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Obama, McCain sweep Potomac primaries
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama will claim victory in all three contests in the Potomac primaries, CNN projects.
Residents cast votes Tuesday in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia.
Obama had a substantial lead over Hillary Clinton in Virginia, and McCain was ahead of Mike Huckabee by about 9 points, according to CNN projections.
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10:33:48 pm, by nazret.com, 889 words, 9157 views 
Ethiopia - Flowers are sign of economic change in Ethiopia
Source: Reuters
By Barry Malone
ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Pictures of emaciated children dying in their mothers' arms during Ethiopia's famine in 1985 cemented the country's image as a barren land where nothing grows.
But just 30 minutes south of the capital, Addis Ababa, green hills and lush valleys abound, perfect for cultivating the country's fastest growing export -- flowers.
Tsegaye Abebe opened his farm, ET Highland Flora, three years ago. Now, he employs 400 people and exports 90,000 to 120,000 stems every day. At this time of year, he is busy.
"The biggest of all is Valentine's Day," he said as workers harvested roses in one of his 23 greenhouses, each one containing around 35,000 stems. In the weeks leading up to Valentine's Day, Ethiopia exports six planeloads, or more than 2 million stems, daily, he said.
"Red roses are what lovers give so we pay more attention to them at this time of year."
While flowers account for only 1 percent of Ethiopia's GDP, they are one of the most visible signs of a fast-growing economy that is becoming less reliant on its traditional coffee exports.
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Economic growth was 10 percent last year, the fastest of any non-oil producer in sub-Saharan Africa. Foreign investment, especially from China and India, is on the rise. There is a construction boom in Addis Ababa and many of the larger towns. And returnees from the United States are investing in hotels, bars, shops and restaurants.
Ethiopia exports more than 80 million stems a month to 40 countries. Seventy percent go to the Netherlands, from where they are sent around the world. It also exports to Germany, Britain, Russia and, in smaller amounts, to the United States and the Middle East.
Five years ago, Ethiopia made just $159,000 from exports of cut flowers, cuttings and summer flowers. Last year that had grown to $63.5 million and this year it is expected to hit $166 million, said Adhanom Negasi, an adviser to the Minister of Trade. "Within two years I believe we'll be the leading exporter in Africa, if not the world," he said.
Neighboring Kenya, with 1,700 hectares under cultivation compared with Ethiopia's 1,000 hectares, has been Africa's leading flower exporter for more than 30 years. The violence raging there since its disputed election in December has given a 5 percent spike to Ethiopia's business, Tsegaye said.
"But we really don't want the problem to continue," he said. "In business when you get an advantage it should be fair and should come from the strength of your product."
By next year, flowers could account for 10 percent of Ethiopia's exports. Coffee, its traditional cash crop, makes up nearly 40 percent.
"I think flowers will catch up to coffee within five years," says Tsegaye who is president of the Ethiopian Horticulture Producers and Exporters Association. "We expect to generate $600 to $700 million by 2013/2014. Both crops can be successful together."
The government offers incentives to both foreign and Ethiopian investors, including a five-year tax holiday, duty-free import of capital goods and a lease price of just $18 a hectare per year for land. The government also offers loans of up to 70 percent of start-up costs.
In ET Highland's packing house, Ethiopian pop music booms from speakers above the factory floor as women strip leaves and thorns from stems, packing them carefully into bunches of 10 and boxing them up for trucks bound for the airport.
Nationally, the industry employs over 50,000 people, 80 percent of them women. "There are so many women because a flower is a very fragile product and it needs very careful handling," Adhanom said by way of explanation.
Despite complaints from some charities that the workers are underpaid, their pay of around $1 a day is a living wage in a country where more than 80 percent of the population lives on less than $2 a day. Unemployment in urban areas is almost 21 percent.
Many Ethiopians not directly involved with flowers are also benefiting.
