of companies the standardization of accounting and auditing capitalization and the finalization of the revision of the Ethiopian Commercial Code Corporate governance has featured prominently in these discussions

Arising out of all the modernization of the registration of companies in Ethiopia has been recognized as a priority

Accounting and auditing standards which should follow IFRS should have legal backing so that everyone in Ethiopia will know the meaning of the reported financial statements

The development of a securities market including an exchange in which not only equities but bonds and derivatives can be bought and sold with the dematerialisation of scrip and electronic settlement is essential

From the above it will be seen that there is much to be done but Ethiopia is striving through the PSD Hub to create platforms on which it can forge ahead in our flat electronic world where capital flows towards those areas where there is good governance and well-regulated markets The Conference at which I spoke was just another step in Ethiopiarsquos endeavours to achieve these goals Positively the essential aspects for creating an entrepreneurial and thriving business environment have been identified and PSD Hub the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other interested bodies are working in partnership with government to achieve them

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Itrsquos a ridiculous

l a n g u a g e rdquo

sputtered the

Englishman at

the next table

his jowls shaking

in anger ldquoA ridiculous languagerdquo

We were sitting in a tiny tea-and-pie shop in Criccieth a

town in northern Wales and everybody but us was speaking

Welsh Like a remarkable number of his countrymen this

man was convinced it was merely a secret code employed

by the local to talk behind the backs of English visitors

ldquoJust you watchrdquo he said ldquoAs soon as we leave theyrsquoll all

go back to speaking Englishrdquo

I rather doubted it And unlike the Englishman I was

thrilled to encounter one of the oldest languages in

Europe a tongue heard in this misty and mountainous

land since the arrival of Roman legions

Being surrounded by people speaking an unfamiliar and

exotic language is to me one of the best things about

travel Just as some people will journey to the Serengeti

to glimpse the rare and endangered white rhino Irsquoll happily

go far out of my way to hear a rare and endangered

language

In the storybook city of Carcassonne in southwest France

I was less thrilled at seeing the towers and turrets than

I was at meeting a man who could speak Occitan the

ancient and fast-vanishing language of the troubadours

As far as I was concerned the most fascinating thing in

Dangriga a coastal town in Belize was the mellifluous

sound of Garifuna a language spoken by the descendants

of shipwrecked slaves from West Africa I once traveled

to Graubunden in eastern Switzerland in the hope of

hearing Romansch a tongue spoken by fewer than one

percent of the nationrsquos residents and said to resemble

Latin I encountered a few signs in the language but no

one who could speak it

According to one oft-cited estimate at least half the

worldrsquos 6000 languages are likely to die out by the end

of this century which means that one is going silent on

average every two weeks

Itrsquos not merely a matter of using different words to express the same thoughts Languages are literally the expressions of cultures and belief systems entirely different ways of making sense of the world And just as we should be concerned about the shrinking diversity of plant and animal species we should also worry about the shrinking diversity of languages

Welsh though seems to be holding on despite 700 years

of efforts by the English to exterminate it The BBC has for

some years now carried television and radio programming

in the language and in Wales itrsquos possible to receive your

entire education from preschool to postgraduate in

Welsh About 20 percent of Walesrsquo population speaks

Welsh and the number appears to be growing slightly

It is not as the Englishman said a ridiculous language But

it is to my eyes and ears a wonderfully strange one Dave

Barry once wrote that the ancient Hawaiians arrived on

their islands after perilous canoe voyages in seas so rough

their consonants fell overboard My guess is that the

letters drifted the worldrsquos oceans until they washed up on

the shores of Wales

T h e   B e a u t y   o f   a   L a n g u a g e

 Tiret Sept 2008

How else to explain for example the Welsh word for

beer Itrsquos cwrw It looks like my Scrabble tray when I

donrsquot have a word to pay (In case you ever need to order

one itrsquos pronounced ldquokooroordquo)

And then therersquos the vexing pronunciation of the double-

1 you find at the beginning of it seems two-thirds of the

town names in Wales ldquoJust put your teeth together and

hiss like a duckrdquo explained a helpful woman I met at the

Dylan Thomas Museum in Swansea She also pointed out

that Llareggub the fictional town in Thomasrsquo ldquoUnder the

Milkwood Treerdquo is merely ldquobugger allrdquo spelled backward

I like the besotted poet a whole lot more after learning

that

One dark and drizzly night I went to a little schoolhouse in

the Rhondda Valley to listen to a rehearsal of the Treorchy

Menrsquos Choir made up mostly of unemployed coal miners

ldquoIn the old daysrdquo one of them told me ldquowe used to sing

together in the pitsrdquo

When they opened their mouths to sing as one in Welsh

all the snarky little comments about their language become

moot It was simply one of the most hauntingly beautiful

sounds Irsquove even heard

I got a lesson in the politics of minority languages recently

when I visited Montreal the capital of French ndash speaking

Canada I hadnrsquot been there since a childhood visit to

Exporsquo67 and I remember the province as decidedly

bilingual Everything from traffic signs to toothpaste

tubes was printed in French and English No more A

law passed in 1977 banned the use of English in signs

throughout Quebec Itrsquos an attempt to do linguistically

what they failed for two centuries to do militarily prevent

the English from conquering them

Theyrsquore quite serious about this Hudson Bay Co the

venerable department store chain that dates back to the

fur-trading days is now known as Compagnie de la Baie

drsquoHudson at least in these parts Kentucky Fried Chicken

outlets arenrsquot allowed to use ldquoKFCrdquo on their signs In

Quebec theyrsquore called ldquoPFKrdquo for Poulet Frit Kentucky

The Quebecois are more vigilant even than their famously

Anglophobic counterparts in Paris All stop signs here say

Arret even though the ones in France say ldquoStoprdquo

It all seemed a little silly and excessive to me until I began

talking to French-speaking Montrealers about it ldquoYou

have to understand that wersquore surrounded by English

speakersrdquo a schoolteacher told me ldquoWe have to be very

firm about defending our language or it will disappear

And when it goes so does our way of life

Signs aside most French Canadians I met were bilingual

I quickly discovered that if I first made atleast a fumbling

attempt to speak their language almost everybody was

happy to switch to English ndash very possibly to spare

themselves the trauma of hearing my phrase-book

French which sounds like someone grinding the gears

of an old Citroen ldquoWe have nothing against Englishrdquo the

schoolteacher told me ldquoItrsquos just that we want to speak

French hererdquo

Vive la differenceJohn Flinn -Travel Editor

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Scale up of HIV Prevention Treatment Care and Support Requires Renewed Leadership and Resources

The 17th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) took place in Mexico City from August 3 -8 2008 with an assessment of the situation of the global epidemic at a panel of researchers public health and civil society leaders examined recent progress towards the scale up of treatment and prevention programmes and called for sustained action to eliminate the barriers to universal access

ldquoDespite the progress we have made we are not on course to meet universal access targets and in fact appear to be slipping away from our existing commitmentsrdquo said Dr Pedro Cahn International Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and President of the International AIDS Society and Fundacioacuten Hueacutesped in Buenos Aires Argentina ldquoIt appears that we are poised to accept defeat when victory is still within our grasp Our failure to meet those commitments will have an impact on millions of lives This cannot be allowed to happen It is time for nations to live up to their commitmentsrdquo

ldquoWith only two years to go until the 2010 deadline for universal access set by world leaders we must redouble our commitment to scaling up all proven HIV prevention strategiesrdquo said Dr Luiacutes Soto Ramiacuterez Local Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and Head of the Molecular Virology Unit at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Meacutedicas y Nutricioacuten Salvador Zubiriaacuten and Coordinator of the Clinical Care Committee of CONASIDA Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council ldquoThe fact that last year 27 million people were newly infected with HIV a disease that is entirely preventable is unacceptablerdquo

Dr Jaime Sepulveda (Mexico) founder of Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council who is now with the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation noted that attention to and resources for AIDS are at all-time high including substantially increased funding for the Global Fund and the US Presidentrsquos Emergency Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief According to Sepulveda reaching the goal of 3 million people in low and middle-income countries on treatment at the end of 2007 was a critical step forward but the world has only scratched the surface of possibilities in responding to the epidemic Greater resources more effectively spent and targeted where they can have the greatest effect would have a dramatic impact on the course of the epidemicrsquos Highlighting the fact that more people become infected

with HIV last year than began treatment Sepulveda called for radically increased investments in prevention research evaluation and delivery of services as well as accelerated research on promising prevention methods including a vaccine In conclusion he reiterated that political leadership from all countries and accountability at all levels are essential for stopping the epidemic

Citing the results in both treatment and prevention scale up in countries with sustained leadership such as Rwanda and Tanzania Alex Coutinho (Uganda) of the Infectious Disease Institute of Makerere University made a passionate call for greater leadership as a path toward meeting the challenges ahead In looking at progress to date Coutinho highlighted increased access to HIV testing and counseling to prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and to pediatric care and treatment as well as the effectiveness of male circumcision as a prevention intervention In contrast he noted that most countries will not achieve universal access by 2010 and that the majority of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are still unaware of their HIV status In his call to action Coutinho urged greater investment in prevention and financial resources flexible enough to support health systems and systems that reach into rural and other hard-to-reach areas and fully embrace PLHIV as partners He also urged outreach to and support of marginalized and at-risk communities as well as the greater involvement of PLHIV as a catalyst for change

Elisabet Fadul (Dominican Republic) of the Dominican Network for Youth RightsGlobal Youth Partners outlined a broad and urgent youth HIVAIDS agenda calling for comprehensive rights ndash and evidence-based plans to provide access for young people Highlighting the 40 of new infections worldwide among young people between the ages of 15-24 Fadul noted that HIV prevention and treatment programmes are failing to effectively reach young people with the most vulnerable and marginalized being stigmatized criminalized or forgotten by many of these programmes

To reverse this course she called for actions and policies that engage youth especially young people living with HIVAIDS as respected partners in developing and implementing programmes that forthrightly address their

needs and diversity

 Tiret Sept 2008

Ato Melaku stated that NMIC has invested Birr

160817912 (one hundred sixty million eight hundred

seventeen thousand nine hundred twelve) for exploration

and mining activities adding that the size of investment for

soda ash will be in the order of Birr 1150000000 (one

billion one hundred fifty million)

The first phase will cost Birr 640000000 (six hundred

forty million) and the second phase will be Birr 500000000

(five hundred million)

National Mining Corporation Plc is a pioneer in opening

and developing quarrying of marble and limestone using

the latest technology in the field Currently the Companyrsquos

Boka Marble Quarry has six benches and more than

twelve faces that are being worked out at Boka quarry

in the Benshangul Administrative Region In the process

it provides training to quarry workers of other quarry

owners thereby contributing to the development of the

mining culture

The General Manager explained about the processing and

marketing of his Companyrsquos products and said that his

Company applies modern technologies and deploys the

latest equipment in mining that meet export standards

engaging in open pit mining and tunneling for underground

mining which is unique not only in Ethiopia but also in

Africa He further articulated that the Company mines one

of the best quality marble in the industry as evidenced in

Boka multicolor marble once nominated as ldquoThe Stone

of the Yearrdquo by the Marble Institute of America (MIA)

while the blue marble has entered the world market by

a new name ldquoSummer Skyrdquo and is currently being sold

in Italy Samples of both have been tested and analyzed in

American Testing Companies and European Universities

and have proved to be of high quality and suitable both

for internal and external use in the construction industry

These two marbles are unique and are found only in

Ethiopia Also the limestone is of unique colors yellow

white and red which have high demand in the market

The CEO said that the special quality of his Companyrsquos

product that attracts international market is the

uniqueness of the material its beauty (aesthetics) and its

non-absorbent and compact nature

The company has the capacity to supply the export market

with the required quality and size of blocks and slabs both

white and blue marble Export markets include Taiwan

China Italy France USA Africa and the Middle East

In order to improve quality additional modern

state-of-the-art quarry machinery has been injected in the

quarry Plan is underway to replace the old machinery at

the processing plant The Company is also producing its

own ldquoabrasiverdquo used for polishing marble using locally

available minerals and materials

Awash Processing Plant

Blocks at Block Yard

Slabs at Slab Yard in the Awash Processing Plant

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

NMiC holds 40 of the local market share in the construction industry Lots of buildings have been cladded by NMiCrsquos products The Sheraton Addis Bole International Airport Terminal Sunshine Multipurpose Building National Bank of Ethiopia Federal Police Headquarters AUrsquos Building Head Office and the Secretary Generalrsquos Residence Ethiopian Insurance Corporation Worbek Building the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Patriarchrsquos Palace and UNCA Building are some the major buildings in Addis Ababa which are finished with NMiCrsquos products

National Mining Corporation Plc is one of the competent companies in Ethiopia and has contributed to the economy of the country by way of generating hard currency from its exports and saving foreign currency by competing and blocking imports of dimension stones from abroad One word it has added to the Ethiopian economy an amount of over Birr 5000000000 (fifty million) in tax royalties and land rent

NMiC has made valuable studies on the mineral potential areas of the country in dimension stones oil and gas mineral water coal and industrial minerals It has also made sound participation in the employment and training of manpower to the mining sector and has encouraged foreign investors to be involved in exploration of oil and gas and other minerals NMiC provides free training in its quarries and processing plant to new local enterprises coming to the sector The company provides potable water electricity medical services and other financial assistance to the community of its mining areas and has set up HIVAIDS policy for the Company to curb the spread of the pandemic and provides care and support for

those living with the virus

Tunnel Jet Belt Quarrying the latest technology in use at the Eshet Blue Quarry

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

a) Finalizing the work on the exploration phase of the gold and base metals projects both at Dawa Digati and Werri which shall lead to feasibility study and production stage

b) Developing Eshet Blue and Boka Multicolor marble quarries and strengthen export to increase income of foreign currency

c) Supplying blocks to local factories

d) Replacement of machinery at Awash Processing Plant especially to boost production and quality

e) Improve the life of the working force through profit sharing and availing better facilities together with upgrading their knowledge through training

f) Implement the Soda Ash development project

The priority areas of NMiC in its future plan include among others

Asked finally if he was satisfied with his Companyrsquos achievements Ato Melaku Beza CEO of NMiC replied ldquoNot much we could do betterrdquo

Nmic Products

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

ldquoA journey of a thousand miles starts with a single steprdquo

goes the famous Chinese saying as for Bauer MIDROC it

all started 10 years ago with the foundation work of the

construction of the MIDROC Corporate Office (MCO)

commonly known as Nani Building With a single project

at hand Bauer Specialtifbau a German Company ventured

into the slowly budding private construction industry

in equal partnership with MIDROC Ethiopia Although

a small scale business venture in the eyes of both giant

partners MIDROC Ethiopia and Bauer Specialtifbau it

created vast opportunities to the construction sector

with the introduction of a state-of-the-art German based

foundation technology to the Ethiopian market The

miniature move of the two giants opened up a gateway

of possibilities and marked a new construction era for

Ethiopia Over the years changes in shareholders has

led to the current name ldquoMIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plcrdquo with the state-of-the-art foundation solutions still in

place

Several limitations in dealing with unfavorable soil

conditions frequently encountered within Ethiopiarsquos

diverse geological formations most abundantly the

problematic black cotton soil within the city of Addis

Ababa and other parts of the country brought about

several technical barriers when it came to building

massive civil structures Building highrises as well as

massive bridges was inconceivable unless capable soil was

in close vicinity MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with

the introduction of deep foundations based on advanced

and efficient technologies in the construction industry

no doubt brought about remarkable solutions and helped

ease some of these anxieties

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with its fleets of large

diameter drilling rigs and variety of drilling tools capable of

both soil and hard soil formations has made economical

foundation solutions a reality offering developers the

confidence to build high rise buildings without worrying

about the type of soil in Addis Ababa The expertise of

Dedicated Backing for MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is gradually changing

the cityrsquos skyline with the construction of the completed

MCO Building AICAIB Headquarters and KK Building

both to be completed soon and all standing above 20

stories

Entering the city limits through the skyways one can notice

that the Bole Airport has received an entire facelift with

the construction of the International Passenger Terminal

Airport Control Towers the new Cargo Terminal and the

Maintenance Hanger The only thing these landmarks share

other than ownership is that they owe their existence to

foundation solutions of MIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plc As we enter the city limits also the Bole Viaduct

and all the overpasses on the Addis Ababa Ring Road are

comfortably resting still with the construction of the deep

piles by MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc

Drilling of pile with casing

 Tiret Sept 2008

Parallel to pile construction as verification of the

constructed pile capacities is common practice in the

foundation construction industry MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc equipped with the state-of-the-art

automated pile load testing system has recently conducted

1300 metric tons load test at the Derba MIDROC Cement

Factory Project the first of this magnitude in the African

Continent

The introduction of vertical shoring wall systems that

uses reinforced concrete piles and tie back anchors which

is gaining popularity in recent years is another type of

foundation technology solutions made possible in Ethiopia

through MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos expertise

Prior to these shoring system solutions land owners

could not fully utilize their plots at the boundaries for fear

of catastrophic cave-in In fact in most cases plot owners

avoided under ground construction in order to avoid

litigation with next door land owners The utilization of

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos vertical shoring pile

wall system was proposed and implemented in the cases

of Bole Towers and Loli Building In both cases all sides of

the plot were shored exactly at the boundaries without

any land loss In fact the clients gained underground spaces

in the order of two to three times their plot size for

possible parking purpose This has provided developers

with solutions clearing their lumbers from additional

costs for parking facilities

Pile load testing

In line with the construction boom within Addis Ababa

developers are opting to construct on boundary edges

where heavy structures already exist in adjacent plots

In order to excavate at these boundaries the safest and

most economical foundation solution system is shoring

pile wall system These systems were employed at Awash

Bank and Insurance Building KK Building and Orchid

Building

For realization of structures that have to be constructed

below the natural ground water level and or near offshore

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc has construction

approaches that employ waterproof vertical shoring

systems and several options to choose from within

the framework of technical feasibility of foundation

engineering The construction of Diaphragm Wall

Cellular Cofferdam Sheet Pile Wall and Secant

Pile Wall are such solutions to name a few The cost

of construction and the time required for executing the

works is in the order listed above

Anchored pile shoring wall

Foundation Solution

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the equipment already available in the country

MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc has tabled and

implemented an economical and technically feasible

secant pile wall system solution for bridge projects

within Ethiopia If it was not for MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plcrsquos geotechnical solutions construction under

such conditions would have been technically impossible

throughout East Africa

Unlike other options construction of secant pile wall as

waterproof vertical shoring system is not limited to the

soil condition of the site The construction of such high

tech geotechnical engineering solutions by the Company

have been successfully applied on projects like the Omo

River Bridge and on the New Abay Bridge Projects The

application of the secant pile wall system was used for the

construction of the pier foundation on both sides of the

Bridge on the Omo River Bridge Project and one side pier

foundation construction of the New Abay Bridge Project

During the construction of the Omo River Bridge

foundation and substructure works other logistic

challenges non-related to foundation works was

encountered The West Pier and Abutment on the Omo

River Bridge created such a technical impasse On this

side one of the most difficult challenges was to solve the

problem of crossing equipment and construction material

across the 150 m wide river After carefully considering all

the possible alternatives a decision was made to design and

manufacture a water crossing barge using local expertise

and manufacturing capabilities MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc took part in the design manufacturing and

commissioning of this barge and has successfully crossed

a 503 ton drilling rig and other earth moving equipment

With nearly twenty projects within Ethiopia MIDROC

Foundation Specialists Plc is a pioneer in exporting

foundation technology to neighboring Kenya Tanzania

and the Sudan In-house trained Ethiopian experts have

Crossing of drilling rig on Omo River through Barge

 Tiret Sept 2008

Secant pile wall

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Mr Achim Braun General Manager of MIDROC Foundation (left) inspecting a construction site

left their marks on several key projects within those

countries Among the projects successfully carried out in

Tanzania the Songo Songo Offshore Piling Project was the

most challenging and rewarding of all In this Project sixty

per cent of the piles were constructed from a SEWP (Self

Elevating Working Platform) elevated 13 meters from the

sea bed

As the company commemorates the tenth anniversary of

its establishment it is only proper to mark the outstanding

contributions to the construction industry of Ethiopia The

efficiency of the Company and the technology employed

has resulted in creating a broad awareness of foundation

technological solutions in the country particularly

among developers In terms of the spectrum of available

techniques of foundation the projects undertaken so

far are only a tip of the iceberg Although the Company

was confronted with a number of challenges in changing

attitudes and practices the success achieved so far has

been accomplished with great efforts exerted by the

companyrsquos management and its diligent professionals in

the field

Being the only Class I Foundation Specialist Contractors

in the country MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc is now

determined to leap ahead to new and yet un-introduced

foundation construction technologies such as micro 

piles  high  pressure  injection  diaphragm 

walls  slope  protection  and  soil  nailing  As

the countries infrastructure development continues to

reach higher levels MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is

preparing itself to meet the current customer demands

and technological challenges

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Statistics reveal that the country continues to earn hard currency from export of primary commodities such as coffee which tops the list by fetching some 500 million dollars last financial year

Other commodities are hides and skin flowers pulses fruits vegetables and chat

Incidentally it is interesting to note that Chat has fetched over 60 million dollars in foreign currency last fiscal year

The chewing of chat leaves is common in the horn of Africa but in eastern Ethiopia it is big business for some and big worry for others Chat is a major agricultural crop Yet many say it is addictive and harmful to health

In a town where I grew up for instance it is hard to avoid the impact of the stimulant leaf The first thing that strikes you in the main market is the deafening noise The market square is a scene of total chaos as you make your way through a bustling crowd preoccupied with the business of bartering for a prized commodity- the green leafed plant chat

Awadaye market is a market for chat It is estimated that over 25000 kg pass through it daily The buyers and sellers take their jobs seriously shouting to one other They gesture excitedly as they trade thousands of birr daily for the chat which is bought from the local farmers in Awadaye and sent to other areas in Ethiopia It is also exported overseas It is said to be the backbone of the economy as it can be gathered from the revenue it has generated during the current physical year

If you compare chat farmers with other farmers in other parts of the country you will see that their standard of living is so much better

The employment created though chat cultivation is very high as large numbers of people are involved in growing harvesting sorting packing transporting loading and unloading the commodity The wood of the plant is used for fuel and because of its resistance to termites it is also used to make fences Chat is also believed to have medical value being used locally to treat influenza and asthma

Chat farmers used to grow maize sorghum and teff which is the basic Ethiopian staple food but these crops are difficult to grow as they require lots of rain and attention

while chat requires little water or cultivation That is why it is widely believed that its cultivation is expanding at an amazing rate

Chat has now become Ethiopiarsquos biggest export third only to coffee and hides and skin But despite the cash earning and the tradition of chat growing and use among the people many people do not encourage it

They believe that it is addictive and this has a negative impact on the community They allege that people forget about their work commitments and spend hours chewing chat The number of users of chat is increasing particularly among the youth

In urban areas the use of chat combined with alcohol is having an adverse effect on family life Many students chew chat because they say it increases their concentration when they study their lessons

However in some regions where it is widely cultivated business punctuality is a frequent problem as the time after lunch is usually spent chewing chat Even in some regions where the plant has been banned cultivation and usage continue and attempts to replace chat with cash crops like coffee have failed

Regardless of the merit or demerit of chat the country continues to get the much needed hard currency through export of the plant ldquochatrdquo

However many people including development agents are of the opinion that the demerit far out weighs the merit for energy and time is spent chewing the stuff and particularly its negative impact on health especially on the productive force

Another very lucrative business in Ethiopia is the export of leather and leather goods According to recent data export of leather and leather goods registered a surge from 52 million dollars to over 90 million dollars Incidentally ELICO one of MIDROC Ethiopia group companies dealing with finished leather products fetched last financial year over 10 million dollars

In the light of considerable income accrued from export of primary commodities there is a need to do even more by way of establishing more agro-industries that engage in the production of agricultural products for sale locally and internationally

Earning from Export of Primary CommoditiesBy Yohannes Ruphael

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The Third Private Sector Development National Conference ndash 2008 of Ethiopia took place in Addis Ababa on June 30 2008 ndash at the UNECA Conference Center and the draft strategy document and priority strategic issues for improved business environment were discussed by representatives of the Private Sector Development Hub established with basic objectives of coordinating and developing a series of public sector development intervention projects for implementation with international financial support and undertaking related research studies to support the business community in its public and private partnership dialogue The Conference was addressed by an internationally renowned and distinguished authority on Corporate Governance Prof Mervyn E King SC

The Editorial Team of TIRET has taken advantage of communicating with Professor Mervyn E King SC to share his views briefly with our readers

Professor Mervyn E King SC is currently Professor Extraordinaire at the University of South Africa and serves as the Chairperson of the King Committee on Corporate Governance in South Africa He is a Senior Counsel and former Judge of the Supreme Court of South Africa His other credentials include Member of the World Bank Advisory Group on Corporate Governance President of the Commonwealth Association of Corporate Governance Governor of the International Corporate Governance Network President of the South Africa Chamber of Business Vice President of the Institute of Directors of Southern Africa Representatives of South Africa at the International Chamber of Commerce Advisor of Asian Center of Corporate Governance Director of Global Reporting Initiative-Amsterdam Director of Association of business Administrators of South Africa

At the Millennium National Private Sector Development Conference in Addis Ababa recently I spoke about corporate governance in the development of the private sector

Corporate governance is about the principles and practices which guide directors and senior managers in making their decisions to the best interests of their companies It has to be separated from the enterprise side of the business which is about making business judgment calls It is essential that directors and senior managers adopt acceptable principles and practices in steering and directing the company and making business judgment It is about the quality of this governance rather than a quantitative check on whether there has been compliance by the directors and managers with well-known governance practices such as the establishment of a remuneration committee

In my talk I pointed out that the economic value of a company does not equal its book value In Coca Cola for example its book value is approximately 13 of its economic value and its greatest asset is its brand which is dependent on

 Tiret Sept 2008

the companyrsquos reputation Consequentially directors and senior managers of Coca Cola have a duty to protect the companyrsquos brand

In planning for a company the strategic direction needs to be done both short- and long-term If a strategy is developed in which all persons in the corporation at all levels buy-in one can get ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things Unless this is done not even extraordinary people will achieve ordinary things

The important thing for directors to remember is that they have won and maintained the trust and confidence of the stakeholders of the company Consequently they should report at least annually how the company has both positively and negatively affected a communityrsquos economic life through its operations and how it is going to enhance those positive aspects and eradicate or ameliorate the negative aspects in the year ahead

Good governance involves inter alia the approval by the board of the strategy of the company and sustainability can no longer be ignored in developing a long-term strategy

The Private Sector Development Hub (PSD-Hub) has the objective to contribute to the economic development of Ethiopia by improving the entrepreneurial environment and the governance of corporations Consequently the PSD-Hub has held Conferences over the last two years focusing on these issues and on the question of public private partnerships There has also been discussion about expediting the registration of companies the standardization of accounting and auditing capitalization and the finalization of the revision of the Ethiopian Commercial Code Corporate governance has featured prominently in these discussions

Arising out of all the modernization of the registration of companies in Ethiopia has been recognized as a priority

Accounting and auditing standards which should follow IFRS should have legal backing so that everyone in Ethiopia will know the meaning of the reported financial statements

The development of a securities market including an exchange in which not only equities but bonds and derivatives can be bought and sold with the dematerialisation of scrip and electronic settlement is essential

From the above it will be seen that there is much to be done but Ethiopia is striving through the PSD Hub to create platforms on which it can forge ahead in our flat electronic world where capital flows towards those areas where there is good governance and well-regulated markets The Conference at which I spoke was just another step in Ethiopiarsquos endeavours to achieve these goals Positively the essential aspects for creating an entrepreneurial and thriving business environment have been identified and PSD Hub the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other interested bodies are working in partnership with government to achieve them

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Itrsquos a ridiculous

l a n g u a g e rdquo

sputtered the

Englishman at

the next table

his jowls shaking

in anger ldquoA ridiculous languagerdquo

We were sitting in a tiny tea-and-pie shop in Criccieth a

town in northern Wales and everybody but us was speaking

Welsh Like a remarkable number of his countrymen this

man was convinced it was merely a secret code employed

by the local to talk behind the backs of English visitors

ldquoJust you watchrdquo he said ldquoAs soon as we leave theyrsquoll all

go back to speaking Englishrdquo

I rather doubted it And unlike the Englishman I was

thrilled to encounter one of the oldest languages in

Europe a tongue heard in this misty and mountainous

land since the arrival of Roman legions

Being surrounded by people speaking an unfamiliar and

exotic language is to me one of the best things about

travel Just as some people will journey to the Serengeti

to glimpse the rare and endangered white rhino Irsquoll happily

go far out of my way to hear a rare and endangered

language

In the storybook city of Carcassonne in southwest France

I was less thrilled at seeing the towers and turrets than

I was at meeting a man who could speak Occitan the

ancient and fast-vanishing language of the troubadours

As far as I was concerned the most fascinating thing in

Dangriga a coastal town in Belize was the mellifluous

sound of Garifuna a language spoken by the descendants

of shipwrecked slaves from West Africa I once traveled

to Graubunden in eastern Switzerland in the hope of

hearing Romansch a tongue spoken by fewer than one

percent of the nationrsquos residents and said to resemble

Latin I encountered a few signs in the language but no

one who could speak it

According to one oft-cited estimate at least half the

worldrsquos 6000 languages are likely to die out by the end

of this century which means that one is going silent on

average every two weeks

Itrsquos not merely a matter of using different words to express the same thoughts Languages are literally the expressions of cultures and belief systems entirely different ways of making sense of the world And just as we should be concerned about the shrinking diversity of plant and animal species we should also worry about the shrinking diversity of languages

Welsh though seems to be holding on despite 700 years

of efforts by the English to exterminate it The BBC has for

some years now carried television and radio programming

in the language and in Wales itrsquos possible to receive your

entire education from preschool to postgraduate in

Welsh About 20 percent of Walesrsquo population speaks

Welsh and the number appears to be growing slightly

It is not as the Englishman said a ridiculous language But

it is to my eyes and ears a wonderfully strange one Dave

Barry once wrote that the ancient Hawaiians arrived on

their islands after perilous canoe voyages in seas so rough

their consonants fell overboard My guess is that the

letters drifted the worldrsquos oceans until they washed up on

the shores of Wales

T h e   B e a u t y   o f   a   L a n g u a g e

 Tiret Sept 2008

How else to explain for example the Welsh word for

beer Itrsquos cwrw It looks like my Scrabble tray when I

donrsquot have a word to pay (In case you ever need to order

one itrsquos pronounced ldquokooroordquo)

And then therersquos the vexing pronunciation of the double-

1 you find at the beginning of it seems two-thirds of the

town names in Wales ldquoJust put your teeth together and

hiss like a duckrdquo explained a helpful woman I met at the

Dylan Thomas Museum in Swansea She also pointed out

that Llareggub the fictional town in Thomasrsquo ldquoUnder the

Milkwood Treerdquo is merely ldquobugger allrdquo spelled backward

I like the besotted poet a whole lot more after learning

that

One dark and drizzly night I went to a little schoolhouse in

the Rhondda Valley to listen to a rehearsal of the Treorchy

Menrsquos Choir made up mostly of unemployed coal miners

ldquoIn the old daysrdquo one of them told me ldquowe used to sing

together in the pitsrdquo

When they opened their mouths to sing as one in Welsh

all the snarky little comments about their language become

moot It was simply one of the most hauntingly beautiful

sounds Irsquove even heard

I got a lesson in the politics of minority languages recently

when I visited Montreal the capital of French ndash speaking

Canada I hadnrsquot been there since a childhood visit to

Exporsquo67 and I remember the province as decidedly

bilingual Everything from traffic signs to toothpaste

tubes was printed in French and English No more A

law passed in 1977 banned the use of English in signs

throughout Quebec Itrsquos an attempt to do linguistically

what they failed for two centuries to do militarily prevent

the English from conquering them

Theyrsquore quite serious about this Hudson Bay Co the

venerable department store chain that dates back to the

fur-trading days is now known as Compagnie de la Baie

drsquoHudson at least in these parts Kentucky Fried Chicken

outlets arenrsquot allowed to use ldquoKFCrdquo on their signs In

Quebec theyrsquore called ldquoPFKrdquo for Poulet Frit Kentucky

The Quebecois are more vigilant even than their famously

Anglophobic counterparts in Paris All stop signs here say

Arret even though the ones in France say ldquoStoprdquo

It all seemed a little silly and excessive to me until I began

talking to French-speaking Montrealers about it ldquoYou

have to understand that wersquore surrounded by English

speakersrdquo a schoolteacher told me ldquoWe have to be very

firm about defending our language or it will disappear

And when it goes so does our way of life

Signs aside most French Canadians I met were bilingual

I quickly discovered that if I first made atleast a fumbling

attempt to speak their language almost everybody was

happy to switch to English ndash very possibly to spare

themselves the trauma of hearing my phrase-book

French which sounds like someone grinding the gears

of an old Citroen ldquoWe have nothing against Englishrdquo the

schoolteacher told me ldquoItrsquos just that we want to speak

French hererdquo

Vive la differenceJohn Flinn -Travel Editor

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Scale up of HIV Prevention Treatment Care and Support Requires Renewed Leadership and Resources

The 17th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) took place in Mexico City from August 3 -8 2008 with an assessment of the situation of the global epidemic at a panel of researchers public health and civil society leaders examined recent progress towards the scale up of treatment and prevention programmes and called for sustained action to eliminate the barriers to universal access

ldquoDespite the progress we have made we are not on course to meet universal access targets and in fact appear to be slipping away from our existing commitmentsrdquo said Dr Pedro Cahn International Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and President of the International AIDS Society and Fundacioacuten Hueacutesped in Buenos Aires Argentina ldquoIt appears that we are poised to accept defeat when victory is still within our grasp Our failure to meet those commitments will have an impact on millions of lives This cannot be allowed to happen It is time for nations to live up to their commitmentsrdquo

ldquoWith only two years to go until the 2010 deadline for universal access set by world leaders we must redouble our commitment to scaling up all proven HIV prevention strategiesrdquo said Dr Luiacutes Soto Ramiacuterez Local Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and Head of the Molecular Virology Unit at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Meacutedicas y Nutricioacuten Salvador Zubiriaacuten and Coordinator of the Clinical Care Committee of CONASIDA Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council ldquoThe fact that last year 27 million people were newly infected with HIV a disease that is entirely preventable is unacceptablerdquo

Dr Jaime Sepulveda (Mexico) founder of Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council who is now with the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation noted that attention to and resources for AIDS are at all-time high including substantially increased funding for the Global Fund and the US Presidentrsquos Emergency Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief According to Sepulveda reaching the goal of 3 million people in low and middle-income countries on treatment at the end of 2007 was a critical step forward but the world has only scratched the surface of possibilities in responding to the epidemic Greater resources more effectively spent and targeted where they can have the greatest effect would have a dramatic impact on the course of the epidemicrsquos Highlighting the fact that more people become infected

with HIV last year than began treatment Sepulveda called for radically increased investments in prevention research evaluation and delivery of services as well as accelerated research on promising prevention methods including a vaccine In conclusion he reiterated that political leadership from all countries and accountability at all levels are essential for stopping the epidemic

Citing the results in both treatment and prevention scale up in countries with sustained leadership such as Rwanda and Tanzania Alex Coutinho (Uganda) of the Infectious Disease Institute of Makerere University made a passionate call for greater leadership as a path toward meeting the challenges ahead In looking at progress to date Coutinho highlighted increased access to HIV testing and counseling to prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and to pediatric care and treatment as well as the effectiveness of male circumcision as a prevention intervention In contrast he noted that most countries will not achieve universal access by 2010 and that the majority of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are still unaware of their HIV status In his call to action Coutinho urged greater investment in prevention and financial resources flexible enough to support health systems and systems that reach into rural and other hard-to-reach areas and fully embrace PLHIV as partners He also urged outreach to and support of marginalized and at-risk communities as well as the greater involvement of PLHIV as a catalyst for change

Elisabet Fadul (Dominican Republic) of the Dominican Network for Youth RightsGlobal Youth Partners outlined a broad and urgent youth HIVAIDS agenda calling for comprehensive rights ndash and evidence-based plans to provide access for young people Highlighting the 40 of new infections worldwide among young people between the ages of 15-24 Fadul noted that HIV prevention and treatment programmes are failing to effectively reach young people with the most vulnerable and marginalized being stigmatized criminalized or forgotten by many of these programmes

To reverse this course she called for actions and policies that engage youth especially young people living with HIVAIDS as respected partners in developing and implementing programmes that forthrightly address their

needs and diversity

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

NMiC holds 40 of the local market share in the construction industry Lots of buildings have been cladded by NMiCrsquos products The Sheraton Addis Bole International Airport Terminal Sunshine Multipurpose Building National Bank of Ethiopia Federal Police Headquarters AUrsquos Building Head Office and the Secretary Generalrsquos Residence Ethiopian Insurance Corporation Worbek Building the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Patriarchrsquos Palace and UNCA Building are some the major buildings in Addis Ababa which are finished with NMiCrsquos products

National Mining Corporation Plc is one of the competent companies in Ethiopia and has contributed to the economy of the country by way of generating hard currency from its exports and saving foreign currency by competing and blocking imports of dimension stones from abroad One word it has added to the Ethiopian economy an amount of over Birr 5000000000 (fifty million) in tax royalties and land rent

NMiC has made valuable studies on the mineral potential areas of the country in dimension stones oil and gas mineral water coal and industrial minerals It has also made sound participation in the employment and training of manpower to the mining sector and has encouraged foreign investors to be involved in exploration of oil and gas and other minerals NMiC provides free training in its quarries and processing plant to new local enterprises coming to the sector The company provides potable water electricity medical services and other financial assistance to the community of its mining areas and has set up HIVAIDS policy for the Company to curb the spread of the pandemic and provides care and support for

those living with the virus

Tunnel Jet Belt Quarrying the latest technology in use at the Eshet Blue Quarry

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

a) Finalizing the work on the exploration phase of the gold and base metals projects both at Dawa Digati and Werri which shall lead to feasibility study and production stage

b) Developing Eshet Blue and Boka Multicolor marble quarries and strengthen export to increase income of foreign currency

c) Supplying blocks to local factories

d) Replacement of machinery at Awash Processing Plant especially to boost production and quality

e) Improve the life of the working force through profit sharing and availing better facilities together with upgrading their knowledge through training

f) Implement the Soda Ash development project

The priority areas of NMiC in its future plan include among others

Asked finally if he was satisfied with his Companyrsquos achievements Ato Melaku Beza CEO of NMiC replied ldquoNot much we could do betterrdquo

Nmic Products

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

ldquoA journey of a thousand miles starts with a single steprdquo

goes the famous Chinese saying as for Bauer MIDROC it

all started 10 years ago with the foundation work of the

construction of the MIDROC Corporate Office (MCO)

commonly known as Nani Building With a single project

at hand Bauer Specialtifbau a German Company ventured

into the slowly budding private construction industry

in equal partnership with MIDROC Ethiopia Although

a small scale business venture in the eyes of both giant

partners MIDROC Ethiopia and Bauer Specialtifbau it

created vast opportunities to the construction sector

with the introduction of a state-of-the-art German based

foundation technology to the Ethiopian market The

miniature move of the two giants opened up a gateway

of possibilities and marked a new construction era for

Ethiopia Over the years changes in shareholders has

led to the current name ldquoMIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plcrdquo with the state-of-the-art foundation solutions still in

place

Several limitations in dealing with unfavorable soil

conditions frequently encountered within Ethiopiarsquos

diverse geological formations most abundantly the

problematic black cotton soil within the city of Addis

Ababa and other parts of the country brought about

several technical barriers when it came to building

massive civil structures Building highrises as well as

massive bridges was inconceivable unless capable soil was

in close vicinity MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with

the introduction of deep foundations based on advanced

and efficient technologies in the construction industry

no doubt brought about remarkable solutions and helped

ease some of these anxieties

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with its fleets of large

diameter drilling rigs and variety of drilling tools capable of

both soil and hard soil formations has made economical

foundation solutions a reality offering developers the

confidence to build high rise buildings without worrying

about the type of soil in Addis Ababa The expertise of

Dedicated Backing for MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is gradually changing

the cityrsquos skyline with the construction of the completed

MCO Building AICAIB Headquarters and KK Building

both to be completed soon and all standing above 20

stories

Entering the city limits through the skyways one can notice

that the Bole Airport has received an entire facelift with

the construction of the International Passenger Terminal

Airport Control Towers the new Cargo Terminal and the

Maintenance Hanger The only thing these landmarks share

other than ownership is that they owe their existence to

foundation solutions of MIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plc As we enter the city limits also the Bole Viaduct

and all the overpasses on the Addis Ababa Ring Road are

comfortably resting still with the construction of the deep

piles by MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc

Drilling of pile with casing

 Tiret Sept 2008

Parallel to pile construction as verification of the

constructed pile capacities is common practice in the

foundation construction industry MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc equipped with the state-of-the-art

automated pile load testing system has recently conducted

1300 metric tons load test at the Derba MIDROC Cement

Factory Project the first of this magnitude in the African

Continent

The introduction of vertical shoring wall systems that

uses reinforced concrete piles and tie back anchors which

is gaining popularity in recent years is another type of

foundation technology solutions made possible in Ethiopia

through MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos expertise

Prior to these shoring system solutions land owners

could not fully utilize their plots at the boundaries for fear

of catastrophic cave-in In fact in most cases plot owners

avoided under ground construction in order to avoid

litigation with next door land owners The utilization of

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos vertical shoring pile

wall system was proposed and implemented in the cases

of Bole Towers and Loli Building In both cases all sides of

the plot were shored exactly at the boundaries without

any land loss In fact the clients gained underground spaces

in the order of two to three times their plot size for

possible parking purpose This has provided developers

with solutions clearing their lumbers from additional

costs for parking facilities

Pile load testing

In line with the construction boom within Addis Ababa

developers are opting to construct on boundary edges

where heavy structures already exist in adjacent plots

In order to excavate at these boundaries the safest and

most economical foundation solution system is shoring

pile wall system These systems were employed at Awash

Bank and Insurance Building KK Building and Orchid

Building

For realization of structures that have to be constructed

below the natural ground water level and or near offshore

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc has construction

approaches that employ waterproof vertical shoring

systems and several options to choose from within

the framework of technical feasibility of foundation

engineering The construction of Diaphragm Wall

Cellular Cofferdam Sheet Pile Wall and Secant

Pile Wall are such solutions to name a few The cost

of construction and the time required for executing the

works is in the order listed above

Anchored pile shoring wall

Foundation Solution

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the equipment already available in the country

MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc has tabled and

implemented an economical and technically feasible

secant pile wall system solution for bridge projects

within Ethiopia If it was not for MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plcrsquos geotechnical solutions construction under

such conditions would have been technically impossible

throughout East Africa

Unlike other options construction of secant pile wall as

waterproof vertical shoring system is not limited to the

soil condition of the site The construction of such high

tech geotechnical engineering solutions by the Company

have been successfully applied on projects like the Omo

River Bridge and on the New Abay Bridge Projects The

application of the secant pile wall system was used for the

construction of the pier foundation on both sides of the

Bridge on the Omo River Bridge Project and one side pier

foundation construction of the New Abay Bridge Project

During the construction of the Omo River Bridge

foundation and substructure works other logistic

challenges non-related to foundation works was

encountered The West Pier and Abutment on the Omo

River Bridge created such a technical impasse On this

side one of the most difficult challenges was to solve the

problem of crossing equipment and construction material

across the 150 m wide river After carefully considering all

the possible alternatives a decision was made to design and

manufacture a water crossing barge using local expertise

and manufacturing capabilities MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc took part in the design manufacturing and

commissioning of this barge and has successfully crossed

a 503 ton drilling rig and other earth moving equipment

With nearly twenty projects within Ethiopia MIDROC

Foundation Specialists Plc is a pioneer in exporting

foundation technology to neighboring Kenya Tanzania

and the Sudan In-house trained Ethiopian experts have

Crossing of drilling rig on Omo River through Barge

 Tiret Sept 2008

Secant pile wall

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Mr Achim Braun General Manager of MIDROC Foundation (left) inspecting a construction site

left their marks on several key projects within those

countries Among the projects successfully carried out in

Tanzania the Songo Songo Offshore Piling Project was the

most challenging and rewarding of all In this Project sixty

per cent of the piles were constructed from a SEWP (Self

Elevating Working Platform) elevated 13 meters from the

sea bed

As the company commemorates the tenth anniversary of

its establishment it is only proper to mark the outstanding

contributions to the construction industry of Ethiopia The

efficiency of the Company and the technology employed

has resulted in creating a broad awareness of foundation

technological solutions in the country particularly

among developers In terms of the spectrum of available

techniques of foundation the projects undertaken so

far are only a tip of the iceberg Although the Company

was confronted with a number of challenges in changing

attitudes and practices the success achieved so far has

been accomplished with great efforts exerted by the

companyrsquos management and its diligent professionals in

the field

Being the only Class I Foundation Specialist Contractors

in the country MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc is now

determined to leap ahead to new and yet un-introduced

foundation construction technologies such as micro 

piles  high  pressure  injection  diaphragm 

walls  slope  protection  and  soil  nailing  As

the countries infrastructure development continues to

reach higher levels MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is

preparing itself to meet the current customer demands

and technological challenges

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Statistics reveal that the country continues to earn hard currency from export of primary commodities such as coffee which tops the list by fetching some 500 million dollars last financial year

Other commodities are hides and skin flowers pulses fruits vegetables and chat

Incidentally it is interesting to note that Chat has fetched over 60 million dollars in foreign currency last fiscal year

The chewing of chat leaves is common in the horn of Africa but in eastern Ethiopia it is big business for some and big worry for others Chat is a major agricultural crop Yet many say it is addictive and harmful to health

In a town where I grew up for instance it is hard to avoid the impact of the stimulant leaf The first thing that strikes you in the main market is the deafening noise The market square is a scene of total chaos as you make your way through a bustling crowd preoccupied with the business of bartering for a prized commodity- the green leafed plant chat

Awadaye market is a market for chat It is estimated that over 25000 kg pass through it daily The buyers and sellers take their jobs seriously shouting to one other They gesture excitedly as they trade thousands of birr daily for the chat which is bought from the local farmers in Awadaye and sent to other areas in Ethiopia It is also exported overseas It is said to be the backbone of the economy as it can be gathered from the revenue it has generated during the current physical year

If you compare chat farmers with other farmers in other parts of the country you will see that their standard of living is so much better

The employment created though chat cultivation is very high as large numbers of people are involved in growing harvesting sorting packing transporting loading and unloading the commodity The wood of the plant is used for fuel and because of its resistance to termites it is also used to make fences Chat is also believed to have medical value being used locally to treat influenza and asthma

Chat farmers used to grow maize sorghum and teff which is the basic Ethiopian staple food but these crops are difficult to grow as they require lots of rain and attention

while chat requires little water or cultivation That is why it is widely believed that its cultivation is expanding at an amazing rate

Chat has now become Ethiopiarsquos biggest export third only to coffee and hides and skin But despite the cash earning and the tradition of chat growing and use among the people many people do not encourage it

They believe that it is addictive and this has a negative impact on the community They allege that people forget about their work commitments and spend hours chewing chat The number of users of chat is increasing particularly among the youth

In urban areas the use of chat combined with alcohol is having an adverse effect on family life Many students chew chat because they say it increases their concentration when they study their lessons

However in some regions where it is widely cultivated business punctuality is a frequent problem as the time after lunch is usually spent chewing chat Even in some regions where the plant has been banned cultivation and usage continue and attempts to replace chat with cash crops like coffee have failed

Regardless of the merit or demerit of chat the country continues to get the much needed hard currency through export of the plant ldquochatrdquo

However many people including development agents are of the opinion that the demerit far out weighs the merit for energy and time is spent chewing the stuff and particularly its negative impact on health especially on the productive force

Another very lucrative business in Ethiopia is the export of leather and leather goods According to recent data export of leather and leather goods registered a surge from 52 million dollars to over 90 million dollars Incidentally ELICO one of MIDROC Ethiopia group companies dealing with finished leather products fetched last financial year over 10 million dollars

In the light of considerable income accrued from export of primary commodities there is a need to do even more by way of establishing more agro-industries that engage in the production of agricultural products for sale locally and internationally

Earning from Export of Primary CommoditiesBy Yohannes Ruphael

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The Third Private Sector Development National Conference ndash 2008 of Ethiopia took place in Addis Ababa on June 30 2008 ndash at the UNECA Conference Center and the draft strategy document and priority strategic issues for improved business environment were discussed by representatives of the Private Sector Development Hub established with basic objectives of coordinating and developing a series of public sector development intervention projects for implementation with international financial support and undertaking related research studies to support the business community in its public and private partnership dialogue The Conference was addressed by an internationally renowned and distinguished authority on Corporate Governance Prof Mervyn E King SC

The Editorial Team of TIRET has taken advantage of communicating with Professor Mervyn E King SC to share his views briefly with our readers

Professor Mervyn E King SC is currently Professor Extraordinaire at the University of South Africa and serves as the Chairperson of the King Committee on Corporate Governance in South Africa He is a Senior Counsel and former Judge of the Supreme Court of South Africa His other credentials include Member of the World Bank Advisory Group on Corporate Governance President of the Commonwealth Association of Corporate Governance Governor of the International Corporate Governance Network President of the South Africa Chamber of Business Vice President of the Institute of Directors of Southern Africa Representatives of South Africa at the International Chamber of Commerce Advisor of Asian Center of Corporate Governance Director of Global Reporting Initiative-Amsterdam Director of Association of business Administrators of South Africa

At the Millennium National Private Sector Development Conference in Addis Ababa recently I spoke about corporate governance in the development of the private sector

Corporate governance is about the principles and practices which guide directors and senior managers in making their decisions to the best interests of their companies It has to be separated from the enterprise side of the business which is about making business judgment calls It is essential that directors and senior managers adopt acceptable principles and practices in steering and directing the company and making business judgment It is about the quality of this governance rather than a quantitative check on whether there has been compliance by the directors and managers with well-known governance practices such as the establishment of a remuneration committee

In my talk I pointed out that the economic value of a company does not equal its book value In Coca Cola for example its book value is approximately 13 of its economic value and its greatest asset is its brand which is dependent on

 Tiret Sept 2008

the companyrsquos reputation Consequentially directors and senior managers of Coca Cola have a duty to protect the companyrsquos brand

In planning for a company the strategic direction needs to be done both short- and long-term If a strategy is developed in which all persons in the corporation at all levels buy-in one can get ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things Unless this is done not even extraordinary people will achieve ordinary things

The important thing for directors to remember is that they have won and maintained the trust and confidence of the stakeholders of the company Consequently they should report at least annually how the company has both positively and negatively affected a communityrsquos economic life through its operations and how it is going to enhance those positive aspects and eradicate or ameliorate the negative aspects in the year ahead

Good governance involves inter alia the approval by the board of the strategy of the company and sustainability can no longer be ignored in developing a long-term strategy

The Private Sector Development Hub (PSD-Hub) has the objective to contribute to the economic development of Ethiopia by improving the entrepreneurial environment and the governance of corporations Consequently the PSD-Hub has held Conferences over the last two years focusing on these issues and on the question of public private partnerships There has also been discussion about expediting the registration of companies the standardization of accounting and auditing capitalization and the finalization of the revision of the Ethiopian Commercial Code Corporate governance has featured prominently in these discussions

Arising out of all the modernization of the registration of companies in Ethiopia has been recognized as a priority

Accounting and auditing standards which should follow IFRS should have legal backing so that everyone in Ethiopia will know the meaning of the reported financial statements

The development of a securities market including an exchange in which not only equities but bonds and derivatives can be bought and sold with the dematerialisation of scrip and electronic settlement is essential

From the above it will be seen that there is much to be done but Ethiopia is striving through the PSD Hub to create platforms on which it can forge ahead in our flat electronic world where capital flows towards those areas where there is good governance and well-regulated markets The Conference at which I spoke was just another step in Ethiopiarsquos endeavours to achieve these goals Positively the essential aspects for creating an entrepreneurial and thriving business environment have been identified and PSD Hub the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other interested bodies are working in partnership with government to achieve them

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Itrsquos a ridiculous

l a n g u a g e rdquo

sputtered the

Englishman at

the next table

his jowls shaking

in anger ldquoA ridiculous languagerdquo

We were sitting in a tiny tea-and-pie shop in Criccieth a

town in northern Wales and everybody but us was speaking

Welsh Like a remarkable number of his countrymen this

man was convinced it was merely a secret code employed

by the local to talk behind the backs of English visitors

ldquoJust you watchrdquo he said ldquoAs soon as we leave theyrsquoll all

go back to speaking Englishrdquo

I rather doubted it And unlike the Englishman I was

thrilled to encounter one of the oldest languages in

Europe a tongue heard in this misty and mountainous

land since the arrival of Roman legions

Being surrounded by people speaking an unfamiliar and

exotic language is to me one of the best things about

travel Just as some people will journey to the Serengeti

to glimpse the rare and endangered white rhino Irsquoll happily

go far out of my way to hear a rare and endangered

language

In the storybook city of Carcassonne in southwest France

I was less thrilled at seeing the towers and turrets than

I was at meeting a man who could speak Occitan the

ancient and fast-vanishing language of the troubadours

As far as I was concerned the most fascinating thing in

Dangriga a coastal town in Belize was the mellifluous

sound of Garifuna a language spoken by the descendants

of shipwrecked slaves from West Africa I once traveled

to Graubunden in eastern Switzerland in the hope of

hearing Romansch a tongue spoken by fewer than one

percent of the nationrsquos residents and said to resemble

Latin I encountered a few signs in the language but no

one who could speak it

According to one oft-cited estimate at least half the

worldrsquos 6000 languages are likely to die out by the end

of this century which means that one is going silent on

average every two weeks

Itrsquos not merely a matter of using different words to express the same thoughts Languages are literally the expressions of cultures and belief systems entirely different ways of making sense of the world And just as we should be concerned about the shrinking diversity of plant and animal species we should also worry about the shrinking diversity of languages

Welsh though seems to be holding on despite 700 years

of efforts by the English to exterminate it The BBC has for

some years now carried television and radio programming

in the language and in Wales itrsquos possible to receive your

entire education from preschool to postgraduate in

Welsh About 20 percent of Walesrsquo population speaks

Welsh and the number appears to be growing slightly

It is not as the Englishman said a ridiculous language But

it is to my eyes and ears a wonderfully strange one Dave

Barry once wrote that the ancient Hawaiians arrived on

their islands after perilous canoe voyages in seas so rough

their consonants fell overboard My guess is that the

letters drifted the worldrsquos oceans until they washed up on

the shores of Wales

T h e   B e a u t y   o f   a   L a n g u a g e

 Tiret Sept 2008

How else to explain for example the Welsh word for

beer Itrsquos cwrw It looks like my Scrabble tray when I

donrsquot have a word to pay (In case you ever need to order

one itrsquos pronounced ldquokooroordquo)

And then therersquos the vexing pronunciation of the double-

1 you find at the beginning of it seems two-thirds of the

town names in Wales ldquoJust put your teeth together and

hiss like a duckrdquo explained a helpful woman I met at the

Dylan Thomas Museum in Swansea She also pointed out

that Llareggub the fictional town in Thomasrsquo ldquoUnder the

Milkwood Treerdquo is merely ldquobugger allrdquo spelled backward

I like the besotted poet a whole lot more after learning

that

One dark and drizzly night I went to a little schoolhouse in

the Rhondda Valley to listen to a rehearsal of the Treorchy

Menrsquos Choir made up mostly of unemployed coal miners

ldquoIn the old daysrdquo one of them told me ldquowe used to sing

together in the pitsrdquo

When they opened their mouths to sing as one in Welsh

all the snarky little comments about their language become

moot It was simply one of the most hauntingly beautiful

sounds Irsquove even heard

I got a lesson in the politics of minority languages recently

when I visited Montreal the capital of French ndash speaking

Canada I hadnrsquot been there since a childhood visit to

Exporsquo67 and I remember the province as decidedly

bilingual Everything from traffic signs to toothpaste

tubes was printed in French and English No more A

law passed in 1977 banned the use of English in signs

throughout Quebec Itrsquos an attempt to do linguistically

what they failed for two centuries to do militarily prevent

the English from conquering them

Theyrsquore quite serious about this Hudson Bay Co the

venerable department store chain that dates back to the

fur-trading days is now known as Compagnie de la Baie

drsquoHudson at least in these parts Kentucky Fried Chicken

outlets arenrsquot allowed to use ldquoKFCrdquo on their signs In

Quebec theyrsquore called ldquoPFKrdquo for Poulet Frit Kentucky

The Quebecois are more vigilant even than their famously

Anglophobic counterparts in Paris All stop signs here say

Arret even though the ones in France say ldquoStoprdquo

It all seemed a little silly and excessive to me until I began

talking to French-speaking Montrealers about it ldquoYou

have to understand that wersquore surrounded by English

speakersrdquo a schoolteacher told me ldquoWe have to be very

firm about defending our language or it will disappear

And when it goes so does our way of life

Signs aside most French Canadians I met were bilingual

I quickly discovered that if I first made atleast a fumbling

attempt to speak their language almost everybody was

happy to switch to English ndash very possibly to spare

themselves the trauma of hearing my phrase-book

French which sounds like someone grinding the gears

of an old Citroen ldquoWe have nothing against Englishrdquo the

schoolteacher told me ldquoItrsquos just that we want to speak

French hererdquo

Vive la differenceJohn Flinn -Travel Editor

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Scale up of HIV Prevention Treatment Care and Support Requires Renewed Leadership and Resources

The 17th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) took place in Mexico City from August 3 -8 2008 with an assessment of the situation of the global epidemic at a panel of researchers public health and civil society leaders examined recent progress towards the scale up of treatment and prevention programmes and called for sustained action to eliminate the barriers to universal access

ldquoDespite the progress we have made we are not on course to meet universal access targets and in fact appear to be slipping away from our existing commitmentsrdquo said Dr Pedro Cahn International Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and President of the International AIDS Society and Fundacioacuten Hueacutesped in Buenos Aires Argentina ldquoIt appears that we are poised to accept defeat when victory is still within our grasp Our failure to meet those commitments will have an impact on millions of lives This cannot be allowed to happen It is time for nations to live up to their commitmentsrdquo

ldquoWith only two years to go until the 2010 deadline for universal access set by world leaders we must redouble our commitment to scaling up all proven HIV prevention strategiesrdquo said Dr Luiacutes Soto Ramiacuterez Local Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and Head of the Molecular Virology Unit at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Meacutedicas y Nutricioacuten Salvador Zubiriaacuten and Coordinator of the Clinical Care Committee of CONASIDA Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council ldquoThe fact that last year 27 million people were newly infected with HIV a disease that is entirely preventable is unacceptablerdquo

Dr Jaime Sepulveda (Mexico) founder of Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council who is now with the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation noted that attention to and resources for AIDS are at all-time high including substantially increased funding for the Global Fund and the US Presidentrsquos Emergency Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief According to Sepulveda reaching the goal of 3 million people in low and middle-income countries on treatment at the end of 2007 was a critical step forward but the world has only scratched the surface of possibilities in responding to the epidemic Greater resources more effectively spent and targeted where they can have the greatest effect would have a dramatic impact on the course of the epidemicrsquos Highlighting the fact that more people become infected

with HIV last year than began treatment Sepulveda called for radically increased investments in prevention research evaluation and delivery of services as well as accelerated research on promising prevention methods including a vaccine In conclusion he reiterated that political leadership from all countries and accountability at all levels are essential for stopping the epidemic

Citing the results in both treatment and prevention scale up in countries with sustained leadership such as Rwanda and Tanzania Alex Coutinho (Uganda) of the Infectious Disease Institute of Makerere University made a passionate call for greater leadership as a path toward meeting the challenges ahead In looking at progress to date Coutinho highlighted increased access to HIV testing and counseling to prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and to pediatric care and treatment as well as the effectiveness of male circumcision as a prevention intervention In contrast he noted that most countries will not achieve universal access by 2010 and that the majority of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are still unaware of their HIV status In his call to action Coutinho urged greater investment in prevention and financial resources flexible enough to support health systems and systems that reach into rural and other hard-to-reach areas and fully embrace PLHIV as partners He also urged outreach to and support of marginalized and at-risk communities as well as the greater involvement of PLHIV as a catalyst for change

Elisabet Fadul (Dominican Republic) of the Dominican Network for Youth RightsGlobal Youth Partners outlined a broad and urgent youth HIVAIDS agenda calling for comprehensive rights ndash and evidence-based plans to provide access for young people Highlighting the 40 of new infections worldwide among young people between the ages of 15-24 Fadul noted that HIV prevention and treatment programmes are failing to effectively reach young people with the most vulnerable and marginalized being stigmatized criminalized or forgotten by many of these programmes

To reverse this course she called for actions and policies that engage youth especially young people living with HIVAIDS as respected partners in developing and implementing programmes that forthrightly address their

needs and diversity

 Tiret Sept 2008

NMiC holds 40 of the local market share in the construction industry Lots of buildings have been cladded by NMiCrsquos products The Sheraton Addis Bole International Airport Terminal Sunshine Multipurpose Building National Bank of Ethiopia Federal Police Headquarters AUrsquos Building Head Office and the Secretary Generalrsquos Residence Ethiopian Insurance Corporation Worbek Building the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Patriarchrsquos Palace and UNCA Building are some the major buildings in Addis Ababa which are finished with NMiCrsquos products

National Mining Corporation Plc is one of the competent companies in Ethiopia and has contributed to the economy of the country by way of generating hard currency from its exports and saving foreign currency by competing and blocking imports of dimension stones from abroad One word it has added to the Ethiopian economy an amount of over Birr 5000000000 (fifty million) in tax royalties and land rent

NMiC has made valuable studies on the mineral potential areas of the country in dimension stones oil and gas mineral water coal and industrial minerals It has also made sound participation in the employment and training of manpower to the mining sector and has encouraged foreign investors to be involved in exploration of oil and gas and other minerals NMiC provides free training in its quarries and processing plant to new local enterprises coming to the sector The company provides potable water electricity medical services and other financial assistance to the community of its mining areas and has set up HIVAIDS policy for the Company to curb the spread of the pandemic and provides care and support for

those living with the virus

Tunnel Jet Belt Quarrying the latest technology in use at the Eshet Blue Quarry

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

a) Finalizing the work on the exploration phase of the gold and base metals projects both at Dawa Digati and Werri which shall lead to feasibility study and production stage

b) Developing Eshet Blue and Boka Multicolor marble quarries and strengthen export to increase income of foreign currency

c) Supplying blocks to local factories

d) Replacement of machinery at Awash Processing Plant especially to boost production and quality

e) Improve the life of the working force through profit sharing and availing better facilities together with upgrading their knowledge through training

f) Implement the Soda Ash development project

The priority areas of NMiC in its future plan include among others

Asked finally if he was satisfied with his Companyrsquos achievements Ato Melaku Beza CEO of NMiC replied ldquoNot much we could do betterrdquo

Nmic Products

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

ldquoA journey of a thousand miles starts with a single steprdquo

goes the famous Chinese saying as for Bauer MIDROC it

all started 10 years ago with the foundation work of the

construction of the MIDROC Corporate Office (MCO)

commonly known as Nani Building With a single project

at hand Bauer Specialtifbau a German Company ventured

into the slowly budding private construction industry

in equal partnership with MIDROC Ethiopia Although

a small scale business venture in the eyes of both giant

partners MIDROC Ethiopia and Bauer Specialtifbau it

created vast opportunities to the construction sector

with the introduction of a state-of-the-art German based

foundation technology to the Ethiopian market The

miniature move of the two giants opened up a gateway

of possibilities and marked a new construction era for

Ethiopia Over the years changes in shareholders has

led to the current name ldquoMIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plcrdquo with the state-of-the-art foundation solutions still in

place

Several limitations in dealing with unfavorable soil

conditions frequently encountered within Ethiopiarsquos

diverse geological formations most abundantly the

problematic black cotton soil within the city of Addis

Ababa and other parts of the country brought about

several technical barriers when it came to building

massive civil structures Building highrises as well as

massive bridges was inconceivable unless capable soil was

in close vicinity MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with

the introduction of deep foundations based on advanced

and efficient technologies in the construction industry

no doubt brought about remarkable solutions and helped

ease some of these anxieties

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with its fleets of large

diameter drilling rigs and variety of drilling tools capable of

both soil and hard soil formations has made economical

foundation solutions a reality offering developers the

confidence to build high rise buildings without worrying

about the type of soil in Addis Ababa The expertise of

Dedicated Backing for MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is gradually changing

the cityrsquos skyline with the construction of the completed

MCO Building AICAIB Headquarters and KK Building

both to be completed soon and all standing above 20

stories

Entering the city limits through the skyways one can notice

that the Bole Airport has received an entire facelift with

the construction of the International Passenger Terminal

Airport Control Towers the new Cargo Terminal and the

Maintenance Hanger The only thing these landmarks share

other than ownership is that they owe their existence to

foundation solutions of MIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plc As we enter the city limits also the Bole Viaduct

and all the overpasses on the Addis Ababa Ring Road are

comfortably resting still with the construction of the deep

piles by MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc

Drilling of pile with casing

 Tiret Sept 2008

Parallel to pile construction as verification of the

constructed pile capacities is common practice in the

foundation construction industry MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc equipped with the state-of-the-art

automated pile load testing system has recently conducted

1300 metric tons load test at the Derba MIDROC Cement

Factory Project the first of this magnitude in the African

Continent

The introduction of vertical shoring wall systems that

uses reinforced concrete piles and tie back anchors which

is gaining popularity in recent years is another type of

foundation technology solutions made possible in Ethiopia

through MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos expertise

Prior to these shoring system solutions land owners

could not fully utilize their plots at the boundaries for fear

of catastrophic cave-in In fact in most cases plot owners

avoided under ground construction in order to avoid

litigation with next door land owners The utilization of

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos vertical shoring pile

wall system was proposed and implemented in the cases

of Bole Towers and Loli Building In both cases all sides of

the plot were shored exactly at the boundaries without

any land loss In fact the clients gained underground spaces

in the order of two to three times their plot size for

possible parking purpose This has provided developers

with solutions clearing their lumbers from additional

costs for parking facilities

Pile load testing

In line with the construction boom within Addis Ababa

developers are opting to construct on boundary edges

where heavy structures already exist in adjacent plots

In order to excavate at these boundaries the safest and

most economical foundation solution system is shoring

pile wall system These systems were employed at Awash

Bank and Insurance Building KK Building and Orchid

Building

For realization of structures that have to be constructed

below the natural ground water level and or near offshore

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc has construction

approaches that employ waterproof vertical shoring

systems and several options to choose from within

the framework of technical feasibility of foundation

engineering The construction of Diaphragm Wall

Cellular Cofferdam Sheet Pile Wall and Secant

Pile Wall are such solutions to name a few The cost

of construction and the time required for executing the

works is in the order listed above

Anchored pile shoring wall

Foundation Solution

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the equipment already available in the country

MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc has tabled and

implemented an economical and technically feasible

secant pile wall system solution for bridge projects

within Ethiopia If it was not for MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plcrsquos geotechnical solutions construction under

such conditions would have been technically impossible

throughout East Africa

Unlike other options construction of secant pile wall as

waterproof vertical shoring system is not limited to the

soil condition of the site The construction of such high

tech geotechnical engineering solutions by the Company

have been successfully applied on projects like the Omo

River Bridge and on the New Abay Bridge Projects The

application of the secant pile wall system was used for the

construction of the pier foundation on both sides of the

Bridge on the Omo River Bridge Project and one side pier

foundation construction of the New Abay Bridge Project

During the construction of the Omo River Bridge

foundation and substructure works other logistic

challenges non-related to foundation works was

encountered The West Pier and Abutment on the Omo

River Bridge created such a technical impasse On this

side one of the most difficult challenges was to solve the

problem of crossing equipment and construction material

across the 150 m wide river After carefully considering all

the possible alternatives a decision was made to design and

manufacture a water crossing barge using local expertise

and manufacturing capabilities MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc took part in the design manufacturing and

commissioning of this barge and has successfully crossed

a 503 ton drilling rig and other earth moving equipment

With nearly twenty projects within Ethiopia MIDROC

Foundation Specialists Plc is a pioneer in exporting

foundation technology to neighboring Kenya Tanzania

and the Sudan In-house trained Ethiopian experts have

Crossing of drilling rig on Omo River through Barge

 Tiret Sept 2008

Secant pile wall

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Mr Achim Braun General Manager of MIDROC Foundation (left) inspecting a construction site

left their marks on several key projects within those

countries Among the projects successfully carried out in

Tanzania the Songo Songo Offshore Piling Project was the

most challenging and rewarding of all In this Project sixty

per cent of the piles were constructed from a SEWP (Self

Elevating Working Platform) elevated 13 meters from the

sea bed

As the company commemorates the tenth anniversary of

its establishment it is only proper to mark the outstanding

contributions to the construction industry of Ethiopia The

efficiency of the Company and the technology employed

has resulted in creating a broad awareness of foundation

technological solutions in the country particularly

among developers In terms of the spectrum of available

techniques of foundation the projects undertaken so

far are only a tip of the iceberg Although the Company

was confronted with a number of challenges in changing

attitudes and practices the success achieved so far has

been accomplished with great efforts exerted by the

companyrsquos management and its diligent professionals in

the field

Being the only Class I Foundation Specialist Contractors

in the country MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc is now

determined to leap ahead to new and yet un-introduced

foundation construction technologies such as micro 

piles  high  pressure  injection  diaphragm 

walls  slope  protection  and  soil  nailing  As

the countries infrastructure development continues to

reach higher levels MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is

preparing itself to meet the current customer demands

and technological challenges

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Statistics reveal that the country continues to earn hard currency from export of primary commodities such as coffee which tops the list by fetching some 500 million dollars last financial year

Other commodities are hides and skin flowers pulses fruits vegetables and chat

Incidentally it is interesting to note that Chat has fetched over 60 million dollars in foreign currency last fiscal year

The chewing of chat leaves is common in the horn of Africa but in eastern Ethiopia it is big business for some and big worry for others Chat is a major agricultural crop Yet many say it is addictive and harmful to health

In a town where I grew up for instance it is hard to avoid the impact of the stimulant leaf The first thing that strikes you in the main market is the deafening noise The market square is a scene of total chaos as you make your way through a bustling crowd preoccupied with the business of bartering for a prized commodity- the green leafed plant chat

Awadaye market is a market for chat It is estimated that over 25000 kg pass through it daily The buyers and sellers take their jobs seriously shouting to one other They gesture excitedly as they trade thousands of birr daily for the chat which is bought from the local farmers in Awadaye and sent to other areas in Ethiopia It is also exported overseas It is said to be the backbone of the economy as it can be gathered from the revenue it has generated during the current physical year

If you compare chat farmers with other farmers in other parts of the country you will see that their standard of living is so much better

The employment created though chat cultivation is very high as large numbers of people are involved in growing harvesting sorting packing transporting loading and unloading the commodity The wood of the plant is used for fuel and because of its resistance to termites it is also used to make fences Chat is also believed to have medical value being used locally to treat influenza and asthma

Chat farmers used to grow maize sorghum and teff which is the basic Ethiopian staple food but these crops are difficult to grow as they require lots of rain and attention

while chat requires little water or cultivation That is why it is widely believed that its cultivation is expanding at an amazing rate

Chat has now become Ethiopiarsquos biggest export third only to coffee and hides and skin But despite the cash earning and the tradition of chat growing and use among the people many people do not encourage it

They believe that it is addictive and this has a negative impact on the community They allege that people forget about their work commitments and spend hours chewing chat The number of users of chat is increasing particularly among the youth

In urban areas the use of chat combined with alcohol is having an adverse effect on family life Many students chew chat because they say it increases their concentration when they study their lessons

However in some regions where it is widely cultivated business punctuality is a frequent problem as the time after lunch is usually spent chewing chat Even in some regions where the plant has been banned cultivation and usage continue and attempts to replace chat with cash crops like coffee have failed

Regardless of the merit or demerit of chat the country continues to get the much needed hard currency through export of the plant ldquochatrdquo

However many people including development agents are of the opinion that the demerit far out weighs the merit for energy and time is spent chewing the stuff and particularly its negative impact on health especially on the productive force

Another very lucrative business in Ethiopia is the export of leather and leather goods According to recent data export of leather and leather goods registered a surge from 52 million dollars to over 90 million dollars Incidentally ELICO one of MIDROC Ethiopia group companies dealing with finished leather products fetched last financial year over 10 million dollars

In the light of considerable income accrued from export of primary commodities there is a need to do even more by way of establishing more agro-industries that engage in the production of agricultural products for sale locally and internationally

Earning from Export of Primary CommoditiesBy Yohannes Ruphael

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The Third Private Sector Development National Conference ndash 2008 of Ethiopia took place in Addis Ababa on June 30 2008 ndash at the UNECA Conference Center and the draft strategy document and priority strategic issues for improved business environment were discussed by representatives of the Private Sector Development Hub established with basic objectives of coordinating and developing a series of public sector development intervention projects for implementation with international financial support and undertaking related research studies to support the business community in its public and private partnership dialogue The Conference was addressed by an internationally renowned and distinguished authority on Corporate Governance Prof Mervyn E King SC

The Editorial Team of TIRET has taken advantage of communicating with Professor Mervyn E King SC to share his views briefly with our readers

Professor Mervyn E King SC is currently Professor Extraordinaire at the University of South Africa and serves as the Chairperson of the King Committee on Corporate Governance in South Africa He is a Senior Counsel and former Judge of the Supreme Court of South Africa His other credentials include Member of the World Bank Advisory Group on Corporate Governance President of the Commonwealth Association of Corporate Governance Governor of the International Corporate Governance Network President of the South Africa Chamber of Business Vice President of the Institute of Directors of Southern Africa Representatives of South Africa at the International Chamber of Commerce Advisor of Asian Center of Corporate Governance Director of Global Reporting Initiative-Amsterdam Director of Association of business Administrators of South Africa

At the Millennium National Private Sector Development Conference in Addis Ababa recently I spoke about corporate governance in the development of the private sector

Corporate governance is about the principles and practices which guide directors and senior managers in making their decisions to the best interests of their companies It has to be separated from the enterprise side of the business which is about making business judgment calls It is essential that directors and senior managers adopt acceptable principles and practices in steering and directing the company and making business judgment It is about the quality of this governance rather than a quantitative check on whether there has been compliance by the directors and managers with well-known governance practices such as the establishment of a remuneration committee

In my talk I pointed out that the economic value of a company does not equal its book value In Coca Cola for example its book value is approximately 13 of its economic value and its greatest asset is its brand which is dependent on

 Tiret Sept 2008

the companyrsquos reputation Consequentially directors and senior managers of Coca Cola have a duty to protect the companyrsquos brand

In planning for a company the strategic direction needs to be done both short- and long-term If a strategy is developed in which all persons in the corporation at all levels buy-in one can get ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things Unless this is done not even extraordinary people will achieve ordinary things

The important thing for directors to remember is that they have won and maintained the trust and confidence of the stakeholders of the company Consequently they should report at least annually how the company has both positively and negatively affected a communityrsquos economic life through its operations and how it is going to enhance those positive aspects and eradicate or ameliorate the negative aspects in the year ahead

Good governance involves inter alia the approval by the board of the strategy of the company and sustainability can no longer be ignored in developing a long-term strategy

The Private Sector Development Hub (PSD-Hub) has the objective to contribute to the economic development of Ethiopia by improving the entrepreneurial environment and the governance of corporations Consequently the PSD-Hub has held Conferences over the last two years focusing on these issues and on the question of public private partnerships There has also been discussion about expediting the registration of companies the standardization of accounting and auditing capitalization and the finalization of the revision of the Ethiopian Commercial Code Corporate governance has featured prominently in these discussions

Arising out of all the modernization of the registration of companies in Ethiopia has been recognized as a priority

Accounting and auditing standards which should follow IFRS should have legal backing so that everyone in Ethiopia will know the meaning of the reported financial statements

The development of a securities market including an exchange in which not only equities but bonds and derivatives can be bought and sold with the dematerialisation of scrip and electronic settlement is essential

From the above it will be seen that there is much to be done but Ethiopia is striving through the PSD Hub to create platforms on which it can forge ahead in our flat electronic world where capital flows towards those areas where there is good governance and well-regulated markets The Conference at which I spoke was just another step in Ethiopiarsquos endeavours to achieve these goals Positively the essential aspects for creating an entrepreneurial and thriving business environment have been identified and PSD Hub the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other interested bodies are working in partnership with government to achieve them

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Itrsquos a ridiculous

l a n g u a g e rdquo

sputtered the

Englishman at

the next table

his jowls shaking

in anger ldquoA ridiculous languagerdquo

We were sitting in a tiny tea-and-pie shop in Criccieth a

town in northern Wales and everybody but us was speaking

Welsh Like a remarkable number of his countrymen this

man was convinced it was merely a secret code employed

by the local to talk behind the backs of English visitors

ldquoJust you watchrdquo he said ldquoAs soon as we leave theyrsquoll all

go back to speaking Englishrdquo

I rather doubted it And unlike the Englishman I was

thrilled to encounter one of the oldest languages in

Europe a tongue heard in this misty and mountainous

land since the arrival of Roman legions

Being surrounded by people speaking an unfamiliar and

exotic language is to me one of the best things about

travel Just as some people will journey to the Serengeti

to glimpse the rare and endangered white rhino Irsquoll happily

go far out of my way to hear a rare and endangered

language

In the storybook city of Carcassonne in southwest France

I was less thrilled at seeing the towers and turrets than

I was at meeting a man who could speak Occitan the

ancient and fast-vanishing language of the troubadours

As far as I was concerned the most fascinating thing in

Dangriga a coastal town in Belize was the mellifluous

sound of Garifuna a language spoken by the descendants

of shipwrecked slaves from West Africa I once traveled

to Graubunden in eastern Switzerland in the hope of

hearing Romansch a tongue spoken by fewer than one

percent of the nationrsquos residents and said to resemble

Latin I encountered a few signs in the language but no

one who could speak it

According to one oft-cited estimate at least half the

worldrsquos 6000 languages are likely to die out by the end

of this century which means that one is going silent on

average every two weeks

Itrsquos not merely a matter of using different words to express the same thoughts Languages are literally the expressions of cultures and belief systems entirely different ways of making sense of the world And just as we should be concerned about the shrinking diversity of plant and animal species we should also worry about the shrinking diversity of languages

Welsh though seems to be holding on despite 700 years

of efforts by the English to exterminate it The BBC has for

some years now carried television and radio programming

in the language and in Wales itrsquos possible to receive your

entire education from preschool to postgraduate in

Welsh About 20 percent of Walesrsquo population speaks

Welsh and the number appears to be growing slightly

It is not as the Englishman said a ridiculous language But

it is to my eyes and ears a wonderfully strange one Dave

Barry once wrote that the ancient Hawaiians arrived on

their islands after perilous canoe voyages in seas so rough

their consonants fell overboard My guess is that the

letters drifted the worldrsquos oceans until they washed up on

the shores of Wales

T h e   B e a u t y   o f   a   L a n g u a g e

 Tiret Sept 2008

How else to explain for example the Welsh word for

beer Itrsquos cwrw It looks like my Scrabble tray when I

donrsquot have a word to pay (In case you ever need to order

one itrsquos pronounced ldquokooroordquo)

And then therersquos the vexing pronunciation of the double-

1 you find at the beginning of it seems two-thirds of the

town names in Wales ldquoJust put your teeth together and

hiss like a duckrdquo explained a helpful woman I met at the

Dylan Thomas Museum in Swansea She also pointed out

that Llareggub the fictional town in Thomasrsquo ldquoUnder the

Milkwood Treerdquo is merely ldquobugger allrdquo spelled backward

I like the besotted poet a whole lot more after learning

that

One dark and drizzly night I went to a little schoolhouse in

the Rhondda Valley to listen to a rehearsal of the Treorchy

Menrsquos Choir made up mostly of unemployed coal miners

ldquoIn the old daysrdquo one of them told me ldquowe used to sing

together in the pitsrdquo

When they opened their mouths to sing as one in Welsh

all the snarky little comments about their language become

moot It was simply one of the most hauntingly beautiful

sounds Irsquove even heard

I got a lesson in the politics of minority languages recently

when I visited Montreal the capital of French ndash speaking

Canada I hadnrsquot been there since a childhood visit to

Exporsquo67 and I remember the province as decidedly

bilingual Everything from traffic signs to toothpaste

tubes was printed in French and English No more A

law passed in 1977 banned the use of English in signs

throughout Quebec Itrsquos an attempt to do linguistically

what they failed for two centuries to do militarily prevent

the English from conquering them

Theyrsquore quite serious about this Hudson Bay Co the

venerable department store chain that dates back to the

fur-trading days is now known as Compagnie de la Baie

drsquoHudson at least in these parts Kentucky Fried Chicken

outlets arenrsquot allowed to use ldquoKFCrdquo on their signs In

Quebec theyrsquore called ldquoPFKrdquo for Poulet Frit Kentucky

The Quebecois are more vigilant even than their famously

Anglophobic counterparts in Paris All stop signs here say

Arret even though the ones in France say ldquoStoprdquo

It all seemed a little silly and excessive to me until I began

talking to French-speaking Montrealers about it ldquoYou

have to understand that wersquore surrounded by English

speakersrdquo a schoolteacher told me ldquoWe have to be very

firm about defending our language or it will disappear

And when it goes so does our way of life

Signs aside most French Canadians I met were bilingual

I quickly discovered that if I first made atleast a fumbling

attempt to speak their language almost everybody was

happy to switch to English ndash very possibly to spare

themselves the trauma of hearing my phrase-book

French which sounds like someone grinding the gears

of an old Citroen ldquoWe have nothing against Englishrdquo the

schoolteacher told me ldquoItrsquos just that we want to speak

French hererdquo

Vive la differenceJohn Flinn -Travel Editor

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Scale up of HIV Prevention Treatment Care and Support Requires Renewed Leadership and Resources

The 17th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) took place in Mexico City from August 3 -8 2008 with an assessment of the situation of the global epidemic at a panel of researchers public health and civil society leaders examined recent progress towards the scale up of treatment and prevention programmes and called for sustained action to eliminate the barriers to universal access

ldquoDespite the progress we have made we are not on course to meet universal access targets and in fact appear to be slipping away from our existing commitmentsrdquo said Dr Pedro Cahn International Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and President of the International AIDS Society and Fundacioacuten Hueacutesped in Buenos Aires Argentina ldquoIt appears that we are poised to accept defeat when victory is still within our grasp Our failure to meet those commitments will have an impact on millions of lives This cannot be allowed to happen It is time for nations to live up to their commitmentsrdquo

ldquoWith only two years to go until the 2010 deadline for universal access set by world leaders we must redouble our commitment to scaling up all proven HIV prevention strategiesrdquo said Dr Luiacutes Soto Ramiacuterez Local Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and Head of the Molecular Virology Unit at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Meacutedicas y Nutricioacuten Salvador Zubiriaacuten and Coordinator of the Clinical Care Committee of CONASIDA Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council ldquoThe fact that last year 27 million people were newly infected with HIV a disease that is entirely preventable is unacceptablerdquo

Dr Jaime Sepulveda (Mexico) founder of Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council who is now with the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation noted that attention to and resources for AIDS are at all-time high including substantially increased funding for the Global Fund and the US Presidentrsquos Emergency Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief According to Sepulveda reaching the goal of 3 million people in low and middle-income countries on treatment at the end of 2007 was a critical step forward but the world has only scratched the surface of possibilities in responding to the epidemic Greater resources more effectively spent and targeted where they can have the greatest effect would have a dramatic impact on the course of the epidemicrsquos Highlighting the fact that more people become infected

with HIV last year than began treatment Sepulveda called for radically increased investments in prevention research evaluation and delivery of services as well as accelerated research on promising prevention methods including a vaccine In conclusion he reiterated that political leadership from all countries and accountability at all levels are essential for stopping the epidemic

Citing the results in both treatment and prevention scale up in countries with sustained leadership such as Rwanda and Tanzania Alex Coutinho (Uganda) of the Infectious Disease Institute of Makerere University made a passionate call for greater leadership as a path toward meeting the challenges ahead In looking at progress to date Coutinho highlighted increased access to HIV testing and counseling to prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and to pediatric care and treatment as well as the effectiveness of male circumcision as a prevention intervention In contrast he noted that most countries will not achieve universal access by 2010 and that the majority of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are still unaware of their HIV status In his call to action Coutinho urged greater investment in prevention and financial resources flexible enough to support health systems and systems that reach into rural and other hard-to-reach areas and fully embrace PLHIV as partners He also urged outreach to and support of marginalized and at-risk communities as well as the greater involvement of PLHIV as a catalyst for change

Elisabet Fadul (Dominican Republic) of the Dominican Network for Youth RightsGlobal Youth Partners outlined a broad and urgent youth HIVAIDS agenda calling for comprehensive rights ndash and evidence-based plans to provide access for young people Highlighting the 40 of new infections worldwide among young people between the ages of 15-24 Fadul noted that HIV prevention and treatment programmes are failing to effectively reach young people with the most vulnerable and marginalized being stigmatized criminalized or forgotten by many of these programmes

