Japan Extends 474 Million Birr Grant Aid to the Government of Ethiopia

A grant signing ceremony between the Government of Japan and Ethiopia took place at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development on March 18, 2010. H.E. Mr. Kinichi Komano, Ambassador of Japan to Ethiopia, and H.E. Ato Ahmed Shide, State Minister of Finance and Economic Development, signed the grant agreement.

The signing ceremony was for three Grant Aid schemes for which Japan is extending an aggregate grant amount of approximately 474 million birr.

The areas of intervention are: Food Aid [KR], grant aid for agricultural inputs for underprivileged farmers [KRII], and grant aid for a forest preservation program. All three programs will be implemented by the Japan International Cooperation System (JICS). The grant aid will disburse 128.18 million birr for KR, 88.97 million birr for KRII, and 236.36 million birr for the forest preservation program.

The grant aid KR aims to contribute to the efforts of the Government of Ethiopia in alleviating the existing problems related to food shortages in the country, whereas KRII aims to contribute towards increasing food production with special emphasis on underprivileged farmers through supporting the efforts of the Government of Ethiopia. The grant aid for the forest preservation program aims to adapt and mitigate climate change as well as improve access to clean energy through the construction of tree seed processing and storage centers, and a feasibility study for a geothermal energy station at Aluto-Langano.