In Sebeta, the town that surrounds Tsegaye's farm, the nearby greenhouses have brought a mini boom of workers and visitors who come to shop and eat. A visit by a foreigner to a local cafe elicits a gift of a red rose from the waiter. "Have you visited the farms?" he asks.
In Addis Ababa, which coincidentally means "New Flower" in the Amharic language, flower shops are springing up and some Ethiopians are even starting to celebrate Valentine's Day, something they didn't do just a few years ago.
Hareg Tameru, a painter, opened Flower Boutique two months ago after seeing queues forming to buy Valentine's roses last year. "I was surprised," she says. "This business is growing really fast."
Surrounded by oversized posters of rose varieties, Adhanom shows off spreadsheets highlighting the economic success of the flower industry.
"It's a miracle." He throws out his hands and starts to laugh. "This crop is a miracle."
(Reporting by Barry Malone; Editing by Eddie Evans)
---------------
Ethiopia - House imposes 150% tax on hide and skin exports
By Kirubel Tadesse
Source: Capital
The House of People’s Representatives has passed a proclamation to toll export taxes up to 150% on raw and semi-processed hides and skins, at its 16th regular session on Thursday, February 07, 2008.
The proclamation rates and basis of computation states that raw hide and skin shall be levied 150% of its value and wet blue cow hides is levied at 20%. Pickled sheep skins are levied 10%, with wet blue sheep and wet blue goat skins also levied 5%. The house passed the bill in first reading as per proposed motion to do so despite opposition Members of Parliament request to examine the proclamation in standing committees.
Minister of Finance and Economic Development Sufian Ahmed, told the House that the bill reverses the ban on export of raw hides and skins by allowing export at 150% export tax. He said that the measure takes Ethiopia one step closer to the World Trade Organization as banning exports is not encouraged by WTO. He explained that the tax system could serve as an instrument to encourage industries engaged in the production of hides and skins to shift to exporting processed hides and skins from exporting raw or semi-processed hides and skin.
The bill empowers the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development the authority to adjust the tax rates. Article 7 of the proclamation states that the Ministry may at its own discretion increase rates and exempt in whole or in part the tax levied by the proclamation. This empowerment resulted in a strong resistance from opposition MP, Temesgen Zewde.
Temesgen stated that he wanted the people to know that they opposed the motion, decided by majority, to let the House pass the bill on first reading. Temesgen argued that the constitution only gives the House of People’s Representatives the authority to impose, adjust or exempt tax. “When we impose the tax, we will force many factories to go out of business and that creates a chance for few but strong companies to enjoy the market, which will create a monopolistic tendency in the sector,” Temesgen said commenting on the bill. “We should first talk to the exporters and seek solutions to the problems they state. Whether it is skilled manpower or credit, whatever is keeping them from adding value to their export; it should be first assessed so that they and the sector could transform. Otherwise the targeted solution cannot be achieved through imposing an overstated tax.”
Bulcha Demeksa (MP) also opposed the bill, stating that he couldn’t find grounds to understand the rush to pass the bill without looking at it in detail in standing committees. “One way or another it is a burden on the poor people who sell raw hides and skins in the street. Exporters will transfer the burden by lowering the price they pay for the products,” explained Bulcha. “At this time when our poor people are hammered with the expensive cost of fuel, it is not fair to impose this tax which will harden their lives.”
Sufian replied that the bill is no surprise to the sector because the government was discussing it a year and half ago. “The exporters were told last year that the new tax system would be effective as of February 9, 2008. We held continuous discussions on the problems they face and on solutions so that they can export value added products. This 150% tax can’t be a burden to anyone since exporting raw hides and skins was totally banned and what we are doing now is reversing the ban with this tax,” Sufian added. Sufian added.
Ethiopia Government pardons twenty- five CUD supporters
By Kirubel Tadesse
Source: Capital
The Ethiopian government has pardoned twenty five prisoners who were found guilty in connection to the unrest that rocked the nation following the May 2005 elections. The twenty five prisoners who had been sentenced for up to 20 years were pardoned after the continued mediation of the Council of Elders council led by Professor Ephraim Yishak.
