Addis Ababa: Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said the reforms made on institutions have enabled to create competitive institutions at continental level.
The premier made the remark at the award ceremony at Adwa Victory Memorial Museum to honor five institutions today.
The PM said on the occasion that the institutions were awarded for doing work that made them competitive at the continental level.
Noting that success is not a goal but a journey that continues with needs, Abiy stressed that the awards given to the institutions stimulate them to do more in the future.
The prime minister recalled that Ethiopia was one of the African countries that imported much wheat.
The country has now become the leading wheat producing country in Africa with the work done in a short period of time, he said, adding that the Ministry of Agriculture has played a major role in this success.
Similarly, he pointed out that Ethiopian Airlines was able to continue as a competitive institution by performing actions that redeemed the se
ason when faced by COVID-19 pandemic.
According to him, the airline is currently a huge institution that dominates Africa in the field and the recent acquisition of aircraft and terminal expansion works will further enhance its competitiveness.
Following the reform, Ethio telecom has also more than doubled the number of customers and has now over 76 million customers. The number of Tele Birr users has reached 43 million.
Abiy underscored that the recognition given to the institution will create incentive to build capacities in the sectors.
Ethio Post was able to be effective in a short period by implementing reform works.
The PM pointed out that the institution has not only come out of bankruptcy, but has been able to become a model on a continental level in some of its procedures.
The leaders and employees of the institution have contributed a lot to this, he stated.
Abiy further noted that the reform works done on the construction of the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam are a demonstration of the effe
ctiveness of institutional reform.
Passing through the challenges, the history of the dam construction process has been accomplished.
He said the dam will be a center of regional integration in the continent.
Winners of the Ethiopian Institutional Success Award are Ministry of Agriculture’s wheat program, Ethiopian Airlines, Ethio Post, Ethio Telecom, and the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) project.
Source: Ethiopian News Agency
The Government has issued a stern warning to all investors engaging in illegal mining activities within Kitui County and across the country, saying they would face the full wrath of the law once caught.
Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs, Mr. Salim Mvurya, speaking during a meeting with the Kitui County leaders held at the Governor’s Office Monday, said that his Ministry would ensure those who failed to acquire mining licenses from the government, would face legal action.
‘Illegal investors who have not been licensed by my Ministry, I want to tell them that the law is going to take its course, we will arrest and charge them in court,’ he warned.
The Cabinet Secretary called upon all investors interested in mineral exploration and activities, to follow the law by ensuring they have applied and been issued with licenses to extract minerals in all the country’s mineral rich zones.
He said the National government would partner with County governments in consultation with Coun
ty Mining Committees that were recently gazetted, in inspecting and ensuring that all investors operating in different regions across the County, have been licensed by the Ministry.
Mvurya said that his Ministry has recently gazetted Artisanal Mining Committee for each of the 47 counties in the country, with a view of lessening the burden of artisanal mineral miners.
The CS further advised unlicensed local county miners involved in mining activities, to form mining societies, so that they could be assisted by the newly formed County Artisanal Mining Committee.
‘We can no longer continue to allow pilferage of royalties by crude dealing by inventors. We have provided the right medium for license application and beseech those with interest to comply,’ Mvurya cautioned.
The CS observed that Kitui County is highly rich in minerals and ranked 2nd nationwide, with numerous minerals, which are already mapped, including copper, iron, limestone and coal, among others.
He also disclosed that his Ministry was in pro
cess of establishing a mineral lab for testing minerals locally, to avoid seeking the needed minerals lab services from Nairobi.
Mvurya was in Kitui County to share with the County leadership, the mineral opportunities in the County and establish partnership on how they could jointly turn the minerals wealth into money in the miners’ pockets, the local communities and the country at large.
Kitui County Governor, Dr. Julius Malombe, said his Administration is ready to partner with the Ministry to streamline issues to do with licensing, consent and management.
Three local Members of Parliament, Mr. Makali Mulu of Kitui Central, his counterparts of Mwingi North, Paul Nzengu and Kitui South MP, Recheal Kaki, regretted that despite massive mining activities taking place in the County, the local communities have not been benefitting from the their county minerals.
According to Section 183(5) of the Mining Act, 2016, the National government is entitled to 70 per cent, the County government 20 per cent and the co
mmunity where the mining operations occur to get 10 per cent of the revenue accruing from mining activities.
Malombe highlighted that the County government is ready to partner with the Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs, to conduct an exploration and document in detail the available minerals in the County, to boost the County’s revenue collection kitty and spar development countywide.
‘My County government’s plan of action, is to work jointly with your Ministry on preparing County mineral’s framework, to guide and operate on it as well as to get investors to tap these minerals for the benefit of our County and our communities. The potential is there and we now want to actualize it into financial gain to uplift the standards of our people,’ he noted.
The meeting expressed concern that the section in the Mining Act, 2016, touching on minerals has gaps, especially on enforcing law by security agents, to deal with illegal miners.
They agreed that the 2016 Legislation ought to be amended, so
to enable the County government and communities to benefit from their share of twenty percent and ten percent respectively.
‘I watch helplessly as illegal miners continue with their activities. Due to the gaps on mineral’s mining and transportation Act of the same, the miners have not even been paying cess,’ Malombe lamented.
Kitui County Commissioner, Mr. Kipchumba Rutto, while speaking during the meeting assured his office’s support towards identifying the illegal miners and enforcing the law accordingly.
‘It’s also important for miners to adhere to National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) and other relevant departments to help in streamlining the industry in the county,’ said the Commissioner who also is the Chairman of the County Security Committee.
Other county leaders who attended the meeting included CS for EAC, ASALs and Regional Development Peninah Malonza, Kitui County Assembly Speaker Mr. Kelvin Kinengo and scores of county MCAs among others.
Source: Kenya News Agency