Ethiopia: scaled-up GERD promotion key to enhance diaspora contribution

Promotion of the Ethiopian Grand
Renaissance Dam (GERD) should be further scaled up to enhance the contribution
of the Ethiopian Diaspora.

In a consultative forum on the
contribution of Diaspora to GERD and its current status which was held recently,
Diaspora representatives stressed that the contribution of Ethiopians in the
Diaspora is not up to expectations.

Lack of mechanisms in accessing
timely information to those Ethiopians residing abroad is a major impediment
that negatively impacts the bestowal of the Diaspora, they insisted.

They added that coordinated and
organised system should be in place to tap the diverse potential of Diaspora both
financial and rich expertise and urged the Office of the National Council for
the Coordination of Public Participation to work with respective Diaspora
communities.

Office Deputy Director-General,
Fikirte Tamir, admitted the impediments and pointed out that their multifaceted
potential is of greater importance not only for the construction of GERD but
also for every aspect of the country’s development programs.

According to her, the public has
contributed 12.3 billion birr and of which the Ethiopian Diaspora has
contributed 46 million USD until 2010 Ethiopian fiscal year.

Contribution seemed to falter due
to the recent incidents of mismanagement of the GERD, she said, and noted
“but it is quite surprising that we managed to collect 484 million birr
over the last six months though it is far below the target.”

GERD Deputy Project Manager,
Engineer Ephrem Gebrekidan, said the dam’s civil construction and hydraulic
steel structure have reached 80 and 13% respectively.

He also pointed out that the
entire project progress is at 65% and is expected to be completed after four
years.

Speaking of the projects
mismanagement, Ephrem noted “70% of mega projects at global level face
cost and project overrun and we should look for ways of minimising
expenses.”

Three contractual agreements for the hydraulic steel structure, and two electromechanical turbines are concluded while four projects are underway to rectify performance errors that were committed by former Metals and Engineering Corporation (METEC), he said.

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