Dr. Yacob Hailemariam, Engineer Gizachew Shiferaw, and Birtukan Medeksa were negotiating for prisoners pardon. Birtukan told Capital that the prisoners were released on Friday, February 8, 2008. She added that there are still ten prisoners who are expected to be pardoned soon. Few others whose case is still pending are awaiting sentencing prior being pardon.
In a recent development, after electing twelve Members of Parliament to the supreme council last week, Birtukan’s group is making continuous attempts to bring other MPs who are participating in the House of Peoples Representatives outside Temesgen Zewde’s (MP) group, which is now forced to abandon the ‘CUD’ name in parliament following Ayele Chamiso’s win in the battle for the name.
Engineer Gizachew Shiferaw told Capital that the attempt falls under the overall plan they are working on to bring all former ‘members of the family together. “We wanted to gather the MPs so that when they go to their respective woredas they were elected from, they can explain to the people what is really going on,” Engineer Gizachew explained. “What is happening is not forming a new party or collecting some group and discarding others to create another party. We only demand a democratic system and respect of the party laws.” Engineer Gizachew added that they are working with all parliamentarians without excluding anyone so that they can get legality under a new name but with the former structure and policy.
Some reports claimed that MPs outside the group led by Temesgen Zewde, who claim to represent some 25 members, denounced the election of twelve MPs from Temesgen’s group to the Supreme Council. The election was approved by nine executive committee members of the former CUD.
Temesgen told Capital the number of MPs who are not included in his group is below ten and they don’t have good intentions at heart. “This should be a time to unite and work together but from the beginning these parliamentarians were not willing to do so. First they went after the leadership then they tried to side with one of the groups and disturb the process and now they say they are trying to mediate the two groups,” Temesgen added.
Engineer Hailu Shawul’s group still hasn’t given up the CUD name. It was reported that Abayneh Berhanu, who is acting on Hailu’s behalf, announced that he has requested the Electoral Board to return the election emblem which is now a property of Lidetu Ayalew’s (MP) party, as well as the ‘CUD’ name which Ayele Chamiso now owns.
Ethiopia loses 50,000 infants every year
The first national nutrition strategy unveiled
By Abiy Demilew
Source: Capital
Faced with a heavy disease burden caused by prevalent maternal and child undernourishment, Ethiopia Thursday launched its first-ever National Nutrition Strategy (NNS) to ensure its people live a healthy and productive life.
“The time is now for us to focus our attention and endeavours to reverse one of the most serious health concerns facing our nation,” said Minister of Health Teodros Adhanom, at the launch of the integrated multi-sectoral effort aimed at alleviating the persistent problem of malnutrition in the East African country.
“With this Strategy and other complementary strategies, we are once and for all ensuring that future generations can fulfill their potential and lead healthy and prosperous lives,” he added.
Malnutrition, according to health authorities in the country, is the greatest underlying cause of childhood mortality in Ethiopia. Approximately 53 per cent of all deaths among children under the age of five are related to malnutrition. In human terms, this translates into roughly 374 child deaths every day.
The launch of NNS in Ethiopia comes in the wake of new evidence from ‘The Lancet’ Series on Maternal and Child Undernutrition, showing that malnutrition accounts for more than 3.5 million child deaths every year worldwide.
‘The Lancet’ is the world’s leading independent general medical journal that brings international attention to the critical role of early nutrition in global health and economic growth of nations.
In economic terms, according to the latest series, Ethiopia will lose an estimated 144 billion Birr (about US$15 billion) due to the economic consequences of stunting, and iodine and iron deficiencies between 2006 and 2015, if the nutrition status remained unchanged. If action is taken, Ethiopia stands to save 46 billion Birr.