To reverse this course she called for actions and policies that engage youth especially young people living with HIVAIDS as respected partners in developing and implementing programmes that forthrightly address their

needs and diversity

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

a) Finalizing the work on the exploration phase of the gold and base metals projects both at Dawa Digati and Werri which shall lead to feasibility study and production stage

b) Developing Eshet Blue and Boka Multicolor marble quarries and strengthen export to increase income of foreign currency

c) Supplying blocks to local factories

d) Replacement of machinery at Awash Processing Plant especially to boost production and quality

e) Improve the life of the working force through profit sharing and availing better facilities together with upgrading their knowledge through training

f) Implement the Soda Ash development project

The priority areas of NMiC in its future plan include among others

Asked finally if he was satisfied with his Companyrsquos achievements Ato Melaku Beza CEO of NMiC replied ldquoNot much we could do betterrdquo

Nmic Products

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

ldquoA journey of a thousand miles starts with a single steprdquo

goes the famous Chinese saying as for Bauer MIDROC it

all started 10 years ago with the foundation work of the

construction of the MIDROC Corporate Office (MCO)

commonly known as Nani Building With a single project

at hand Bauer Specialtifbau a German Company ventured

into the slowly budding private construction industry

in equal partnership with MIDROC Ethiopia Although

a small scale business venture in the eyes of both giant

partners MIDROC Ethiopia and Bauer Specialtifbau it

created vast opportunities to the construction sector

with the introduction of a state-of-the-art German based

foundation technology to the Ethiopian market The

miniature move of the two giants opened up a gateway

of possibilities and marked a new construction era for

Ethiopia Over the years changes in shareholders has

led to the current name ldquoMIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plcrdquo with the state-of-the-art foundation solutions still in

place

Several limitations in dealing with unfavorable soil

conditions frequently encountered within Ethiopiarsquos

diverse geological formations most abundantly the

problematic black cotton soil within the city of Addis

Ababa and other parts of the country brought about

several technical barriers when it came to building

massive civil structures Building highrises as well as

massive bridges was inconceivable unless capable soil was

in close vicinity MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with

the introduction of deep foundations based on advanced

and efficient technologies in the construction industry

no doubt brought about remarkable solutions and helped

ease some of these anxieties

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with its fleets of large

diameter drilling rigs and variety of drilling tools capable of

both soil and hard soil formations has made economical

foundation solutions a reality offering developers the

confidence to build high rise buildings without worrying

about the type of soil in Addis Ababa The expertise of

Dedicated Backing for MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is gradually changing

the cityrsquos skyline with the construction of the completed

MCO Building AICAIB Headquarters and KK Building

both to be completed soon and all standing above 20

stories

Entering the city limits through the skyways one can notice

that the Bole Airport has received an entire facelift with

the construction of the International Passenger Terminal

Airport Control Towers the new Cargo Terminal and the

Maintenance Hanger The only thing these landmarks share

other than ownership is that they owe their existence to

foundation solutions of MIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plc As we enter the city limits also the Bole Viaduct

and all the overpasses on the Addis Ababa Ring Road are

comfortably resting still with the construction of the deep

piles by MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc

Drilling of pile with casing

 Tiret Sept 2008

Parallel to pile construction as verification of the

constructed pile capacities is common practice in the

foundation construction industry MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc equipped with the state-of-the-art

automated pile load testing system has recently conducted

1300 metric tons load test at the Derba MIDROC Cement

Factory Project the first of this magnitude in the African

Continent

The introduction of vertical shoring wall systems that

uses reinforced concrete piles and tie back anchors which

is gaining popularity in recent years is another type of

foundation technology solutions made possible in Ethiopia

through MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos expertise

Prior to these shoring system solutions land owners

could not fully utilize their plots at the boundaries for fear

of catastrophic cave-in In fact in most cases plot owners

avoided under ground construction in order to avoid

litigation with next door land owners The utilization of

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos vertical shoring pile

wall system was proposed and implemented in the cases

of Bole Towers and Loli Building In both cases all sides of

the plot were shored exactly at the boundaries without

any land loss In fact the clients gained underground spaces

in the order of two to three times their plot size for

possible parking purpose This has provided developers

with solutions clearing their lumbers from additional

costs for parking facilities

Pile load testing

In line with the construction boom within Addis Ababa

developers are opting to construct on boundary edges

where heavy structures already exist in adjacent plots

In order to excavate at these boundaries the safest and

most economical foundation solution system is shoring

pile wall system These systems were employed at Awash

Bank and Insurance Building KK Building and Orchid

Building

For realization of structures that have to be constructed

below the natural ground water level and or near offshore

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc has construction

approaches that employ waterproof vertical shoring

systems and several options to choose from within

the framework of technical feasibility of foundation

engineering The construction of Diaphragm Wall

Cellular Cofferdam Sheet Pile Wall and Secant

Pile Wall are such solutions to name a few The cost

of construction and the time required for executing the

works is in the order listed above

Anchored pile shoring wall

Foundation Solution

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the equipment already available in the country

MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc has tabled and

implemented an economical and technically feasible

secant pile wall system solution for bridge projects

within Ethiopia If it was not for MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plcrsquos geotechnical solutions construction under

such conditions would have been technically impossible

throughout East Africa

Unlike other options construction of secant pile wall as

waterproof vertical shoring system is not limited to the

soil condition of the site The construction of such high

tech geotechnical engineering solutions by the Company

have been successfully applied on projects like the Omo

River Bridge and on the New Abay Bridge Projects The

application of the secant pile wall system was used for the

construction of the pier foundation on both sides of the

Bridge on the Omo River Bridge Project and one side pier

foundation construction of the New Abay Bridge Project

During the construction of the Omo River Bridge

foundation and substructure works other logistic

challenges non-related to foundation works was

encountered The West Pier and Abutment on the Omo

River Bridge created such a technical impasse On this

side one of the most difficult challenges was to solve the

problem of crossing equipment and construction material

across the 150 m wide river After carefully considering all

the possible alternatives a decision was made to design and

manufacture a water crossing barge using local expertise

and manufacturing capabilities MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc took part in the design manufacturing and

commissioning of this barge and has successfully crossed

a 503 ton drilling rig and other earth moving equipment

With nearly twenty projects within Ethiopia MIDROC

Foundation Specialists Plc is a pioneer in exporting

foundation technology to neighboring Kenya Tanzania

and the Sudan In-house trained Ethiopian experts have

Crossing of drilling rig on Omo River through Barge

 Tiret Sept 2008

Secant pile wall

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Mr Achim Braun General Manager of MIDROC Foundation (left) inspecting a construction site

left their marks on several key projects within those

countries Among the projects successfully carried out in

Tanzania the Songo Songo Offshore Piling Project was the

most challenging and rewarding of all In this Project sixty

per cent of the piles were constructed from a SEWP (Self

Elevating Working Platform) elevated 13 meters from the

sea bed

As the company commemorates the tenth anniversary of

its establishment it is only proper to mark the outstanding

contributions to the construction industry of Ethiopia The

efficiency of the Company and the technology employed

has resulted in creating a broad awareness of foundation

technological solutions in the country particularly

among developers In terms of the spectrum of available

techniques of foundation the projects undertaken so

far are only a tip of the iceberg Although the Company

was confronted with a number of challenges in changing

attitudes and practices the success achieved so far has

been accomplished with great efforts exerted by the

companyrsquos management and its diligent professionals in

the field

Being the only Class I Foundation Specialist Contractors

in the country MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc is now

determined to leap ahead to new and yet un-introduced

foundation construction technologies such as micro 

piles  high  pressure  injection  diaphragm 

walls  slope  protection  and  soil  nailing  As

the countries infrastructure development continues to

reach higher levels MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is

preparing itself to meet the current customer demands

and technological challenges

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Statistics reveal that the country continues to earn hard currency from export of primary commodities such as coffee which tops the list by fetching some 500 million dollars last financial year

Other commodities are hides and skin flowers pulses fruits vegetables and chat

Incidentally it is interesting to note that Chat has fetched over 60 million dollars in foreign currency last fiscal year

The chewing of chat leaves is common in the horn of Africa but in eastern Ethiopia it is big business for some and big worry for others Chat is a major agricultural crop Yet many say it is addictive and harmful to health

In a town where I grew up for instance it is hard to avoid the impact of the stimulant leaf The first thing that strikes you in the main market is the deafening noise The market square is a scene of total chaos as you make your way through a bustling crowd preoccupied with the business of bartering for a prized commodity- the green leafed plant chat

Awadaye market is a market for chat It is estimated that over 25000 kg pass through it daily The buyers and sellers take their jobs seriously shouting to one other They gesture excitedly as they trade thousands of birr daily for the chat which is bought from the local farmers in Awadaye and sent to other areas in Ethiopia It is also exported overseas It is said to be the backbone of the economy as it can be gathered from the revenue it has generated during the current physical year

If you compare chat farmers with other farmers in other parts of the country you will see that their standard of living is so much better

The employment created though chat cultivation is very high as large numbers of people are involved in growing harvesting sorting packing transporting loading and unloading the commodity The wood of the plant is used for fuel and because of its resistance to termites it is also used to make fences Chat is also believed to have medical value being used locally to treat influenza and asthma

Chat farmers used to grow maize sorghum and teff which is the basic Ethiopian staple food but these crops are difficult to grow as they require lots of rain and attention

while chat requires little water or cultivation That is why it is widely believed that its cultivation is expanding at an amazing rate

Chat has now become Ethiopiarsquos biggest export third only to coffee and hides and skin But despite the cash earning and the tradition of chat growing and use among the people many people do not encourage it

They believe that it is addictive and this has a negative impact on the community They allege that people forget about their work commitments and spend hours chewing chat The number of users of chat is increasing particularly among the youth

In urban areas the use of chat combined with alcohol is having an adverse effect on family life Many students chew chat because they say it increases their concentration when they study their lessons

However in some regions where it is widely cultivated business punctuality is a frequent problem as the time after lunch is usually spent chewing chat Even in some regions where the plant has been banned cultivation and usage continue and attempts to replace chat with cash crops like coffee have failed

Regardless of the merit or demerit of chat the country continues to get the much needed hard currency through export of the plant ldquochatrdquo

However many people including development agents are of the opinion that the demerit far out weighs the merit for energy and time is spent chewing the stuff and particularly its negative impact on health especially on the productive force

Another very lucrative business in Ethiopia is the export of leather and leather goods According to recent data export of leather and leather goods registered a surge from 52 million dollars to over 90 million dollars Incidentally ELICO one of MIDROC Ethiopia group companies dealing with finished leather products fetched last financial year over 10 million dollars

In the light of considerable income accrued from export of primary commodities there is a need to do even more by way of establishing more agro-industries that engage in the production of agricultural products for sale locally and internationally

Earning from Export of Primary CommoditiesBy Yohannes Ruphael

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The Third Private Sector Development National Conference ndash 2008 of Ethiopia took place in Addis Ababa on June 30 2008 ndash at the UNECA Conference Center and the draft strategy document and priority strategic issues for improved business environment were discussed by representatives of the Private Sector Development Hub established with basic objectives of coordinating and developing a series of public sector development intervention projects for implementation with international financial support and undertaking related research studies to support the business community in its public and private partnership dialogue The Conference was addressed by an internationally renowned and distinguished authority on Corporate Governance Prof Mervyn E King SC

The Editorial Team of TIRET has taken advantage of communicating with Professor Mervyn E King SC to share his views briefly with our readers

Professor Mervyn E King SC is currently Professor Extraordinaire at the University of South Africa and serves as the Chairperson of the King Committee on Corporate Governance in South Africa He is a Senior Counsel and former Judge of the Supreme Court of South Africa His other credentials include Member of the World Bank Advisory Group on Corporate Governance President of the Commonwealth Association of Corporate Governance Governor of the International Corporate Governance Network President of the South Africa Chamber of Business Vice President of the Institute of Directors of Southern Africa Representatives of South Africa at the International Chamber of Commerce Advisor of Asian Center of Corporate Governance Director of Global Reporting Initiative-Amsterdam Director of Association of business Administrators of South Africa

At the Millennium National Private Sector Development Conference in Addis Ababa recently I spoke about corporate governance in the development of the private sector

Corporate governance is about the principles and practices which guide directors and senior managers in making their decisions to the best interests of their companies It has to be separated from the enterprise side of the business which is about making business judgment calls It is essential that directors and senior managers adopt acceptable principles and practices in steering and directing the company and making business judgment It is about the quality of this governance rather than a quantitative check on whether there has been compliance by the directors and managers with well-known governance practices such as the establishment of a remuneration committee

In my talk I pointed out that the economic value of a company does not equal its book value In Coca Cola for example its book value is approximately 13 of its economic value and its greatest asset is its brand which is dependent on

 Tiret Sept 2008

the companyrsquos reputation Consequentially directors and senior managers of Coca Cola have a duty to protect the companyrsquos brand

In planning for a company the strategic direction needs to be done both short- and long-term If a strategy is developed in which all persons in the corporation at all levels buy-in one can get ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things Unless this is done not even extraordinary people will achieve ordinary things

The important thing for directors to remember is that they have won and maintained the trust and confidence of the stakeholders of the company Consequently they should report at least annually how the company has both positively and negatively affected a communityrsquos economic life through its operations and how it is going to enhance those positive aspects and eradicate or ameliorate the negative aspects in the year ahead

Good governance involves inter alia the approval by the board of the strategy of the company and sustainability can no longer be ignored in developing a long-term strategy

The Private Sector Development Hub (PSD-Hub) has the objective to contribute to the economic development of Ethiopia by improving the entrepreneurial environment and the governance of corporations Consequently the PSD-Hub has held Conferences over the last two years focusing on these issues and on the question of public private partnerships There has also been discussion about expediting the registration of companies the standardization of accounting and auditing capitalization and the finalization of the revision of the Ethiopian Commercial Code Corporate governance has featured prominently in these discussions

Arising out of all the modernization of the registration of companies in Ethiopia has been recognized as a priority

Accounting and auditing standards which should follow IFRS should have legal backing so that everyone in Ethiopia will know the meaning of the reported financial statements

The development of a securities market including an exchange in which not only equities but bonds and derivatives can be bought and sold with the dematerialisation of scrip and electronic settlement is essential

From the above it will be seen that there is much to be done but Ethiopia is striving through the PSD Hub to create platforms on which it can forge ahead in our flat electronic world where capital flows towards those areas where there is good governance and well-regulated markets The Conference at which I spoke was just another step in Ethiopiarsquos endeavours to achieve these goals Positively the essential aspects for creating an entrepreneurial and thriving business environment have been identified and PSD Hub the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other interested bodies are working in partnership with government to achieve them

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Itrsquos a ridiculous

l a n g u a g e rdquo

sputtered the

Englishman at

the next table

his jowls shaking

in anger ldquoA ridiculous languagerdquo

We were sitting in a tiny tea-and-pie shop in Criccieth a

town in northern Wales and everybody but us was speaking

Welsh Like a remarkable number of his countrymen this

man was convinced it was merely a secret code employed

by the local to talk behind the backs of English visitors

ldquoJust you watchrdquo he said ldquoAs soon as we leave theyrsquoll all

go back to speaking Englishrdquo

I rather doubted it And unlike the Englishman I was

thrilled to encounter one of the oldest languages in

Europe a tongue heard in this misty and mountainous

land since the arrival of Roman legions

Being surrounded by people speaking an unfamiliar and

exotic language is to me one of the best things about

travel Just as some people will journey to the Serengeti

to glimpse the rare and endangered white rhino Irsquoll happily

go far out of my way to hear a rare and endangered

language

In the storybook city of Carcassonne in southwest France

I was less thrilled at seeing the towers and turrets than

I was at meeting a man who could speak Occitan the

ancient and fast-vanishing language of the troubadours

As far as I was concerned the most fascinating thing in

Dangriga a coastal town in Belize was the mellifluous

sound of Garifuna a language spoken by the descendants

of shipwrecked slaves from West Africa I once traveled

to Graubunden in eastern Switzerland in the hope of

hearing Romansch a tongue spoken by fewer than one

percent of the nationrsquos residents and said to resemble

Latin I encountered a few signs in the language but no

one who could speak it

According to one oft-cited estimate at least half the

worldrsquos 6000 languages are likely to die out by the end

of this century which means that one is going silent on

average every two weeks

Itrsquos not merely a matter of using different words to express the same thoughts Languages are literally the expressions of cultures and belief systems entirely different ways of making sense of the world And just as we should be concerned about the shrinking diversity of plant and animal species we should also worry about the shrinking diversity of languages

Welsh though seems to be holding on despite 700 years

of efforts by the English to exterminate it The BBC has for

some years now carried television and radio programming

in the language and in Wales itrsquos possible to receive your

entire education from preschool to postgraduate in

Welsh About 20 percent of Walesrsquo population speaks

Welsh and the number appears to be growing slightly

It is not as the Englishman said a ridiculous language But

it is to my eyes and ears a wonderfully strange one Dave

Barry once wrote that the ancient Hawaiians arrived on

their islands after perilous canoe voyages in seas so rough

their consonants fell overboard My guess is that the

letters drifted the worldrsquos oceans until they washed up on

the shores of Wales

T h e   B e a u t y   o f   a   L a n g u a g e

 Tiret Sept 2008

How else to explain for example the Welsh word for

beer Itrsquos cwrw It looks like my Scrabble tray when I

donrsquot have a word to pay (In case you ever need to order

one itrsquos pronounced ldquokooroordquo)

And then therersquos the vexing pronunciation of the double-

1 you find at the beginning of it seems two-thirds of the

town names in Wales ldquoJust put your teeth together and

hiss like a duckrdquo explained a helpful woman I met at the

Dylan Thomas Museum in Swansea She also pointed out

that Llareggub the fictional town in Thomasrsquo ldquoUnder the

Milkwood Treerdquo is merely ldquobugger allrdquo spelled backward

I like the besotted poet a whole lot more after learning

that

One dark and drizzly night I went to a little schoolhouse in

the Rhondda Valley to listen to a rehearsal of the Treorchy

Menrsquos Choir made up mostly of unemployed coal miners

ldquoIn the old daysrdquo one of them told me ldquowe used to sing

together in the pitsrdquo

When they opened their mouths to sing as one in Welsh

all the snarky little comments about their language become

moot It was simply one of the most hauntingly beautiful

sounds Irsquove even heard

I got a lesson in the politics of minority languages recently

when I visited Montreal the capital of French ndash speaking

Canada I hadnrsquot been there since a childhood visit to

Exporsquo67 and I remember the province as decidedly

bilingual Everything from traffic signs to toothpaste

tubes was printed in French and English No more A

law passed in 1977 banned the use of English in signs

throughout Quebec Itrsquos an attempt to do linguistically

what they failed for two centuries to do militarily prevent

the English from conquering them

Theyrsquore quite serious about this Hudson Bay Co the

venerable department store chain that dates back to the

fur-trading days is now known as Compagnie de la Baie

drsquoHudson at least in these parts Kentucky Fried Chicken

outlets arenrsquot allowed to use ldquoKFCrdquo on their signs In

Quebec theyrsquore called ldquoPFKrdquo for Poulet Frit Kentucky

The Quebecois are more vigilant even than their famously

Anglophobic counterparts in Paris All stop signs here say

Arret even though the ones in France say ldquoStoprdquo

It all seemed a little silly and excessive to me until I began

talking to French-speaking Montrealers about it ldquoYou

have to understand that wersquore surrounded by English

speakersrdquo a schoolteacher told me ldquoWe have to be very

firm about defending our language or it will disappear

And when it goes so does our way of life

Signs aside most French Canadians I met were bilingual

I quickly discovered that if I first made atleast a fumbling

attempt to speak their language almost everybody was

happy to switch to English ndash very possibly to spare

themselves the trauma of hearing my phrase-book

French which sounds like someone grinding the gears

of an old Citroen ldquoWe have nothing against Englishrdquo the

schoolteacher told me ldquoItrsquos just that we want to speak

French hererdquo

Vive la differenceJohn Flinn -Travel Editor

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Scale up of HIV Prevention Treatment Care and Support Requires Renewed Leadership and Resources

The 17th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) took place in Mexico City from August 3 -8 2008 with an assessment of the situation of the global epidemic at a panel of researchers public health and civil society leaders examined recent progress towards the scale up of treatment and prevention programmes and called for sustained action to eliminate the barriers to universal access

ldquoDespite the progress we have made we are not on course to meet universal access targets and in fact appear to be slipping away from our existing commitmentsrdquo said Dr Pedro Cahn International Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and President of the International AIDS Society and Fundacioacuten Hueacutesped in Buenos Aires Argentina ldquoIt appears that we are poised to accept defeat when victory is still within our grasp Our failure to meet those commitments will have an impact on millions of lives This cannot be allowed to happen It is time for nations to live up to their commitmentsrdquo

ldquoWith only two years to go until the 2010 deadline for universal access set by world leaders we must redouble our commitment to scaling up all proven HIV prevention strategiesrdquo said Dr Luiacutes Soto Ramiacuterez Local Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and Head of the Molecular Virology Unit at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Meacutedicas y Nutricioacuten Salvador Zubiriaacuten and Coordinator of the Clinical Care Committee of CONASIDA Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council ldquoThe fact that last year 27 million people were newly infected with HIV a disease that is entirely preventable is unacceptablerdquo

Dr Jaime Sepulveda (Mexico) founder of Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council who is now with the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation noted that attention to and resources for AIDS are at all-time high including substantially increased funding for the Global Fund and the US Presidentrsquos Emergency Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief According to Sepulveda reaching the goal of 3 million people in low and middle-income countries on treatment at the end of 2007 was a critical step forward but the world has only scratched the surface of possibilities in responding to the epidemic Greater resources more effectively spent and targeted where they can have the greatest effect would have a dramatic impact on the course of the epidemicrsquos Highlighting the fact that more people become infected

with HIV last year than began treatment Sepulveda called for radically increased investments in prevention research evaluation and delivery of services as well as accelerated research on promising prevention methods including a vaccine In conclusion he reiterated that political leadership from all countries and accountability at all levels are essential for stopping the epidemic

Citing the results in both treatment and prevention scale up in countries with sustained leadership such as Rwanda and Tanzania Alex Coutinho (Uganda) of the Infectious Disease Institute of Makerere University made a passionate call for greater leadership as a path toward meeting the challenges ahead In looking at progress to date Coutinho highlighted increased access to HIV testing and counseling to prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and to pediatric care and treatment as well as the effectiveness of male circumcision as a prevention intervention In contrast he noted that most countries will not achieve universal access by 2010 and that the majority of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are still unaware of their HIV status In his call to action Coutinho urged greater investment in prevention and financial resources flexible enough to support health systems and systems that reach into rural and other hard-to-reach areas and fully embrace PLHIV as partners He also urged outreach to and support of marginalized and at-risk communities as well as the greater involvement of PLHIV as a catalyst for change

Elisabet Fadul (Dominican Republic) of the Dominican Network for Youth RightsGlobal Youth Partners outlined a broad and urgent youth HIVAIDS agenda calling for comprehensive rights ndash and evidence-based plans to provide access for young people Highlighting the 40 of new infections worldwide among young people between the ages of 15-24 Fadul noted that HIV prevention and treatment programmes are failing to effectively reach young people with the most vulnerable and marginalized being stigmatized criminalized or forgotten by many of these programmes

To reverse this course she called for actions and policies that engage youth especially young people living with HIVAIDS as respected partners in developing and implementing programmes that forthrightly address their

needs and diversity

 Tiret Sept 2008

a) Finalizing the work on the exploration phase of the gold and base metals projects both at Dawa Digati and Werri which shall lead to feasibility study and production stage

b) Developing Eshet Blue and Boka Multicolor marble quarries and strengthen export to increase income of foreign currency

c) Supplying blocks to local factories

d) Replacement of machinery at Awash Processing Plant especially to boost production and quality

e) Improve the life of the working force through profit sharing and availing better facilities together with upgrading their knowledge through training

f) Implement the Soda Ash development project

The priority areas of NMiC in its future plan include among others

Asked finally if he was satisfied with his Companyrsquos achievements Ato Melaku Beza CEO of NMiC replied ldquoNot much we could do betterrdquo

Nmic Products

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

ldquoA journey of a thousand miles starts with a single steprdquo

goes the famous Chinese saying as for Bauer MIDROC it

all started 10 years ago with the foundation work of the

construction of the MIDROC Corporate Office (MCO)

commonly known as Nani Building With a single project

at hand Bauer Specialtifbau a German Company ventured

into the slowly budding private construction industry

in equal partnership with MIDROC Ethiopia Although

a small scale business venture in the eyes of both giant

partners MIDROC Ethiopia and Bauer Specialtifbau it

created vast opportunities to the construction sector

with the introduction of a state-of-the-art German based

foundation technology to the Ethiopian market The

miniature move of the two giants opened up a gateway

of possibilities and marked a new construction era for

Ethiopia Over the years changes in shareholders has

led to the current name ldquoMIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plcrdquo with the state-of-the-art foundation solutions still in

place

Several limitations in dealing with unfavorable soil

conditions frequently encountered within Ethiopiarsquos

diverse geological formations most abundantly the

problematic black cotton soil within the city of Addis

Ababa and other parts of the country brought about

several technical barriers when it came to building

massive civil structures Building highrises as well as

massive bridges was inconceivable unless capable soil was

in close vicinity MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with

the introduction of deep foundations based on advanced

and efficient technologies in the construction industry

no doubt brought about remarkable solutions and helped

ease some of these anxieties

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with its fleets of large

diameter drilling rigs and variety of drilling tools capable of

both soil and hard soil formations has made economical

foundation solutions a reality offering developers the

confidence to build high rise buildings without worrying

about the type of soil in Addis Ababa The expertise of

Dedicated Backing for MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is gradually changing

the cityrsquos skyline with the construction of the completed

MCO Building AICAIB Headquarters and KK Building

both to be completed soon and all standing above 20

stories

Entering the city limits through the skyways one can notice

that the Bole Airport has received an entire facelift with

the construction of the International Passenger Terminal

Airport Control Towers the new Cargo Terminal and the

Maintenance Hanger The only thing these landmarks share

other than ownership is that they owe their existence to

foundation solutions of MIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plc As we enter the city limits also the Bole Viaduct

and all the overpasses on the Addis Ababa Ring Road are

comfortably resting still with the construction of the deep

piles by MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc

Drilling of pile with casing

 Tiret Sept 2008

Parallel to pile construction as verification of the

constructed pile capacities is common practice in the

foundation construction industry MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc equipped with the state-of-the-art

automated pile load testing system has recently conducted

1300 metric tons load test at the Derba MIDROC Cement

Factory Project the first of this magnitude in the African

Continent

The introduction of vertical shoring wall systems that

uses reinforced concrete piles and tie back anchors which

is gaining popularity in recent years is another type of

foundation technology solutions made possible in Ethiopia

through MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos expertise

Prior to these shoring system solutions land owners

could not fully utilize their plots at the boundaries for fear

of catastrophic cave-in In fact in most cases plot owners

avoided under ground construction in order to avoid

litigation with next door land owners The utilization of

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos vertical shoring pile

wall system was proposed and implemented in the cases

of Bole Towers and Loli Building In both cases all sides of

the plot were shored exactly at the boundaries without

any land loss In fact the clients gained underground spaces

in the order of two to three times their plot size for

possible parking purpose This has provided developers

with solutions clearing their lumbers from additional

costs for parking facilities

Pile load testing

In line with the construction boom within Addis Ababa

developers are opting to construct on boundary edges

where heavy structures already exist in adjacent plots

In order to excavate at these boundaries the safest and

most economical foundation solution system is shoring

pile wall system These systems were employed at Awash

Bank and Insurance Building KK Building and Orchid

Building

For realization of structures that have to be constructed

below the natural ground water level and or near offshore

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc has construction

approaches that employ waterproof vertical shoring

systems and several options to choose from within

the framework of technical feasibility of foundation

engineering The construction of Diaphragm Wall

Cellular Cofferdam Sheet Pile Wall and Secant

Pile Wall are such solutions to name a few The cost

of construction and the time required for executing the

works is in the order listed above

Anchored pile shoring wall

Foundation Solution

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the equipment already available in the country

MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc has tabled and

implemented an economical and technically feasible

secant pile wall system solution for bridge projects

within Ethiopia If it was not for MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plcrsquos geotechnical solutions construction under

such conditions would have been technically impossible

throughout East Africa

Unlike other options construction of secant pile wall as

waterproof vertical shoring system is not limited to the

soil condition of the site The construction of such high

tech geotechnical engineering solutions by the Company

have been successfully applied on projects like the Omo

River Bridge and on the New Abay Bridge Projects The

application of the secant pile wall system was used for the

construction of the pier foundation on both sides of the

Bridge on the Omo River Bridge Project and one side pier

foundation construction of the New Abay Bridge Project

During the construction of the Omo River Bridge

foundation and substructure works other logistic

challenges non-related to foundation works was

encountered The West Pier and Abutment on the Omo

River Bridge created such a technical impasse On this

side one of the most difficult challenges was to solve the

problem of crossing equipment and construction material

across the 150 m wide river After carefully considering all

the possible alternatives a decision was made to design and

manufacture a water crossing barge using local expertise

and manufacturing capabilities MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc took part in the design manufacturing and

commissioning of this barge and has successfully crossed

a 503 ton drilling rig and other earth moving equipment

With nearly twenty projects within Ethiopia MIDROC

Foundation Specialists Plc is a pioneer in exporting

foundation technology to neighboring Kenya Tanzania

and the Sudan In-house trained Ethiopian experts have

Crossing of drilling rig on Omo River through Barge

 Tiret Sept 2008

Secant pile wall

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Mr Achim Braun General Manager of MIDROC Foundation (left) inspecting a construction site

left their marks on several key projects within those

countries Among the projects successfully carried out in

Tanzania the Songo Songo Offshore Piling Project was the

most challenging and rewarding of all In this Project sixty

per cent of the piles were constructed from a SEWP (Self

Elevating Working Platform) elevated 13 meters from the

sea bed

As the company commemorates the tenth anniversary of

its establishment it is only proper to mark the outstanding

contributions to the construction industry of Ethiopia The

efficiency of the Company and the technology employed

has resulted in creating a broad awareness of foundation

technological solutions in the country particularly

among developers In terms of the spectrum of available

techniques of foundation the projects undertaken so

far are only a tip of the iceberg Although the Company

was confronted with a number of challenges in changing

attitudes and practices the success achieved so far has

been accomplished with great efforts exerted by the

companyrsquos management and its diligent professionals in

the field

Being the only Class I Foundation Specialist Contractors

in the country MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc is now

determined to leap ahead to new and yet un-introduced

foundation construction technologies such as micro 

piles  high  pressure  injection  diaphragm 

walls  slope  protection  and  soil  nailing  As

the countries infrastructure development continues to

reach higher levels MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is

preparing itself to meet the current customer demands

and technological challenges

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Statistics reveal that the country continues to earn hard currency from export of primary commodities such as coffee which tops the list by fetching some 500 million dollars last financial year

Other commodities are hides and skin flowers pulses fruits vegetables and chat

Incidentally it is interesting to note that Chat has fetched over 60 million dollars in foreign currency last fiscal year

The chewing of chat leaves is common in the horn of Africa but in eastern Ethiopia it is big business for some and big worry for others Chat is a major agricultural crop Yet many say it is addictive and harmful to health

In a town where I grew up for instance it is hard to avoid the impact of the stimulant leaf The first thing that strikes you in the main market is the deafening noise The market square is a scene of total chaos as you make your way through a bustling crowd preoccupied with the business of bartering for a prized commodity- the green leafed plant chat

Awadaye market is a market for chat It is estimated that over 25000 kg pass through it daily The buyers and sellers take their jobs seriously shouting to one other They gesture excitedly as they trade thousands of birr daily for the chat which is bought from the local farmers in Awadaye and sent to other areas in Ethiopia It is also exported overseas It is said to be the backbone of the economy as it can be gathered from the revenue it has generated during the current physical year

If you compare chat farmers with other farmers in other parts of the country you will see that their standard of living is so much better

The employment created though chat cultivation is very high as large numbers of people are involved in growing harvesting sorting packing transporting loading and unloading the commodity The wood of the plant is used for fuel and because of its resistance to termites it is also used to make fences Chat is also believed to have medical value being used locally to treat influenza and asthma

Chat farmers used to grow maize sorghum and teff which is the basic Ethiopian staple food but these crops are difficult to grow as they require lots of rain and attention

while chat requires little water or cultivation That is why it is widely believed that its cultivation is expanding at an amazing rate

Chat has now become Ethiopiarsquos biggest export third only to coffee and hides and skin But despite the cash earning and the tradition of chat growing and use among the people many people do not encourage it

They believe that it is addictive and this has a negative impact on the community They allege that people forget about their work commitments and spend hours chewing chat The number of users of chat is increasing particularly among the youth

In urban areas the use of chat combined with alcohol is having an adverse effect on family life Many students chew chat because they say it increases their concentration when they study their lessons

However in some regions where it is widely cultivated business punctuality is a frequent problem as the time after lunch is usually spent chewing chat Even in some regions where the plant has been banned cultivation and usage continue and attempts to replace chat with cash crops like coffee have failed

Regardless of the merit or demerit of chat the country continues to get the much needed hard currency through export of the plant ldquochatrdquo

However many people including development agents are of the opinion that the demerit far out weighs the merit for energy and time is spent chewing the stuff and particularly its negative impact on health especially on the productive force

Another very lucrative business in Ethiopia is the export of leather and leather goods According to recent data export of leather and leather goods registered a surge from 52 million dollars to over 90 million dollars Incidentally ELICO one of MIDROC Ethiopia group companies dealing with finished leather products fetched last financial year over 10 million dollars

In the light of considerable income accrued from export of primary commodities there is a need to do even more by way of establishing more agro-industries that engage in the production of agricultural products for sale locally and internationally

Earning from Export of Primary CommoditiesBy Yohannes Ruphael

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The Third Private Sector Development National Conference ndash 2008 of Ethiopia took place in Addis Ababa on June 30 2008 ndash at the UNECA Conference Center and the draft strategy document and priority strategic issues for improved business environment were discussed by representatives of the Private Sector Development Hub established with basic objectives of coordinating and developing a series of public sector development intervention projects for implementation with international financial support and undertaking related research studies to support the business community in its public and private partnership dialogue The Conference was addressed by an internationally renowned and distinguished authority on Corporate Governance Prof Mervyn E King SC

The Editorial Team of TIRET has taken advantage of communicating with Professor Mervyn E King SC to share his views briefly with our readers

Professor Mervyn E King SC is currently Professor Extraordinaire at the University of South Africa and serves as the Chairperson of the King Committee on Corporate Governance in South Africa He is a Senior Counsel and former Judge of the Supreme Court of South Africa His other credentials include Member of the World Bank Advisory Group on Corporate Governance President of the Commonwealth Association of Corporate Governance Governor of the International Corporate Governance Network President of the South Africa Chamber of Business Vice President of the Institute of Directors of Southern Africa Representatives of South Africa at the International Chamber of Commerce Advisor of Asian Center of Corporate Governance Director of Global Reporting Initiative-Amsterdam Director of Association of business Administrators of South Africa

At the Millennium National Private Sector Development Conference in Addis Ababa recently I spoke about corporate governance in the development of the private sector

Corporate governance is about the principles and practices which guide directors and senior managers in making their decisions to the best interests of their companies It has to be separated from the enterprise side of the business which is about making business judgment calls It is essential that directors and senior managers adopt acceptable principles and practices in steering and directing the company and making business judgment It is about the quality of this governance rather than a quantitative check on whether there has been compliance by the directors and managers with well-known governance practices such as the establishment of a remuneration committee

In my talk I pointed out that the economic value of a company does not equal its book value In Coca Cola for example its book value is approximately 13 of its economic value and its greatest asset is its brand which is dependent on

 Tiret Sept 2008

the companyrsquos reputation Consequentially directors and senior managers of Coca Cola have a duty to protect the companyrsquos brand

In planning for a company the strategic direction needs to be done both short- and long-term If a strategy is developed in which all persons in the corporation at all levels buy-in one can get ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things Unless this is done not even extraordinary people will achieve ordinary things

The important thing for directors to remember is that they have won and maintained the trust and confidence of the stakeholders of the company Consequently they should report at least annually how the company has both positively and negatively affected a communityrsquos economic life through its operations and how it is going to enhance those positive aspects and eradicate or ameliorate the negative aspects in the year ahead

Good governance involves inter alia the approval by the board of the strategy of the company and sustainability can no longer be ignored in developing a long-term strategy

The Private Sector Development Hub (PSD-Hub) has the objective to contribute to the economic development of Ethiopia by improving the entrepreneurial environment and the governance of corporations Consequently the PSD-Hub has held Conferences over the last two years focusing on these issues and on the question of public private partnerships There has also been discussion about expediting the registration of companies the standardization of accounting and auditing capitalization and the finalization of the revision of the Ethiopian Commercial Code Corporate governance has featured prominently in these discussions

Arising out of all the modernization of the registration of companies in Ethiopia has been recognized as a priority

Accounting and auditing standards which should follow IFRS should have legal backing so that everyone in Ethiopia will know the meaning of the reported financial statements

The development of a securities market including an exchange in which not only equities but bonds and derivatives can be bought and sold with the dematerialisation of scrip and electronic settlement is essential

From the above it will be seen that there is much to be done but Ethiopia is striving through the PSD Hub to create platforms on which it can forge ahead in our flat electronic world where capital flows towards those areas where there is good governance and well-regulated markets The Conference at which I spoke was just another step in Ethiopiarsquos endeavours to achieve these goals Positively the essential aspects for creating an entrepreneurial and thriving business environment have been identified and PSD Hub the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other interested bodies are working in partnership with government to achieve them

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Itrsquos a ridiculous

l a n g u a g e rdquo

sputtered the

Englishman at

the next table

his jowls shaking

in anger ldquoA ridiculous languagerdquo

We were sitting in a tiny tea-and-pie shop in Criccieth a

town in northern Wales and everybody but us was speaking

Welsh Like a remarkable number of his countrymen this

man was convinced it was merely a secret code employed

by the local to talk behind the backs of English visitors

ldquoJust you watchrdquo he said ldquoAs soon as we leave theyrsquoll all

go back to speaking Englishrdquo

I rather doubted it And unlike the Englishman I was

thrilled to encounter one of the oldest languages in

Europe a tongue heard in this misty and mountainous

land since the arrival of Roman legions

Being surrounded by people speaking an unfamiliar and

exotic language is to me one of the best things about

travel Just as some people will journey to the Serengeti

to glimpse the rare and endangered white rhino Irsquoll happily

go far out of my way to hear a rare and endangered

language

In the storybook city of Carcassonne in southwest France

I was less thrilled at seeing the towers and turrets than

I was at meeting a man who could speak Occitan the

ancient and fast-vanishing language of the troubadours

As far as I was concerned the most fascinating thing in

Dangriga a coastal town in Belize was the mellifluous

sound of Garifuna a language spoken by the descendants

of shipwrecked slaves from West Africa I once traveled

to Graubunden in eastern Switzerland in the hope of

hearing Romansch a tongue spoken by fewer than one

percent of the nationrsquos residents and said to resemble

Latin I encountered a few signs in the language but no

one who could speak it

According to one oft-cited estimate at least half the

worldrsquos 6000 languages are likely to die out by the end

of this century which means that one is going silent on

average every two weeks

Itrsquos not merely a matter of using different words to express the same thoughts Languages are literally the expressions of cultures and belief systems entirely different ways of making sense of the world And just as we should be concerned about the shrinking diversity of plant and animal species we should also worry about the shrinking diversity of languages

Welsh though seems to be holding on despite 700 years

of efforts by the English to exterminate it The BBC has for

some years now carried television and radio programming

in the language and in Wales itrsquos possible to receive your

entire education from preschool to postgraduate in

Welsh About 20 percent of Walesrsquo population speaks

Welsh and the number appears to be growing slightly

It is not as the Englishman said a ridiculous language But

it is to my eyes and ears a wonderfully strange one Dave

Barry once wrote that the ancient Hawaiians arrived on

their islands after perilous canoe voyages in seas so rough

their consonants fell overboard My guess is that the

letters drifted the worldrsquos oceans until they washed up on

the shores of Wales

T h e   B e a u t y   o f   a   L a n g u a g e

 Tiret Sept 2008

How else to explain for example the Welsh word for

beer Itrsquos cwrw It looks like my Scrabble tray when I

donrsquot have a word to pay (In case you ever need to order

one itrsquos pronounced ldquokooroordquo)

And then therersquos the vexing pronunciation of the double-

1 you find at the beginning of it seems two-thirds of the

town names in Wales ldquoJust put your teeth together and

hiss like a duckrdquo explained a helpful woman I met at the

Dylan Thomas Museum in Swansea She also pointed out

that Llareggub the fictional town in Thomasrsquo ldquoUnder the

Milkwood Treerdquo is merely ldquobugger allrdquo spelled backward

I like the besotted poet a whole lot more after learning

that

One dark and drizzly night I went to a little schoolhouse in

the Rhondda Valley to listen to a rehearsal of the Treorchy

Menrsquos Choir made up mostly of unemployed coal miners

ldquoIn the old daysrdquo one of them told me ldquowe used to sing

together in the pitsrdquo

When they opened their mouths to sing as one in Welsh

all the snarky little comments about their language become

moot It was simply one of the most hauntingly beautiful

sounds Irsquove even heard

I got a lesson in the politics of minority languages recently

when I visited Montreal the capital of French ndash speaking

Canada I hadnrsquot been there since a childhood visit to

Exporsquo67 and I remember the province as decidedly

bilingual Everything from traffic signs to toothpaste

tubes was printed in French and English No more A

law passed in 1977 banned the use of English in signs

throughout Quebec Itrsquos an attempt to do linguistically

what they failed for two centuries to do militarily prevent

the English from conquering them

Theyrsquore quite serious about this Hudson Bay Co the

venerable department store chain that dates back to the

fur-trading days is now known as Compagnie de la Baie

drsquoHudson at least in these parts Kentucky Fried Chicken

outlets arenrsquot allowed to use ldquoKFCrdquo on their signs In

Quebec theyrsquore called ldquoPFKrdquo for Poulet Frit Kentucky

The Quebecois are more vigilant even than their famously

Anglophobic counterparts in Paris All stop signs here say

Arret even though the ones in France say ldquoStoprdquo

It all seemed a little silly and excessive to me until I began

talking to French-speaking Montrealers about it ldquoYou

have to understand that wersquore surrounded by English

speakersrdquo a schoolteacher told me ldquoWe have to be very

firm about defending our language or it will disappear

And when it goes so does our way of life

Signs aside most French Canadians I met were bilingual

I quickly discovered that if I first made atleast a fumbling

attempt to speak their language almost everybody was

happy to switch to English ndash very possibly to spare

themselves the trauma of hearing my phrase-book

French which sounds like someone grinding the gears

of an old Citroen ldquoWe have nothing against Englishrdquo the

schoolteacher told me ldquoItrsquos just that we want to speak

French hererdquo

Vive la differenceJohn Flinn -Travel Editor

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Scale up of HIV Prevention Treatment Care and Support Requires Renewed Leadership and Resources

