Ethiopia economy grew 8-10 pct last year – PM

ADDIS ABABA, July 1 (Reuters) – Ethiopia’s economy grew between 8 and 10 percent in the period July 2004/June 2005, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said on Friday.

“Ethiopia’s economy has registered a growth of between 8-10 percent and the export rate has also registered 30 percent growth within the year that just ended,” Meles said in a televised press conference.

He did not elaborate on the reasons behind the growth in both exports and the economy, nor provide comparative figures.

The Horn of Africa nation of 72 million, sub Saharan Africa’s second most populous, is Africa’s top coffee grower.