Ethiopia, US sign grant accord amounting $57.6 mln

Aug 8, 2006 (ADDIS ABABA) — Ethiopia and the United States (U.S.) signed a grant agreement amounting to 57.6 million USD on Tuesday, the state-run ENA reported.

State Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Mekonnen Manyazewal and USAID Mission Director, Glenn Anders signed the bilateral grant agreement in support of ongoing U.S.-Ethiopian partnership programs under USAID.

Speaking at the occasion, Mekonnen said the grant would be used for the agricultural and private sector development, healthcare and primary education in the country.

The grant would have significant contribution for the success of five year development plan designed by the Ethiopian government, he said.

Mekonnen said the money would be used to fund partnership programs carried out to reduce vulnerability to disease, improve quality of primary education, ensure food security as well as end poverty and hunger.

Some 15.6 million USD of the grant would be used to fund existing and new programs promoting market-led economic growth, particularly in the food, livestock and agriculture sectors.

A second grant amounting 32 million USD would go to a program aimed at improving the country’s health service and preventing the spread of infectious diseases, including tuberculosis, malaria and HIV/AIDS

The Balance, 10 million USD would be used to implement educational programs that increase opportunities for Ethiopian children to receive quality education though enhancing teachers’ capacity, increasing availability of school materials as well as strengthening parents’ involvement in school management, it was indicated.

USAID Mission Director, Glenn Anders said on the occasion that the funding is the biggest that the U.S provides for the Sub Saharan countries.

The donation also signifies that the Ethio-U.S. bilateral relation has been strengthening from time to time, Anders said.

While the visiting Congressman Donald M. Payne said cooperation between the United States and Ethiopia in the fields of politics and economics is in good shape.

While conferring with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi on Tuesday, Congressman Payne said the cooperations between Ethiopia and the U.S have been strengthening from time to time.

The U.S has been providing assistance for the development activities being carried out in Ethiopia, Payne said.

Ethiopia has been benefiting from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) the U.S offered for African countries, the Congressman said.

Congressman Payne added that the U.S., through the USAID, has been providing assistance for the economic development activities particularly for the efforts of expanding foreign trade as well as HIV/AIDS intervention endeavors in Ethiopia.

(ST)