The 17th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) took place in Mexico City from August 3 -8 2008 with an assessment of the situation of the global epidemic at a panel of researchers public health and civil society leaders examined recent progress towards the scale up of treatment and prevention programmes and called for sustained action to eliminate the barriers to universal access

ldquoDespite the progress we have made we are not on course to meet universal access targets and in fact appear to be slipping away from our existing commitmentsrdquo said Dr Pedro Cahn International Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and President of the International AIDS Society and Fundacioacuten Hueacutesped in Buenos Aires Argentina ldquoIt appears that we are poised to accept defeat when victory is still within our grasp Our failure to meet those commitments will have an impact on millions of lives This cannot be allowed to happen It is time for nations to live up to their commitmentsrdquo

ldquoWith only two years to go until the 2010 deadline for universal access set by world leaders we must redouble our commitment to scaling up all proven HIV prevention strategiesrdquo said Dr Luiacutes Soto Ramiacuterez Local Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and Head of the Molecular Virology Unit at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Meacutedicas y Nutricioacuten Salvador Zubiriaacuten and Coordinator of the Clinical Care Committee of CONASIDA Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council ldquoThe fact that last year 27 million people were newly infected with HIV a disease that is entirely preventable is unacceptablerdquo

Dr Jaime Sepulveda (Mexico) founder of Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council who is now with the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation noted that attention to and resources for AIDS are at all-time high including substantially increased funding for the Global Fund and the US Presidentrsquos Emergency Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief According to Sepulveda reaching the goal of 3 million people in low and middle-income countries on treatment at the end of 2007 was a critical step forward but the world has only scratched the surface of possibilities in responding to the epidemic Greater resources more effectively spent and targeted where they can have the greatest effect would have a dramatic impact on the course of the epidemicrsquos Highlighting the fact that more people become infected

with HIV last year than began treatment Sepulveda called for radically increased investments in prevention research evaluation and delivery of services as well as accelerated research on promising prevention methods including a vaccine In conclusion he reiterated that political leadership from all countries and accountability at all levels are essential for stopping the epidemic

Citing the results in both treatment and prevention scale up in countries with sustained leadership such as Rwanda and Tanzania Alex Coutinho (Uganda) of the Infectious Disease Institute of Makerere University made a passionate call for greater leadership as a path toward meeting the challenges ahead In looking at progress to date Coutinho highlighted increased access to HIV testing and counseling to prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and to pediatric care and treatment as well as the effectiveness of male circumcision as a prevention intervention In contrast he noted that most countries will not achieve universal access by 2010 and that the majority of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are still unaware of their HIV status In his call to action Coutinho urged greater investment in prevention and financial resources flexible enough to support health systems and systems that reach into rural and other hard-to-reach areas and fully embrace PLHIV as partners He also urged outreach to and support of marginalized and at-risk communities as well as the greater involvement of PLHIV as a catalyst for change

Elisabet Fadul (Dominican Republic) of the Dominican Network for Youth RightsGlobal Youth Partners outlined a broad and urgent youth HIVAIDS agenda calling for comprehensive rights ndash and evidence-based plans to provide access for young people Highlighting the 40 of new infections worldwide among young people between the ages of 15-24 Fadul noted that HIV prevention and treatment programmes are failing to effectively reach young people with the most vulnerable and marginalized being stigmatized criminalized or forgotten by many of these programmes

To reverse this course she called for actions and policies that engage youth especially young people living with HIVAIDS as respected partners in developing and implementing programmes that forthrightly address their

needs and diversity

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

ldquoA journey of a thousand miles starts with a single steprdquo

goes the famous Chinese saying as for Bauer MIDROC it

all started 10 years ago with the foundation work of the

construction of the MIDROC Corporate Office (MCO)

commonly known as Nani Building With a single project

at hand Bauer Specialtifbau a German Company ventured

into the slowly budding private construction industry

in equal partnership with MIDROC Ethiopia Although

a small scale business venture in the eyes of both giant

partners MIDROC Ethiopia and Bauer Specialtifbau it

created vast opportunities to the construction sector

with the introduction of a state-of-the-art German based

foundation technology to the Ethiopian market The

miniature move of the two giants opened up a gateway

of possibilities and marked a new construction era for

Ethiopia Over the years changes in shareholders has

led to the current name ldquoMIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plcrdquo with the state-of-the-art foundation solutions still in

place

Several limitations in dealing with unfavorable soil

conditions frequently encountered within Ethiopiarsquos

diverse geological formations most abundantly the

problematic black cotton soil within the city of Addis

Ababa and other parts of the country brought about

several technical barriers when it came to building

massive civil structures Building highrises as well as

massive bridges was inconceivable unless capable soil was

in close vicinity MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with

the introduction of deep foundations based on advanced

and efficient technologies in the construction industry

no doubt brought about remarkable solutions and helped

ease some of these anxieties

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc with its fleets of large

diameter drilling rigs and variety of drilling tools capable of

both soil and hard soil formations has made economical

foundation solutions a reality offering developers the

confidence to build high rise buildings without worrying

about the type of soil in Addis Ababa The expertise of

Dedicated Backing for MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is gradually changing

the cityrsquos skyline with the construction of the completed

MCO Building AICAIB Headquarters and KK Building

both to be completed soon and all standing above 20

stories

Entering the city limits through the skyways one can notice

that the Bole Airport has received an entire facelift with

the construction of the International Passenger Terminal

Airport Control Towers the new Cargo Terminal and the

Maintenance Hanger The only thing these landmarks share

other than ownership is that they owe their existence to

foundation solutions of MIDROC Foundation Specialist

Plc As we enter the city limits also the Bole Viaduct

and all the overpasses on the Addis Ababa Ring Road are

comfortably resting still with the construction of the deep

piles by MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc

Drilling of pile with casing

 Tiret Sept 2008

Parallel to pile construction as verification of the

constructed pile capacities is common practice in the

foundation construction industry MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc equipped with the state-of-the-art

automated pile load testing system has recently conducted

1300 metric tons load test at the Derba MIDROC Cement

Factory Project the first of this magnitude in the African

Continent

The introduction of vertical shoring wall systems that

uses reinforced concrete piles and tie back anchors which

is gaining popularity in recent years is another type of

foundation technology solutions made possible in Ethiopia

through MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos expertise

Prior to these shoring system solutions land owners

could not fully utilize their plots at the boundaries for fear

of catastrophic cave-in In fact in most cases plot owners

avoided under ground construction in order to avoid

litigation with next door land owners The utilization of

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos vertical shoring pile

wall system was proposed and implemented in the cases

of Bole Towers and Loli Building In both cases all sides of

the plot were shored exactly at the boundaries without

any land loss In fact the clients gained underground spaces

in the order of two to three times their plot size for

possible parking purpose This has provided developers

with solutions clearing their lumbers from additional

costs for parking facilities

Pile load testing

In line with the construction boom within Addis Ababa

developers are opting to construct on boundary edges

where heavy structures already exist in adjacent plots

In order to excavate at these boundaries the safest and

most economical foundation solution system is shoring

pile wall system These systems were employed at Awash

Bank and Insurance Building KK Building and Orchid

Building

For realization of structures that have to be constructed

below the natural ground water level and or near offshore

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc has construction

approaches that employ waterproof vertical shoring

systems and several options to choose from within

the framework of technical feasibility of foundation

engineering The construction of Diaphragm Wall

Cellular Cofferdam Sheet Pile Wall and Secant

Pile Wall are such solutions to name a few The cost

of construction and the time required for executing the

works is in the order listed above

Anchored pile shoring wall

Foundation Solution

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the equipment already available in the country

MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc has tabled and

implemented an economical and technically feasible

secant pile wall system solution for bridge projects

within Ethiopia If it was not for MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plcrsquos geotechnical solutions construction under

such conditions would have been technically impossible

throughout East Africa

Unlike other options construction of secant pile wall as

waterproof vertical shoring system is not limited to the

soil condition of the site The construction of such high

tech geotechnical engineering solutions by the Company

have been successfully applied on projects like the Omo

River Bridge and on the New Abay Bridge Projects The

application of the secant pile wall system was used for the

construction of the pier foundation on both sides of the

Bridge on the Omo River Bridge Project and one side pier

foundation construction of the New Abay Bridge Project

During the construction of the Omo River Bridge

foundation and substructure works other logistic

challenges non-related to foundation works was

encountered The West Pier and Abutment on the Omo

River Bridge created such a technical impasse On this

side one of the most difficult challenges was to solve the

problem of crossing equipment and construction material

across the 150 m wide river After carefully considering all

the possible alternatives a decision was made to design and

manufacture a water crossing barge using local expertise

and manufacturing capabilities MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc took part in the design manufacturing and

commissioning of this barge and has successfully crossed

a 503 ton drilling rig and other earth moving equipment

With nearly twenty projects within Ethiopia MIDROC

Foundation Specialists Plc is a pioneer in exporting

foundation technology to neighboring Kenya Tanzania

and the Sudan In-house trained Ethiopian experts have

Crossing of drilling rig on Omo River through Barge

 Tiret Sept 2008

Secant pile wall

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Mr Achim Braun General Manager of MIDROC Foundation (left) inspecting a construction site

left their marks on several key projects within those

countries Among the projects successfully carried out in

Tanzania the Songo Songo Offshore Piling Project was the

most challenging and rewarding of all In this Project sixty

per cent of the piles were constructed from a SEWP (Self

Elevating Working Platform) elevated 13 meters from the

sea bed

As the company commemorates the tenth anniversary of

its establishment it is only proper to mark the outstanding

contributions to the construction industry of Ethiopia The

efficiency of the Company and the technology employed

has resulted in creating a broad awareness of foundation

technological solutions in the country particularly

among developers In terms of the spectrum of available

techniques of foundation the projects undertaken so

far are only a tip of the iceberg Although the Company

was confronted with a number of challenges in changing

attitudes and practices the success achieved so far has

been accomplished with great efforts exerted by the

companyrsquos management and its diligent professionals in

the field

Being the only Class I Foundation Specialist Contractors

in the country MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc is now

determined to leap ahead to new and yet un-introduced

foundation construction technologies such as micro 

piles  high  pressure  injection  diaphragm 

walls  slope  protection  and  soil  nailing  As

the countries infrastructure development continues to

reach higher levels MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is

preparing itself to meet the current customer demands

and technological challenges

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Statistics reveal that the country continues to earn hard currency from export of primary commodities such as coffee which tops the list by fetching some 500 million dollars last financial year

Other commodities are hides and skin flowers pulses fruits vegetables and chat

Incidentally it is interesting to note that Chat has fetched over 60 million dollars in foreign currency last fiscal year

The chewing of chat leaves is common in the horn of Africa but in eastern Ethiopia it is big business for some and big worry for others Chat is a major agricultural crop Yet many say it is addictive and harmful to health

In a town where I grew up for instance it is hard to avoid the impact of the stimulant leaf The first thing that strikes you in the main market is the deafening noise The market square is a scene of total chaos as you make your way through a bustling crowd preoccupied with the business of bartering for a prized commodity- the green leafed plant chat

Awadaye market is a market for chat It is estimated that over 25000 kg pass through it daily The buyers and sellers take their jobs seriously shouting to one other They gesture excitedly as they trade thousands of birr daily for the chat which is bought from the local farmers in Awadaye and sent to other areas in Ethiopia It is also exported overseas It is said to be the backbone of the economy as it can be gathered from the revenue it has generated during the current physical year

If you compare chat farmers with other farmers in other parts of the country you will see that their standard of living is so much better

The employment created though chat cultivation is very high as large numbers of people are involved in growing harvesting sorting packing transporting loading and unloading the commodity The wood of the plant is used for fuel and because of its resistance to termites it is also used to make fences Chat is also believed to have medical value being used locally to treat influenza and asthma

Chat farmers used to grow maize sorghum and teff which is the basic Ethiopian staple food but these crops are difficult to grow as they require lots of rain and attention

while chat requires little water or cultivation That is why it is widely believed that its cultivation is expanding at an amazing rate

Chat has now become Ethiopiarsquos biggest export third only to coffee and hides and skin But despite the cash earning and the tradition of chat growing and use among the people many people do not encourage it

They believe that it is addictive and this has a negative impact on the community They allege that people forget about their work commitments and spend hours chewing chat The number of users of chat is increasing particularly among the youth

In urban areas the use of chat combined with alcohol is having an adverse effect on family life Many students chew chat because they say it increases their concentration when they study their lessons

However in some regions where it is widely cultivated business punctuality is a frequent problem as the time after lunch is usually spent chewing chat Even in some regions where the plant has been banned cultivation and usage continue and attempts to replace chat with cash crops like coffee have failed

Regardless of the merit or demerit of chat the country continues to get the much needed hard currency through export of the plant ldquochatrdquo

However many people including development agents are of the opinion that the demerit far out weighs the merit for energy and time is spent chewing the stuff and particularly its negative impact on health especially on the productive force

Another very lucrative business in Ethiopia is the export of leather and leather goods According to recent data export of leather and leather goods registered a surge from 52 million dollars to over 90 million dollars Incidentally ELICO one of MIDROC Ethiopia group companies dealing with finished leather products fetched last financial year over 10 million dollars

In the light of considerable income accrued from export of primary commodities there is a need to do even more by way of establishing more agro-industries that engage in the production of agricultural products for sale locally and internationally

Earning from Export of Primary CommoditiesBy Yohannes Ruphael

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The Third Private Sector Development National Conference ndash 2008 of Ethiopia took place in Addis Ababa on June 30 2008 ndash at the UNECA Conference Center and the draft strategy document and priority strategic issues for improved business environment were discussed by representatives of the Private Sector Development Hub established with basic objectives of coordinating and developing a series of public sector development intervention projects for implementation with international financial support and undertaking related research studies to support the business community in its public and private partnership dialogue The Conference was addressed by an internationally renowned and distinguished authority on Corporate Governance Prof Mervyn E King SC

The Editorial Team of TIRET has taken advantage of communicating with Professor Mervyn E King SC to share his views briefly with our readers

Professor Mervyn E King SC is currently Professor Extraordinaire at the University of South Africa and serves as the Chairperson of the King Committee on Corporate Governance in South Africa He is a Senior Counsel and former Judge of the Supreme Court of South Africa His other credentials include Member of the World Bank Advisory Group on Corporate Governance President of the Commonwealth Association of Corporate Governance Governor of the International Corporate Governance Network President of the South Africa Chamber of Business Vice President of the Institute of Directors of Southern Africa Representatives of South Africa at the International Chamber of Commerce Advisor of Asian Center of Corporate Governance Director of Global Reporting Initiative-Amsterdam Director of Association of business Administrators of South Africa

At the Millennium National Private Sector Development Conference in Addis Ababa recently I spoke about corporate governance in the development of the private sector

Corporate governance is about the principles and practices which guide directors and senior managers in making their decisions to the best interests of their companies It has to be separated from the enterprise side of the business which is about making business judgment calls It is essential that directors and senior managers adopt acceptable principles and practices in steering and directing the company and making business judgment It is about the quality of this governance rather than a quantitative check on whether there has been compliance by the directors and managers with well-known governance practices such as the establishment of a remuneration committee

In my talk I pointed out that the economic value of a company does not equal its book value In Coca Cola for example its book value is approximately 13 of its economic value and its greatest asset is its brand which is dependent on

 Tiret Sept 2008

the companyrsquos reputation Consequentially directors and senior managers of Coca Cola have a duty to protect the companyrsquos brand

In planning for a company the strategic direction needs to be done both short- and long-term If a strategy is developed in which all persons in the corporation at all levels buy-in one can get ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things Unless this is done not even extraordinary people will achieve ordinary things

The important thing for directors to remember is that they have won and maintained the trust and confidence of the stakeholders of the company Consequently they should report at least annually how the company has both positively and negatively affected a communityrsquos economic life through its operations and how it is going to enhance those positive aspects and eradicate or ameliorate the negative aspects in the year ahead

Good governance involves inter alia the approval by the board of the strategy of the company and sustainability can no longer be ignored in developing a long-term strategy

The Private Sector Development Hub (PSD-Hub) has the objective to contribute to the economic development of Ethiopia by improving the entrepreneurial environment and the governance of corporations Consequently the PSD-Hub has held Conferences over the last two years focusing on these issues and on the question of public private partnerships There has also been discussion about expediting the registration of companies the standardization of accounting and auditing capitalization and the finalization of the revision of the Ethiopian Commercial Code Corporate governance has featured prominently in these discussions

Arising out of all the modernization of the registration of companies in Ethiopia has been recognized as a priority

Accounting and auditing standards which should follow IFRS should have legal backing so that everyone in Ethiopia will know the meaning of the reported financial statements

The development of a securities market including an exchange in which not only equities but bonds and derivatives can be bought and sold with the dematerialisation of scrip and electronic settlement is essential

From the above it will be seen that there is much to be done but Ethiopia is striving through the PSD Hub to create platforms on which it can forge ahead in our flat electronic world where capital flows towards those areas where there is good governance and well-regulated markets The Conference at which I spoke was just another step in Ethiopiarsquos endeavours to achieve these goals Positively the essential aspects for creating an entrepreneurial and thriving business environment have been identified and PSD Hub the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other interested bodies are working in partnership with government to achieve them

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Itrsquos a ridiculous

l a n g u a g e rdquo

sputtered the

Englishman at

the next table

his jowls shaking

in anger ldquoA ridiculous languagerdquo

We were sitting in a tiny tea-and-pie shop in Criccieth a

town in northern Wales and everybody but us was speaking

Welsh Like a remarkable number of his countrymen this

man was convinced it was merely a secret code employed

by the local to talk behind the backs of English visitors

ldquoJust you watchrdquo he said ldquoAs soon as we leave theyrsquoll all

go back to speaking Englishrdquo

I rather doubted it And unlike the Englishman I was

thrilled to encounter one of the oldest languages in

Europe a tongue heard in this misty and mountainous

land since the arrival of Roman legions

Being surrounded by people speaking an unfamiliar and

exotic language is to me one of the best things about

travel Just as some people will journey to the Serengeti

to glimpse the rare and endangered white rhino Irsquoll happily

go far out of my way to hear a rare and endangered

language

In the storybook city of Carcassonne in southwest France

I was less thrilled at seeing the towers and turrets than

I was at meeting a man who could speak Occitan the

ancient and fast-vanishing language of the troubadours

As far as I was concerned the most fascinating thing in

Dangriga a coastal town in Belize was the mellifluous

sound of Garifuna a language spoken by the descendants

of shipwrecked slaves from West Africa I once traveled

to Graubunden in eastern Switzerland in the hope of

hearing Romansch a tongue spoken by fewer than one

percent of the nationrsquos residents and said to resemble

Latin I encountered a few signs in the language but no

one who could speak it

According to one oft-cited estimate at least half the

worldrsquos 6000 languages are likely to die out by the end

of this century which means that one is going silent on

average every two weeks

Itrsquos not merely a matter of using different words to express the same thoughts Languages are literally the expressions of cultures and belief systems entirely different ways of making sense of the world And just as we should be concerned about the shrinking diversity of plant and animal species we should also worry about the shrinking diversity of languages

Welsh though seems to be holding on despite 700 years

of efforts by the English to exterminate it The BBC has for

some years now carried television and radio programming

in the language and in Wales itrsquos possible to receive your

entire education from preschool to postgraduate in

Welsh About 20 percent of Walesrsquo population speaks

Welsh and the number appears to be growing slightly

It is not as the Englishman said a ridiculous language But

it is to my eyes and ears a wonderfully strange one Dave

Barry once wrote that the ancient Hawaiians arrived on

their islands after perilous canoe voyages in seas so rough

their consonants fell overboard My guess is that the

letters drifted the worldrsquos oceans until they washed up on

the shores of Wales

T h e   B e a u t y   o f   a   L a n g u a g e

 Tiret Sept 2008

How else to explain for example the Welsh word for

beer Itrsquos cwrw It looks like my Scrabble tray when I

donrsquot have a word to pay (In case you ever need to order

one itrsquos pronounced ldquokooroordquo)

And then therersquos the vexing pronunciation of the double-

1 you find at the beginning of it seems two-thirds of the

town names in Wales ldquoJust put your teeth together and

hiss like a duckrdquo explained a helpful woman I met at the

Dylan Thomas Museum in Swansea She also pointed out

that Llareggub the fictional town in Thomasrsquo ldquoUnder the

Milkwood Treerdquo is merely ldquobugger allrdquo spelled backward

I like the besotted poet a whole lot more after learning

that

One dark and drizzly night I went to a little schoolhouse in

the Rhondda Valley to listen to a rehearsal of the Treorchy

Menrsquos Choir made up mostly of unemployed coal miners

ldquoIn the old daysrdquo one of them told me ldquowe used to sing

together in the pitsrdquo

When they opened their mouths to sing as one in Welsh

all the snarky little comments about their language become

moot It was simply one of the most hauntingly beautiful

sounds Irsquove even heard

I got a lesson in the politics of minority languages recently

when I visited Montreal the capital of French ndash speaking

Canada I hadnrsquot been there since a childhood visit to

Exporsquo67 and I remember the province as decidedly

bilingual Everything from traffic signs to toothpaste

tubes was printed in French and English No more A

law passed in 1977 banned the use of English in signs

throughout Quebec Itrsquos an attempt to do linguistically

what they failed for two centuries to do militarily prevent

the English from conquering them

Theyrsquore quite serious about this Hudson Bay Co the

venerable department store chain that dates back to the

fur-trading days is now known as Compagnie de la Baie

drsquoHudson at least in these parts Kentucky Fried Chicken

outlets arenrsquot allowed to use ldquoKFCrdquo on their signs In

Quebec theyrsquore called ldquoPFKrdquo for Poulet Frit Kentucky

The Quebecois are more vigilant even than their famously

Anglophobic counterparts in Paris All stop signs here say

Arret even though the ones in France say ldquoStoprdquo

It all seemed a little silly and excessive to me until I began

talking to French-speaking Montrealers about it ldquoYou

have to understand that wersquore surrounded by English

speakersrdquo a schoolteacher told me ldquoWe have to be very

firm about defending our language or it will disappear

And when it goes so does our way of life

Signs aside most French Canadians I met were bilingual

I quickly discovered that if I first made atleast a fumbling

attempt to speak their language almost everybody was

happy to switch to English ndash very possibly to spare

themselves the trauma of hearing my phrase-book

French which sounds like someone grinding the gears

of an old Citroen ldquoWe have nothing against Englishrdquo the

schoolteacher told me ldquoItrsquos just that we want to speak

French hererdquo

Vive la differenceJohn Flinn -Travel Editor

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Scale up of HIV Prevention Treatment Care and Support Requires Renewed Leadership and Resources

The 17th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) took place in Mexico City from August 3 -8 2008 with an assessment of the situation of the global epidemic at a panel of researchers public health and civil society leaders examined recent progress towards the scale up of treatment and prevention programmes and called for sustained action to eliminate the barriers to universal access

ldquoDespite the progress we have made we are not on course to meet universal access targets and in fact appear to be slipping away from our existing commitmentsrdquo said Dr Pedro Cahn International Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and President of the International AIDS Society and Fundacioacuten Hueacutesped in Buenos Aires Argentina ldquoIt appears that we are poised to accept defeat when victory is still within our grasp Our failure to meet those commitments will have an impact on millions of lives This cannot be allowed to happen It is time for nations to live up to their commitmentsrdquo

ldquoWith only two years to go until the 2010 deadline for universal access set by world leaders we must redouble our commitment to scaling up all proven HIV prevention strategiesrdquo said Dr Luiacutes Soto Ramiacuterez Local Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and Head of the Molecular Virology Unit at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Meacutedicas y Nutricioacuten Salvador Zubiriaacuten and Coordinator of the Clinical Care Committee of CONASIDA Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council ldquoThe fact that last year 27 million people were newly infected with HIV a disease that is entirely preventable is unacceptablerdquo

Dr Jaime Sepulveda (Mexico) founder of Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council who is now with the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation noted that attention to and resources for AIDS are at all-time high including substantially increased funding for the Global Fund and the US Presidentrsquos Emergency Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief According to Sepulveda reaching the goal of 3 million people in low and middle-income countries on treatment at the end of 2007 was a critical step forward but the world has only scratched the surface of possibilities in responding to the epidemic Greater resources more effectively spent and targeted where they can have the greatest effect would have a dramatic impact on the course of the epidemicrsquos Highlighting the fact that more people become infected

with HIV last year than began treatment Sepulveda called for radically increased investments in prevention research evaluation and delivery of services as well as accelerated research on promising prevention methods including a vaccine In conclusion he reiterated that political leadership from all countries and accountability at all levels are essential for stopping the epidemic

Citing the results in both treatment and prevention scale up in countries with sustained leadership such as Rwanda and Tanzania Alex Coutinho (Uganda) of the Infectious Disease Institute of Makerere University made a passionate call for greater leadership as a path toward meeting the challenges ahead In looking at progress to date Coutinho highlighted increased access to HIV testing and counseling to prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and to pediatric care and treatment as well as the effectiveness of male circumcision as a prevention intervention In contrast he noted that most countries will not achieve universal access by 2010 and that the majority of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are still unaware of their HIV status In his call to action Coutinho urged greater investment in prevention and financial resources flexible enough to support health systems and systems that reach into rural and other hard-to-reach areas and fully embrace PLHIV as partners He also urged outreach to and support of marginalized and at-risk communities as well as the greater involvement of PLHIV as a catalyst for change

Elisabet Fadul (Dominican Republic) of the Dominican Network for Youth RightsGlobal Youth Partners outlined a broad and urgent youth HIVAIDS agenda calling for comprehensive rights ndash and evidence-based plans to provide access for young people Highlighting the 40 of new infections worldwide among young people between the ages of 15-24 Fadul noted that HIV prevention and treatment programmes are failing to effectively reach young people with the most vulnerable and marginalized being stigmatized criminalized or forgotten by many of these programmes

To reverse this course she called for actions and policies that engage youth especially young people living with HIVAIDS as respected partners in developing and implementing programmes that forthrightly address their

needs and diversity

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Parallel to pile construction as verification of the

constructed pile capacities is common practice in the

foundation construction industry MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc equipped with the state-of-the-art

automated pile load testing system has recently conducted

1300 metric tons load test at the Derba MIDROC Cement

Factory Project the first of this magnitude in the African

Continent

The introduction of vertical shoring wall systems that

uses reinforced concrete piles and tie back anchors which

is gaining popularity in recent years is another type of

foundation technology solutions made possible in Ethiopia

through MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos expertise

Prior to these shoring system solutions land owners

could not fully utilize their plots at the boundaries for fear

of catastrophic cave-in In fact in most cases plot owners

avoided under ground construction in order to avoid

litigation with next door land owners The utilization of

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plcrsquos vertical shoring pile

wall system was proposed and implemented in the cases

of Bole Towers and Loli Building In both cases all sides of

the plot were shored exactly at the boundaries without

any land loss In fact the clients gained underground spaces

in the order of two to three times their plot size for

possible parking purpose This has provided developers

with solutions clearing their lumbers from additional

costs for parking facilities

Pile load testing

In line with the construction boom within Addis Ababa

developers are opting to construct on boundary edges

where heavy structures already exist in adjacent plots

In order to excavate at these boundaries the safest and

most economical foundation solution system is shoring

pile wall system These systems were employed at Awash

Bank and Insurance Building KK Building and Orchid

Building

For realization of structures that have to be constructed

below the natural ground water level and or near offshore

MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc has construction

approaches that employ waterproof vertical shoring

systems and several options to choose from within

the framework of technical feasibility of foundation

engineering The construction of Diaphragm Wall

Cellular Cofferdam Sheet Pile Wall and Secant

Pile Wall are such solutions to name a few The cost

of construction and the time required for executing the

works is in the order listed above

Anchored pile shoring wall

Foundation Solution

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the equipment already available in the country

MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc has tabled and

implemented an economical and technically feasible

secant pile wall system solution for bridge projects

within Ethiopia If it was not for MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plcrsquos geotechnical solutions construction under

such conditions would have been technically impossible

throughout East Africa

Unlike other options construction of secant pile wall as

waterproof vertical shoring system is not limited to the

soil condition of the site The construction of such high

tech geotechnical engineering solutions by the Company

have been successfully applied on projects like the Omo

River Bridge and on the New Abay Bridge Projects The

application of the secant pile wall system was used for the

construction of the pier foundation on both sides of the

Bridge on the Omo River Bridge Project and one side pier

foundation construction of the New Abay Bridge Project

During the construction of the Omo River Bridge

foundation and substructure works other logistic

challenges non-related to foundation works was

encountered The West Pier and Abutment on the Omo

River Bridge created such a technical impasse On this

side one of the most difficult challenges was to solve the

problem of crossing equipment and construction material

across the 150 m wide river After carefully considering all

the possible alternatives a decision was made to design and

manufacture a water crossing barge using local expertise

and manufacturing capabilities MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc took part in the design manufacturing and

commissioning of this barge and has successfully crossed

a 503 ton drilling rig and other earth moving equipment

With nearly twenty projects within Ethiopia MIDROC

Foundation Specialists Plc is a pioneer in exporting

foundation technology to neighboring Kenya Tanzania

and the Sudan In-house trained Ethiopian experts have

Crossing of drilling rig on Omo River through Barge

 Tiret Sept 2008

Secant pile wall

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Mr Achim Braun General Manager of MIDROC Foundation (left) inspecting a construction site

left their marks on several key projects within those

countries Among the projects successfully carried out in

Tanzania the Songo Songo Offshore Piling Project was the

most challenging and rewarding of all In this Project sixty

per cent of the piles were constructed from a SEWP (Self

Elevating Working Platform) elevated 13 meters from the

sea bed

As the company commemorates the tenth anniversary of

its establishment it is only proper to mark the outstanding

contributions to the construction industry of Ethiopia The

efficiency of the Company and the technology employed

has resulted in creating a broad awareness of foundation

technological solutions in the country particularly

among developers In terms of the spectrum of available

techniques of foundation the projects undertaken so

far are only a tip of the iceberg Although the Company

was confronted with a number of challenges in changing

attitudes and practices the success achieved so far has

been accomplished with great efforts exerted by the

companyrsquos management and its diligent professionals in

the field

Being the only Class I Foundation Specialist Contractors

in the country MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc is now

determined to leap ahead to new and yet un-introduced

foundation construction technologies such as micro 

piles  high  pressure  injection  diaphragm 

walls  slope  protection  and  soil  nailing  As

the countries infrastructure development continues to

reach higher levels MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is

preparing itself to meet the current customer demands

and technological challenges

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Statistics reveal that the country continues to earn hard currency from export of primary commodities such as coffee which tops the list by fetching some 500 million dollars last financial year

Other commodities are hides and skin flowers pulses fruits vegetables and chat

Incidentally it is interesting to note that Chat has fetched over 60 million dollars in foreign currency last fiscal year

The chewing of chat leaves is common in the horn of Africa but in eastern Ethiopia it is big business for some and big worry for others Chat is a major agricultural crop Yet many say it is addictive and harmful to health

In a town where I grew up for instance it is hard to avoid the impact of the stimulant leaf The first thing that strikes you in the main market is the deafening noise The market square is a scene of total chaos as you make your way through a bustling crowd preoccupied with the business of bartering for a prized commodity- the green leafed plant chat

Awadaye market is a market for chat It is estimated that over 25000 kg pass through it daily The buyers and sellers take their jobs seriously shouting to one other They gesture excitedly as they trade thousands of birr daily for the chat which is bought from the local farmers in Awadaye and sent to other areas in Ethiopia It is also exported overseas It is said to be the backbone of the economy as it can be gathered from the revenue it has generated during the current physical year

If you compare chat farmers with other farmers in other parts of the country you will see that their standard of living is so much better

The employment created though chat cultivation is very high as large numbers of people are involved in growing harvesting sorting packing transporting loading and unloading the commodity The wood of the plant is used for fuel and because of its resistance to termites it is also used to make fences Chat is also believed to have medical value being used locally to treat influenza and asthma

Chat farmers used to grow maize sorghum and teff which is the basic Ethiopian staple food but these crops are difficult to grow as they require lots of rain and attention

while chat requires little water or cultivation That is why it is widely believed that its cultivation is expanding at an amazing rate

Chat has now become Ethiopiarsquos biggest export third only to coffee and hides and skin But despite the cash earning and the tradition of chat growing and use among the people many people do not encourage it

They believe that it is addictive and this has a negative impact on the community They allege that people forget about their work commitments and spend hours chewing chat The number of users of chat is increasing particularly among the youth

In urban areas the use of chat combined with alcohol is having an adverse effect on family life Many students chew chat because they say it increases their concentration when they study their lessons

However in some regions where it is widely cultivated business punctuality is a frequent problem as the time after lunch is usually spent chewing chat Even in some regions where the plant has been banned cultivation and usage continue and attempts to replace chat with cash crops like coffee have failed

Regardless of the merit or demerit of chat the country continues to get the much needed hard currency through export of the plant ldquochatrdquo

However many people including development agents are of the opinion that the demerit far out weighs the merit for energy and time is spent chewing the stuff and particularly its negative impact on health especially on the productive force

Another very lucrative business in Ethiopia is the export of leather and leather goods According to recent data export of leather and leather goods registered a surge from 52 million dollars to over 90 million dollars Incidentally ELICO one of MIDROC Ethiopia group companies dealing with finished leather products fetched last financial year over 10 million dollars

In the light of considerable income accrued from export of primary commodities there is a need to do even more by way of establishing more agro-industries that engage in the production of agricultural products for sale locally and internationally

Earning from Export of Primary CommoditiesBy Yohannes Ruphael

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The Third Private Sector Development National Conference ndash 2008 of Ethiopia took place in Addis Ababa on June 30 2008 ndash at the UNECA Conference Center and the draft strategy document and priority strategic issues for improved business environment were discussed by representatives of the Private Sector Development Hub established with basic objectives of coordinating and developing a series of public sector development intervention projects for implementation with international financial support and undertaking related research studies to support the business community in its public and private partnership dialogue The Conference was addressed by an internationally renowned and distinguished authority on Corporate Governance Prof Mervyn E King SC

The Editorial Team of TIRET has taken advantage of communicating with Professor Mervyn E King SC to share his views briefly with our readers

Professor Mervyn E King SC is currently Professor Extraordinaire at the University of South Africa and serves as the Chairperson of the King Committee on Corporate Governance in South Africa He is a Senior Counsel and former Judge of the Supreme Court of South Africa His other credentials include Member of the World Bank Advisory Group on Corporate Governance President of the Commonwealth Association of Corporate Governance Governor of the International Corporate Governance Network President of the South Africa Chamber of Business Vice President of the Institute of Directors of Southern Africa Representatives of South Africa at the International Chamber of Commerce Advisor of Asian Center of Corporate Governance Director of Global Reporting Initiative-Amsterdam Director of Association of business Administrators of South Africa

At the Millennium National Private Sector Development Conference in Addis Ababa recently I spoke about corporate governance in the development of the private sector

Corporate governance is about the principles and practices which guide directors and senior managers in making their decisions to the best interests of their companies It has to be separated from the enterprise side of the business which is about making business judgment calls It is essential that directors and senior managers adopt acceptable principles and practices in steering and directing the company and making business judgment It is about the quality of this governance rather than a quantitative check on whether there has been compliance by the directors and managers with well-known governance practices such as the establishment of a remuneration committee

In my talk I pointed out that the economic value of a company does not equal its book value In Coca Cola for example its book value is approximately 13 of its economic value and its greatest asset is its brand which is dependent on

 Tiret Sept 2008

the companyrsquos reputation Consequentially directors and senior managers of Coca Cola have a duty to protect the companyrsquos brand

In planning for a company the strategic direction needs to be done both short- and long-term If a strategy is developed in which all persons in the corporation at all levels buy-in one can get ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things Unless this is done not even extraordinary people will achieve ordinary things

The important thing for directors to remember is that they have won and maintained the trust and confidence of the stakeholders of the company Consequently they should report at least annually how the company has both positively and negatively affected a communityrsquos economic life through its operations and how it is going to enhance those positive aspects and eradicate or ameliorate the negative aspects in the year ahead

Good governance involves inter alia the approval by the board of the strategy of the company and sustainability can no longer be ignored in developing a long-term strategy

The Private Sector Development Hub (PSD-Hub) has the objective to contribute to the economic development of Ethiopia by improving the entrepreneurial environment and the governance of corporations Consequently the PSD-Hub has held Conferences over the last two years focusing on these issues and on the question of public private partnerships There has also been discussion about expediting the registration of companies the standardization of accounting and auditing capitalization and the finalization of the revision of the Ethiopian Commercial Code Corporate governance has featured prominently in these discussions

Arising out of all the modernization of the registration of companies in Ethiopia has been recognized as a priority

Accounting and auditing standards which should follow IFRS should have legal backing so that everyone in Ethiopia will know the meaning of the reported financial statements

The development of a securities market including an exchange in which not only equities but bonds and derivatives can be bought and sold with the dematerialisation of scrip and electronic settlement is essential

From the above it will be seen that there is much to be done but Ethiopia is striving through the PSD Hub to create platforms on which it can forge ahead in our flat electronic world where capital flows towards those areas where there is good governance and well-regulated markets The Conference at which I spoke was just another step in Ethiopiarsquos endeavours to achieve these goals Positively the essential aspects for creating an entrepreneurial and thriving business environment have been identified and PSD Hub the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other interested bodies are working in partnership with government to achieve them

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Itrsquos a ridiculous

l a n g u a g e rdquo

sputtered the

Englishman at

the next table

his jowls shaking

in anger ldquoA ridiculous languagerdquo

We were sitting in a tiny tea-and-pie shop in Criccieth a

town in northern Wales and everybody but us was speaking

Welsh Like a remarkable number of his countrymen this

man was convinced it was merely a secret code employed

by the local to talk behind the backs of English visitors

ldquoJust you watchrdquo he said ldquoAs soon as we leave theyrsquoll all

go back to speaking Englishrdquo

I rather doubted it And unlike the Englishman I was

thrilled to encounter one of the oldest languages in

Europe a tongue heard in this misty and mountainous

land since the arrival of Roman legions

Being surrounded by people speaking an unfamiliar and

exotic language is to me one of the best things about

travel Just as some people will journey to the Serengeti

to glimpse the rare and endangered white rhino Irsquoll happily

go far out of my way to hear a rare and endangered

language

In the storybook city of Carcassonne in southwest France

I was less thrilled at seeing the towers and turrets than

I was at meeting a man who could speak Occitan the

ancient and fast-vanishing language of the troubadours

As far as I was concerned the most fascinating thing in

Dangriga a coastal town in Belize was the mellifluous

sound of Garifuna a language spoken by the descendants

of shipwrecked slaves from West Africa I once traveled

to Graubunden in eastern Switzerland in the hope of

hearing Romansch a tongue spoken by fewer than one

percent of the nationrsquos residents and said to resemble

Latin I encountered a few signs in the language but no

one who could speak it

According to one oft-cited estimate at least half the

worldrsquos 6000 languages are likely to die out by the end

of this century which means that one is going silent on

average every two weeks

Itrsquos not merely a matter of using different words to express the same thoughts Languages are literally the expressions of cultures and belief systems entirely different ways of making sense of the world And just as we should be concerned about the shrinking diversity of plant and animal species we should also worry about the shrinking diversity of languages

Welsh though seems to be holding on despite 700 years

of efforts by the English to exterminate it The BBC has for

some years now carried television and radio programming

in the language and in Wales itrsquos possible to receive your

entire education from preschool to postgraduate in

Welsh About 20 percent of Walesrsquo population speaks

Welsh and the number appears to be growing slightly

It is not as the Englishman said a ridiculous language But

it is to my eyes and ears a wonderfully strange one Dave

Barry once wrote that the ancient Hawaiians arrived on

their islands after perilous canoe voyages in seas so rough

their consonants fell overboard My guess is that the

letters drifted the worldrsquos oceans until they washed up on

the shores of Wales

T h e   B e a u t y   o f   a   L a n g u a g e

 Tiret Sept 2008

How else to explain for example the Welsh word for

beer Itrsquos cwrw It looks like my Scrabble tray when I

donrsquot have a word to pay (In case you ever need to order

one itrsquos pronounced ldquokooroordquo)

And then therersquos the vexing pronunciation of the double-

1 you find at the beginning of it seems two-thirds of the

town names in Wales ldquoJust put your teeth together and

hiss like a duckrdquo explained a helpful woman I met at the

Dylan Thomas Museum in Swansea She also pointed out

that Llareggub the fictional town in Thomasrsquo ldquoUnder the

Milkwood Treerdquo is merely ldquobugger allrdquo spelled backward

I like the besotted poet a whole lot more after learning

that

One dark and drizzly night I went to a little schoolhouse in

the Rhondda Valley to listen to a rehearsal of the Treorchy

Menrsquos Choir made up mostly of unemployed coal miners

ldquoIn the old daysrdquo one of them told me ldquowe used to sing

together in the pitsrdquo

When they opened their mouths to sing as one in Welsh

all the snarky little comments about their language become

moot It was simply one of the most hauntingly beautiful

sounds Irsquove even heard

I got a lesson in the politics of minority languages recently

when I visited Montreal the capital of French ndash speaking

Canada I hadnrsquot been there since a childhood visit to

Exporsquo67 and I remember the province as decidedly

bilingual Everything from traffic signs to toothpaste

tubes was printed in French and English No more A

law passed in 1977 banned the use of English in signs

throughout Quebec Itrsquos an attempt to do linguistically

what they failed for two centuries to do militarily prevent

the English from conquering them

Theyrsquore quite serious about this Hudson Bay Co the

venerable department store chain that dates back to the

fur-trading days is now known as Compagnie de la Baie

drsquoHudson at least in these parts Kentucky Fried Chicken

outlets arenrsquot allowed to use ldquoKFCrdquo on their signs In

Quebec theyrsquore called ldquoPFKrdquo for Poulet Frit Kentucky

The Quebecois are more vigilant even than their famously

Anglophobic counterparts in Paris All stop signs here say

Arret even though the ones in France say ldquoStoprdquo

It all seemed a little silly and excessive to me until I began

talking to French-speaking Montrealers about it ldquoYou

have to understand that wersquore surrounded by English

speakersrdquo a schoolteacher told me ldquoWe have to be very

firm about defending our language or it will disappear

And when it goes so does our way of life

Signs aside most French Canadians I met were bilingual

I quickly discovered that if I first made atleast a fumbling

attempt to speak their language almost everybody was

happy to switch to English ndash very possibly to spare

themselves the trauma of hearing my phrase-book

French which sounds like someone grinding the gears

of an old Citroen ldquoWe have nothing against Englishrdquo the

schoolteacher told me ldquoItrsquos just that we want to speak

French hererdquo

Vive la differenceJohn Flinn -Travel Editor

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Scale up of HIV Prevention Treatment Care and Support Requires Renewed Leadership and Resources