“The Lancet Series analyses the effectiveness and potential impact of nutrition-related interventions and policy options. This Series offers a unique roadmap for improving nutrition and the well-being of the world’s poorest women and children,” said Dr. Robert Black of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and lead author of ‘The Lancet’ Series.
Speaking at the NNS launch here, Black said: “Worldwide, policymakers and donors must respond to these findings if they hope to put an end to the destructive cycle of undernutrition and poverty in developing countries.”
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As a comprehensive approach to eradicating malnutrition in Ethiopia, the NNS encompasses the promotion of essential nutrition actions such as breastfeeding, monitoring and promotion of child growth, enhancing maternal care practices and nutrition in emergencies.
It also covers food security activities, water and sanitation, micronutrient supplementation and fortification, and addresses the role of nutrition in HIV/AIDS and diet-related non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
The Lancet has selected Ethiopia as one of its key countries for the launch of its landmark Series on Maternal and Child Undernutrition. Other countries are India, Peru, Senegal, Vietnam and Bangladesh.
Speaking at the launching ceremony, Deupty Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Addisu Legesee, said the government has long subscribed to the goals of human development and poverty eradication as its guiding principles for development strategies and programs.
The Minister stressed the importance of fighting malnutrition as its negative impact goes beyond the individual suffering.
The second five-year plan for Accelerated and Sustained Development to End Poverty calls for the implementation of the NNS and nutrition program, he said.
“The implementation of NNS is considered as one of the foundations for Ethiopia’s aspirations for achieving all Millennium Development Goals,” Addisu said.
Speaking on his part Health Minister of Teodros Adhanom stated the government has embarked up on massive undertakings on the health extension program since 2004, which serves as a vehicle to bring nutrition security to household level.
Currently, he said, of the total 30,000 required health extension workers, more than 24,640 are deployed in their respective communities.
Teodros said the implementation of the National Nutrition Program is estimated to cost about 351.3 million USD for the coming five years of which the government has already secured 96.4 million USD.
Excluding over 62.1 million USD pledged by the World Bank and other sources, there is a total gap of 192.6 million USD to finance the program.
He said he was optimistic that partners, donors and UN, bilateral and private sector will manage to close the gap.
Speaking on behalf of the UN system in Ethiopia, UNICEF Ethiopia Country Representative, Bjorn Ljungqvist, said though Africa is still home to one third of the 178 million undernourished children in all developing countries, Ethiopia is making significant progress in this regard.
He said the UN family will provide unconditional support for the government’s effort to ‘end hunger and malnutrition in Ethiopia’, one of the key commitments for the new Ethiopian Millennium.
The National Nutrition strategy aims to scale up nutrition success by providing a framework to coordinate planning and programming across multiple sectors and ministries.
The Lancet’s series launched on the same day analyses the effectiveness and potential impact of nutrition-related interventions and policy options.
Senior government officials, Ambassadors, representatives of pertinent governmental and non-governmental organizations, among others, attended the launch ceremony.
Ethiopia - Shoe exports to kick high
By Muluken Yewondwossen
Source: Capital
The Ethiopian government has plans to produce 60 to 70 thousand pairs of shoes per day by 2010. According to Girma Biru, Minister of Trade and Industry, currently, Ethiopian shoe factories are producing 24 thousand pairs per day. This capacity has been maintained since last December. “We have a plan to increase this number to fifty thousand by the end of this fiscal year,” he said.
In related news, the minister stated at a press conference held at his office on Thursday February 7, 2008 that the government also plans to increase its income from textiles and the garment industry sector to 500 mln USD by 2010.
Girma Biru said that the industry sector projected 9 percent growth in each year of the five years plan. But he said results have shown that the sector grew by 10.2 and 11 percent in the last two fiscal years respectively, exceeding the set target, and added they were now speculating a 12 percent rate of growth.
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According to Girma, during the upcoming two and half years, the growth of the leather industry sector would be above twelve percent, heading towards being the second sector to score the highest growth in the country, followed by the service sector.
