• Road #3, which connects Addis Ababa, Bahir Dar, Gondar and Khartoum has strategic importance: Ambassador Kishino

On 10 June 2013, the Government of Japan signed Exchange of Notes for two grant-in-aid projects, one for the Rehabilitation of Trunk Road #3 between Lumame and Debremarkos with 7.521 billion Japanese yen [equivalent to about 1.43 billion ETB], and the other, for Water Supply in the Southern part of the Amhara Region, with 633 million Japanese yen [equivalent to about 121 million ETB]. Based upon these grant agreements, Japan extended to Ethiopia a total of 8.154 billion Japanese yen, equivalent to about 1.55 billion ETB. Japanese Ambassador, His Excellency Mr. Hiroyuki Kishino and State Minister of Finance and Economic Development, His Excellency Ato Ahmed Shide signed the agreements. 

During the signing ceremony, His Excellency Ambassador Kishino said that road networks are indispensible for both agriculture and industry, while water supply is also critical for people’s daily life and agriculture.

“The road rehabilitation project is a continuation of the on-going project along Trunk Road #3.  The rehabilitation work underway between Dejen and Lumame is in progress, and now we are about to start work on the Lumame-Debremarkos segment, based upon the detailed design work for which Japan extended a grant in December last year”,  Ambassador Kishino said. 

Speaking on the importance of linking local markets and facilitating regional integration, Ambassador Kishino remarked that  Trunk Road #3, which connects Addis Ababa, Bahir Dahr, Gondar and Khartoum has strategic importance, linking not only the north-western part of Ethiopia with the rest of the country but Ethiopia and Sudan as well.  It is crucial for the delivery of surplus cereal crops from the north to consumers in other parts of the country, His Excellency underlined, adding it is also an arterial route for the shipment of oil products from Sudan.

Concerning the Project for Water Supply, Ambassador Kishino further said: “Improving access to safe water is an important policy objective in Ethiopia.  Indeed, enormous efforts were made by the federal and regional governments during the PASDEP period (2005/06-2009/10).  As a result, access to potable water improved substantially from 36% to 68.5% on the national average.  However, the gap between urban and rural areas remains large.  In many local communities, access to potable water is still a great challenge”. This project will install water supply schemes in nine small towns located in the East and West Gojjam Zones of the Amhara Region.

“In addition, at TICAD V held in Yokohama in early this month, Prime Minister Abe announced Japan’s new support package for Africa, amounting 32 billion USD for the coming five years, which includes ODA, other official funds and the private sector funds.  One of the focuses of this package is to support improving business environment in Africa by facilitating infrastructure and human resource development, institution building, etc.  Improved access to safe water for 10 million people in Africa is also part of the package.  I am sure that this will benefit Ethiopia, as its policy direction is exactly the same as the GTP”, His Excellency Ambassador Kishino said.

Japan has already revised its ODA policy to Ethiopia to align it with the GTP, placing particular emphasis on food security, industrial development, infrastructure development and human resource development. Since 1998, Japan has been working on the Addis Ababa-Gohatsion, Gohatsion-Debremarkos road by extending 26.5 billion Japanese yen [equivalent to 5.05 billion Ethiopian birr at the current exchange rate] in grant-in-aid in four phases to date. Since 2005, Japan has also been engaged in water supply projects with grants of about six billion yen [equivalent to 1.1 billion Ethiopian birr at the current exchange rate] in Amhara, SNNPRS, Afar, Oromia and Tigray regions, the supply of various items of equipment to explore water, and the provision of training equipment for water resource engineers at the Ethiopian Water Technology Center (EWTEC). 

10 June 2013
Addis Ababa