The 17th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) took place in Mexico City from August 3 -8 2008 with an assessment of the situation of the global epidemic at a panel of researchers public health and civil society leaders examined recent progress towards the scale up of treatment and prevention programmes and called for sustained action to eliminate the barriers to universal access

ldquoDespite the progress we have made we are not on course to meet universal access targets and in fact appear to be slipping away from our existing commitmentsrdquo said Dr Pedro Cahn International Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and President of the International AIDS Society and Fundacioacuten Hueacutesped in Buenos Aires Argentina ldquoIt appears that we are poised to accept defeat when victory is still within our grasp Our failure to meet those commitments will have an impact on millions of lives This cannot be allowed to happen It is time for nations to live up to their commitmentsrdquo

ldquoWith only two years to go until the 2010 deadline for universal access set by world leaders we must redouble our commitment to scaling up all proven HIV prevention strategiesrdquo said Dr Luiacutes Soto Ramiacuterez Local Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and Head of the Molecular Virology Unit at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Meacutedicas y Nutricioacuten Salvador Zubiriaacuten and Coordinator of the Clinical Care Committee of CONASIDA Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council ldquoThe fact that last year 27 million people were newly infected with HIV a disease that is entirely preventable is unacceptablerdquo

Dr Jaime Sepulveda (Mexico) founder of Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council who is now with the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation noted that attention to and resources for AIDS are at all-time high including substantially increased funding for the Global Fund and the US Presidentrsquos Emergency Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief According to Sepulveda reaching the goal of 3 million people in low and middle-income countries on treatment at the end of 2007 was a critical step forward but the world has only scratched the surface of possibilities in responding to the epidemic Greater resources more effectively spent and targeted where they can have the greatest effect would have a dramatic impact on the course of the epidemicrsquos Highlighting the fact that more people become infected

with HIV last year than began treatment Sepulveda called for radically increased investments in prevention research evaluation and delivery of services as well as accelerated research on promising prevention methods including a vaccine In conclusion he reiterated that political leadership from all countries and accountability at all levels are essential for stopping the epidemic

Citing the results in both treatment and prevention scale up in countries with sustained leadership such as Rwanda and Tanzania Alex Coutinho (Uganda) of the Infectious Disease Institute of Makerere University made a passionate call for greater leadership as a path toward meeting the challenges ahead In looking at progress to date Coutinho highlighted increased access to HIV testing and counseling to prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and to pediatric care and treatment as well as the effectiveness of male circumcision as a prevention intervention In contrast he noted that most countries will not achieve universal access by 2010 and that the majority of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are still unaware of their HIV status In his call to action Coutinho urged greater investment in prevention and financial resources flexible enough to support health systems and systems that reach into rural and other hard-to-reach areas and fully embrace PLHIV as partners He also urged outreach to and support of marginalized and at-risk communities as well as the greater involvement of PLHIV as a catalyst for change

Elisabet Fadul (Dominican Republic) of the Dominican Network for Youth RightsGlobal Youth Partners outlined a broad and urgent youth HIVAIDS agenda calling for comprehensive rights ndash and evidence-based plans to provide access for young people Highlighting the 40 of new infections worldwide among young people between the ages of 15-24 Fadul noted that HIV prevention and treatment programmes are failing to effectively reach young people with the most vulnerable and marginalized being stigmatized criminalized or forgotten by many of these programmes

To reverse this course she called for actions and policies that engage youth especially young people living with HIVAIDS as respected partners in developing and implementing programmes that forthrightly address their

needs and diversity

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the equipment already available in the country

MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc has tabled and

implemented an economical and technically feasible

secant pile wall system solution for bridge projects

within Ethiopia If it was not for MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plcrsquos geotechnical solutions construction under

such conditions would have been technically impossible

throughout East Africa

Unlike other options construction of secant pile wall as

waterproof vertical shoring system is not limited to the

soil condition of the site The construction of such high

tech geotechnical engineering solutions by the Company

have been successfully applied on projects like the Omo

River Bridge and on the New Abay Bridge Projects The

application of the secant pile wall system was used for the

construction of the pier foundation on both sides of the

Bridge on the Omo River Bridge Project and one side pier

foundation construction of the New Abay Bridge Project

During the construction of the Omo River Bridge

foundation and substructure works other logistic

challenges non-related to foundation works was

encountered The West Pier and Abutment on the Omo

River Bridge created such a technical impasse On this

side one of the most difficult challenges was to solve the

problem of crossing equipment and construction material

across the 150 m wide river After carefully considering all

the possible alternatives a decision was made to design and

manufacture a water crossing barge using local expertise

and manufacturing capabilities MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc took part in the design manufacturing and

commissioning of this barge and has successfully crossed

a 503 ton drilling rig and other earth moving equipment

With nearly twenty projects within Ethiopia MIDROC

Foundation Specialists Plc is a pioneer in exporting

foundation technology to neighboring Kenya Tanzania

and the Sudan In-house trained Ethiopian experts have

Crossing of drilling rig on Omo River through Barge

 Tiret Sept 2008

Secant pile wall

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Mr Achim Braun General Manager of MIDROC Foundation (left) inspecting a construction site

left their marks on several key projects within those

countries Among the projects successfully carried out in

Tanzania the Songo Songo Offshore Piling Project was the

most challenging and rewarding of all In this Project sixty

per cent of the piles were constructed from a SEWP (Self

Elevating Working Platform) elevated 13 meters from the

sea bed

As the company commemorates the tenth anniversary of

its establishment it is only proper to mark the outstanding

contributions to the construction industry of Ethiopia The

efficiency of the Company and the technology employed

has resulted in creating a broad awareness of foundation

technological solutions in the country particularly

among developers In terms of the spectrum of available

techniques of foundation the projects undertaken so

far are only a tip of the iceberg Although the Company

was confronted with a number of challenges in changing

attitudes and practices the success achieved so far has

been accomplished with great efforts exerted by the

companyrsquos management and its diligent professionals in

the field

Being the only Class I Foundation Specialist Contractors

in the country MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc is now

determined to leap ahead to new and yet un-introduced

foundation construction technologies such as micro 

piles  high  pressure  injection  diaphragm 

walls  slope  protection  and  soil  nailing  As

the countries infrastructure development continues to

reach higher levels MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is

preparing itself to meet the current customer demands

and technological challenges

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Statistics reveal that the country continues to earn hard currency from export of primary commodities such as coffee which tops the list by fetching some 500 million dollars last financial year

Other commodities are hides and skin flowers pulses fruits vegetables and chat

Incidentally it is interesting to note that Chat has fetched over 60 million dollars in foreign currency last fiscal year

The chewing of chat leaves is common in the horn of Africa but in eastern Ethiopia it is big business for some and big worry for others Chat is a major agricultural crop Yet many say it is addictive and harmful to health

In a town where I grew up for instance it is hard to avoid the impact of the stimulant leaf The first thing that strikes you in the main market is the deafening noise The market square is a scene of total chaos as you make your way through a bustling crowd preoccupied with the business of bartering for a prized commodity- the green leafed plant chat

Awadaye market is a market for chat It is estimated that over 25000 kg pass through it daily The buyers and sellers take their jobs seriously shouting to one other They gesture excitedly as they trade thousands of birr daily for the chat which is bought from the local farmers in Awadaye and sent to other areas in Ethiopia It is also exported overseas It is said to be the backbone of the economy as it can be gathered from the revenue it has generated during the current physical year

If you compare chat farmers with other farmers in other parts of the country you will see that their standard of living is so much better

The employment created though chat cultivation is very high as large numbers of people are involved in growing harvesting sorting packing transporting loading and unloading the commodity The wood of the plant is used for fuel and because of its resistance to termites it is also used to make fences Chat is also believed to have medical value being used locally to treat influenza and asthma

Chat farmers used to grow maize sorghum and teff which is the basic Ethiopian staple food but these crops are difficult to grow as they require lots of rain and attention

while chat requires little water or cultivation That is why it is widely believed that its cultivation is expanding at an amazing rate

Chat has now become Ethiopiarsquos biggest export third only to coffee and hides and skin But despite the cash earning and the tradition of chat growing and use among the people many people do not encourage it

They believe that it is addictive and this has a negative impact on the community They allege that people forget about their work commitments and spend hours chewing chat The number of users of chat is increasing particularly among the youth

In urban areas the use of chat combined with alcohol is having an adverse effect on family life Many students chew chat because they say it increases their concentration when they study their lessons

However in some regions where it is widely cultivated business punctuality is a frequent problem as the time after lunch is usually spent chewing chat Even in some regions where the plant has been banned cultivation and usage continue and attempts to replace chat with cash crops like coffee have failed

Regardless of the merit or demerit of chat the country continues to get the much needed hard currency through export of the plant ldquochatrdquo

However many people including development agents are of the opinion that the demerit far out weighs the merit for energy and time is spent chewing the stuff and particularly its negative impact on health especially on the productive force

Another very lucrative business in Ethiopia is the export of leather and leather goods According to recent data export of leather and leather goods registered a surge from 52 million dollars to over 90 million dollars Incidentally ELICO one of MIDROC Ethiopia group companies dealing with finished leather products fetched last financial year over 10 million dollars

In the light of considerable income accrued from export of primary commodities there is a need to do even more by way of establishing more agro-industries that engage in the production of agricultural products for sale locally and internationally

Earning from Export of Primary CommoditiesBy Yohannes Ruphael

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The Third Private Sector Development National Conference ndash 2008 of Ethiopia took place in Addis Ababa on June 30 2008 ndash at the UNECA Conference Center and the draft strategy document and priority strategic issues for improved business environment were discussed by representatives of the Private Sector Development Hub established with basic objectives of coordinating and developing a series of public sector development intervention projects for implementation with international financial support and undertaking related research studies to support the business community in its public and private partnership dialogue The Conference was addressed by an internationally renowned and distinguished authority on Corporate Governance Prof Mervyn E King SC

The Editorial Team of TIRET has taken advantage of communicating with Professor Mervyn E King SC to share his views briefly with our readers

Professor Mervyn E King SC is currently Professor Extraordinaire at the University of South Africa and serves as the Chairperson of the King Committee on Corporate Governance in South Africa He is a Senior Counsel and former Judge of the Supreme Court of South Africa His other credentials include Member of the World Bank Advisory Group on Corporate Governance President of the Commonwealth Association of Corporate Governance Governor of the International Corporate Governance Network President of the South Africa Chamber of Business Vice President of the Institute of Directors of Southern Africa Representatives of South Africa at the International Chamber of Commerce Advisor of Asian Center of Corporate Governance Director of Global Reporting Initiative-Amsterdam Director of Association of business Administrators of South Africa

At the Millennium National Private Sector Development Conference in Addis Ababa recently I spoke about corporate governance in the development of the private sector

Corporate governance is about the principles and practices which guide directors and senior managers in making their decisions to the best interests of their companies It has to be separated from the enterprise side of the business which is about making business judgment calls It is essential that directors and senior managers adopt acceptable principles and practices in steering and directing the company and making business judgment It is about the quality of this governance rather than a quantitative check on whether there has been compliance by the directors and managers with well-known governance practices such as the establishment of a remuneration committee

In my talk I pointed out that the economic value of a company does not equal its book value In Coca Cola for example its book value is approximately 13 of its economic value and its greatest asset is its brand which is dependent on

 Tiret Sept 2008

the companyrsquos reputation Consequentially directors and senior managers of Coca Cola have a duty to protect the companyrsquos brand

In planning for a company the strategic direction needs to be done both short- and long-term If a strategy is developed in which all persons in the corporation at all levels buy-in one can get ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things Unless this is done not even extraordinary people will achieve ordinary things

The important thing for directors to remember is that they have won and maintained the trust and confidence of the stakeholders of the company Consequently they should report at least annually how the company has both positively and negatively affected a communityrsquos economic life through its operations and how it is going to enhance those positive aspects and eradicate or ameliorate the negative aspects in the year ahead

Good governance involves inter alia the approval by the board of the strategy of the company and sustainability can no longer be ignored in developing a long-term strategy

The Private Sector Development Hub (PSD-Hub) has the objective to contribute to the economic development of Ethiopia by improving the entrepreneurial environment and the governance of corporations Consequently the PSD-Hub has held Conferences over the last two years focusing on these issues and on the question of public private partnerships There has also been discussion about expediting the registration of companies the standardization of accounting and auditing capitalization and the finalization of the revision of the Ethiopian Commercial Code Corporate governance has featured prominently in these discussions

Arising out of all the modernization of the registration of companies in Ethiopia has been recognized as a priority

Accounting and auditing standards which should follow IFRS should have legal backing so that everyone in Ethiopia will know the meaning of the reported financial statements

The development of a securities market including an exchange in which not only equities but bonds and derivatives can be bought and sold with the dematerialisation of scrip and electronic settlement is essential

From the above it will be seen that there is much to be done but Ethiopia is striving through the PSD Hub to create platforms on which it can forge ahead in our flat electronic world where capital flows towards those areas where there is good governance and well-regulated markets The Conference at which I spoke was just another step in Ethiopiarsquos endeavours to achieve these goals Positively the essential aspects for creating an entrepreneurial and thriving business environment have been identified and PSD Hub the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other interested bodies are working in partnership with government to achieve them

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Itrsquos a ridiculous

l a n g u a g e rdquo

sputtered the

Englishman at

the next table

his jowls shaking

in anger ldquoA ridiculous languagerdquo

We were sitting in a tiny tea-and-pie shop in Criccieth a

town in northern Wales and everybody but us was speaking

Welsh Like a remarkable number of his countrymen this

man was convinced it was merely a secret code employed

by the local to talk behind the backs of English visitors

ldquoJust you watchrdquo he said ldquoAs soon as we leave theyrsquoll all

go back to speaking Englishrdquo

I rather doubted it And unlike the Englishman I was

thrilled to encounter one of the oldest languages in

Europe a tongue heard in this misty and mountainous

land since the arrival of Roman legions

Being surrounded by people speaking an unfamiliar and

exotic language is to me one of the best things about

travel Just as some people will journey to the Serengeti

to glimpse the rare and endangered white rhino Irsquoll happily

go far out of my way to hear a rare and endangered

language

In the storybook city of Carcassonne in southwest France

I was less thrilled at seeing the towers and turrets than

I was at meeting a man who could speak Occitan the

ancient and fast-vanishing language of the troubadours

As far as I was concerned the most fascinating thing in

Dangriga a coastal town in Belize was the mellifluous

sound of Garifuna a language spoken by the descendants

of shipwrecked slaves from West Africa I once traveled

to Graubunden in eastern Switzerland in the hope of

hearing Romansch a tongue spoken by fewer than one

percent of the nationrsquos residents and said to resemble

Latin I encountered a few signs in the language but no

one who could speak it

According to one oft-cited estimate at least half the

worldrsquos 6000 languages are likely to die out by the end

of this century which means that one is going silent on

average every two weeks

Itrsquos not merely a matter of using different words to express the same thoughts Languages are literally the expressions of cultures and belief systems entirely different ways of making sense of the world And just as we should be concerned about the shrinking diversity of plant and animal species we should also worry about the shrinking diversity of languages

Welsh though seems to be holding on despite 700 years

of efforts by the English to exterminate it The BBC has for

some years now carried television and radio programming

in the language and in Wales itrsquos possible to receive your

entire education from preschool to postgraduate in

Welsh About 20 percent of Walesrsquo population speaks

Welsh and the number appears to be growing slightly

It is not as the Englishman said a ridiculous language But

it is to my eyes and ears a wonderfully strange one Dave

Barry once wrote that the ancient Hawaiians arrived on

their islands after perilous canoe voyages in seas so rough

their consonants fell overboard My guess is that the

letters drifted the worldrsquos oceans until they washed up on

the shores of Wales

T h e   B e a u t y   o f   a   L a n g u a g e

 Tiret Sept 2008

How else to explain for example the Welsh word for

beer Itrsquos cwrw It looks like my Scrabble tray when I

donrsquot have a word to pay (In case you ever need to order

one itrsquos pronounced ldquokooroordquo)

And then therersquos the vexing pronunciation of the double-

1 you find at the beginning of it seems two-thirds of the

town names in Wales ldquoJust put your teeth together and

hiss like a duckrdquo explained a helpful woman I met at the

Dylan Thomas Museum in Swansea She also pointed out

that Llareggub the fictional town in Thomasrsquo ldquoUnder the

Milkwood Treerdquo is merely ldquobugger allrdquo spelled backward

I like the besotted poet a whole lot more after learning

that

One dark and drizzly night I went to a little schoolhouse in

the Rhondda Valley to listen to a rehearsal of the Treorchy

Menrsquos Choir made up mostly of unemployed coal miners

ldquoIn the old daysrdquo one of them told me ldquowe used to sing

together in the pitsrdquo

When they opened their mouths to sing as one in Welsh

all the snarky little comments about their language become

moot It was simply one of the most hauntingly beautiful

sounds Irsquove even heard

I got a lesson in the politics of minority languages recently

when I visited Montreal the capital of French ndash speaking

Canada I hadnrsquot been there since a childhood visit to

Exporsquo67 and I remember the province as decidedly

bilingual Everything from traffic signs to toothpaste

tubes was printed in French and English No more A

law passed in 1977 banned the use of English in signs

throughout Quebec Itrsquos an attempt to do linguistically

what they failed for two centuries to do militarily prevent

the English from conquering them

Theyrsquore quite serious about this Hudson Bay Co the

venerable department store chain that dates back to the

fur-trading days is now known as Compagnie de la Baie

drsquoHudson at least in these parts Kentucky Fried Chicken

outlets arenrsquot allowed to use ldquoKFCrdquo on their signs In

Quebec theyrsquore called ldquoPFKrdquo for Poulet Frit Kentucky

The Quebecois are more vigilant even than their famously

Anglophobic counterparts in Paris All stop signs here say

Arret even though the ones in France say ldquoStoprdquo

It all seemed a little silly and excessive to me until I began

talking to French-speaking Montrealers about it ldquoYou

have to understand that wersquore surrounded by English

speakersrdquo a schoolteacher told me ldquoWe have to be very

firm about defending our language or it will disappear

And when it goes so does our way of life

Signs aside most French Canadians I met were bilingual

I quickly discovered that if I first made atleast a fumbling

attempt to speak their language almost everybody was

happy to switch to English ndash very possibly to spare

themselves the trauma of hearing my phrase-book

French which sounds like someone grinding the gears

of an old Citroen ldquoWe have nothing against Englishrdquo the

schoolteacher told me ldquoItrsquos just that we want to speak

French hererdquo

Vive la differenceJohn Flinn -Travel Editor

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Scale up of HIV Prevention Treatment Care and Support Requires Renewed Leadership and Resources

The 17th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) took place in Mexico City from August 3 -8 2008 with an assessment of the situation of the global epidemic at a panel of researchers public health and civil society leaders examined recent progress towards the scale up of treatment and prevention programmes and called for sustained action to eliminate the barriers to universal access

ldquoDespite the progress we have made we are not on course to meet universal access targets and in fact appear to be slipping away from our existing commitmentsrdquo said Dr Pedro Cahn International Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and President of the International AIDS Society and Fundacioacuten Hueacutesped in Buenos Aires Argentina ldquoIt appears that we are poised to accept defeat when victory is still within our grasp Our failure to meet those commitments will have an impact on millions of lives This cannot be allowed to happen It is time for nations to live up to their commitmentsrdquo

ldquoWith only two years to go until the 2010 deadline for universal access set by world leaders we must redouble our commitment to scaling up all proven HIV prevention strategiesrdquo said Dr Luiacutes Soto Ramiacuterez Local Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and Head of the Molecular Virology Unit at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Meacutedicas y Nutricioacuten Salvador Zubiriaacuten and Coordinator of the Clinical Care Committee of CONASIDA Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council ldquoThe fact that last year 27 million people were newly infected with HIV a disease that is entirely preventable is unacceptablerdquo

Dr Jaime Sepulveda (Mexico) founder of Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council who is now with the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation noted that attention to and resources for AIDS are at all-time high including substantially increased funding for the Global Fund and the US Presidentrsquos Emergency Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief According to Sepulveda reaching the goal of 3 million people in low and middle-income countries on treatment at the end of 2007 was a critical step forward but the world has only scratched the surface of possibilities in responding to the epidemic Greater resources more effectively spent and targeted where they can have the greatest effect would have a dramatic impact on the course of the epidemicrsquos Highlighting the fact that more people become infected

with HIV last year than began treatment Sepulveda called for radically increased investments in prevention research evaluation and delivery of services as well as accelerated research on promising prevention methods including a vaccine In conclusion he reiterated that political leadership from all countries and accountability at all levels are essential for stopping the epidemic

Citing the results in both treatment and prevention scale up in countries with sustained leadership such as Rwanda and Tanzania Alex Coutinho (Uganda) of the Infectious Disease Institute of Makerere University made a passionate call for greater leadership as a path toward meeting the challenges ahead In looking at progress to date Coutinho highlighted increased access to HIV testing and counseling to prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and to pediatric care and treatment as well as the effectiveness of male circumcision as a prevention intervention In contrast he noted that most countries will not achieve universal access by 2010 and that the majority of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are still unaware of their HIV status In his call to action Coutinho urged greater investment in prevention and financial resources flexible enough to support health systems and systems that reach into rural and other hard-to-reach areas and fully embrace PLHIV as partners He also urged outreach to and support of marginalized and at-risk communities as well as the greater involvement of PLHIV as a catalyst for change

Elisabet Fadul (Dominican Republic) of the Dominican Network for Youth RightsGlobal Youth Partners outlined a broad and urgent youth HIVAIDS agenda calling for comprehensive rights ndash and evidence-based plans to provide access for young people Highlighting the 40 of new infections worldwide among young people between the ages of 15-24 Fadul noted that HIV prevention and treatment programmes are failing to effectively reach young people with the most vulnerable and marginalized being stigmatized criminalized or forgotten by many of these programmes

To reverse this course she called for actions and policies that engage youth especially young people living with HIVAIDS as respected partners in developing and implementing programmes that forthrightly address their

needs and diversity

 Tiret Sept 2008

With the equipment already available in the country

MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc has tabled and

implemented an economical and technically feasible

secant pile wall system solution for bridge projects

within Ethiopia If it was not for MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plcrsquos geotechnical solutions construction under

such conditions would have been technically impossible

throughout East Africa

Unlike other options construction of secant pile wall as

waterproof vertical shoring system is not limited to the

soil condition of the site The construction of such high

tech geotechnical engineering solutions by the Company

have been successfully applied on projects like the Omo

River Bridge and on the New Abay Bridge Projects The

application of the secant pile wall system was used for the

construction of the pier foundation on both sides of the

Bridge on the Omo River Bridge Project and one side pier

foundation construction of the New Abay Bridge Project

During the construction of the Omo River Bridge

foundation and substructure works other logistic

challenges non-related to foundation works was

encountered The West Pier and Abutment on the Omo

River Bridge created such a technical impasse On this

side one of the most difficult challenges was to solve the

problem of crossing equipment and construction material

across the 150 m wide river After carefully considering all

the possible alternatives a decision was made to design and

manufacture a water crossing barge using local expertise

and manufacturing capabilities MIDROC Foundation

Specialist Plc took part in the design manufacturing and

commissioning of this barge and has successfully crossed

a 503 ton drilling rig and other earth moving equipment

With nearly twenty projects within Ethiopia MIDROC

Foundation Specialists Plc is a pioneer in exporting

foundation technology to neighboring Kenya Tanzania

and the Sudan In-house trained Ethiopian experts have

Crossing of drilling rig on Omo River through Barge

 Tiret Sept 2008

Secant pile wall

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Mr Achim Braun General Manager of MIDROC Foundation (left) inspecting a construction site

left their marks on several key projects within those

countries Among the projects successfully carried out in

Tanzania the Songo Songo Offshore Piling Project was the

most challenging and rewarding of all In this Project sixty

per cent of the piles were constructed from a SEWP (Self

Elevating Working Platform) elevated 13 meters from the

sea bed

As the company commemorates the tenth anniversary of

its establishment it is only proper to mark the outstanding

contributions to the construction industry of Ethiopia The

efficiency of the Company and the technology employed

has resulted in creating a broad awareness of foundation

technological solutions in the country particularly

among developers In terms of the spectrum of available

techniques of foundation the projects undertaken so

far are only a tip of the iceberg Although the Company

was confronted with a number of challenges in changing

attitudes and practices the success achieved so far has

been accomplished with great efforts exerted by the

companyrsquos management and its diligent professionals in

the field

Being the only Class I Foundation Specialist Contractors

in the country MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc is now

determined to leap ahead to new and yet un-introduced

foundation construction technologies such as micro 

piles  high  pressure  injection  diaphragm 

walls  slope  protection  and  soil  nailing  As

the countries infrastructure development continues to

reach higher levels MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is

preparing itself to meet the current customer demands

and technological challenges

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Statistics reveal that the country continues to earn hard currency from export of primary commodities such as coffee which tops the list by fetching some 500 million dollars last financial year

Other commodities are hides and skin flowers pulses fruits vegetables and chat

Incidentally it is interesting to note that Chat has fetched over 60 million dollars in foreign currency last fiscal year

The chewing of chat leaves is common in the horn of Africa but in eastern Ethiopia it is big business for some and big worry for others Chat is a major agricultural crop Yet many say it is addictive and harmful to health

In a town where I grew up for instance it is hard to avoid the impact of the stimulant leaf The first thing that strikes you in the main market is the deafening noise The market square is a scene of total chaos as you make your way through a bustling crowd preoccupied with the business of bartering for a prized commodity- the green leafed plant chat

Awadaye market is a market for chat It is estimated that over 25000 kg pass through it daily The buyers and sellers take their jobs seriously shouting to one other They gesture excitedly as they trade thousands of birr daily for the chat which is bought from the local farmers in Awadaye and sent to other areas in Ethiopia It is also exported overseas It is said to be the backbone of the economy as it can be gathered from the revenue it has generated during the current physical year

If you compare chat farmers with other farmers in other parts of the country you will see that their standard of living is so much better

The employment created though chat cultivation is very high as large numbers of people are involved in growing harvesting sorting packing transporting loading and unloading the commodity The wood of the plant is used for fuel and because of its resistance to termites it is also used to make fences Chat is also believed to have medical value being used locally to treat influenza and asthma

Chat farmers used to grow maize sorghum and teff which is the basic Ethiopian staple food but these crops are difficult to grow as they require lots of rain and attention

while chat requires little water or cultivation That is why it is widely believed that its cultivation is expanding at an amazing rate

Chat has now become Ethiopiarsquos biggest export third only to coffee and hides and skin But despite the cash earning and the tradition of chat growing and use among the people many people do not encourage it

They believe that it is addictive and this has a negative impact on the community They allege that people forget about their work commitments and spend hours chewing chat The number of users of chat is increasing particularly among the youth

In urban areas the use of chat combined with alcohol is having an adverse effect on family life Many students chew chat because they say it increases their concentration when they study their lessons

However in some regions where it is widely cultivated business punctuality is a frequent problem as the time after lunch is usually spent chewing chat Even in some regions where the plant has been banned cultivation and usage continue and attempts to replace chat with cash crops like coffee have failed

Regardless of the merit or demerit of chat the country continues to get the much needed hard currency through export of the plant ldquochatrdquo

However many people including development agents are of the opinion that the demerit far out weighs the merit for energy and time is spent chewing the stuff and particularly its negative impact on health especially on the productive force

Another very lucrative business in Ethiopia is the export of leather and leather goods According to recent data export of leather and leather goods registered a surge from 52 million dollars to over 90 million dollars Incidentally ELICO one of MIDROC Ethiopia group companies dealing with finished leather products fetched last financial year over 10 million dollars

In the light of considerable income accrued from export of primary commodities there is a need to do even more by way of establishing more agro-industries that engage in the production of agricultural products for sale locally and internationally

Earning from Export of Primary CommoditiesBy Yohannes Ruphael

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The Third Private Sector Development National Conference ndash 2008 of Ethiopia took place in Addis Ababa on June 30 2008 ndash at the UNECA Conference Center and the draft strategy document and priority strategic issues for improved business environment were discussed by representatives of the Private Sector Development Hub established with basic objectives of coordinating and developing a series of public sector development intervention projects for implementation with international financial support and undertaking related research studies to support the business community in its public and private partnership dialogue The Conference was addressed by an internationally renowned and distinguished authority on Corporate Governance Prof Mervyn E King SC

The Editorial Team of TIRET has taken advantage of communicating with Professor Mervyn E King SC to share his views briefly with our readers

Professor Mervyn E King SC is currently Professor Extraordinaire at the University of South Africa and serves as the Chairperson of the King Committee on Corporate Governance in South Africa He is a Senior Counsel and former Judge of the Supreme Court of South Africa His other credentials include Member of the World Bank Advisory Group on Corporate Governance President of the Commonwealth Association of Corporate Governance Governor of the International Corporate Governance Network President of the South Africa Chamber of Business Vice President of the Institute of Directors of Southern Africa Representatives of South Africa at the International Chamber of Commerce Advisor of Asian Center of Corporate Governance Director of Global Reporting Initiative-Amsterdam Director of Association of business Administrators of South Africa

At the Millennium National Private Sector Development Conference in Addis Ababa recently I spoke about corporate governance in the development of the private sector

Corporate governance is about the principles and practices which guide directors and senior managers in making their decisions to the best interests of their companies It has to be separated from the enterprise side of the business which is about making business judgment calls It is essential that directors and senior managers adopt acceptable principles and practices in steering and directing the company and making business judgment It is about the quality of this governance rather than a quantitative check on whether there has been compliance by the directors and managers with well-known governance practices such as the establishment of a remuneration committee

In my talk I pointed out that the economic value of a company does not equal its book value In Coca Cola for example its book value is approximately 13 of its economic value and its greatest asset is its brand which is dependent on

 Tiret Sept 2008

the companyrsquos reputation Consequentially directors and senior managers of Coca Cola have a duty to protect the companyrsquos brand

In planning for a company the strategic direction needs to be done both short- and long-term If a strategy is developed in which all persons in the corporation at all levels buy-in one can get ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things Unless this is done not even extraordinary people will achieve ordinary things

The important thing for directors to remember is that they have won and maintained the trust and confidence of the stakeholders of the company Consequently they should report at least annually how the company has both positively and negatively affected a communityrsquos economic life through its operations and how it is going to enhance those positive aspects and eradicate or ameliorate the negative aspects in the year ahead

Good governance involves inter alia the approval by the board of the strategy of the company and sustainability can no longer be ignored in developing a long-term strategy

The Private Sector Development Hub (PSD-Hub) has the objective to contribute to the economic development of Ethiopia by improving the entrepreneurial environment and the governance of corporations Consequently the PSD-Hub has held Conferences over the last two years focusing on these issues and on the question of public private partnerships There has also been discussion about expediting the registration of companies the standardization of accounting and auditing capitalization and the finalization of the revision of the Ethiopian Commercial Code Corporate governance has featured prominently in these discussions

Arising out of all the modernization of the registration of companies in Ethiopia has been recognized as a priority

Accounting and auditing standards which should follow IFRS should have legal backing so that everyone in Ethiopia will know the meaning of the reported financial statements

The development of a securities market including an exchange in which not only equities but bonds and derivatives can be bought and sold with the dematerialisation of scrip and electronic settlement is essential

From the above it will be seen that there is much to be done but Ethiopia is striving through the PSD Hub to create platforms on which it can forge ahead in our flat electronic world where capital flows towards those areas where there is good governance and well-regulated markets The Conference at which I spoke was just another step in Ethiopiarsquos endeavours to achieve these goals Positively the essential aspects for creating an entrepreneurial and thriving business environment have been identified and PSD Hub the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other interested bodies are working in partnership with government to achieve them

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Itrsquos a ridiculous

l a n g u a g e rdquo

sputtered the

Englishman at

the next table

his jowls shaking

in anger ldquoA ridiculous languagerdquo

We were sitting in a tiny tea-and-pie shop in Criccieth a

town in northern Wales and everybody but us was speaking

Welsh Like a remarkable number of his countrymen this

man was convinced it was merely a secret code employed

by the local to talk behind the backs of English visitors

ldquoJust you watchrdquo he said ldquoAs soon as we leave theyrsquoll all

go back to speaking Englishrdquo

I rather doubted it And unlike the Englishman I was

thrilled to encounter one of the oldest languages in

Europe a tongue heard in this misty and mountainous

land since the arrival of Roman legions

Being surrounded by people speaking an unfamiliar and

exotic language is to me one of the best things about

travel Just as some people will journey to the Serengeti

to glimpse the rare and endangered white rhino Irsquoll happily

go far out of my way to hear a rare and endangered

language

In the storybook city of Carcassonne in southwest France

I was less thrilled at seeing the towers and turrets than

I was at meeting a man who could speak Occitan the

ancient and fast-vanishing language of the troubadours

As far as I was concerned the most fascinating thing in

Dangriga a coastal town in Belize was the mellifluous

sound of Garifuna a language spoken by the descendants

of shipwrecked slaves from West Africa I once traveled

to Graubunden in eastern Switzerland in the hope of

hearing Romansch a tongue spoken by fewer than one

percent of the nationrsquos residents and said to resemble

Latin I encountered a few signs in the language but no

one who could speak it

According to one oft-cited estimate at least half the

worldrsquos 6000 languages are likely to die out by the end

of this century which means that one is going silent on

average every two weeks

Itrsquos not merely a matter of using different words to express the same thoughts Languages are literally the expressions of cultures and belief systems entirely different ways of making sense of the world And just as we should be concerned about the shrinking diversity of plant and animal species we should also worry about the shrinking diversity of languages

Welsh though seems to be holding on despite 700 years

of efforts by the English to exterminate it The BBC has for

some years now carried television and radio programming

in the language and in Wales itrsquos possible to receive your

entire education from preschool to postgraduate in

Welsh About 20 percent of Walesrsquo population speaks

Welsh and the number appears to be growing slightly

It is not as the Englishman said a ridiculous language But

it is to my eyes and ears a wonderfully strange one Dave

Barry once wrote that the ancient Hawaiians arrived on

their islands after perilous canoe voyages in seas so rough

their consonants fell overboard My guess is that the

letters drifted the worldrsquos oceans until they washed up on

the shores of Wales

T h e   B e a u t y   o f   a   L a n g u a g e

 Tiret Sept 2008

How else to explain for example the Welsh word for

beer Itrsquos cwrw It looks like my Scrabble tray when I

donrsquot have a word to pay (In case you ever need to order

one itrsquos pronounced ldquokooroordquo)

And then therersquos the vexing pronunciation of the double-

1 you find at the beginning of it seems two-thirds of the

town names in Wales ldquoJust put your teeth together and

hiss like a duckrdquo explained a helpful woman I met at the

Dylan Thomas Museum in Swansea She also pointed out

that Llareggub the fictional town in Thomasrsquo ldquoUnder the

Milkwood Treerdquo is merely ldquobugger allrdquo spelled backward

I like the besotted poet a whole lot more after learning

that

One dark and drizzly night I went to a little schoolhouse in

the Rhondda Valley to listen to a rehearsal of the Treorchy

Menrsquos Choir made up mostly of unemployed coal miners

ldquoIn the old daysrdquo one of them told me ldquowe used to sing

together in the pitsrdquo

When they opened their mouths to sing as one in Welsh

all the snarky little comments about their language become

moot It was simply one of the most hauntingly beautiful

sounds Irsquove even heard

I got a lesson in the politics of minority languages recently

when I visited Montreal the capital of French ndash speaking

Canada I hadnrsquot been there since a childhood visit to

Exporsquo67 and I remember the province as decidedly

bilingual Everything from traffic signs to toothpaste

tubes was printed in French and English No more A

law passed in 1977 banned the use of English in signs

throughout Quebec Itrsquos an attempt to do linguistically

what they failed for two centuries to do militarily prevent

the English from conquering them

Theyrsquore quite serious about this Hudson Bay Co the

venerable department store chain that dates back to the

fur-trading days is now known as Compagnie de la Baie

drsquoHudson at least in these parts Kentucky Fried Chicken

outlets arenrsquot allowed to use ldquoKFCrdquo on their signs In

Quebec theyrsquore called ldquoPFKrdquo for Poulet Frit Kentucky

The Quebecois are more vigilant even than their famously

Anglophobic counterparts in Paris All stop signs here say

Arret even though the ones in France say ldquoStoprdquo

It all seemed a little silly and excessive to me until I began

talking to French-speaking Montrealers about it ldquoYou

have to understand that wersquore surrounded by English

speakersrdquo a schoolteacher told me ldquoWe have to be very

firm about defending our language or it will disappear

And when it goes so does our way of life

Signs aside most French Canadians I met were bilingual

I quickly discovered that if I first made atleast a fumbling

attempt to speak their language almost everybody was

happy to switch to English ndash very possibly to spare

themselves the trauma of hearing my phrase-book

French which sounds like someone grinding the gears

of an old Citroen ldquoWe have nothing against Englishrdquo the

schoolteacher told me ldquoItrsquos just that we want to speak

French hererdquo

Vive la differenceJohn Flinn -Travel Editor

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Scale up of HIV Prevention Treatment Care and Support Requires Renewed Leadership and Resources

The 17th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) took place in Mexico City from August 3 -8 2008 with an assessment of the situation of the global epidemic at a panel of researchers public health and civil society leaders examined recent progress towards the scale up of treatment and prevention programmes and called for sustained action to eliminate the barriers to universal access

ldquoDespite the progress we have made we are not on course to meet universal access targets and in fact appear to be slipping away from our existing commitmentsrdquo said Dr Pedro Cahn International Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and President of the International AIDS Society and Fundacioacuten Hueacutesped in Buenos Aires Argentina ldquoIt appears that we are poised to accept defeat when victory is still within our grasp Our failure to meet those commitments will have an impact on millions of lives This cannot be allowed to happen It is time for nations to live up to their commitmentsrdquo

ldquoWith only two years to go until the 2010 deadline for universal access set by world leaders we must redouble our commitment to scaling up all proven HIV prevention strategiesrdquo said Dr Luiacutes Soto Ramiacuterez Local Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and Head of the Molecular Virology Unit at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Meacutedicas y Nutricioacuten Salvador Zubiriaacuten and Coordinator of the Clinical Care Committee of CONASIDA Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council ldquoThe fact that last year 27 million people were newly infected with HIV a disease that is entirely preventable is unacceptablerdquo

Dr Jaime Sepulveda (Mexico) founder of Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council who is now with the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation noted that attention to and resources for AIDS are at all-time high including substantially increased funding for the Global Fund and the US Presidentrsquos Emergency Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief According to Sepulveda reaching the goal of 3 million people in low and middle-income countries on treatment at the end of 2007 was a critical step forward but the world has only scratched the surface of possibilities in responding to the epidemic Greater resources more effectively spent and targeted where they can have the greatest effect would have a dramatic impact on the course of the epidemicrsquos Highlighting the fact that more people become infected

with HIV last year than began treatment Sepulveda called for radically increased investments in prevention research evaluation and delivery of services as well as accelerated research on promising prevention methods including a vaccine In conclusion he reiterated that political leadership from all countries and accountability at all levels are essential for stopping the epidemic

Citing the results in both treatment and prevention scale up in countries with sustained leadership such as Rwanda and Tanzania Alex Coutinho (Uganda) of the Infectious Disease Institute of Makerere University made a passionate call for greater leadership as a path toward meeting the challenges ahead In looking at progress to date Coutinho highlighted increased access to HIV testing and counseling to prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and to pediatric care and treatment as well as the effectiveness of male circumcision as a prevention intervention In contrast he noted that most countries will not achieve universal access by 2010 and that the majority of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are still unaware of their HIV status In his call to action Coutinho urged greater investment in prevention and financial resources flexible enough to support health systems and systems that reach into rural and other hard-to-reach areas and fully embrace PLHIV as partners He also urged outreach to and support of marginalized and at-risk communities as well as the greater involvement of PLHIV as a catalyst for change

Elisabet Fadul (Dominican Republic) of the Dominican Network for Youth RightsGlobal Youth Partners outlined a broad and urgent youth HIVAIDS agenda calling for comprehensive rights ndash and evidence-based plans to provide access for young people Highlighting the 40 of new infections worldwide among young people between the ages of 15-24 Fadul noted that HIV prevention and treatment programmes are failing to effectively reach young people with the most vulnerable and marginalized being stigmatized criminalized or forgotten by many of these programmes

To reverse this course she called for actions and policies that engage youth especially young people living with HIVAIDS as respected partners in developing and implementing programmes that forthrightly address their

needs and diversity

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

Mr Achim Braun General Manager of MIDROC Foundation (left) inspecting a construction site

left their marks on several key projects within those

countries Among the projects successfully carried out in

Tanzania the Songo Songo Offshore Piling Project was the

most challenging and rewarding of all In this Project sixty

per cent of the piles were constructed from a SEWP (Self

Elevating Working Platform) elevated 13 meters from the

sea bed

As the company commemorates the tenth anniversary of

its establishment it is only proper to mark the outstanding

contributions to the construction industry of Ethiopia The

efficiency of the Company and the technology employed

has resulted in creating a broad awareness of foundation

technological solutions in the country particularly

among developers In terms of the spectrum of available

techniques of foundation the projects undertaken so

far are only a tip of the iceberg Although the Company

was confronted with a number of challenges in changing

attitudes and practices the success achieved so far has

been accomplished with great efforts exerted by the

companyrsquos management and its diligent professionals in

the field

Being the only Class I Foundation Specialist Contractors

in the country MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc is now

determined to leap ahead to new and yet un-introduced

foundation construction technologies such as micro 

piles  high  pressure  injection  diaphragm 

walls  slope  protection  and  soil  nailing  As

the countries infrastructure development continues to

reach higher levels MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is

preparing itself to meet the current customer demands

and technological challenges

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Statistics reveal that the country continues to earn hard currency from export of primary commodities such as coffee which tops the list by fetching some 500 million dollars last financial year

Other commodities are hides and skin flowers pulses fruits vegetables and chat

Incidentally it is interesting to note that Chat has fetched over 60 million dollars in foreign currency last fiscal year

The chewing of chat leaves is common in the horn of Africa but in eastern Ethiopia it is big business for some and big worry for others Chat is a major agricultural crop Yet many say it is addictive and harmful to health

