The Federal Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission has through a court order suspended land leases worth more than three billion Birr taken up by cooperatives and individuals through what it described suspicious procedures in Addis Ababa.

Ethics education and public relations department director with the commission Berhanu Assefa told ENA that the commission has been taking several measures beginning April 1999, with special focus on illegal land provision in Addis Ababa caretaker administration. Based on a relevant study, the commission has taken measures towards the elimination of loopholes susceptible to corrupt practices in land lease and administration systems by the city administration. The commission has been investigating such cases and there have been charges filed against some on which enough evidence had been compiled. As part of its efforts to clamp down on corrupt practices related to land lease and administration, the commission obtained the court order to have suspended leases covering about 549,715 sq. meters given out within a period of eight months.

African millennium trade, investment fair opens

The first African Millennium Trade and Investment Fair opened here in Addis on Tuesday. Opening the fair, President Girma Woldegiorgis said that besides strengthening trade exchange, investment and cultural ties between African nations, the fair was a special opportunity to promote the immense resource of the continent in trade and investment sector. Organized by the Ethiopian Economics Professionals Association, the fair would also help enhance experience sharing in the sector. He said the research works and discussion forums organized by the association are utilized as an input for designing and implementation of the nation's economic policies. The President on the occasion expressed his beliefs that the association would continue its activities in a strengthened manner. Association President, Dr. Wolday Amha, on his part said that the association has recently signed an agreement that would enable it to work jointly with the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development. Close to 100 governmental and private organizations drawn from various countries are taking part in the fair that would stay open for 10 days.

Agency eyes capacitating cooperatives in development

The Federal Cooperative Agency (FCA) said it is striving to curb the shortage of skilled manpower as strategic entry of addressing challenges faced by cooperatives, thereby making them active development actors in the country. Speaking at a training organized for cooperative organizers and auditors in Mojjo town on Monday, Capacity Building and Human Resource Research Department head with the agency Zemenay Minilik said the agency is providing various trainings to capacitate the cooperatives in a bid to make them competitive in the sector in the last two years. Since cooperatives are believed to play an indispensable role in ensuring speedy development, the agency is trying to address the basic problems by providing various trainings. The agency has trained some 2000 people who are engaged in the sector in the last two years, he said and added that the agency has also plans to train some 1000 people in the current Ethiopian budget year across the nation.

Accordingly, some 209 cooperative organizers and auditors have already been trained in the first round and some 500 cooperatives organizers and auditors are participating in this training, he said.

Commission receives 1,687 corruption tip-offs

The Federal Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (FEACC) announced that it has received 1,687 corruption tip offs overt the past six months. FEACC Education and Public Relations Department Director Berhanu Assefa told ENA that the number of tip-offs the Commission received during the reported period has exceeded that of same period last year by 1,000. The director ascribed the increase in the number of tip-offs received by the Commission to the public's awareness towards fighting corruption.

The measure being taken against criminals found engaged in corruption after tip-offs from the public is also another factor that developed public's trust in the anti-corruption battle, he added. Berhanu further said that the increase in the number of tip-offs made by the public to the Commission is also an indicator of the firm commitment the public is showing in fighting corrupt practices. Some 734 of the tip-offs the Commission received from whistle blowers during the stated period directly concern the Commission, while decision has been made on the remaining tip-offs since they were found not to concern the Commission. FEACC has sent 85 files to the prosecutor, of which 51 files are currently found at the hands of the prosecutor. Some 21 of the files are under the process of additional investigation, while decision has been passed by the prosecutor over the remaining 13 files to be closed.

East African Nile countries urged to enhance cooperation

Minister of Water Resources Asfaw Dingamo urged countries of the East African Nile Basin to work closely more than ever to withstand the negative impact of climate change. The minister made the remark at the opening of the Nile Basin Initiative Eastern Nile Subsidiary Action Program Joint Meeting of the 8th Eastern Nile Power Ministerial meetings here on Monday. He said “Nile is providing us the opportunity, entry point, and key to unlock our potentials. Countries in the region will benefit if they can realize their shared vision, he added.  Asfaw stressed the need to accelerate the momentum of cooperation through timely implementation of projects. "The cost of delay, failure and not cooperating will be unforgivable in the eyes of future generations of the Nile region. Who will either bear the costs or enjoy the benefits of decisions of today?"