Currently manufacturing, construction and power development were behind the significant achievement scored by the industry sector. “The government of Ethiopia attaches importance to virtually all sectors but there are some specified sub sectors it gives special attention to, for their comparative necessity in the over all process of nation building,” Girma stated.
He said that the leather and leather production industry sector was a case in point. Upon the completion of the set time, the government envisions to export 60 to 70 thousand pairs of shoes a day or 24 million pairs per year. “Capacity strengthening of the factories to process the leather products to final quality stage for the international market was also set by the government,” he added.
For the improvement of the textile and garment industry, government envisions to transfer state factories to private ownership.
On the other hand, the former public textile enterprises in Diredawa, Awassa, Mojjo and Arbaminch are working on expansion projects. In addition in Alemgena, Adama, Adwa and Mekele huge private textile industries are under construction. “We expect that these industries will start their production in the next Ethiopian fiscal year,” Girma said.
Girma added that currently, Turkish and Indian investors are interested to participate on textile and garment investment including cotton farming. He stated that to increase garment production the country should develop the textile industry.
Ethiopia - Shell acquires plot for million dollar rest center
By Groum Abate
Source: Capital
Shell Ethiopia Ltd has received a plot for constructing a drivers’ rest centre in Semera town, at a cost of over one million dollars, to ensure drivers’ safety.
The drivers’ rest centre is part of Shell’s project for Road Transport Safety, a major challenge in Ethiopia, especially in view of achieving its target of Zero Fatalities.
To deal with this challenge, Shell is working hand in hand with transport contractors and their drivers.
Shell Ethiopia, the oldest oil company in Ethiopia has been operating in the country for the last 78 years and acquired its current name in 1964.
Shell Ethiopia Limited recently announced that the company has decided to sell its assets to an interested buyer. The assets that are included in the sale are the ex-Agip depot in Addis Ababa, Dire Dawa Shell depot and about 80 of the 270 retail stations located around the country.
The company decided on selling its assets on grounds that Ethiopia has been under economic strain due to rising international oil prices and the company and dealer margins have been on the decline since the year 2000, while the operating costs have been on the rise.
Furthermore, the company announced that it would sell its assets to ensure that the remaining Shell network complies with Shell’s exacting health, safety and environmental standards.
Kenyan Oil Kenol/Kobil a newcomer in the oil business in Ethiopia negotiated and acquired a number of Shell stations around the country including the previous depot and head office of Agip. Kenol established Kobil Ethiopia in 2005.
Shell started operating in Ethiopia in various forms since November 1929. It is owned by five shareholders, where Shell Petroleum of Britain controls the lion’s share. Taking over Agip has given Shell the advantage of having the largest network of gas stations in the country with more than 270 outlets.
Ethiopia - MIDROC Gold eyes USD 1.6 bln sales
By Kirubel Tadesse
Source: Capital
MIDROC Gold Mine P.L.C, one of the member companies in Sheik Mohammed Hussein Ali Al-Amoudi’s MIDROC Ethiopia, has unveiled the east Sakaro and Legadembi gold finds that extend the mining life of the company up to year 2020 with expected sales of 1.6 billion USD. Legedembi is 500 kms south of Addis Ababa.
“The new find will enable the mine life to be extended by 13 years with 70,000 kg of gold which will generate USD 1.6 billion sales,” explained Dr. Arega Yirdaw, CEO of the MIDROC Ethiopia Technology Group and General Manager of MIDROC Gold, which acquired the Legadembi Gold Mine from the Ethiopian government in June 1997 for USD 172 million. It started gold extraction and exploration based on a licensing agreement entered with the Ministry of Mines and Energy in March 1998.