In a town where I grew up for instance it is hard to avoid the impact of the stimulant leaf The first thing that strikes you in the main market is the deafening noise The market square is a scene of total chaos as you make your way through a bustling crowd preoccupied with the business of bartering for a prized commodity- the green leafed plant chat

Awadaye market is a market for chat It is estimated that over 25000 kg pass through it daily The buyers and sellers take their jobs seriously shouting to one other They gesture excitedly as they trade thousands of birr daily for the chat which is bought from the local farmers in Awadaye and sent to other areas in Ethiopia It is also exported overseas It is said to be the backbone of the economy as it can be gathered from the revenue it has generated during the current physical year

If you compare chat farmers with other farmers in other parts of the country you will see that their standard of living is so much better

The employment created though chat cultivation is very high as large numbers of people are involved in growing harvesting sorting packing transporting loading and unloading the commodity The wood of the plant is used for fuel and because of its resistance to termites it is also used to make fences Chat is also believed to have medical value being used locally to treat influenza and asthma

Chat farmers used to grow maize sorghum and teff which is the basic Ethiopian staple food but these crops are difficult to grow as they require lots of rain and attention

while chat requires little water or cultivation That is why it is widely believed that its cultivation is expanding at an amazing rate

Chat has now become Ethiopiarsquos biggest export third only to coffee and hides and skin But despite the cash earning and the tradition of chat growing and use among the people many people do not encourage it

They believe that it is addictive and this has a negative impact on the community They allege that people forget about their work commitments and spend hours chewing chat The number of users of chat is increasing particularly among the youth

In urban areas the use of chat combined with alcohol is having an adverse effect on family life Many students chew chat because they say it increases their concentration when they study their lessons

However in some regions where it is widely cultivated business punctuality is a frequent problem as the time after lunch is usually spent chewing chat Even in some regions where the plant has been banned cultivation and usage continue and attempts to replace chat with cash crops like coffee have failed

Regardless of the merit or demerit of chat the country continues to get the much needed hard currency through export of the plant ldquochatrdquo

However many people including development agents are of the opinion that the demerit far out weighs the merit for energy and time is spent chewing the stuff and particularly its negative impact on health especially on the productive force

Another very lucrative business in Ethiopia is the export of leather and leather goods According to recent data export of leather and leather goods registered a surge from 52 million dollars to over 90 million dollars Incidentally ELICO one of MIDROC Ethiopia group companies dealing with finished leather products fetched last financial year over 10 million dollars

In the light of considerable income accrued from export of primary commodities there is a need to do even more by way of establishing more agro-industries that engage in the production of agricultural products for sale locally and internationally

Earning from Export of Primary CommoditiesBy Yohannes Ruphael

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The Third Private Sector Development National Conference ndash 2008 of Ethiopia took place in Addis Ababa on June 30 2008 ndash at the UNECA Conference Center and the draft strategy document and priority strategic issues for improved business environment were discussed by representatives of the Private Sector Development Hub established with basic objectives of coordinating and developing a series of public sector development intervention projects for implementation with international financial support and undertaking related research studies to support the business community in its public and private partnership dialogue The Conference was addressed by an internationally renowned and distinguished authority on Corporate Governance Prof Mervyn E King SC

The Editorial Team of TIRET has taken advantage of communicating with Professor Mervyn E King SC to share his views briefly with our readers

Professor Mervyn E King SC is currently Professor Extraordinaire at the University of South Africa and serves as the Chairperson of the King Committee on Corporate Governance in South Africa He is a Senior Counsel and former Judge of the Supreme Court of South Africa His other credentials include Member of the World Bank Advisory Group on Corporate Governance President of the Commonwealth Association of Corporate Governance Governor of the International Corporate Governance Network President of the South Africa Chamber of Business Vice President of the Institute of Directors of Southern Africa Representatives of South Africa at the International Chamber of Commerce Advisor of Asian Center of Corporate Governance Director of Global Reporting Initiative-Amsterdam Director of Association of business Administrators of South Africa

At the Millennium National Private Sector Development Conference in Addis Ababa recently I spoke about corporate governance in the development of the private sector

Corporate governance is about the principles and practices which guide directors and senior managers in making their decisions to the best interests of their companies It has to be separated from the enterprise side of the business which is about making business judgment calls It is essential that directors and senior managers adopt acceptable principles and practices in steering and directing the company and making business judgment It is about the quality of this governance rather than a quantitative check on whether there has been compliance by the directors and managers with well-known governance practices such as the establishment of a remuneration committee

In my talk I pointed out that the economic value of a company does not equal its book value In Coca Cola for example its book value is approximately 13 of its economic value and its greatest asset is its brand which is dependent on

 Tiret Sept 2008

the companyrsquos reputation Consequentially directors and senior managers of Coca Cola have a duty to protect the companyrsquos brand

In planning for a company the strategic direction needs to be done both short- and long-term If a strategy is developed in which all persons in the corporation at all levels buy-in one can get ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things Unless this is done not even extraordinary people will achieve ordinary things

The important thing for directors to remember is that they have won and maintained the trust and confidence of the stakeholders of the company Consequently they should report at least annually how the company has both positively and negatively affected a communityrsquos economic life through its operations and how it is going to enhance those positive aspects and eradicate or ameliorate the negative aspects in the year ahead

Good governance involves inter alia the approval by the board of the strategy of the company and sustainability can no longer be ignored in developing a long-term strategy

The Private Sector Development Hub (PSD-Hub) has the objective to contribute to the economic development of Ethiopia by improving the entrepreneurial environment and the governance of corporations Consequently the PSD-Hub has held Conferences over the last two years focusing on these issues and on the question of public private partnerships There has also been discussion about expediting the registration of companies the standardization of accounting and auditing capitalization and the finalization of the revision of the Ethiopian Commercial Code Corporate governance has featured prominently in these discussions

Arising out of all the modernization of the registration of companies in Ethiopia has been recognized as a priority

Accounting and auditing standards which should follow IFRS should have legal backing so that everyone in Ethiopia will know the meaning of the reported financial statements

The development of a securities market including an exchange in which not only equities but bonds and derivatives can be bought and sold with the dematerialisation of scrip and electronic settlement is essential

From the above it will be seen that there is much to be done but Ethiopia is striving through the PSD Hub to create platforms on which it can forge ahead in our flat electronic world where capital flows towards those areas where there is good governance and well-regulated markets The Conference at which I spoke was just another step in Ethiopiarsquos endeavours to achieve these goals Positively the essential aspects for creating an entrepreneurial and thriving business environment have been identified and PSD Hub the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other interested bodies are working in partnership with government to achieve them

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Itrsquos a ridiculous

l a n g u a g e rdquo

sputtered the

Englishman at

the next table

his jowls shaking

in anger ldquoA ridiculous languagerdquo

We were sitting in a tiny tea-and-pie shop in Criccieth a

town in northern Wales and everybody but us was speaking

Welsh Like a remarkable number of his countrymen this

man was convinced it was merely a secret code employed

by the local to talk behind the backs of English visitors

ldquoJust you watchrdquo he said ldquoAs soon as we leave theyrsquoll all

go back to speaking Englishrdquo

I rather doubted it And unlike the Englishman I was

thrilled to encounter one of the oldest languages in

Europe a tongue heard in this misty and mountainous

land since the arrival of Roman legions

Being surrounded by people speaking an unfamiliar and

exotic language is to me one of the best things about

travel Just as some people will journey to the Serengeti

to glimpse the rare and endangered white rhino Irsquoll happily

go far out of my way to hear a rare and endangered

language

In the storybook city of Carcassonne in southwest France

I was less thrilled at seeing the towers and turrets than

I was at meeting a man who could speak Occitan the

ancient and fast-vanishing language of the troubadours

As far as I was concerned the most fascinating thing in

Dangriga a coastal town in Belize was the mellifluous

sound of Garifuna a language spoken by the descendants

of shipwrecked slaves from West Africa I once traveled

to Graubunden in eastern Switzerland in the hope of

hearing Romansch a tongue spoken by fewer than one

percent of the nationrsquos residents and said to resemble

Latin I encountered a few signs in the language but no

one who could speak it

According to one oft-cited estimate at least half the

worldrsquos 6000 languages are likely to die out by the end

of this century which means that one is going silent on

average every two weeks

Itrsquos not merely a matter of using different words to express the same thoughts Languages are literally the expressions of cultures and belief systems entirely different ways of making sense of the world And just as we should be concerned about the shrinking diversity of plant and animal species we should also worry about the shrinking diversity of languages

Welsh though seems to be holding on despite 700 years

of efforts by the English to exterminate it The BBC has for

some years now carried television and radio programming

in the language and in Wales itrsquos possible to receive your

entire education from preschool to postgraduate in

Welsh About 20 percent of Walesrsquo population speaks

Welsh and the number appears to be growing slightly

It is not as the Englishman said a ridiculous language But

it is to my eyes and ears a wonderfully strange one Dave

Barry once wrote that the ancient Hawaiians arrived on

their islands after perilous canoe voyages in seas so rough

their consonants fell overboard My guess is that the

letters drifted the worldrsquos oceans until they washed up on

the shores of Wales

T h e   B e a u t y   o f   a   L a n g u a g e

 Tiret Sept 2008

How else to explain for example the Welsh word for

beer Itrsquos cwrw It looks like my Scrabble tray when I

donrsquot have a word to pay (In case you ever need to order

one itrsquos pronounced ldquokooroordquo)

And then therersquos the vexing pronunciation of the double-

1 you find at the beginning of it seems two-thirds of the

town names in Wales ldquoJust put your teeth together and

hiss like a duckrdquo explained a helpful woman I met at the

Dylan Thomas Museum in Swansea She also pointed out

that Llareggub the fictional town in Thomasrsquo ldquoUnder the

Milkwood Treerdquo is merely ldquobugger allrdquo spelled backward

I like the besotted poet a whole lot more after learning

that

One dark and drizzly night I went to a little schoolhouse in

the Rhondda Valley to listen to a rehearsal of the Treorchy

Menrsquos Choir made up mostly of unemployed coal miners

ldquoIn the old daysrdquo one of them told me ldquowe used to sing

together in the pitsrdquo

When they opened their mouths to sing as one in Welsh

all the snarky little comments about their language become

moot It was simply one of the most hauntingly beautiful

sounds Irsquove even heard

I got a lesson in the politics of minority languages recently

when I visited Montreal the capital of French ndash speaking

Canada I hadnrsquot been there since a childhood visit to

Exporsquo67 and I remember the province as decidedly

bilingual Everything from traffic signs to toothpaste

tubes was printed in French and English No more A

law passed in 1977 banned the use of English in signs

throughout Quebec Itrsquos an attempt to do linguistically

what they failed for two centuries to do militarily prevent

the English from conquering them

Theyrsquore quite serious about this Hudson Bay Co the

venerable department store chain that dates back to the

fur-trading days is now known as Compagnie de la Baie

drsquoHudson at least in these parts Kentucky Fried Chicken

outlets arenrsquot allowed to use ldquoKFCrdquo on their signs In

Quebec theyrsquore called ldquoPFKrdquo for Poulet Frit Kentucky

The Quebecois are more vigilant even than their famously

Anglophobic counterparts in Paris All stop signs here say

Arret even though the ones in France say ldquoStoprdquo

It all seemed a little silly and excessive to me until I began

talking to French-speaking Montrealers about it ldquoYou

have to understand that wersquore surrounded by English

speakersrdquo a schoolteacher told me ldquoWe have to be very

firm about defending our language or it will disappear

And when it goes so does our way of life

Signs aside most French Canadians I met were bilingual

I quickly discovered that if I first made atleast a fumbling

attempt to speak their language almost everybody was

happy to switch to English ndash very possibly to spare

themselves the trauma of hearing my phrase-book

French which sounds like someone grinding the gears

of an old Citroen ldquoWe have nothing against Englishrdquo the

schoolteacher told me ldquoItrsquos just that we want to speak

French hererdquo

Vive la differenceJohn Flinn -Travel Editor

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Scale up of HIV Prevention Treatment Care and Support Requires Renewed Leadership and Resources

The 17th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) took place in Mexico City from August 3 -8 2008 with an assessment of the situation of the global epidemic at a panel of researchers public health and civil society leaders examined recent progress towards the scale up of treatment and prevention programmes and called for sustained action to eliminate the barriers to universal access

ldquoDespite the progress we have made we are not on course to meet universal access targets and in fact appear to be slipping away from our existing commitmentsrdquo said Dr Pedro Cahn International Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and President of the International AIDS Society and Fundacioacuten Hueacutesped in Buenos Aires Argentina ldquoIt appears that we are poised to accept defeat when victory is still within our grasp Our failure to meet those commitments will have an impact on millions of lives This cannot be allowed to happen It is time for nations to live up to their commitmentsrdquo

ldquoWith only two years to go until the 2010 deadline for universal access set by world leaders we must redouble our commitment to scaling up all proven HIV prevention strategiesrdquo said Dr Luiacutes Soto Ramiacuterez Local Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and Head of the Molecular Virology Unit at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Meacutedicas y Nutricioacuten Salvador Zubiriaacuten and Coordinator of the Clinical Care Committee of CONASIDA Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council ldquoThe fact that last year 27 million people were newly infected with HIV a disease that is entirely preventable is unacceptablerdquo

Dr Jaime Sepulveda (Mexico) founder of Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council who is now with the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation noted that attention to and resources for AIDS are at all-time high including substantially increased funding for the Global Fund and the US Presidentrsquos Emergency Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief According to Sepulveda reaching the goal of 3 million people in low and middle-income countries on treatment at the end of 2007 was a critical step forward but the world has only scratched the surface of possibilities in responding to the epidemic Greater resources more effectively spent and targeted where they can have the greatest effect would have a dramatic impact on the course of the epidemicrsquos Highlighting the fact that more people become infected

with HIV last year than began treatment Sepulveda called for radically increased investments in prevention research evaluation and delivery of services as well as accelerated research on promising prevention methods including a vaccine In conclusion he reiterated that political leadership from all countries and accountability at all levels are essential for stopping the epidemic

Citing the results in both treatment and prevention scale up in countries with sustained leadership such as Rwanda and Tanzania Alex Coutinho (Uganda) of the Infectious Disease Institute of Makerere University made a passionate call for greater leadership as a path toward meeting the challenges ahead In looking at progress to date Coutinho highlighted increased access to HIV testing and counseling to prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and to pediatric care and treatment as well as the effectiveness of male circumcision as a prevention intervention In contrast he noted that most countries will not achieve universal access by 2010 and that the majority of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are still unaware of their HIV status In his call to action Coutinho urged greater investment in prevention and financial resources flexible enough to support health systems and systems that reach into rural and other hard-to-reach areas and fully embrace PLHIV as partners He also urged outreach to and support of marginalized and at-risk communities as well as the greater involvement of PLHIV as a catalyst for change

Elisabet Fadul (Dominican Republic) of the Dominican Network for Youth RightsGlobal Youth Partners outlined a broad and urgent youth HIVAIDS agenda calling for comprehensive rights ndash and evidence-based plans to provide access for young people Highlighting the 40 of new infections worldwide among young people between the ages of 15-24 Fadul noted that HIV prevention and treatment programmes are failing to effectively reach young people with the most vulnerable and marginalized being stigmatized criminalized or forgotten by many of these programmes

To reverse this course she called for actions and policies that engage youth especially young people living with HIVAIDS as respected partners in developing and implementing programmes that forthrightly address their

needs and diversity

 Tiret Sept 2008

Mr Achim Braun General Manager of MIDROC Foundation (left) inspecting a construction site

left their marks on several key projects within those

countries Among the projects successfully carried out in

Tanzania the Songo Songo Offshore Piling Project was the

most challenging and rewarding of all In this Project sixty

per cent of the piles were constructed from a SEWP (Self

Elevating Working Platform) elevated 13 meters from the

sea bed

As the company commemorates the tenth anniversary of

its establishment it is only proper to mark the outstanding

contributions to the construction industry of Ethiopia The

efficiency of the Company and the technology employed

has resulted in creating a broad awareness of foundation

technological solutions in the country particularly

among developers In terms of the spectrum of available

techniques of foundation the projects undertaken so

far are only a tip of the iceberg Although the Company

was confronted with a number of challenges in changing

attitudes and practices the success achieved so far has

been accomplished with great efforts exerted by the

companyrsquos management and its diligent professionals in

the field

Being the only Class I Foundation Specialist Contractors

in the country MIDROC Foundation Specialists Plc is now

determined to leap ahead to new and yet un-introduced

foundation construction technologies such as micro 

piles  high  pressure  injection  diaphragm 

walls  slope  protection  and  soil  nailing  As

the countries infrastructure development continues to

reach higher levels MIDROC Foundation Specialist Plc is

preparing itself to meet the current customer demands

and technological challenges

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Statistics reveal that the country continues to earn hard currency from export of primary commodities such as coffee which tops the list by fetching some 500 million dollars last financial year

Other commodities are hides and skin flowers pulses fruits vegetables and chat

Incidentally it is interesting to note that Chat has fetched over 60 million dollars in foreign currency last fiscal year

The chewing of chat leaves is common in the horn of Africa but in eastern Ethiopia it is big business for some and big worry for others Chat is a major agricultural crop Yet many say it is addictive and harmful to health

In a town where I grew up for instance it is hard to avoid the impact of the stimulant leaf The first thing that strikes you in the main market is the deafening noise The market square is a scene of total chaos as you make your way through a bustling crowd preoccupied with the business of bartering for a prized commodity- the green leafed plant chat

Awadaye market is a market for chat It is estimated that over 25000 kg pass through it daily The buyers and sellers take their jobs seriously shouting to one other They gesture excitedly as they trade thousands of birr daily for the chat which is bought from the local farmers in Awadaye and sent to other areas in Ethiopia It is also exported overseas It is said to be the backbone of the economy as it can be gathered from the revenue it has generated during the current physical year

If you compare chat farmers with other farmers in other parts of the country you will see that their standard of living is so much better

The employment created though chat cultivation is very high as large numbers of people are involved in growing harvesting sorting packing transporting loading and unloading the commodity The wood of the plant is used for fuel and because of its resistance to termites it is also used to make fences Chat is also believed to have medical value being used locally to treat influenza and asthma

Chat farmers used to grow maize sorghum and teff which is the basic Ethiopian staple food but these crops are difficult to grow as they require lots of rain and attention

while chat requires little water or cultivation That is why it is widely believed that its cultivation is expanding at an amazing rate

Chat has now become Ethiopiarsquos biggest export third only to coffee and hides and skin But despite the cash earning and the tradition of chat growing and use among the people many people do not encourage it

They believe that it is addictive and this has a negative impact on the community They allege that people forget about their work commitments and spend hours chewing chat The number of users of chat is increasing particularly among the youth

In urban areas the use of chat combined with alcohol is having an adverse effect on family life Many students chew chat because they say it increases their concentration when they study their lessons

However in some regions where it is widely cultivated business punctuality is a frequent problem as the time after lunch is usually spent chewing chat Even in some regions where the plant has been banned cultivation and usage continue and attempts to replace chat with cash crops like coffee have failed

Regardless of the merit or demerit of chat the country continues to get the much needed hard currency through export of the plant ldquochatrdquo

However many people including development agents are of the opinion that the demerit far out weighs the merit for energy and time is spent chewing the stuff and particularly its negative impact on health especially on the productive force

Another very lucrative business in Ethiopia is the export of leather and leather goods According to recent data export of leather and leather goods registered a surge from 52 million dollars to over 90 million dollars Incidentally ELICO one of MIDROC Ethiopia group companies dealing with finished leather products fetched last financial year over 10 million dollars

In the light of considerable income accrued from export of primary commodities there is a need to do even more by way of establishing more agro-industries that engage in the production of agricultural products for sale locally and internationally

Earning from Export of Primary CommoditiesBy Yohannes Ruphael

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The Third Private Sector Development National Conference ndash 2008 of Ethiopia took place in Addis Ababa on June 30 2008 ndash at the UNECA Conference Center and the draft strategy document and priority strategic issues for improved business environment were discussed by representatives of the Private Sector Development Hub established with basic objectives of coordinating and developing a series of public sector development intervention projects for implementation with international financial support and undertaking related research studies to support the business community in its public and private partnership dialogue The Conference was addressed by an internationally renowned and distinguished authority on Corporate Governance Prof Mervyn E King SC

The Editorial Team of TIRET has taken advantage of communicating with Professor Mervyn E King SC to share his views briefly with our readers

Professor Mervyn E King SC is currently Professor Extraordinaire at the University of South Africa and serves as the Chairperson of the King Committee on Corporate Governance in South Africa He is a Senior Counsel and former Judge of the Supreme Court of South Africa His other credentials include Member of the World Bank Advisory Group on Corporate Governance President of the Commonwealth Association of Corporate Governance Governor of the International Corporate Governance Network President of the South Africa Chamber of Business Vice President of the Institute of Directors of Southern Africa Representatives of South Africa at the International Chamber of Commerce Advisor of Asian Center of Corporate Governance Director of Global Reporting Initiative-Amsterdam Director of Association of business Administrators of South Africa

At the Millennium National Private Sector Development Conference in Addis Ababa recently I spoke about corporate governance in the development of the private sector

Corporate governance is about the principles and practices which guide directors and senior managers in making their decisions to the best interests of their companies It has to be separated from the enterprise side of the business which is about making business judgment calls It is essential that directors and senior managers adopt acceptable principles and practices in steering and directing the company and making business judgment It is about the quality of this governance rather than a quantitative check on whether there has been compliance by the directors and managers with well-known governance practices such as the establishment of a remuneration committee

In my talk I pointed out that the economic value of a company does not equal its book value In Coca Cola for example its book value is approximately 13 of its economic value and its greatest asset is its brand which is dependent on

 Tiret Sept 2008

the companyrsquos reputation Consequentially directors and senior managers of Coca Cola have a duty to protect the companyrsquos brand

In planning for a company the strategic direction needs to be done both short- and long-term If a strategy is developed in which all persons in the corporation at all levels buy-in one can get ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things Unless this is done not even extraordinary people will achieve ordinary things

The important thing for directors to remember is that they have won and maintained the trust and confidence of the stakeholders of the company Consequently they should report at least annually how the company has both positively and negatively affected a communityrsquos economic life through its operations and how it is going to enhance those positive aspects and eradicate or ameliorate the negative aspects in the year ahead

Good governance involves inter alia the approval by the board of the strategy of the company and sustainability can no longer be ignored in developing a long-term strategy

The Private Sector Development Hub (PSD-Hub) has the objective to contribute to the economic development of Ethiopia by improving the entrepreneurial environment and the governance of corporations Consequently the PSD-Hub has held Conferences over the last two years focusing on these issues and on the question of public private partnerships There has also been discussion about expediting the registration of companies the standardization of accounting and auditing capitalization and the finalization of the revision of the Ethiopian Commercial Code Corporate governance has featured prominently in these discussions

Arising out of all the modernization of the registration of companies in Ethiopia has been recognized as a priority

Accounting and auditing standards which should follow IFRS should have legal backing so that everyone in Ethiopia will know the meaning of the reported financial statements

The development of a securities market including an exchange in which not only equities but bonds and derivatives can be bought and sold with the dematerialisation of scrip and electronic settlement is essential

From the above it will be seen that there is much to be done but Ethiopia is striving through the PSD Hub to create platforms on which it can forge ahead in our flat electronic world where capital flows towards those areas where there is good governance and well-regulated markets The Conference at which I spoke was just another step in Ethiopiarsquos endeavours to achieve these goals Positively the essential aspects for creating an entrepreneurial and thriving business environment have been identified and PSD Hub the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other interested bodies are working in partnership with government to achieve them

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Itrsquos a ridiculous

l a n g u a g e rdquo

sputtered the

Englishman at

the next table

his jowls shaking

in anger ldquoA ridiculous languagerdquo

We were sitting in a tiny tea-and-pie shop in Criccieth a

town in northern Wales and everybody but us was speaking

Welsh Like a remarkable number of his countrymen this

man was convinced it was merely a secret code employed

by the local to talk behind the backs of English visitors

ldquoJust you watchrdquo he said ldquoAs soon as we leave theyrsquoll all

go back to speaking Englishrdquo

I rather doubted it And unlike the Englishman I was

thrilled to encounter one of the oldest languages in

Europe a tongue heard in this misty and mountainous

land since the arrival of Roman legions

Being surrounded by people speaking an unfamiliar and

exotic language is to me one of the best things about

travel Just as some people will journey to the Serengeti

to glimpse the rare and endangered white rhino Irsquoll happily

go far out of my way to hear a rare and endangered

language

In the storybook city of Carcassonne in southwest France

I was less thrilled at seeing the towers and turrets than

I was at meeting a man who could speak Occitan the

ancient and fast-vanishing language of the troubadours

As far as I was concerned the most fascinating thing in

Dangriga a coastal town in Belize was the mellifluous

sound of Garifuna a language spoken by the descendants

of shipwrecked slaves from West Africa I once traveled

to Graubunden in eastern Switzerland in the hope of

hearing Romansch a tongue spoken by fewer than one

percent of the nationrsquos residents and said to resemble

Latin I encountered a few signs in the language but no

one who could speak it

According to one oft-cited estimate at least half the

worldrsquos 6000 languages are likely to die out by the end

of this century which means that one is going silent on

average every two weeks

Itrsquos not merely a matter of using different words to express the same thoughts Languages are literally the expressions of cultures and belief systems entirely different ways of making sense of the world And just as we should be concerned about the shrinking diversity of plant and animal species we should also worry about the shrinking diversity of languages

Welsh though seems to be holding on despite 700 years

of efforts by the English to exterminate it The BBC has for

some years now carried television and radio programming

in the language and in Wales itrsquos possible to receive your

entire education from preschool to postgraduate in

Welsh About 20 percent of Walesrsquo population speaks

Welsh and the number appears to be growing slightly

It is not as the Englishman said a ridiculous language But

it is to my eyes and ears a wonderfully strange one Dave

Barry once wrote that the ancient Hawaiians arrived on

their islands after perilous canoe voyages in seas so rough

their consonants fell overboard My guess is that the

letters drifted the worldrsquos oceans until they washed up on

the shores of Wales

T h e   B e a u t y   o f   a   L a n g u a g e

 Tiret Sept 2008

How else to explain for example the Welsh word for

beer Itrsquos cwrw It looks like my Scrabble tray when I

donrsquot have a word to pay (In case you ever need to order

one itrsquos pronounced ldquokooroordquo)

And then therersquos the vexing pronunciation of the double-

1 you find at the beginning of it seems two-thirds of the

town names in Wales ldquoJust put your teeth together and

hiss like a duckrdquo explained a helpful woman I met at the

Dylan Thomas Museum in Swansea She also pointed out

that Llareggub the fictional town in Thomasrsquo ldquoUnder the

Milkwood Treerdquo is merely ldquobugger allrdquo spelled backward

I like the besotted poet a whole lot more after learning

that

One dark and drizzly night I went to a little schoolhouse in

the Rhondda Valley to listen to a rehearsal of the Treorchy

Menrsquos Choir made up mostly of unemployed coal miners

ldquoIn the old daysrdquo one of them told me ldquowe used to sing

together in the pitsrdquo

When they opened their mouths to sing as one in Welsh

all the snarky little comments about their language become

moot It was simply one of the most hauntingly beautiful

sounds Irsquove even heard

I got a lesson in the politics of minority languages recently

when I visited Montreal the capital of French ndash speaking

Canada I hadnrsquot been there since a childhood visit to

Exporsquo67 and I remember the province as decidedly

bilingual Everything from traffic signs to toothpaste

tubes was printed in French and English No more A

law passed in 1977 banned the use of English in signs

throughout Quebec Itrsquos an attempt to do linguistically

what they failed for two centuries to do militarily prevent

the English from conquering them

Theyrsquore quite serious about this Hudson Bay Co the

venerable department store chain that dates back to the

fur-trading days is now known as Compagnie de la Baie

drsquoHudson at least in these parts Kentucky Fried Chicken

outlets arenrsquot allowed to use ldquoKFCrdquo on their signs In

Quebec theyrsquore called ldquoPFKrdquo for Poulet Frit Kentucky

The Quebecois are more vigilant even than their famously

Anglophobic counterparts in Paris All stop signs here say

Arret even though the ones in France say ldquoStoprdquo

It all seemed a little silly and excessive to me until I began

talking to French-speaking Montrealers about it ldquoYou

have to understand that wersquore surrounded by English

speakersrdquo a schoolteacher told me ldquoWe have to be very

firm about defending our language or it will disappear

And when it goes so does our way of life

Signs aside most French Canadians I met were bilingual

I quickly discovered that if I first made atleast a fumbling

attempt to speak their language almost everybody was

happy to switch to English ndash very possibly to spare

themselves the trauma of hearing my phrase-book

French which sounds like someone grinding the gears

of an old Citroen ldquoWe have nothing against Englishrdquo the

schoolteacher told me ldquoItrsquos just that we want to speak

French hererdquo

Vive la differenceJohn Flinn -Travel Editor

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Scale up of HIV Prevention Treatment Care and Support Requires Renewed Leadership and Resources

The 17th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) took place in Mexico City from August 3 -8 2008 with an assessment of the situation of the global epidemic at a panel of researchers public health and civil society leaders examined recent progress towards the scale up of treatment and prevention programmes and called for sustained action to eliminate the barriers to universal access

ldquoDespite the progress we have made we are not on course to meet universal access targets and in fact appear to be slipping away from our existing commitmentsrdquo said Dr Pedro Cahn International Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and President of the International AIDS Society and Fundacioacuten Hueacutesped in Buenos Aires Argentina ldquoIt appears that we are poised to accept defeat when victory is still within our grasp Our failure to meet those commitments will have an impact on millions of lives This cannot be allowed to happen It is time for nations to live up to their commitmentsrdquo

ldquoWith only two years to go until the 2010 deadline for universal access set by world leaders we must redouble our commitment to scaling up all proven HIV prevention strategiesrdquo said Dr Luiacutes Soto Ramiacuterez Local Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and Head of the Molecular Virology Unit at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Meacutedicas y Nutricioacuten Salvador Zubiriaacuten and Coordinator of the Clinical Care Committee of CONASIDA Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council ldquoThe fact that last year 27 million people were newly infected with HIV a disease that is entirely preventable is unacceptablerdquo

Dr Jaime Sepulveda (Mexico) founder of Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council who is now with the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation noted that attention to and resources for AIDS are at all-time high including substantially increased funding for the Global Fund and the US Presidentrsquos Emergency Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief According to Sepulveda reaching the goal of 3 million people in low and middle-income countries on treatment at the end of 2007 was a critical step forward but the world has only scratched the surface of possibilities in responding to the epidemic Greater resources more effectively spent and targeted where they can have the greatest effect would have a dramatic impact on the course of the epidemicrsquos Highlighting the fact that more people become infected

with HIV last year than began treatment Sepulveda called for radically increased investments in prevention research evaluation and delivery of services as well as accelerated research on promising prevention methods including a vaccine In conclusion he reiterated that political leadership from all countries and accountability at all levels are essential for stopping the epidemic

Citing the results in both treatment and prevention scale up in countries with sustained leadership such as Rwanda and Tanzania Alex Coutinho (Uganda) of the Infectious Disease Institute of Makerere University made a passionate call for greater leadership as a path toward meeting the challenges ahead In looking at progress to date Coutinho highlighted increased access to HIV testing and counseling to prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and to pediatric care and treatment as well as the effectiveness of male circumcision as a prevention intervention In contrast he noted that most countries will not achieve universal access by 2010 and that the majority of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are still unaware of their HIV status In his call to action Coutinho urged greater investment in prevention and financial resources flexible enough to support health systems and systems that reach into rural and other hard-to-reach areas and fully embrace PLHIV as partners He also urged outreach to and support of marginalized and at-risk communities as well as the greater involvement of PLHIV as a catalyst for change

Elisabet Fadul (Dominican Republic) of the Dominican Network for Youth RightsGlobal Youth Partners outlined a broad and urgent youth HIVAIDS agenda calling for comprehensive rights ndash and evidence-based plans to provide access for young people Highlighting the 40 of new infections worldwide among young people between the ages of 15-24 Fadul noted that HIV prevention and treatment programmes are failing to effectively reach young people with the most vulnerable and marginalized being stigmatized criminalized or forgotten by many of these programmes

To reverse this course she called for actions and policies that engage youth especially young people living with HIVAIDS as respected partners in developing and implementing programmes that forthrightly address their

needs and diversity

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Statistics reveal that the country continues to earn hard currency from export of primary commodities such as coffee which tops the list by fetching some 500 million dollars last financial year

Other commodities are hides and skin flowers pulses fruits vegetables and chat

Incidentally it is interesting to note that Chat has fetched over 60 million dollars in foreign currency last fiscal year

The chewing of chat leaves is common in the horn of Africa but in eastern Ethiopia it is big business for some and big worry for others Chat is a major agricultural crop Yet many say it is addictive and harmful to health

In a town where I grew up for instance it is hard to avoid the impact of the stimulant leaf The first thing that strikes you in the main market is the deafening noise The market square is a scene of total chaos as you make your way through a bustling crowd preoccupied with the business of bartering for a prized commodity- the green leafed plant chat

Awadaye market is a market for chat It is estimated that over 25000 kg pass through it daily The buyers and sellers take their jobs seriously shouting to one other They gesture excitedly as they trade thousands of birr daily for the chat which is bought from the local farmers in Awadaye and sent to other areas in Ethiopia It is also exported overseas It is said to be the backbone of the economy as it can be gathered from the revenue it has generated during the current physical year

If you compare chat farmers with other farmers in other parts of the country you will see that their standard of living is so much better

The employment created though chat cultivation is very high as large numbers of people are involved in growing harvesting sorting packing transporting loading and unloading the commodity The wood of the plant is used for fuel and because of its resistance to termites it is also used to make fences Chat is also believed to have medical value being used locally to treat influenza and asthma

Chat farmers used to grow maize sorghum and teff which is the basic Ethiopian staple food but these crops are difficult to grow as they require lots of rain and attention

while chat requires little water or cultivation That is why it is widely believed that its cultivation is expanding at an amazing rate

Chat has now become Ethiopiarsquos biggest export third only to coffee and hides and skin But despite the cash earning and the tradition of chat growing and use among the people many people do not encourage it

They believe that it is addictive and this has a negative impact on the community They allege that people forget about their work commitments and spend hours chewing chat The number of users of chat is increasing particularly among the youth

In urban areas the use of chat combined with alcohol is having an adverse effect on family life Many students chew chat because they say it increases their concentration when they study their lessons

However in some regions where it is widely cultivated business punctuality is a frequent problem as the time after lunch is usually spent chewing chat Even in some regions where the plant has been banned cultivation and usage continue and attempts to replace chat with cash crops like coffee have failed

Regardless of the merit or demerit of chat the country continues to get the much needed hard currency through export of the plant ldquochatrdquo

However many people including development agents are of the opinion that the demerit far out weighs the merit for energy and time is spent chewing the stuff and particularly its negative impact on health especially on the productive force

Another very lucrative business in Ethiopia is the export of leather and leather goods According to recent data export of leather and leather goods registered a surge from 52 million dollars to over 90 million dollars Incidentally ELICO one of MIDROC Ethiopia group companies dealing with finished leather products fetched last financial year over 10 million dollars

In the light of considerable income accrued from export of primary commodities there is a need to do even more by way of establishing more agro-industries that engage in the production of agricultural products for sale locally and internationally

Earning from Export of Primary CommoditiesBy Yohannes Ruphael

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The Third Private Sector Development National Conference ndash 2008 of Ethiopia took place in Addis Ababa on June 30 2008 ndash at the UNECA Conference Center and the draft strategy document and priority strategic issues for improved business environment were discussed by representatives of the Private Sector Development Hub established with basic objectives of coordinating and developing a series of public sector development intervention projects for implementation with international financial support and undertaking related research studies to support the business community in its public and private partnership dialogue The Conference was addressed by an internationally renowned and distinguished authority on Corporate Governance Prof Mervyn E King SC

The Editorial Team of TIRET has taken advantage of communicating with Professor Mervyn E King SC to share his views briefly with our readers

Professor Mervyn E King SC is currently Professor Extraordinaire at the University of South Africa and serves as the Chairperson of the King Committee on Corporate Governance in South Africa He is a Senior Counsel and former Judge of the Supreme Court of South Africa His other credentials include Member of the World Bank Advisory Group on Corporate Governance President of the Commonwealth Association of Corporate Governance Governor of the International Corporate Governance Network President of the South Africa Chamber of Business Vice President of the Institute of Directors of Southern Africa Representatives of South Africa at the International Chamber of Commerce Advisor of Asian Center of Corporate Governance Director of Global Reporting Initiative-Amsterdam Director of Association of business Administrators of South Africa

At the Millennium National Private Sector Development Conference in Addis Ababa recently I spoke about corporate governance in the development of the private sector

Corporate governance is about the principles and practices which guide directors and senior managers in making their decisions to the best interests of their companies It has to be separated from the enterprise side of the business which is about making business judgment calls It is essential that directors and senior managers adopt acceptable principles and practices in steering and directing the company and making business judgment It is about the quality of this governance rather than a quantitative check on whether there has been compliance by the directors and managers with well-known governance practices such as the establishment of a remuneration committee

In my talk I pointed out that the economic value of a company does not equal its book value In Coca Cola for example its book value is approximately 13 of its economic value and its greatest asset is its brand which is dependent on

 Tiret Sept 2008

the companyrsquos reputation Consequentially directors and senior managers of Coca Cola have a duty to protect the companyrsquos brand

In planning for a company the strategic direction needs to be done both short- and long-term If a strategy is developed in which all persons in the corporation at all levels buy-in one can get ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things Unless this is done not even extraordinary people will achieve ordinary things

The important thing for directors to remember is that they have won and maintained the trust and confidence of the stakeholders of the company Consequently they should report at least annually how the company has both positively and negatively affected a communityrsquos economic life through its operations and how it is going to enhance those positive aspects and eradicate or ameliorate the negative aspects in the year ahead

Good governance involves inter alia the approval by the board of the strategy of the company and sustainability can no longer be ignored in developing a long-term strategy

The Private Sector Development Hub (PSD-Hub) has the objective to contribute to the economic development of Ethiopia by improving the entrepreneurial environment and the governance of corporations Consequently the PSD-Hub has held Conferences over the last two years focusing on these issues and on the question of public private partnerships There has also been discussion about expediting the registration of companies the standardization of accounting and auditing capitalization and the finalization of the revision of the Ethiopian Commercial Code Corporate governance has featured prominently in these discussions

Arising out of all the modernization of the registration of companies in Ethiopia has been recognized as a priority

Accounting and auditing standards which should follow IFRS should have legal backing so that everyone in Ethiopia will know the meaning of the reported financial statements

The development of a securities market including an exchange in which not only equities but bonds and derivatives can be bought and sold with the dematerialisation of scrip and electronic settlement is essential

From the above it will be seen that there is much to be done but Ethiopia is striving through the PSD Hub to create platforms on which it can forge ahead in our flat electronic world where capital flows towards those areas where there is good governance and well-regulated markets The Conference at which I spoke was just another step in Ethiopiarsquos endeavours to achieve these goals Positively the essential aspects for creating an entrepreneurial and thriving business environment have been identified and PSD Hub the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other interested bodies are working in partnership with government to achieve them

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Itrsquos a ridiculous

l a n g u a g e rdquo

sputtered the

Englishman at

the next table

his jowls shaking

in anger ldquoA ridiculous languagerdquo

We were sitting in a tiny tea-and-pie shop in Criccieth a

town in northern Wales and everybody but us was speaking

Welsh Like a remarkable number of his countrymen this

man was convinced it was merely a secret code employed

by the local to talk behind the backs of English visitors

ldquoJust you watchrdquo he said ldquoAs soon as we leave theyrsquoll all

go back to speaking Englishrdquo

I rather doubted it And unlike the Englishman I was

thrilled to encounter one of the oldest languages in

Europe a tongue heard in this misty and mountainous

land since the arrival of Roman legions

Being surrounded by people speaking an unfamiliar and

exotic language is to me one of the best things about

travel Just as some people will journey to the Serengeti

to glimpse the rare and endangered white rhino Irsquoll happily

go far out of my way to hear a rare and endangered

language

In the storybook city of Carcassonne in southwest France

I was less thrilled at seeing the towers and turrets than

I was at meeting a man who could speak Occitan the

ancient and fast-vanishing language of the troubadours

As far as I was concerned the most fascinating thing in

Dangriga a coastal town in Belize was the mellifluous

sound of Garifuna a language spoken by the descendants

of shipwrecked slaves from West Africa I once traveled

to Graubunden in eastern Switzerland in the hope of

hearing Romansch a tongue spoken by fewer than one

percent of the nationrsquos residents and said to resemble

Latin I encountered a few signs in the language but no

one who could speak it

According to one oft-cited estimate at least half the

worldrsquos 6000 languages are likely to die out by the end

of this century which means that one is going silent on

average every two weeks

Itrsquos not merely a matter of using different words to express the same thoughts Languages are literally the expressions of cultures and belief systems entirely different ways of making sense of the world And just as we should be concerned about the shrinking diversity of plant and animal species we should also worry about the shrinking diversity of languages

Welsh though seems to be holding on despite 700 years

of efforts by the English to exterminate it The BBC has for

some years now carried television and radio programming

in the language and in Wales itrsquos possible to receive your

entire education from preschool to postgraduate in

Welsh About 20 percent of Walesrsquo population speaks

Welsh and the number appears to be growing slightly

It is not as the Englishman said a ridiculous language But

it is to my eyes and ears a wonderfully strange one Dave

Barry once wrote that the ancient Hawaiians arrived on

their islands after perilous canoe voyages in seas so rough

their consonants fell overboard My guess is that the

letters drifted the worldrsquos oceans until they washed up on

the shores of Wales

T h e   B e a u t y   o f   a   L a n g u a g e

 Tiret Sept 2008

How else to explain for example the Welsh word for

beer Itrsquos cwrw It looks like my Scrabble tray when I

donrsquot have a word to pay (In case you ever need to order

one itrsquos pronounced ldquokooroordquo)

