By a Staff Reporter

The Ministry of Works and Urban Development told The Reporter that the Ethiopian Road Fund had not succeeded in collecting even half the amount it had targeted for the current fiscal year. And of the amount it planned to give for road construction, it released only 42 percent. Meanwhile, the number of foreign contractors involved in road construction has grown by 80 percent.

According to the Ministry's nine-month performance report, though the Fund's target was to collect over 752 million birr, it collected only 352.1 million birr, which is 47 percent of the target.

In the last nine months, the Fund had aimed   to release 959.67 million birr for the renovation of road. However, it actually released only 401.18 million birr.

The Fund, which collects and distributes money among the regions for the renovation of roads, mainly derives its income from tax levied on the sale of petroleum. It is forming a committee with members drawn from Ethiopian Roads Authority (ERA) and Transport Authority which will look into more alternative sources of raising fund.

It has been planned for a 808 km long-road to be constructed by 36 foreign contractors this fiscal year while a stretch of 614 km road is to be constructed by 27 local contractors. According to the report, the number of local contractors engaged in road construction has increased by 93 percent.

Of the 63 road construction projects to be implemented this fiscal year, 36 have been awarded to foreign contractors. Out the remaining 27 projects, 23 have been given to local constructors.