Dr. Arega stated that the Legadembi open pit mine had a life span estimated at ten years with a gold reserve of 37, 215 kg. He explained that East Sakaro is located within 33.57 sq km area of the Legadembi exploration license thereby an opportunity to work without the need of obtaining another license and planting a new dedicated processing plant. “The feasibility study, issued in January 2008 shows a gold reserve estimate of 17, 250 kg of which 6, 683 kg is proved by exploration drilling and will be produced from 2009 to 2012. The remaining 10, 567 kg will need further optimization and the necessary work is being done in order to produce the gold from 2013 to 2017,” Dr. Arega added.
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According to the CEO, after the acquisition of the Legadembi resources, MIDROC Gold has had the open pit re-designed which made gold reserves to increase from 37, 215 kg to 51,039 kg. “The increased gold reserve estimate helped extend the planned mining life of the open pit by three years from 2008 to 2011,” Dr. Arega stated. “The company invested more than 20 million USD on drilling rigs, loading and hauling and other mining equipment with the objective of increasing the size and number of units and enabled mining capacity to increase from 2.5 to 7.5 million tons of ore and waste per annum, an increase of 300%.”
MIDROC Gold bought itself another thirteen years of mining life through the underground exploration and development projects completed last year. Dr. Arega disclosed that development and exploration of Legadembi underground, the first of its kind in the country, is in the final stages and full scale ore extraction is expected to start by the end of 2008.
Presently MIDROC Gold is engaged in exploration activity in three areas where it holds the license rights: Metekel, covering an area of 1965 sq. km in Benishangul Gumz, Legadembi, covering 33.57 sq. km. and Ulaulo-Meleka, a 441 sq. km area located south of Legadembi.
Exploration activity in east Sakaro has identified a number of veins which have encouraging results and according to the CEO, exploration work also reveals that there is a possibility that other locations within Sakaro could be feasible. Extraction from east Sakaro is expected to render more gold than indicated. The production plan of MIDROC Gold is based on the fact that ore supply to the processing plant will come from four sources: Legadembi open pit and underground mines, East Sakaro Underground Mine and Warseti (Ulaulo-Meleka) open pit mine.
MIDROC Gold P.L.C is one of the fifteen companies that fall under The MIDROC Ethiopia Technology Group set up in 2000 with five companies under CEO DR. Arega Yirdaw. The number has since increased to fifteen. The group is an investment of 5 billion ETB with one billion ETB annual sales of which MIDROC Gold contributes the highest share. So far neither Sheik Mohammed Hussein Ali Al-Amoudi who owns 98 percent of MIDROC Gold, nor the government which owns the 2 percent was paid dividends. All profits were rather reinvested on expansions, explorations and development projects.
Ethiopia - Kenya power connection to commence in April
By Groum Abate
Source: Capital
A project that is being carried out to connect Kenya to Ethiopia, via interlinking of national electricity grids through Moyale, a bordering town, will be implemented starting from April this year, according to Callixte Kambanda, the executive secretary of the Eastern Africa Power Pool (EAPP). EAPP aims to connect seven COMESA countries.
Regional economies plan to use at least 13 billion birr to help them ease energy shortages in a programme that aims to lower electricity costs and improve infrastructure.
The project involves interlinking of national grids of all 19 member countries of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) to help ensure electricity security among these economies.
Ethiopia is currently constructing three hydropower dams which are expected to result in the production of 1155 megawatts by 2010.
Sudan is also constructing a hydropower dam in Merawi, which will add about 1250 megawatts.
The projects under construction in Ethiopia and Sudan will add about eight per cent of the Comesa current installed capacity which is estimated to be around 31,000 megawatts.
Comesa member countries said they hope the interconnection of the Eastern Africa Power Pool (EAPP) with the Southern Africa Power Pool (SAPP) will create opportunities for the tapping of the abundant hydro-resources in DRC, Ethiopia, Zambia and Uganda.
“This will also offer an opportunity for the expansion of the energy mix by harnessing other energy sources, nuclear energy, renewable energy namely solar, wind and bio-fuels,” the bloc said.