And then therersquos the vexing pronunciation of the double-

1 you find at the beginning of it seems two-thirds of the

town names in Wales ldquoJust put your teeth together and

hiss like a duckrdquo explained a helpful woman I met at the

Dylan Thomas Museum in Swansea She also pointed out

that Llareggub the fictional town in Thomasrsquo ldquoUnder the

Milkwood Treerdquo is merely ldquobugger allrdquo spelled backward

I like the besotted poet a whole lot more after learning

that

One dark and drizzly night I went to a little schoolhouse in

the Rhondda Valley to listen to a rehearsal of the Treorchy

Menrsquos Choir made up mostly of unemployed coal miners

ldquoIn the old daysrdquo one of them told me ldquowe used to sing

together in the pitsrdquo

When they opened their mouths to sing as one in Welsh

all the snarky little comments about their language become

moot It was simply one of the most hauntingly beautiful

sounds Irsquove even heard

I got a lesson in the politics of minority languages recently

when I visited Montreal the capital of French ndash speaking

Canada I hadnrsquot been there since a childhood visit to

Exporsquo67 and I remember the province as decidedly

bilingual Everything from traffic signs to toothpaste

tubes was printed in French and English No more A

law passed in 1977 banned the use of English in signs

throughout Quebec Itrsquos an attempt to do linguistically

what they failed for two centuries to do militarily prevent

the English from conquering them

Theyrsquore quite serious about this Hudson Bay Co the

venerable department store chain that dates back to the

fur-trading days is now known as Compagnie de la Baie

drsquoHudson at least in these parts Kentucky Fried Chicken

outlets arenrsquot allowed to use ldquoKFCrdquo on their signs In

Quebec theyrsquore called ldquoPFKrdquo for Poulet Frit Kentucky

The Quebecois are more vigilant even than their famously

Anglophobic counterparts in Paris All stop signs here say

Arret even though the ones in France say ldquoStoprdquo

It all seemed a little silly and excessive to me until I began

talking to French-speaking Montrealers about it ldquoYou

have to understand that wersquore surrounded by English

speakersrdquo a schoolteacher told me ldquoWe have to be very

firm about defending our language or it will disappear

And when it goes so does our way of life

Signs aside most French Canadians I met were bilingual

I quickly discovered that if I first made atleast a fumbling

attempt to speak their language almost everybody was

happy to switch to English ndash very possibly to spare

themselves the trauma of hearing my phrase-book

French which sounds like someone grinding the gears

of an old Citroen ldquoWe have nothing against Englishrdquo the

schoolteacher told me ldquoItrsquos just that we want to speak

French hererdquo

Vive la differenceJohn Flinn -Travel Editor

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Scale up of HIV Prevention Treatment Care and Support Requires Renewed Leadership and Resources

The 17th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) took place in Mexico City from August 3 -8 2008 with an assessment of the situation of the global epidemic at a panel of researchers public health and civil society leaders examined recent progress towards the scale up of treatment and prevention programmes and called for sustained action to eliminate the barriers to universal access

ldquoDespite the progress we have made we are not on course to meet universal access targets and in fact appear to be slipping away from our existing commitmentsrdquo said Dr Pedro Cahn International Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and President of the International AIDS Society and Fundacioacuten Hueacutesped in Buenos Aires Argentina ldquoIt appears that we are poised to accept defeat when victory is still within our grasp Our failure to meet those commitments will have an impact on millions of lives This cannot be allowed to happen It is time for nations to live up to their commitmentsrdquo

ldquoWith only two years to go until the 2010 deadline for universal access set by world leaders we must redouble our commitment to scaling up all proven HIV prevention strategiesrdquo said Dr Luiacutes Soto Ramiacuterez Local Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and Head of the Molecular Virology Unit at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Meacutedicas y Nutricioacuten Salvador Zubiriaacuten and Coordinator of the Clinical Care Committee of CONASIDA Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council ldquoThe fact that last year 27 million people were newly infected with HIV a disease that is entirely preventable is unacceptablerdquo

Dr Jaime Sepulveda (Mexico) founder of Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council who is now with the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation noted that attention to and resources for AIDS are at all-time high including substantially increased funding for the Global Fund and the US Presidentrsquos Emergency Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief According to Sepulveda reaching the goal of 3 million people in low and middle-income countries on treatment at the end of 2007 was a critical step forward but the world has only scratched the surface of possibilities in responding to the epidemic Greater resources more effectively spent and targeted where they can have the greatest effect would have a dramatic impact on the course of the epidemicrsquos Highlighting the fact that more people become infected

with HIV last year than began treatment Sepulveda called for radically increased investments in prevention research evaluation and delivery of services as well as accelerated research on promising prevention methods including a vaccine In conclusion he reiterated that political leadership from all countries and accountability at all levels are essential for stopping the epidemic

Citing the results in both treatment and prevention scale up in countries with sustained leadership such as Rwanda and Tanzania Alex Coutinho (Uganda) of the Infectious Disease Institute of Makerere University made a passionate call for greater leadership as a path toward meeting the challenges ahead In looking at progress to date Coutinho highlighted increased access to HIV testing and counseling to prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and to pediatric care and treatment as well as the effectiveness of male circumcision as a prevention intervention In contrast he noted that most countries will not achieve universal access by 2010 and that the majority of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are still unaware of their HIV status In his call to action Coutinho urged greater investment in prevention and financial resources flexible enough to support health systems and systems that reach into rural and other hard-to-reach areas and fully embrace PLHIV as partners He also urged outreach to and support of marginalized and at-risk communities as well as the greater involvement of PLHIV as a catalyst for change

Elisabet Fadul (Dominican Republic) of the Dominican Network for Youth RightsGlobal Youth Partners outlined a broad and urgent youth HIVAIDS agenda calling for comprehensive rights ndash and evidence-based plans to provide access for young people Highlighting the 40 of new infections worldwide among young people between the ages of 15-24 Fadul noted that HIV prevention and treatment programmes are failing to effectively reach young people with the most vulnerable and marginalized being stigmatized criminalized or forgotten by many of these programmes

To reverse this course she called for actions and policies that engage youth especially young people living with HIVAIDS as respected partners in developing and implementing programmes that forthrightly address their

needs and diversity

 Tiret Sept 2008

Statistics reveal that the country continues to earn hard currency from export of primary commodities such as coffee which tops the list by fetching some 500 million dollars last financial year

Other commodities are hides and skin flowers pulses fruits vegetables and chat

Incidentally it is interesting to note that Chat has fetched over 60 million dollars in foreign currency last fiscal year

The chewing of chat leaves is common in the horn of Africa but in eastern Ethiopia it is big business for some and big worry for others Chat is a major agricultural crop Yet many say it is addictive and harmful to health

In a town where I grew up for instance it is hard to avoid the impact of the stimulant leaf The first thing that strikes you in the main market is the deafening noise The market square is a scene of total chaos as you make your way through a bustling crowd preoccupied with the business of bartering for a prized commodity- the green leafed plant chat

Awadaye market is a market for chat It is estimated that over 25000 kg pass through it daily The buyers and sellers take their jobs seriously shouting to one other They gesture excitedly as they trade thousands of birr daily for the chat which is bought from the local farmers in Awadaye and sent to other areas in Ethiopia It is also exported overseas It is said to be the backbone of the economy as it can be gathered from the revenue it has generated during the current physical year

If you compare chat farmers with other farmers in other parts of the country you will see that their standard of living is so much better

The employment created though chat cultivation is very high as large numbers of people are involved in growing harvesting sorting packing transporting loading and unloading the commodity The wood of the plant is used for fuel and because of its resistance to termites it is also used to make fences Chat is also believed to have medical value being used locally to treat influenza and asthma

Chat farmers used to grow maize sorghum and teff which is the basic Ethiopian staple food but these crops are difficult to grow as they require lots of rain and attention

while chat requires little water or cultivation That is why it is widely believed that its cultivation is expanding at an amazing rate

Chat has now become Ethiopiarsquos biggest export third only to coffee and hides and skin But despite the cash earning and the tradition of chat growing and use among the people many people do not encourage it

They believe that it is addictive and this has a negative impact on the community They allege that people forget about their work commitments and spend hours chewing chat The number of users of chat is increasing particularly among the youth

In urban areas the use of chat combined with alcohol is having an adverse effect on family life Many students chew chat because they say it increases their concentration when they study their lessons

However in some regions where it is widely cultivated business punctuality is a frequent problem as the time after lunch is usually spent chewing chat Even in some regions where the plant has been banned cultivation and usage continue and attempts to replace chat with cash crops like coffee have failed

Regardless of the merit or demerit of chat the country continues to get the much needed hard currency through export of the plant ldquochatrdquo

However many people including development agents are of the opinion that the demerit far out weighs the merit for energy and time is spent chewing the stuff and particularly its negative impact on health especially on the productive force

Another very lucrative business in Ethiopia is the export of leather and leather goods According to recent data export of leather and leather goods registered a surge from 52 million dollars to over 90 million dollars Incidentally ELICO one of MIDROC Ethiopia group companies dealing with finished leather products fetched last financial year over 10 million dollars

In the light of considerable income accrued from export of primary commodities there is a need to do even more by way of establishing more agro-industries that engage in the production of agricultural products for sale locally and internationally

Earning from Export of Primary CommoditiesBy Yohannes Ruphael

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The Third Private Sector Development National Conference ndash 2008 of Ethiopia took place in Addis Ababa on June 30 2008 ndash at the UNECA Conference Center and the draft strategy document and priority strategic issues for improved business environment were discussed by representatives of the Private Sector Development Hub established with basic objectives of coordinating and developing a series of public sector development intervention projects for implementation with international financial support and undertaking related research studies to support the business community in its public and private partnership dialogue The Conference was addressed by an internationally renowned and distinguished authority on Corporate Governance Prof Mervyn E King SC

The Editorial Team of TIRET has taken advantage of communicating with Professor Mervyn E King SC to share his views briefly with our readers

Professor Mervyn E King SC is currently Professor Extraordinaire at the University of South Africa and serves as the Chairperson of the King Committee on Corporate Governance in South Africa He is a Senior Counsel and former Judge of the Supreme Court of South Africa His other credentials include Member of the World Bank Advisory Group on Corporate Governance President of the Commonwealth Association of Corporate Governance Governor of the International Corporate Governance Network President of the South Africa Chamber of Business Vice President of the Institute of Directors of Southern Africa Representatives of South Africa at the International Chamber of Commerce Advisor of Asian Center of Corporate Governance Director of Global Reporting Initiative-Amsterdam Director of Association of business Administrators of South Africa

At the Millennium National Private Sector Development Conference in Addis Ababa recently I spoke about corporate governance in the development of the private sector

Corporate governance is about the principles and practices which guide directors and senior managers in making their decisions to the best interests of their companies It has to be separated from the enterprise side of the business which is about making business judgment calls It is essential that directors and senior managers adopt acceptable principles and practices in steering and directing the company and making business judgment It is about the quality of this governance rather than a quantitative check on whether there has been compliance by the directors and managers with well-known governance practices such as the establishment of a remuneration committee

In my talk I pointed out that the economic value of a company does not equal its book value In Coca Cola for example its book value is approximately 13 of its economic value and its greatest asset is its brand which is dependent on

 Tiret Sept 2008

the companyrsquos reputation Consequentially directors and senior managers of Coca Cola have a duty to protect the companyrsquos brand

In planning for a company the strategic direction needs to be done both short- and long-term If a strategy is developed in which all persons in the corporation at all levels buy-in one can get ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things Unless this is done not even extraordinary people will achieve ordinary things

The important thing for directors to remember is that they have won and maintained the trust and confidence of the stakeholders of the company Consequently they should report at least annually how the company has both positively and negatively affected a communityrsquos economic life through its operations and how it is going to enhance those positive aspects and eradicate or ameliorate the negative aspects in the year ahead

Good governance involves inter alia the approval by the board of the strategy of the company and sustainability can no longer be ignored in developing a long-term strategy

The Private Sector Development Hub (PSD-Hub) has the objective to contribute to the economic development of Ethiopia by improving the entrepreneurial environment and the governance of corporations Consequently the PSD-Hub has held Conferences over the last two years focusing on these issues and on the question of public private partnerships There has also been discussion about expediting the registration of companies the standardization of accounting and auditing capitalization and the finalization of the revision of the Ethiopian Commercial Code Corporate governance has featured prominently in these discussions

Arising out of all the modernization of the registration of companies in Ethiopia has been recognized as a priority

Accounting and auditing standards which should follow IFRS should have legal backing so that everyone in Ethiopia will know the meaning of the reported financial statements

The development of a securities market including an exchange in which not only equities but bonds and derivatives can be bought and sold with the dematerialisation of scrip and electronic settlement is essential

From the above it will be seen that there is much to be done but Ethiopia is striving through the PSD Hub to create platforms on which it can forge ahead in our flat electronic world where capital flows towards those areas where there is good governance and well-regulated markets The Conference at which I spoke was just another step in Ethiopiarsquos endeavours to achieve these goals Positively the essential aspects for creating an entrepreneurial and thriving business environment have been identified and PSD Hub the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other interested bodies are working in partnership with government to achieve them

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Itrsquos a ridiculous

l a n g u a g e rdquo

sputtered the

Englishman at

the next table

his jowls shaking

in anger ldquoA ridiculous languagerdquo

We were sitting in a tiny tea-and-pie shop in Criccieth a

town in northern Wales and everybody but us was speaking

Welsh Like a remarkable number of his countrymen this

man was convinced it was merely a secret code employed

by the local to talk behind the backs of English visitors

ldquoJust you watchrdquo he said ldquoAs soon as we leave theyrsquoll all

go back to speaking Englishrdquo

I rather doubted it And unlike the Englishman I was

thrilled to encounter one of the oldest languages in

Europe a tongue heard in this misty and mountainous

land since the arrival of Roman legions

Being surrounded by people speaking an unfamiliar and

exotic language is to me one of the best things about

travel Just as some people will journey to the Serengeti

to glimpse the rare and endangered white rhino Irsquoll happily

go far out of my way to hear a rare and endangered

language

In the storybook city of Carcassonne in southwest France

I was less thrilled at seeing the towers and turrets than

I was at meeting a man who could speak Occitan the

ancient and fast-vanishing language of the troubadours

As far as I was concerned the most fascinating thing in

Dangriga a coastal town in Belize was the mellifluous

sound of Garifuna a language spoken by the descendants

of shipwrecked slaves from West Africa I once traveled

to Graubunden in eastern Switzerland in the hope of

hearing Romansch a tongue spoken by fewer than one

percent of the nationrsquos residents and said to resemble

Latin I encountered a few signs in the language but no

one who could speak it

According to one oft-cited estimate at least half the

worldrsquos 6000 languages are likely to die out by the end

of this century which means that one is going silent on

average every two weeks

Itrsquos not merely a matter of using different words to express the same thoughts Languages are literally the expressions of cultures and belief systems entirely different ways of making sense of the world And just as we should be concerned about the shrinking diversity of plant and animal species we should also worry about the shrinking diversity of languages

Welsh though seems to be holding on despite 700 years

of efforts by the English to exterminate it The BBC has for

some years now carried television and radio programming

in the language and in Wales itrsquos possible to receive your

entire education from preschool to postgraduate in

Welsh About 20 percent of Walesrsquo population speaks

Welsh and the number appears to be growing slightly

It is not as the Englishman said a ridiculous language But

it is to my eyes and ears a wonderfully strange one Dave

Barry once wrote that the ancient Hawaiians arrived on

their islands after perilous canoe voyages in seas so rough

their consonants fell overboard My guess is that the

letters drifted the worldrsquos oceans until they washed up on

the shores of Wales

T h e   B e a u t y   o f   a   L a n g u a g e

 Tiret Sept 2008

How else to explain for example the Welsh word for

beer Itrsquos cwrw It looks like my Scrabble tray when I

donrsquot have a word to pay (In case you ever need to order

one itrsquos pronounced ldquokooroordquo)

And then therersquos the vexing pronunciation of the double-

1 you find at the beginning of it seems two-thirds of the

town names in Wales ldquoJust put your teeth together and

hiss like a duckrdquo explained a helpful woman I met at the

Dylan Thomas Museum in Swansea She also pointed out

that Llareggub the fictional town in Thomasrsquo ldquoUnder the

Milkwood Treerdquo is merely ldquobugger allrdquo spelled backward

I like the besotted poet a whole lot more after learning

that

One dark and drizzly night I went to a little schoolhouse in

the Rhondda Valley to listen to a rehearsal of the Treorchy

Menrsquos Choir made up mostly of unemployed coal miners

ldquoIn the old daysrdquo one of them told me ldquowe used to sing

together in the pitsrdquo

When they opened their mouths to sing as one in Welsh

all the snarky little comments about their language become

moot It was simply one of the most hauntingly beautiful

sounds Irsquove even heard

I got a lesson in the politics of minority languages recently

when I visited Montreal the capital of French ndash speaking

Canada I hadnrsquot been there since a childhood visit to

Exporsquo67 and I remember the province as decidedly

bilingual Everything from traffic signs to toothpaste

tubes was printed in French and English No more A

law passed in 1977 banned the use of English in signs

throughout Quebec Itrsquos an attempt to do linguistically

what they failed for two centuries to do militarily prevent

the English from conquering them

Theyrsquore quite serious about this Hudson Bay Co the

venerable department store chain that dates back to the

fur-trading days is now known as Compagnie de la Baie

drsquoHudson at least in these parts Kentucky Fried Chicken

outlets arenrsquot allowed to use ldquoKFCrdquo on their signs In

Quebec theyrsquore called ldquoPFKrdquo for Poulet Frit Kentucky

The Quebecois are more vigilant even than their famously

Anglophobic counterparts in Paris All stop signs here say

Arret even though the ones in France say ldquoStoprdquo

It all seemed a little silly and excessive to me until I began

talking to French-speaking Montrealers about it ldquoYou

have to understand that wersquore surrounded by English

speakersrdquo a schoolteacher told me ldquoWe have to be very

firm about defending our language or it will disappear

And when it goes so does our way of life

Signs aside most French Canadians I met were bilingual

I quickly discovered that if I first made atleast a fumbling

attempt to speak their language almost everybody was

happy to switch to English ndash very possibly to spare

themselves the trauma of hearing my phrase-book

French which sounds like someone grinding the gears

of an old Citroen ldquoWe have nothing against Englishrdquo the

schoolteacher told me ldquoItrsquos just that we want to speak

French hererdquo

Vive la differenceJohn Flinn -Travel Editor

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Scale up of HIV Prevention Treatment Care and Support Requires Renewed Leadership and Resources

The 17th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) took place in Mexico City from August 3 -8 2008 with an assessment of the situation of the global epidemic at a panel of researchers public health and civil society leaders examined recent progress towards the scale up of treatment and prevention programmes and called for sustained action to eliminate the barriers to universal access

ldquoDespite the progress we have made we are not on course to meet universal access targets and in fact appear to be slipping away from our existing commitmentsrdquo said Dr Pedro Cahn International Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and President of the International AIDS Society and Fundacioacuten Hueacutesped in Buenos Aires Argentina ldquoIt appears that we are poised to accept defeat when victory is still within our grasp Our failure to meet those commitments will have an impact on millions of lives This cannot be allowed to happen It is time for nations to live up to their commitmentsrdquo

ldquoWith only two years to go until the 2010 deadline for universal access set by world leaders we must redouble our commitment to scaling up all proven HIV prevention strategiesrdquo said Dr Luiacutes Soto Ramiacuterez Local Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and Head of the Molecular Virology Unit at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Meacutedicas y Nutricioacuten Salvador Zubiriaacuten and Coordinator of the Clinical Care Committee of CONASIDA Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council ldquoThe fact that last year 27 million people were newly infected with HIV a disease that is entirely preventable is unacceptablerdquo

Dr Jaime Sepulveda (Mexico) founder of Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council who is now with the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation noted that attention to and resources for AIDS are at all-time high including substantially increased funding for the Global Fund and the US Presidentrsquos Emergency Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief According to Sepulveda reaching the goal of 3 million people in low and middle-income countries on treatment at the end of 2007 was a critical step forward but the world has only scratched the surface of possibilities in responding to the epidemic Greater resources more effectively spent and targeted where they can have the greatest effect would have a dramatic impact on the course of the epidemicrsquos Highlighting the fact that more people become infected

with HIV last year than began treatment Sepulveda called for radically increased investments in prevention research evaluation and delivery of services as well as accelerated research on promising prevention methods including a vaccine In conclusion he reiterated that political leadership from all countries and accountability at all levels are essential for stopping the epidemic

Citing the results in both treatment and prevention scale up in countries with sustained leadership such as Rwanda and Tanzania Alex Coutinho (Uganda) of the Infectious Disease Institute of Makerere University made a passionate call for greater leadership as a path toward meeting the challenges ahead In looking at progress to date Coutinho highlighted increased access to HIV testing and counseling to prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and to pediatric care and treatment as well as the effectiveness of male circumcision as a prevention intervention In contrast he noted that most countries will not achieve universal access by 2010 and that the majority of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are still unaware of their HIV status In his call to action Coutinho urged greater investment in prevention and financial resources flexible enough to support health systems and systems that reach into rural and other hard-to-reach areas and fully embrace PLHIV as partners He also urged outreach to and support of marginalized and at-risk communities as well as the greater involvement of PLHIV as a catalyst for change

Elisabet Fadul (Dominican Republic) of the Dominican Network for Youth RightsGlobal Youth Partners outlined a broad and urgent youth HIVAIDS agenda calling for comprehensive rights ndash and evidence-based plans to provide access for young people Highlighting the 40 of new infections worldwide among young people between the ages of 15-24 Fadul noted that HIV prevention and treatment programmes are failing to effectively reach young people with the most vulnerable and marginalized being stigmatized criminalized or forgotten by many of these programmes

To reverse this course she called for actions and policies that engage youth especially young people living with HIVAIDS as respected partners in developing and implementing programmes that forthrightly address their

needs and diversity

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

The Third Private Sector Development National Conference ndash 2008 of Ethiopia took place in Addis Ababa on June 30 2008 ndash at the UNECA Conference Center and the draft strategy document and priority strategic issues for improved business environment were discussed by representatives of the Private Sector Development Hub established with basic objectives of coordinating and developing a series of public sector development intervention projects for implementation with international financial support and undertaking related research studies to support the business community in its public and private partnership dialogue The Conference was addressed by an internationally renowned and distinguished authority on Corporate Governance Prof Mervyn E King SC

The Editorial Team of TIRET has taken advantage of communicating with Professor Mervyn E King SC to share his views briefly with our readers

Professor Mervyn E King SC is currently Professor Extraordinaire at the University of South Africa and serves as the Chairperson of the King Committee on Corporate Governance in South Africa He is a Senior Counsel and former Judge of the Supreme Court of South Africa His other credentials include Member of the World Bank Advisory Group on Corporate Governance President of the Commonwealth Association of Corporate Governance Governor of the International Corporate Governance Network President of the South Africa Chamber of Business Vice President of the Institute of Directors of Southern Africa Representatives of South Africa at the International Chamber of Commerce Advisor of Asian Center of Corporate Governance Director of Global Reporting Initiative-Amsterdam Director of Association of business Administrators of South Africa

At the Millennium National Private Sector Development Conference in Addis Ababa recently I spoke about corporate governance in the development of the private sector

Corporate governance is about the principles and practices which guide directors and senior managers in making their decisions to the best interests of their companies It has to be separated from the enterprise side of the business which is about making business judgment calls It is essential that directors and senior managers adopt acceptable principles and practices in steering and directing the company and making business judgment It is about the quality of this governance rather than a quantitative check on whether there has been compliance by the directors and managers with well-known governance practices such as the establishment of a remuneration committee

In my talk I pointed out that the economic value of a company does not equal its book value In Coca Cola for example its book value is approximately 13 of its economic value and its greatest asset is its brand which is dependent on

 Tiret Sept 2008

the companyrsquos reputation Consequentially directors and senior managers of Coca Cola have a duty to protect the companyrsquos brand

In planning for a company the strategic direction needs to be done both short- and long-term If a strategy is developed in which all persons in the corporation at all levels buy-in one can get ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things Unless this is done not even extraordinary people will achieve ordinary things

The important thing for directors to remember is that they have won and maintained the trust and confidence of the stakeholders of the company Consequently they should report at least annually how the company has both positively and negatively affected a communityrsquos economic life through its operations and how it is going to enhance those positive aspects and eradicate or ameliorate the negative aspects in the year ahead

Good governance involves inter alia the approval by the board of the strategy of the company and sustainability can no longer be ignored in developing a long-term strategy

The Private Sector Development Hub (PSD-Hub) has the objective to contribute to the economic development of Ethiopia by improving the entrepreneurial environment and the governance of corporations Consequently the PSD-Hub has held Conferences over the last two years focusing on these issues and on the question of public private partnerships There has also been discussion about expediting the registration of companies the standardization of accounting and auditing capitalization and the finalization of the revision of the Ethiopian Commercial Code Corporate governance has featured prominently in these discussions

Arising out of all the modernization of the registration of companies in Ethiopia has been recognized as a priority

Accounting and auditing standards which should follow IFRS should have legal backing so that everyone in Ethiopia will know the meaning of the reported financial statements

The development of a securities market including an exchange in which not only equities but bonds and derivatives can be bought and sold with the dematerialisation of scrip and electronic settlement is essential

From the above it will be seen that there is much to be done but Ethiopia is striving through the PSD Hub to create platforms on which it can forge ahead in our flat electronic world where capital flows towards those areas where there is good governance and well-regulated markets The Conference at which I spoke was just another step in Ethiopiarsquos endeavours to achieve these goals Positively the essential aspects for creating an entrepreneurial and thriving business environment have been identified and PSD Hub the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other interested bodies are working in partnership with government to achieve them

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Itrsquos a ridiculous

l a n g u a g e rdquo

sputtered the

Englishman at

the next table

his jowls shaking

in anger ldquoA ridiculous languagerdquo

We were sitting in a tiny tea-and-pie shop in Criccieth a

town in northern Wales and everybody but us was speaking

Welsh Like a remarkable number of his countrymen this

man was convinced it was merely a secret code employed

by the local to talk behind the backs of English visitors

ldquoJust you watchrdquo he said ldquoAs soon as we leave theyrsquoll all

go back to speaking Englishrdquo

I rather doubted it And unlike the Englishman I was

thrilled to encounter one of the oldest languages in

Europe a tongue heard in this misty and mountainous

land since the arrival of Roman legions

Being surrounded by people speaking an unfamiliar and

exotic language is to me one of the best things about

travel Just as some people will journey to the Serengeti

to glimpse the rare and endangered white rhino Irsquoll happily

go far out of my way to hear a rare and endangered

language

In the storybook city of Carcassonne in southwest France

I was less thrilled at seeing the towers and turrets than

I was at meeting a man who could speak Occitan the

ancient and fast-vanishing language of the troubadours

As far as I was concerned the most fascinating thing in

Dangriga a coastal town in Belize was the mellifluous

sound of Garifuna a language spoken by the descendants

of shipwrecked slaves from West Africa I once traveled

to Graubunden in eastern Switzerland in the hope of

hearing Romansch a tongue spoken by fewer than one

percent of the nationrsquos residents and said to resemble

Latin I encountered a few signs in the language but no

one who could speak it

According to one oft-cited estimate at least half the

worldrsquos 6000 languages are likely to die out by the end

of this century which means that one is going silent on

average every two weeks

Itrsquos not merely a matter of using different words to express the same thoughts Languages are literally the expressions of cultures and belief systems entirely different ways of making sense of the world And just as we should be concerned about the shrinking diversity of plant and animal species we should also worry about the shrinking diversity of languages

Welsh though seems to be holding on despite 700 years

of efforts by the English to exterminate it The BBC has for

some years now carried television and radio programming

in the language and in Wales itrsquos possible to receive your

entire education from preschool to postgraduate in

Welsh About 20 percent of Walesrsquo population speaks

Welsh and the number appears to be growing slightly

It is not as the Englishman said a ridiculous language But

it is to my eyes and ears a wonderfully strange one Dave

Barry once wrote that the ancient Hawaiians arrived on

their islands after perilous canoe voyages in seas so rough

their consonants fell overboard My guess is that the

letters drifted the worldrsquos oceans until they washed up on

the shores of Wales

T h e   B e a u t y   o f   a   L a n g u a g e

 Tiret Sept 2008

How else to explain for example the Welsh word for

beer Itrsquos cwrw It looks like my Scrabble tray when I

donrsquot have a word to pay (In case you ever need to order

one itrsquos pronounced ldquokooroordquo)

And then therersquos the vexing pronunciation of the double-

1 you find at the beginning of it seems two-thirds of the

town names in Wales ldquoJust put your teeth together and

hiss like a duckrdquo explained a helpful woman I met at the

Dylan Thomas Museum in Swansea She also pointed out

that Llareggub the fictional town in Thomasrsquo ldquoUnder the

Milkwood Treerdquo is merely ldquobugger allrdquo spelled backward

I like the besotted poet a whole lot more after learning

that

One dark and drizzly night I went to a little schoolhouse in

the Rhondda Valley to listen to a rehearsal of the Treorchy

Menrsquos Choir made up mostly of unemployed coal miners

ldquoIn the old daysrdquo one of them told me ldquowe used to sing

together in the pitsrdquo

When they opened their mouths to sing as one in Welsh

all the snarky little comments about their language become

moot It was simply one of the most hauntingly beautiful

sounds Irsquove even heard

I got a lesson in the politics of minority languages recently

when I visited Montreal the capital of French ndash speaking

Canada I hadnrsquot been there since a childhood visit to

Exporsquo67 and I remember the province as decidedly

bilingual Everything from traffic signs to toothpaste

tubes was printed in French and English No more A

law passed in 1977 banned the use of English in signs

throughout Quebec Itrsquos an attempt to do linguistically

what they failed for two centuries to do militarily prevent

the English from conquering them

Theyrsquore quite serious about this Hudson Bay Co the

venerable department store chain that dates back to the

fur-trading days is now known as Compagnie de la Baie

drsquoHudson at least in these parts Kentucky Fried Chicken

outlets arenrsquot allowed to use ldquoKFCrdquo on their signs In

Quebec theyrsquore called ldquoPFKrdquo for Poulet Frit Kentucky

The Quebecois are more vigilant even than their famously

Anglophobic counterparts in Paris All stop signs here say

Arret even though the ones in France say ldquoStoprdquo

It all seemed a little silly and excessive to me until I began

talking to French-speaking Montrealers about it ldquoYou

have to understand that wersquore surrounded by English

speakersrdquo a schoolteacher told me ldquoWe have to be very

firm about defending our language or it will disappear

And when it goes so does our way of life

Signs aside most French Canadians I met were bilingual

I quickly discovered that if I first made atleast a fumbling

attempt to speak their language almost everybody was

happy to switch to English ndash very possibly to spare

themselves the trauma of hearing my phrase-book

French which sounds like someone grinding the gears

of an old Citroen ldquoWe have nothing against Englishrdquo the

schoolteacher told me ldquoItrsquos just that we want to speak

French hererdquo

Vive la differenceJohn Flinn -Travel Editor

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Scale up of HIV Prevention Treatment Care and Support Requires Renewed Leadership and Resources

The 17th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) took place in Mexico City from August 3 -8 2008 with an assessment of the situation of the global epidemic at a panel of researchers public health and civil society leaders examined recent progress towards the scale up of treatment and prevention programmes and called for sustained action to eliminate the barriers to universal access

ldquoDespite the progress we have made we are not on course to meet universal access targets and in fact appear to be slipping away from our existing commitmentsrdquo said Dr Pedro Cahn International Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and President of the International AIDS Society and Fundacioacuten Hueacutesped in Buenos Aires Argentina ldquoIt appears that we are poised to accept defeat when victory is still within our grasp Our failure to meet those commitments will have an impact on millions of lives This cannot be allowed to happen It is time for nations to live up to their commitmentsrdquo

ldquoWith only two years to go until the 2010 deadline for universal access set by world leaders we must redouble our commitment to scaling up all proven HIV prevention strategiesrdquo said Dr Luiacutes Soto Ramiacuterez Local Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and Head of the Molecular Virology Unit at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Meacutedicas y Nutricioacuten Salvador Zubiriaacuten and Coordinator of the Clinical Care Committee of CONASIDA Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council ldquoThe fact that last year 27 million people were newly infected with HIV a disease that is entirely preventable is unacceptablerdquo

Dr Jaime Sepulveda (Mexico) founder of Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council who is now with the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation noted that attention to and resources for AIDS are at all-time high including substantially increased funding for the Global Fund and the US Presidentrsquos Emergency Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief According to Sepulveda reaching the goal of 3 million people in low and middle-income countries on treatment at the end of 2007 was a critical step forward but the world has only scratched the surface of possibilities in responding to the epidemic Greater resources more effectively spent and targeted where they can have the greatest effect would have a dramatic impact on the course of the epidemicrsquos Highlighting the fact that more people become infected

with HIV last year than began treatment Sepulveda called for radically increased investments in prevention research evaluation and delivery of services as well as accelerated research on promising prevention methods including a vaccine In conclusion he reiterated that political leadership from all countries and accountability at all levels are essential for stopping the epidemic

Citing the results in both treatment and prevention scale up in countries with sustained leadership such as Rwanda and Tanzania Alex Coutinho (Uganda) of the Infectious Disease Institute of Makerere University made a passionate call for greater leadership as a path toward meeting the challenges ahead In looking at progress to date Coutinho highlighted increased access to HIV testing and counseling to prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and to pediatric care and treatment as well as the effectiveness of male circumcision as a prevention intervention In contrast he noted that most countries will not achieve universal access by 2010 and that the majority of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are still unaware of their HIV status In his call to action Coutinho urged greater investment in prevention and financial resources flexible enough to support health systems and systems that reach into rural and other hard-to-reach areas and fully embrace PLHIV as partners He also urged outreach to and support of marginalized and at-risk communities as well as the greater involvement of PLHIV as a catalyst for change

Elisabet Fadul (Dominican Republic) of the Dominican Network for Youth RightsGlobal Youth Partners outlined a broad and urgent youth HIVAIDS agenda calling for comprehensive rights ndash and evidence-based plans to provide access for young people Highlighting the 40 of new infections worldwide among young people between the ages of 15-24 Fadul noted that HIV prevention and treatment programmes are failing to effectively reach young people with the most vulnerable and marginalized being stigmatized criminalized or forgotten by many of these programmes

To reverse this course she called for actions and policies that engage youth especially young people living with HIVAIDS as respected partners in developing and implementing programmes that forthrightly address their

needs and diversity

 Tiret Sept 2008

the companyrsquos reputation Consequentially directors and senior managers of Coca Cola have a duty to protect the companyrsquos brand

In planning for a company the strategic direction needs to be done both short- and long-term If a strategy is developed in which all persons in the corporation at all levels buy-in one can get ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things Unless this is done not even extraordinary people will achieve ordinary things

The important thing for directors to remember is that they have won and maintained the trust and confidence of the stakeholders of the company Consequently they should report at least annually how the company has both positively and negatively affected a communityrsquos economic life through its operations and how it is going to enhance those positive aspects and eradicate or ameliorate the negative aspects in the year ahead

Good governance involves inter alia the approval by the board of the strategy of the company and sustainability can no longer be ignored in developing a long-term strategy

The Private Sector Development Hub (PSD-Hub) has the objective to contribute to the economic development of Ethiopia by improving the entrepreneurial environment and the governance of corporations Consequently the PSD-Hub has held Conferences over the last two years focusing on these issues and on the question of public private partnerships There has also been discussion about expediting the registration of companies the standardization of accounting and auditing capitalization and the finalization of the revision of the Ethiopian Commercial Code Corporate governance has featured prominently in these discussions

Arising out of all the modernization of the registration of companies in Ethiopia has been recognized as a priority

Accounting and auditing standards which should follow IFRS should have legal backing so that everyone in Ethiopia will know the meaning of the reported financial statements

The development of a securities market including an exchange in which not only equities but bonds and derivatives can be bought and sold with the dematerialisation of scrip and electronic settlement is essential

From the above it will be seen that there is much to be done but Ethiopia is striving through the PSD Hub to create platforms on which it can forge ahead in our flat electronic world where capital flows towards those areas where there is good governance and well-regulated markets The Conference at which I spoke was just another step in Ethiopiarsquos endeavours to achieve these goals Positively the essential aspects for creating an entrepreneurial and thriving business environment have been identified and PSD Hub the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other interested bodies are working in partnership with government to achieve them

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Itrsquos a ridiculous

l a n g u a g e rdquo

sputtered the

Englishman at

the next table

his jowls shaking

in anger ldquoA ridiculous languagerdquo

We were sitting in a tiny tea-and-pie shop in Criccieth a

town in northern Wales and everybody but us was speaking

Welsh Like a remarkable number of his countrymen this

man was convinced it was merely a secret code employed

by the local to talk behind the backs of English visitors

ldquoJust you watchrdquo he said ldquoAs soon as we leave theyrsquoll all

go back to speaking Englishrdquo

I rather doubted it And unlike the Englishman I was

thrilled to encounter one of the oldest languages in

Europe a tongue heard in this misty and mountainous

land since the arrival of Roman legions

Being surrounded by people speaking an unfamiliar and

exotic language is to me one of the best things about

travel Just as some people will journey to the Serengeti

to glimpse the rare and endangered white rhino Irsquoll happily

go far out of my way to hear a rare and endangered

language

In the storybook city of Carcassonne in southwest France

I was less thrilled at seeing the towers and turrets than

I was at meeting a man who could speak Occitan the

ancient and fast-vanishing language of the troubadours

As far as I was concerned the most fascinating thing in

Dangriga a coastal town in Belize was the mellifluous

sound of Garifuna a language spoken by the descendants

of shipwrecked slaves from West Africa I once traveled

to Graubunden in eastern Switzerland in the hope of

hearing Romansch a tongue spoken by fewer than one

percent of the nationrsquos residents and said to resemble

Latin I encountered a few signs in the language but no

one who could speak it

According to one oft-cited estimate at least half the

worldrsquos 6000 languages are likely to die out by the end

of this century which means that one is going silent on

average every two weeks

Itrsquos not merely a matter of using different words to express the same thoughts Languages are literally the expressions of cultures and belief systems entirely different ways of making sense of the world And just as we should be concerned about the shrinking diversity of plant and animal species we should also worry about the shrinking diversity of languages

Welsh though seems to be holding on despite 700 years

of efforts by the English to exterminate it The BBC has for

some years now carried television and radio programming

in the language and in Wales itrsquos possible to receive your

entire education from preschool to postgraduate in

Welsh About 20 percent of Walesrsquo population speaks

Welsh and the number appears to be growing slightly

It is not as the Englishman said a ridiculous language But

it is to my eyes and ears a wonderfully strange one Dave

Barry once wrote that the ancient Hawaiians arrived on

their islands after perilous canoe voyages in seas so rough

their consonants fell overboard My guess is that the

letters drifted the worldrsquos oceans until they washed up on

the shores of Wales

T h e   B e a u t y   o f   a   L a n g u a g e

 Tiret Sept 2008

How else to explain for example the Welsh word for

beer Itrsquos cwrw It looks like my Scrabble tray when I

donrsquot have a word to pay (In case you ever need to order

one itrsquos pronounced ldquokooroordquo)

And then therersquos the vexing pronunciation of the double-

1 you find at the beginning of it seems two-thirds of the

town names in Wales ldquoJust put your teeth together and

hiss like a duckrdquo explained a helpful woman I met at the

Dylan Thomas Museum in Swansea She also pointed out

that Llareggub the fictional town in Thomasrsquo ldquoUnder the

Milkwood Treerdquo is merely ldquobugger allrdquo spelled backward

I like the besotted poet a whole lot more after learning

that

One dark and drizzly night I went to a little schoolhouse in

the Rhondda Valley to listen to a rehearsal of the Treorchy

Menrsquos Choir made up mostly of unemployed coal miners

ldquoIn the old daysrdquo one of them told me ldquowe used to sing

together in the pitsrdquo

When they opened their mouths to sing as one in Welsh

all the snarky little comments about their language become

moot It was simply one of the most hauntingly beautiful

sounds Irsquove even heard

I got a lesson in the politics of minority languages recently

when I visited Montreal the capital of French ndash speaking

Canada I hadnrsquot been there since a childhood visit to

Exporsquo67 and I remember the province as decidedly

bilingual Everything from traffic signs to toothpaste

tubes was printed in French and English No more A

law passed in 1977 banned the use of English in signs

throughout Quebec Itrsquos an attempt to do linguistically

what they failed for two centuries to do militarily prevent

the English from conquering them

Theyrsquore quite serious about this Hudson Bay Co the

venerable department store chain that dates back to the

fur-trading days is now known as Compagnie de la Baie

drsquoHudson at least in these parts Kentucky Fried Chicken

outlets arenrsquot allowed to use ldquoKFCrdquo on their signs In

Quebec theyrsquore called ldquoPFKrdquo for Poulet Frit Kentucky

The Quebecois are more vigilant even than their famously

Anglophobic counterparts in Paris All stop signs here say

Arret even though the ones in France say ldquoStoprdquo

It all seemed a little silly and excessive to me until I began

talking to French-speaking Montrealers about it ldquoYou

have to understand that wersquore surrounded by English

speakersrdquo a schoolteacher told me ldquoWe have to be very

firm about defending our language or it will disappear

And when it goes so does our way of life

Signs aside most French Canadians I met were bilingual

I quickly discovered that if I first made atleast a fumbling

attempt to speak their language almost everybody was

happy to switch to English ndash very possibly to spare

themselves the trauma of hearing my phrase-book

French which sounds like someone grinding the gears

of an old Citroen ldquoWe have nothing against Englishrdquo the

schoolteacher told me ldquoItrsquos just that we want to speak

French hererdquo

Vive la differenceJohn Flinn -Travel Editor

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Scale up of HIV Prevention Treatment Care and Support Requires Renewed Leadership and Resources

The 17th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) took place in Mexico City from August 3 -8 2008 with an assessment of the situation of the global epidemic at a panel of researchers public health and civil society leaders examined recent progress towards the scale up of treatment and prevention programmes and called for sustained action to eliminate the barriers to universal access

ldquoDespite the progress we have made we are not on course to meet universal access targets and in fact appear to be slipping away from our existing commitmentsrdquo said Dr Pedro Cahn International Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and President of the International AIDS Society and Fundacioacuten Hueacutesped in Buenos Aires Argentina ldquoIt appears that we are poised to accept defeat when victory is still within our grasp Our failure to meet those commitments will have an impact on millions of lives This cannot be allowed to happen It is time for nations to live up to their commitmentsrdquo

ldquoWith only two years to go until the 2010 deadline for universal access set by world leaders we must redouble our commitment to scaling up all proven HIV prevention strategiesrdquo said Dr Luiacutes Soto Ramiacuterez Local Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and Head of the Molecular Virology Unit at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Meacutedicas y Nutricioacuten Salvador Zubiriaacuten and Coordinator of the Clinical Care Committee of CONASIDA Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council ldquoThe fact that last year 27 million people were newly infected with HIV a disease that is entirely preventable is unacceptablerdquo

Dr Jaime Sepulveda (Mexico) founder of Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council who is now with the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation noted that attention to and resources for AIDS are at all-time high including substantially increased funding for the Global Fund and the US Presidentrsquos Emergency Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief According to Sepulveda reaching the goal of 3 million people in low and middle-income countries on treatment at the end of 2007 was a critical step forward but the world has only scratched the surface of possibilities in responding to the epidemic Greater resources more effectively spent and targeted where they can have the greatest effect would have a dramatic impact on the course of the epidemicrsquos Highlighting the fact that more people become infected

with HIV last year than began treatment Sepulveda called for radically increased investments in prevention research evaluation and delivery of services as well as accelerated research on promising prevention methods including a vaccine In conclusion he reiterated that political leadership from all countries and accountability at all levels are essential for stopping the epidemic

Citing the results in both treatment and prevention scale up in countries with sustained leadership such as Rwanda and Tanzania Alex Coutinho (Uganda) of the Infectious Disease Institute of Makerere University made a passionate call for greater leadership as a path toward meeting the challenges ahead In looking at progress to date Coutinho highlighted increased access to HIV testing and counseling to prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and to pediatric care and treatment as well as the effectiveness of male circumcision as a prevention intervention In contrast he noted that most countries will not achieve universal access by 2010 and that the majority of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are still unaware of their HIV status In his call to action Coutinho urged greater investment in prevention and financial resources flexible enough to support health systems and systems that reach into rural and other hard-to-reach areas and fully embrace PLHIV as partners He also urged outreach to and support of marginalized and at-risk communities as well as the greater involvement of PLHIV as a catalyst for change

Elisabet Fadul (Dominican Republic) of the Dominican Network for Youth RightsGlobal Youth Partners outlined a broad and urgent youth HIVAIDS agenda calling for comprehensive rights ndash and evidence-based plans to provide access for young people Highlighting the 40 of new infections worldwide among young people between the ages of 15-24 Fadul noted that HIV prevention and treatment programmes are failing to effectively reach young people with the most vulnerable and marginalized being stigmatized criminalized or forgotten by many of these programmes

To reverse this course she called for actions and policies that engage youth especially young people living with HIVAIDS as respected partners in developing and implementing programmes that forthrightly address their

needs and diversity

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Itrsquos a ridiculous

l a n g u a g e rdquo

sputtered the

Englishman at

the next table

his jowls shaking

in anger ldquoA ridiculous languagerdquo

We were sitting in a tiny tea-and-pie shop in Criccieth a

town in northern Wales and everybody but us was speaking

Welsh Like a remarkable number of his countrymen this

man was convinced it was merely a secret code employed

by the local to talk behind the backs of English visitors

ldquoJust you watchrdquo he said ldquoAs soon as we leave theyrsquoll all

go back to speaking Englishrdquo

I rather doubted it And unlike the Englishman I was

thrilled to encounter one of the oldest languages in

Europe a tongue heard in this misty and mountainous

land since the arrival of Roman legions

Being surrounded by people speaking an unfamiliar and

exotic language is to me one of the best things about

travel Just as some people will journey to the Serengeti

to glimpse the rare and endangered white rhino Irsquoll happily

go far out of my way to hear a rare and endangered

language

In the storybook city of Carcassonne in southwest France

I was less thrilled at seeing the towers and turrets than

I was at meeting a man who could speak Occitan the

ancient and fast-vanishing language of the troubadours

As far as I was concerned the most fascinating thing in

Dangriga a coastal town in Belize was the mellifluous

sound of Garifuna a language spoken by the descendants

of shipwrecked slaves from West Africa I once traveled

to Graubunden in eastern Switzerland in the hope of

hearing Romansch a tongue spoken by fewer than one

percent of the nationrsquos residents and said to resemble

Latin I encountered a few signs in the language but no

one who could speak it

According to one oft-cited estimate at least half the

worldrsquos 6000 languages are likely to die out by the end

of this century which means that one is going silent on

average every two weeks

Itrsquos not merely a matter of using different words to express the same thoughts Languages are literally the expressions of cultures and belief systems entirely different ways of making sense of the world And just as we should be concerned about the shrinking diversity of plant and animal species we should also worry about the shrinking diversity of languages

Welsh though seems to be holding on despite 700 years

of efforts by the English to exterminate it The BBC has for

some years now carried television and radio programming

in the language and in Wales itrsquos possible to receive your

entire education from preschool to postgraduate in

Welsh About 20 percent of Walesrsquo population speaks

Welsh and the number appears to be growing slightly

It is not as the Englishman said a ridiculous language But

it is to my eyes and ears a wonderfully strange one Dave

Barry once wrote that the ancient Hawaiians arrived on

their islands after perilous canoe voyages in seas so rough

their consonants fell overboard My guess is that the

letters drifted the worldrsquos oceans until they washed up on

the shores of Wales

T h e   B e a u t y   o f   a   L a n g u a g e

 Tiret Sept 2008

How else to explain for example the Welsh word for

beer Itrsquos cwrw It looks like my Scrabble tray when I

donrsquot have a word to pay (In case you ever need to order

one itrsquos pronounced ldquokooroordquo)

And then therersquos the vexing pronunciation of the double-

1 you find at the beginning of it seems two-thirds of the

town names in Wales ldquoJust put your teeth together and

hiss like a duckrdquo explained a helpful woman I met at the

Dylan Thomas Museum in Swansea She also pointed out

that Llareggub the fictional town in Thomasrsquo ldquoUnder the

Milkwood Treerdquo is merely ldquobugger allrdquo spelled backward

I like the besotted poet a whole lot more after learning

that

One dark and drizzly night I went to a little schoolhouse in

the Rhondda Valley to listen to a rehearsal of the Treorchy

Menrsquos Choir made up mostly of unemployed coal miners

ldquoIn the old daysrdquo one of them told me ldquowe used to sing

together in the pitsrdquo

When they opened their mouths to sing as one in Welsh

all the snarky little comments about their language become

moot It was simply one of the most hauntingly beautiful

sounds Irsquove even heard

I got a lesson in the politics of minority languages recently

when I visited Montreal the capital of French ndash speaking

Canada I hadnrsquot been there since a childhood visit to

Exporsquo67 and I remember the province as decidedly

bilingual Everything from traffic signs to toothpaste

tubes was printed in French and English No more A

law passed in 1977 banned the use of English in signs

throughout Quebec Itrsquos an attempt to do linguistically

what they failed for two centuries to do militarily prevent

the English from conquering them

Theyrsquore quite serious about this Hudson Bay Co the

venerable department store chain that dates back to the

fur-trading days is now known as Compagnie de la Baie

drsquoHudson at least in these parts Kentucky Fried Chicken

outlets arenrsquot allowed to use ldquoKFCrdquo on their signs In

Quebec theyrsquore called ldquoPFKrdquo for Poulet Frit Kentucky

The Quebecois are more vigilant even than their famously

Anglophobic counterparts in Paris All stop signs here say

Arret even though the ones in France say ldquoStoprdquo

It all seemed a little silly and excessive to me until I began

talking to French-speaking Montrealers about it ldquoYou

have to understand that wersquore surrounded by English

speakersrdquo a schoolteacher told me ldquoWe have to be very

firm about defending our language or it will disappear

And when it goes so does our way of life

Signs aside most French Canadians I met were bilingual

I quickly discovered that if I first made atleast a fumbling

attempt to speak their language almost everybody was

happy to switch to English ndash very possibly to spare

themselves the trauma of hearing my phrase-book

French which sounds like someone grinding the gears

of an old Citroen ldquoWe have nothing against Englishrdquo the

schoolteacher told me ldquoItrsquos just that we want to speak

French hererdquo

Vive la differenceJohn Flinn -Travel Editor

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Scale up of HIV Prevention Treatment Care and Support Requires Renewed Leadership and Resources

The 17th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) took place in Mexico City from August 3 -8 2008 with an assessment of the situation of the global epidemic at a panel of researchers public health and civil society leaders examined recent progress towards the scale up of treatment and prevention programmes and called for sustained action to eliminate the barriers to universal access

ldquoDespite the progress we have made we are not on course to meet universal access targets and in fact appear to be slipping away from our existing commitmentsrdquo said Dr Pedro Cahn International Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and President of the International AIDS Society and Fundacioacuten Hueacutesped in Buenos Aires Argentina ldquoIt appears that we are poised to accept defeat when victory is still within our grasp Our failure to meet those commitments will have an impact on millions of lives This cannot be allowed to happen It is time for nations to live up to their commitmentsrdquo

ldquoWith only two years to go until the 2010 deadline for universal access set by world leaders we must redouble our commitment to scaling up all proven HIV prevention strategiesrdquo said Dr Luiacutes Soto Ramiacuterez Local Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and Head of the Molecular Virology Unit at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Meacutedicas y Nutricioacuten Salvador Zubiriaacuten and Coordinator of the Clinical Care Committee of CONASIDA Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council ldquoThe fact that last year 27 million people were newly infected with HIV a disease that is entirely preventable is unacceptablerdquo

Dr Jaime Sepulveda (Mexico) founder of Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council who is now with the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation noted that attention to and resources for AIDS are at all-time high including substantially increased funding for the Global Fund and the US Presidentrsquos Emergency Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief According to Sepulveda reaching the goal of 3 million people in low and middle-income countries on treatment at the end of 2007 was a critical step forward but the world has only scratched the surface of possibilities in responding to the epidemic Greater resources more effectively spent and targeted where they can have the greatest effect would have a dramatic impact on the course of the epidemicrsquos Highlighting the fact that more people become infected

with HIV last year than began treatment Sepulveda called for radically increased investments in prevention research evaluation and delivery of services as well as accelerated research on promising prevention methods including a vaccine In conclusion he reiterated that political leadership from all countries and accountability at all levels are essential for stopping the epidemic

Citing the results in both treatment and prevention scale up in countries with sustained leadership such as Rwanda and Tanzania Alex Coutinho (Uganda) of the Infectious Disease Institute of Makerere University made a passionate call for greater leadership as a path toward meeting the challenges ahead In looking at progress to date Coutinho highlighted increased access to HIV testing and counseling to prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and to pediatric care and treatment as well as the effectiveness of male circumcision as a prevention intervention In contrast he noted that most countries will not achieve universal access by 2010 and that the majority of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are still unaware of their HIV status In his call to action Coutinho urged greater investment in prevention and financial resources flexible enough to support health systems and systems that reach into rural and other hard-to-reach areas and fully embrace PLHIV as partners He also urged outreach to and support of marginalized and at-risk communities as well as the greater involvement of PLHIV as a catalyst for change

Elisabet Fadul (Dominican Republic) of the Dominican Network for Youth RightsGlobal Youth Partners outlined a broad and urgent youth HIVAIDS agenda calling for comprehensive rights ndash and evidence-based plans to provide access for young people Highlighting the 40 of new infections worldwide among young people between the ages of 15-24 Fadul noted that HIV prevention and treatment programmes are failing to effectively reach young people with the most vulnerable and marginalized being stigmatized criminalized or forgotten by many of these programmes

To reverse this course she called for actions and policies that engage youth especially young people living with HIVAIDS as respected partners in developing and implementing programmes that forthrightly address their

needs and diversity

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Itrsquos a ridiculous

l a n g u a g e rdquo

sputtered the

Englishman at

the next table

his jowls shaking

in anger ldquoA ridiculous languagerdquo

We were sitting in a tiny tea-and-pie shop in Criccieth a

town in northern Wales and everybody but us was speaking

Welsh Like a remarkable number of his countrymen this

man was convinced it was merely a secret code employed

by the local to talk behind the backs of English visitors

ldquoJust you watchrdquo he said ldquoAs soon as we leave theyrsquoll all

go back to speaking Englishrdquo

I rather doubted it And unlike the Englishman I was

thrilled to encounter one of the oldest languages in

Europe a tongue heard in this misty and mountainous

land since the arrival of Roman legions

Being surrounded by people speaking an unfamiliar and

exotic language is to me one of the best things about

travel Just as some people will journey to the Serengeti

to glimpse the rare and endangered white rhino Irsquoll happily

go far out of my way to hear a rare and endangered

language

In the storybook city of Carcassonne in southwest France

I was less thrilled at seeing the towers and turrets than

I was at meeting a man who could speak Occitan the

ancient and fast-vanishing language of the troubadours

As far as I was concerned the most fascinating thing in

Dangriga a coastal town in Belize was the mellifluous

sound of Garifuna a language spoken by the descendants

of shipwrecked slaves from West Africa I once traveled

to Graubunden in eastern Switzerland in the hope of

hearing Romansch a tongue spoken by fewer than one

percent of the nationrsquos residents and said to resemble

Latin I encountered a few signs in the language but no

one who could speak it

According to one oft-cited estimate at least half the

worldrsquos 6000 languages are likely to die out by the end

of this century which means that one is going silent on

average every two weeks

Itrsquos not merely a matter of using different words to express the same thoughts Languages are literally the expressions of cultures and belief systems entirely different ways of making sense of the world And just as we should be concerned about the shrinking diversity of plant and animal species we should also worry about the shrinking diversity of languages

Welsh though seems to be holding on despite 700 years

of efforts by the English to exterminate it The BBC has for

some years now carried television and radio programming

in the language and in Wales itrsquos possible to receive your

entire education from preschool to postgraduate in

Welsh About 20 percent of Walesrsquo population speaks

Welsh and the number appears to be growing slightly

It is not as the Englishman said a ridiculous language But

it is to my eyes and ears a wonderfully strange one Dave

Barry once wrote that the ancient Hawaiians arrived on

their islands after perilous canoe voyages in seas so rough

their consonants fell overboard My guess is that the

letters drifted the worldrsquos oceans until they washed up on

the shores of Wales

T h e   B e a u t y   o f   a   L a n g u a g e

 Tiret Sept 2008

How else to explain for example the Welsh word for

beer Itrsquos cwrw It looks like my Scrabble tray when I

donrsquot have a word to pay (In case you ever need to order

one itrsquos pronounced ldquokooroordquo)

And then therersquos the vexing pronunciation of the double-

1 you find at the beginning of it seems two-thirds of the

town names in Wales ldquoJust put your teeth together and

hiss like a duckrdquo explained a helpful woman I met at the

Dylan Thomas Museum in Swansea She also pointed out

that Llareggub the fictional town in Thomasrsquo ldquoUnder the

Milkwood Treerdquo is merely ldquobugger allrdquo spelled backward

I like the besotted poet a whole lot more after learning

that

One dark and drizzly night I went to a little schoolhouse in

the Rhondda Valley to listen to a rehearsal of the Treorchy

Menrsquos Choir made up mostly of unemployed coal miners

ldquoIn the old daysrdquo one of them told me ldquowe used to sing

together in the pitsrdquo

When they opened their mouths to sing as one in Welsh

all the snarky little comments about their language become

moot It was simply one of the most hauntingly beautiful

sounds Irsquove even heard

I got a lesson in the politics of minority languages recently

when I visited Montreal the capital of French ndash speaking

Canada I hadnrsquot been there since a childhood visit to

Exporsquo67 and I remember the province as decidedly

bilingual Everything from traffic signs to toothpaste

tubes was printed in French and English No more A

law passed in 1977 banned the use of English in signs

throughout Quebec Itrsquos an attempt to do linguistically

what they failed for two centuries to do militarily prevent

the English from conquering them

Theyrsquore quite serious about this Hudson Bay Co the

venerable department store chain that dates back to the

fur-trading days is now known as Compagnie de la Baie

drsquoHudson at least in these parts Kentucky Fried Chicken

outlets arenrsquot allowed to use ldquoKFCrdquo on their signs In

Quebec theyrsquore called ldquoPFKrdquo for Poulet Frit Kentucky

The Quebecois are more vigilant even than their famously

Anglophobic counterparts in Paris All stop signs here say

Arret even though the ones in France say ldquoStoprdquo

It all seemed a little silly and excessive to me until I began

talking to French-speaking Montrealers about it ldquoYou

have to understand that wersquore surrounded by English

speakersrdquo a schoolteacher told me ldquoWe have to be very

firm about defending our language or it will disappear

And when it goes so does our way of life

Signs aside most French Canadians I met were bilingual

I quickly discovered that if I first made atleast a fumbling

attempt to speak their language almost everybody was

happy to switch to English ndash very possibly to spare

themselves the trauma of hearing my phrase-book

French which sounds like someone grinding the gears

of an old Citroen ldquoWe have nothing against Englishrdquo the

schoolteacher told me ldquoItrsquos just that we want to speak

French hererdquo

Vive la differenceJohn Flinn -Travel Editor

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Scale up of HIV Prevention Treatment Care and Support Requires Renewed Leadership and Resources

The 17th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) took place in Mexico City from August 3 -8 2008 with an assessment of the situation of the global epidemic at a panel of researchers public health and civil society leaders examined recent progress towards the scale up of treatment and prevention programmes and called for sustained action to eliminate the barriers to universal access

ldquoDespite the progress we have made we are not on course to meet universal access targets and in fact appear to be slipping away from our existing commitmentsrdquo said Dr Pedro Cahn International Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and President of the International AIDS Society and Fundacioacuten Hueacutesped in Buenos Aires Argentina ldquoIt appears that we are poised to accept defeat when victory is still within our grasp Our failure to meet those commitments will have an impact on millions of lives This cannot be allowed to happen It is time for nations to live up to their commitmentsrdquo

ldquoWith only two years to go until the 2010 deadline for universal access set by world leaders we must redouble our commitment to scaling up all proven HIV prevention strategiesrdquo said Dr Luiacutes Soto Ramiacuterez Local Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and Head of the Molecular Virology Unit at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Meacutedicas y Nutricioacuten Salvador Zubiriaacuten and Coordinator of the Clinical Care Committee of CONASIDA Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council ldquoThe fact that last year 27 million people were newly infected with HIV a disease that is entirely preventable is unacceptablerdquo

Dr Jaime Sepulveda (Mexico) founder of Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council who is now with the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation noted that attention to and resources for AIDS are at all-time high including substantially increased funding for the Global Fund and the US Presidentrsquos Emergency Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief According to Sepulveda reaching the goal of 3 million people in low and middle-income countries on treatment at the end of 2007 was a critical step forward but the world has only scratched the surface of possibilities in responding to the epidemic Greater resources more effectively spent and targeted where they can have the greatest effect would have a dramatic impact on the course of the epidemicrsquos Highlighting the fact that more people become infected

with HIV last year than began treatment Sepulveda called for radically increased investments in prevention research evaluation and delivery of services as well as accelerated research on promising prevention methods including a vaccine In conclusion he reiterated that political leadership from all countries and accountability at all levels are essential for stopping the epidemic

Citing the results in both treatment and prevention scale up in countries with sustained leadership such as Rwanda and Tanzania Alex Coutinho (Uganda) of the Infectious Disease Institute of Makerere University made a passionate call for greater leadership as a path toward meeting the challenges ahead In looking at progress to date Coutinho highlighted increased access to HIV testing and counseling to prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and to pediatric care and treatment as well as the effectiveness of male circumcision as a prevention intervention In contrast he noted that most countries will not achieve universal access by 2010 and that the majority of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are still unaware of their HIV status In his call to action Coutinho urged greater investment in prevention and financial resources flexible enough to support health systems and systems that reach into rural and other hard-to-reach areas and fully embrace PLHIV as partners He also urged outreach to and support of marginalized and at-risk communities as well as the greater involvement of PLHIV as a catalyst for change

Elisabet Fadul (Dominican Republic) of the Dominican Network for Youth RightsGlobal Youth Partners outlined a broad and urgent youth HIVAIDS agenda calling for comprehensive rights ndash and evidence-based plans to provide access for young people Highlighting the 40 of new infections worldwide among young people between the ages of 15-24 Fadul noted that HIV prevention and treatment programmes are failing to effectively reach young people with the most vulnerable and marginalized being stigmatized criminalized or forgotten by many of these programmes

To reverse this course she called for actions and policies that engage youth especially young people living with HIVAIDS as respected partners in developing and implementing programmes that forthrightly address their

needs and diversity

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

How else to explain for example the Welsh word for

beer Itrsquos cwrw It looks like my Scrabble tray when I

donrsquot have a word to pay (In case you ever need to order

one itrsquos pronounced ldquokooroordquo)

And then therersquos the vexing pronunciation of the double-

1 you find at the beginning of it seems two-thirds of the

town names in Wales ldquoJust put your teeth together and

hiss like a duckrdquo explained a helpful woman I met at the

Dylan Thomas Museum in Swansea She also pointed out

that Llareggub the fictional town in Thomasrsquo ldquoUnder the

Milkwood Treerdquo is merely ldquobugger allrdquo spelled backward

I like the besotted poet a whole lot more after learning

that

One dark and drizzly night I went to a little schoolhouse in

the Rhondda Valley to listen to a rehearsal of the Treorchy

Menrsquos Choir made up mostly of unemployed coal miners

ldquoIn the old daysrdquo one of them told me ldquowe used to sing

together in the pitsrdquo

When they opened their mouths to sing as one in Welsh

all the snarky little comments about their language become

moot It was simply one of the most hauntingly beautiful

sounds Irsquove even heard

I got a lesson in the politics of minority languages recently

when I visited Montreal the capital of French ndash speaking

Canada I hadnrsquot been there since a childhood visit to

Exporsquo67 and I remember the province as decidedly

bilingual Everything from traffic signs to toothpaste

tubes was printed in French and English No more A

law passed in 1977 banned the use of English in signs

throughout Quebec Itrsquos an attempt to do linguistically

what they failed for two centuries to do militarily prevent

the English from conquering them

Theyrsquore quite serious about this Hudson Bay Co the

venerable department store chain that dates back to the

fur-trading days is now known as Compagnie de la Baie

drsquoHudson at least in these parts Kentucky Fried Chicken

outlets arenrsquot allowed to use ldquoKFCrdquo on their signs In

Quebec theyrsquore called ldquoPFKrdquo for Poulet Frit Kentucky

The Quebecois are more vigilant even than their famously

Anglophobic counterparts in Paris All stop signs here say

Arret even though the ones in France say ldquoStoprdquo

It all seemed a little silly and excessive to me until I began

talking to French-speaking Montrealers about it ldquoYou

have to understand that wersquore surrounded by English

speakersrdquo a schoolteacher told me ldquoWe have to be very

firm about defending our language or it will disappear

And when it goes so does our way of life

Signs aside most French Canadians I met were bilingual

I quickly discovered that if I first made atleast a fumbling

attempt to speak their language almost everybody was

happy to switch to English ndash very possibly to spare

themselves the trauma of hearing my phrase-book

French which sounds like someone grinding the gears

of an old Citroen ldquoWe have nothing against Englishrdquo the

schoolteacher told me ldquoItrsquos just that we want to speak

French hererdquo

Vive la differenceJohn Flinn -Travel Editor

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Scale up of HIV Prevention Treatment Care and Support Requires Renewed Leadership and Resources

The 17th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) took place in Mexico City from August 3 -8 2008 with an assessment of the situation of the global epidemic at a panel of researchers public health and civil society leaders examined recent progress towards the scale up of treatment and prevention programmes and called for sustained action to eliminate the barriers to universal access

ldquoDespite the progress we have made we are not on course to meet universal access targets and in fact appear to be slipping away from our existing commitmentsrdquo said Dr Pedro Cahn International Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and President of the International AIDS Society and Fundacioacuten Hueacutesped in Buenos Aires Argentina ldquoIt appears that we are poised to accept defeat when victory is still within our grasp Our failure to meet those commitments will have an impact on millions of lives This cannot be allowed to happen It is time for nations to live up to their commitmentsrdquo

ldquoWith only two years to go until the 2010 deadline for universal access set by world leaders we must redouble our commitment to scaling up all proven HIV prevention strategiesrdquo said Dr Luiacutes Soto Ramiacuterez Local Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and Head of the Molecular Virology Unit at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Meacutedicas y Nutricioacuten Salvador Zubiriaacuten and Coordinator of the Clinical Care Committee of CONASIDA Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council ldquoThe fact that last year 27 million people were newly infected with HIV a disease that is entirely preventable is unacceptablerdquo

Dr Jaime Sepulveda (Mexico) founder of Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council who is now with the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation noted that attention to and resources for AIDS are at all-time high including substantially increased funding for the Global Fund and the US Presidentrsquos Emergency Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief According to Sepulveda reaching the goal of 3 million people in low and middle-income countries on treatment at the end of 2007 was a critical step forward but the world has only scratched the surface of possibilities in responding to the epidemic Greater resources more effectively spent and targeted where they can have the greatest effect would have a dramatic impact on the course of the epidemicrsquos Highlighting the fact that more people become infected

with HIV last year than began treatment Sepulveda called for radically increased investments in prevention research evaluation and delivery of services as well as accelerated research on promising prevention methods including a vaccine In conclusion he reiterated that political leadership from all countries and accountability at all levels are essential for stopping the epidemic

Citing the results in both treatment and prevention scale up in countries with sustained leadership such as Rwanda and Tanzania Alex Coutinho (Uganda) of the Infectious Disease Institute of Makerere University made a passionate call for greater leadership as a path toward meeting the challenges ahead In looking at progress to date Coutinho highlighted increased access to HIV testing and counseling to prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and to pediatric care and treatment as well as the effectiveness of male circumcision as a prevention intervention In contrast he noted that most countries will not achieve universal access by 2010 and that the majority of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are still unaware of their HIV status In his call to action Coutinho urged greater investment in prevention and financial resources flexible enough to support health systems and systems that reach into rural and other hard-to-reach areas and fully embrace PLHIV as partners He also urged outreach to and support of marginalized and at-risk communities as well as the greater involvement of PLHIV as a catalyst for change

Elisabet Fadul (Dominican Republic) of the Dominican Network for Youth RightsGlobal Youth Partners outlined a broad and urgent youth HIVAIDS agenda calling for comprehensive rights ndash and evidence-based plans to provide access for young people Highlighting the 40 of new infections worldwide among young people between the ages of 15-24 Fadul noted that HIV prevention and treatment programmes are failing to effectively reach young people with the most vulnerable and marginalized being stigmatized criminalized or forgotten by many of these programmes

To reverse this course she called for actions and policies that engage youth especially young people living with HIVAIDS as respected partners in developing and implementing programmes that forthrightly address their

needs and diversity

 Tiret Sept 2008

How else to explain for example the Welsh word for

beer Itrsquos cwrw It looks like my Scrabble tray when I

donrsquot have a word to pay (In case you ever need to order

one itrsquos pronounced ldquokooroordquo)

And then therersquos the vexing pronunciation of the double-

1 you find at the beginning of it seems two-thirds of the

town names in Wales ldquoJust put your teeth together and

hiss like a duckrdquo explained a helpful woman I met at the

Dylan Thomas Museum in Swansea She also pointed out

that Llareggub the fictional town in Thomasrsquo ldquoUnder the

Milkwood Treerdquo is merely ldquobugger allrdquo spelled backward

I like the besotted poet a whole lot more after learning

that

One dark and drizzly night I went to a little schoolhouse in

the Rhondda Valley to listen to a rehearsal of the Treorchy

Menrsquos Choir made up mostly of unemployed coal miners

ldquoIn the old daysrdquo one of them told me ldquowe used to sing

together in the pitsrdquo

When they opened their mouths to sing as one in Welsh

all the snarky little comments about their language become

moot It was simply one of the most hauntingly beautiful

sounds Irsquove even heard

I got a lesson in the politics of minority languages recently

when I visited Montreal the capital of French ndash speaking

Canada I hadnrsquot been there since a childhood visit to

Exporsquo67 and I remember the province as decidedly

bilingual Everything from traffic signs to toothpaste

tubes was printed in French and English No more A

law passed in 1977 banned the use of English in signs

throughout Quebec Itrsquos an attempt to do linguistically

what they failed for two centuries to do militarily prevent

the English from conquering them

Theyrsquore quite serious about this Hudson Bay Co the

venerable department store chain that dates back to the

fur-trading days is now known as Compagnie de la Baie

drsquoHudson at least in these parts Kentucky Fried Chicken

outlets arenrsquot allowed to use ldquoKFCrdquo on their signs In

Quebec theyrsquore called ldquoPFKrdquo for Poulet Frit Kentucky

The Quebecois are more vigilant even than their famously

Anglophobic counterparts in Paris All stop signs here say

Arret even though the ones in France say ldquoStoprdquo

It all seemed a little silly and excessive to me until I began

talking to French-speaking Montrealers about it ldquoYou

have to understand that wersquore surrounded by English

speakersrdquo a schoolteacher told me ldquoWe have to be very

firm about defending our language or it will disappear

And when it goes so does our way of life

Signs aside most French Canadians I met were bilingual

I quickly discovered that if I first made atleast a fumbling

attempt to speak their language almost everybody was

happy to switch to English ndash very possibly to spare

themselves the trauma of hearing my phrase-book

French which sounds like someone grinding the gears

of an old Citroen ldquoWe have nothing against Englishrdquo the

schoolteacher told me ldquoItrsquos just that we want to speak

French hererdquo

Vive la differenceJohn Flinn -Travel Editor

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Scale up of HIV Prevention Treatment Care and Support Requires Renewed Leadership and Resources

The 17th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) took place in Mexico City from August 3 -8 2008 with an assessment of the situation of the global epidemic at a panel of researchers public health and civil society leaders examined recent progress towards the scale up of treatment and prevention programmes and called for sustained action to eliminate the barriers to universal access

ldquoDespite the progress we have made we are not on course to meet universal access targets and in fact appear to be slipping away from our existing commitmentsrdquo said Dr Pedro Cahn International Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and President of the International AIDS Society and Fundacioacuten Hueacutesped in Buenos Aires Argentina ldquoIt appears that we are poised to accept defeat when victory is still within our grasp Our failure to meet those commitments will have an impact on millions of lives This cannot be allowed to happen It is time for nations to live up to their commitmentsrdquo

ldquoWith only two years to go until the 2010 deadline for universal access set by world leaders we must redouble our commitment to scaling up all proven HIV prevention strategiesrdquo said Dr Luiacutes Soto Ramiacuterez Local Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and Head of the Molecular Virology Unit at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Meacutedicas y Nutricioacuten Salvador Zubiriaacuten and Coordinator of the Clinical Care Committee of CONASIDA Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council ldquoThe fact that last year 27 million people were newly infected with HIV a disease that is entirely preventable is unacceptablerdquo

Dr Jaime Sepulveda (Mexico) founder of Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council who is now with the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation noted that attention to and resources for AIDS are at all-time high including substantially increased funding for the Global Fund and the US Presidentrsquos Emergency Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief According to Sepulveda reaching the goal of 3 million people in low and middle-income countries on treatment at the end of 2007 was a critical step forward but the world has only scratched the surface of possibilities in responding to the epidemic Greater resources more effectively spent and targeted where they can have the greatest effect would have a dramatic impact on the course of the epidemicrsquos Highlighting the fact that more people become infected

with HIV last year than began treatment Sepulveda called for radically increased investments in prevention research evaluation and delivery of services as well as accelerated research on promising prevention methods including a vaccine In conclusion he reiterated that political leadership from all countries and accountability at all levels are essential for stopping the epidemic

Citing the results in both treatment and prevention scale up in countries with sustained leadership such as Rwanda and Tanzania Alex Coutinho (Uganda) of the Infectious Disease Institute of Makerere University made a passionate call for greater leadership as a path toward meeting the challenges ahead In looking at progress to date Coutinho highlighted increased access to HIV testing and counseling to prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and to pediatric care and treatment as well as the effectiveness of male circumcision as a prevention intervention In contrast he noted that most countries will not achieve universal access by 2010 and that the majority of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are still unaware of their HIV status In his call to action Coutinho urged greater investment in prevention and financial resources flexible enough to support health systems and systems that reach into rural and other hard-to-reach areas and fully embrace PLHIV as partners He also urged outreach to and support of marginalized and at-risk communities as well as the greater involvement of PLHIV as a catalyst for change

Elisabet Fadul (Dominican Republic) of the Dominican Network for Youth RightsGlobal Youth Partners outlined a broad and urgent youth HIVAIDS agenda calling for comprehensive rights ndash and evidence-based plans to provide access for young people Highlighting the 40 of new infections worldwide among young people between the ages of 15-24 Fadul noted that HIV prevention and treatment programmes are failing to effectively reach young people with the most vulnerable and marginalized being stigmatized criminalized or forgotten by many of these programmes

To reverse this course she called for actions and policies that engage youth especially young people living with HIVAIDS as respected partners in developing and implementing programmes that forthrightly address their

needs and diversity

 Tiret Sept 2008

0 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Scale up of HIV Prevention Treatment Care and Support Requires Renewed Leadership and Resources

The 17th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) took place in Mexico City from August 3 -8 2008 with an assessment of the situation of the global epidemic at a panel of researchers public health and civil society leaders examined recent progress towards the scale up of treatment and prevention programmes and called for sustained action to eliminate the barriers to universal access

ldquoDespite the progress we have made we are not on course to meet universal access targets and in fact appear to be slipping away from our existing commitmentsrdquo said Dr Pedro Cahn International Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and President of the International AIDS Society and Fundacioacuten Hueacutesped in Buenos Aires Argentina ldquoIt appears that we are poised to accept defeat when victory is still within our grasp Our failure to meet those commitments will have an impact on millions of lives This cannot be allowed to happen It is time for nations to live up to their commitmentsrdquo

ldquoWith only two years to go until the 2010 deadline for universal access set by world leaders we must redouble our commitment to scaling up all proven HIV prevention strategiesrdquo said Dr Luiacutes Soto Ramiacuterez Local Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and Head of the Molecular Virology Unit at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Meacutedicas y Nutricioacuten Salvador Zubiriaacuten and Coordinator of the Clinical Care Committee of CONASIDA Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council ldquoThe fact that last year 27 million people were newly infected with HIV a disease that is entirely preventable is unacceptablerdquo

Dr Jaime Sepulveda (Mexico) founder of Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council who is now with the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation noted that attention to and resources for AIDS are at all-time high including substantially increased funding for the Global Fund and the US Presidentrsquos Emergency Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief According to Sepulveda reaching the goal of 3 million people in low and middle-income countries on treatment at the end of 2007 was a critical step forward but the world has only scratched the surface of possibilities in responding to the epidemic Greater resources more effectively spent and targeted where they can have the greatest effect would have a dramatic impact on the course of the epidemicrsquos Highlighting the fact that more people become infected

with HIV last year than began treatment Sepulveda called for radically increased investments in prevention research evaluation and delivery of services as well as accelerated research on promising prevention methods including a vaccine In conclusion he reiterated that political leadership from all countries and accountability at all levels are essential for stopping the epidemic

Citing the results in both treatment and prevention scale up in countries with sustained leadership such as Rwanda and Tanzania Alex Coutinho (Uganda) of the Infectious Disease Institute of Makerere University made a passionate call for greater leadership as a path toward meeting the challenges ahead In looking at progress to date Coutinho highlighted increased access to HIV testing and counseling to prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and to pediatric care and treatment as well as the effectiveness of male circumcision as a prevention intervention In contrast he noted that most countries will not achieve universal access by 2010 and that the majority of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are still unaware of their HIV status In his call to action Coutinho urged greater investment in prevention and financial resources flexible enough to support health systems and systems that reach into rural and other hard-to-reach areas and fully embrace PLHIV as partners He also urged outreach to and support of marginalized and at-risk communities as well as the greater involvement of PLHIV as a catalyst for change

Elisabet Fadul (Dominican Republic) of the Dominican Network for Youth RightsGlobal Youth Partners outlined a broad and urgent youth HIVAIDS agenda calling for comprehensive rights ndash and evidence-based plans to provide access for young people Highlighting the 40 of new infections worldwide among young people between the ages of 15-24 Fadul noted that HIV prevention and treatment programmes are failing to effectively reach young people with the most vulnerable and marginalized being stigmatized criminalized or forgotten by many of these programmes

To reverse this course she called for actions and policies that engage youth especially young people living with HIVAIDS as respected partners in developing and implementing programmes that forthrightly address their

needs and diversity

 Tiret Sept 2008

 Tiret Sept 2008

Scale up of HIV Prevention Treatment Care and Support Requires Renewed Leadership and Resources

The 17th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) took place in Mexico City from August 3 -8 2008 with an assessment of the situation of the global epidemic at a panel of researchers public health and civil society leaders examined recent progress towards the scale up of treatment and prevention programmes and called for sustained action to eliminate the barriers to universal access

ldquoDespite the progress we have made we are not on course to meet universal access targets and in fact appear to be slipping away from our existing commitmentsrdquo said Dr Pedro Cahn International Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and President of the International AIDS Society and Fundacioacuten Hueacutesped in Buenos Aires Argentina ldquoIt appears that we are poised to accept defeat when victory is still within our grasp Our failure to meet those commitments will have an impact on millions of lives This cannot be allowed to happen It is time for nations to live up to their commitmentsrdquo

ldquoWith only two years to go until the 2010 deadline for universal access set by world leaders we must redouble our commitment to scaling up all proven HIV prevention strategiesrdquo said Dr Luiacutes Soto Ramiacuterez Local Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and Head of the Molecular Virology Unit at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Meacutedicas y Nutricioacuten Salvador Zubiriaacuten and Coordinator of the Clinical Care Committee of CONASIDA Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council ldquoThe fact that last year 27 million people were newly infected with HIV a disease that is entirely preventable is unacceptablerdquo

Dr Jaime Sepulveda (Mexico) founder of Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council who is now with the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation noted that attention to and resources for AIDS are at all-time high including substantially increased funding for the Global Fund and the US Presidentrsquos Emergency Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief According to Sepulveda reaching the goal of 3 million people in low and middle-income countries on treatment at the end of 2007 was a critical step forward but the world has only scratched the surface of possibilities in responding to the epidemic Greater resources more effectively spent and targeted where they can have the greatest effect would have a dramatic impact on the course of the epidemicrsquos Highlighting the fact that more people become infected

with HIV last year than began treatment Sepulveda called for radically increased investments in prevention research evaluation and delivery of services as well as accelerated research on promising prevention methods including a vaccine In conclusion he reiterated that political leadership from all countries and accountability at all levels are essential for stopping the epidemic

Citing the results in both treatment and prevention scale up in countries with sustained leadership such as Rwanda and Tanzania Alex Coutinho (Uganda) of the Infectious Disease Institute of Makerere University made a passionate call for greater leadership as a path toward meeting the challenges ahead In looking at progress to date Coutinho highlighted increased access to HIV testing and counseling to prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and to pediatric care and treatment as well as the effectiveness of male circumcision as a prevention intervention In contrast he noted that most countries will not achieve universal access by 2010 and that the majority of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are still unaware of their HIV status In his call to action Coutinho urged greater investment in prevention and financial resources flexible enough to support health systems and systems that reach into rural and other hard-to-reach areas and fully embrace PLHIV as partners He also urged outreach to and support of marginalized and at-risk communities as well as the greater involvement of PLHIV as a catalyst for change

Elisabet Fadul (Dominican Republic) of the Dominican Network for Youth RightsGlobal Youth Partners outlined a broad and urgent youth HIVAIDS agenda calling for comprehensive rights ndash and evidence-based plans to provide access for young people Highlighting the 40 of new infections worldwide among young people between the ages of 15-24 Fadul noted that HIV prevention and treatment programmes are failing to effectively reach young people with the most vulnerable and marginalized being stigmatized criminalized or forgotten by many of these programmes

To reverse this course she called for actions and policies that engage youth especially young people living with HIVAIDS as respected partners in developing and implementing programmes that forthrightly address their

needs and diversity

 Tiret Sept 2008

Scale up of HIV Prevention Treatment Care and Support Requires Renewed Leadership and Resources

The 17th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) took place in Mexico City from August 3 -8 2008 with an assessment of the situation of the global epidemic at a panel of researchers public health and civil society leaders examined recent progress towards the scale up of treatment and prevention programmes and called for sustained action to eliminate the barriers to universal access

ldquoDespite the progress we have made we are not on course to meet universal access targets and in fact appear to be slipping away from our existing commitmentsrdquo said Dr Pedro Cahn International Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and President of the International AIDS Society and Fundacioacuten Hueacutesped in Buenos Aires Argentina ldquoIt appears that we are poised to accept defeat when victory is still within our grasp Our failure to meet those commitments will have an impact on millions of lives This cannot be allowed to happen It is time for nations to live up to their commitmentsrdquo

ldquoWith only two years to go until the 2010 deadline for universal access set by world leaders we must redouble our commitment to scaling up all proven HIV prevention strategiesrdquo said Dr Luiacutes Soto Ramiacuterez Local Co-Chair of AIDS 2008 and Head of the Molecular Virology Unit at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Meacutedicas y Nutricioacuten Salvador Zubiriaacuten and Coordinator of the Clinical Care Committee of CONASIDA Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council ldquoThe fact that last year 27 million people were newly infected with HIV a disease that is entirely preventable is unacceptablerdquo

Dr Jaime Sepulveda (Mexico) founder of Mexicorsquos National AIDS Council who is now with the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation noted that attention to and resources for AIDS are at all-time high including substantially increased funding for the Global Fund and the US Presidentrsquos Emergency Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief According to Sepulveda reaching the goal of 3 million people in low and middle-income countries on treatment at the end of 2007 was a critical step forward but the world has only scratched the surface of possibilities in responding to the epidemic Greater resources more effectively spent and targeted where they can have the greatest effect would have a dramatic impact on the course of the epidemicrsquos Highlighting the fact that more people become infected

with HIV last year than began treatment Sepulveda called for radically increased investments in prevention research evaluation and delivery of services as well as accelerated research on promising prevention methods including a vaccine In conclusion he reiterated that political leadership from all countries and accountability at all levels are essential for stopping the epidemic

Citing the results in both treatment and prevention scale up in countries with sustained leadership such as Rwanda and Tanzania Alex Coutinho (Uganda) of the Infectious Disease Institute of Makerere University made a passionate call for greater leadership as a path toward meeting the challenges ahead In looking at progress to date Coutinho highlighted increased access to HIV testing and counseling to prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and to pediatric care and treatment as well as the effectiveness of male circumcision as a prevention intervention In contrast he noted that most countries will not achieve universal access by 2010 and that the majority of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are still unaware of their HIV status In his call to action Coutinho urged greater investment in prevention and financial resources flexible enough to support health systems and systems that reach into rural and other hard-to-reach areas and fully embrace PLHIV as partners He also urged outreach to and support of marginalized and at-risk communities as well as the greater involvement of PLHIV as a catalyst for change

Elisabet Fadul (Dominican Republic) of the Dominican Network for Youth RightsGlobal Youth Partners outlined a broad and urgent youth HIVAIDS agenda calling for comprehensive rights ndash and evidence-based plans to provide access for young people Highlighting the 40 of new infections worldwide among young people between the ages of 15-24 Fadul noted that HIV prevention and treatment programmes are failing to effectively reach young people with the most vulnerable and marginalized being stigmatized criminalized or forgotten by many of these programmes

To reverse this course she called for actions and policies that engage youth especially young people living with HIVAIDS as respected partners in developing and implementing programmes that forthrightly address their

needs and diversity

 Tiret Sept 2008