It said power grid interconnectors such as Zambia/Tanzania/Kenya, Kenya/ Ethiopia, Ethiopia/Djibouti and Ethiopia/Sudan would optimize the usage of existing generation through the interconnection providing alternative energy supply between the different areas of Eastern and Southern Africa region and would also defer investment in generation for a while by taking advantages of least cost energy wherever available within the region.
Comesa secretary-general Erastus Mwencha said the main thrust of the programme would be to encourage member states to co-operate in joint development and utilisation of energy resources in order to have enough supplies at affordable prices.
As part of this plan, a high voltage line is being constructed to link Nairobi to Arusha after studies were completed last year. Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) confirmed that the line will be able to take power to either side.
“It effectively means Kenya will be connected to the southern Africa power pool when this line is completed,” said KPLC’s communication officer, Mr. Gregory Ngahu.
Kenya is already connected to Uganda. This connection has seen the two countries trade in electricity over the years.
Some Comesa member countries like Zambia, Malawi and Zimbabwe have recently suffered from power rationing while others, including Kenya, face electricity crippling deficiencies. Only 30 per cent of the bloc’s population has access to electricity.
Besides committed projects, the secretariat is developing a master energy plan to identify priority projects that will then be adopted by member states.
Energy experts say regional interconnection is important because it protects countries from emergency electricity, mostly diesel driven, that reduces the competitiveness of goods in export markets.
The secretariat says the energy priority projects will be implemented through public and private sector partnerships.
“Many potential donors were approached and it is hoped that an interest for financing will be confirmed,” said the secretariat in a statement
Ethiopia - ETHIOPIAN Airlines acquires new generation flight simulator
By Addis Mulugeta
Source: Capital
Ethiopian Airlines continues to demonstrate their leadership in the aviation training arena with the commissioning of their new Boeing 737 Next Generation flight simulator. The state of the art device was purchased from Oklahoma, USA based company Flight Safety International (FSI), at a price of approximately 15 million USD. “The acquisition of the simulator is the result of the cooperative efforts of ETHIOPIAN, Boeing, Flight Safety, and others, said Chief Executive of Ethiopian Airlines,” Girma Wake, during the inauguration ceremony on February 5, 2008.
The ceremony was attended by Ethiopia's Minister of Transport and Communications H.E. Ato Junedi Sadodo, executives and key personnel from ETHIOPIAN, Boeing, FSI, and Pratt & Whitney, and executives and senior pilots from airlines in Angola, Kenya, Mozambique, and Nigeria, among others.
According to an Ethiopian press release, the new B737 flight simulator enables the airline to train 737 pilots at their home base and to avail training to other 737 NG operators in the region. It is state of the art equipment, featuring a fully computerized operating system that runs simulations driven by software and electrical components instead of the traditional aircraft components. It rides on an electronic driven, six axis motion system that replaces the older technology hydraulic motion system with a smoother and a more reliable system for duplicating aircraft movement. The simulator is certified by the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority to a level D standard, the highest in the industry. Accomplishing this training in house will bring significant savings to ETHIOPIAN, and when the simulator is not being used for ETHIOPIAN’s pilots, training time can be purchased by other airlines. Airlines in the region have already expressed interest in this service which is expected to bring revenue in the realm of 400,000 USD per annum.
The 737NG simulator is ETHIOPIAN’s second, and is installed next to their Boeing 757/767 simulator in their Flight Operations facility at Bole Airport Headquarters.
Ethiopia - The "Potomac Primary*" DC, Maryland and Virginia go to the polls. aka Chesapeake Primary and Beltway Primary.
Superdelegates give Clinton narrow lead
- A string of recent victories and endorsements from key party insiders have Democratic presidential hopefuls Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton running neck-and-neck in the increasingly important battle for delegates.
Clinton holds a narrow 27-delegate lead over Obama, 1,148 to 1,121, down from her lead of more than 100 delegates a month ago, according to CNN's estimate.
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