BY ZEKARIAS WOLDEMARIAM
Addressing questions raised by Members of Parliament (MPs) yesterday Prime Minister Dr Abiy Ahmed said “We should open our eyes to explore our resources and collaborate to harness them”
The PM made the remarks in connection with the issue of ongoing development projects in the country. Especially he dwelt at length on the significance of tourism and natural resources development projects underway in Koysha, Gorgora and Wonchi areas as a means of addressing the looming need for creating jobs en masse, soothing cost of living.
The Premier has given a detail explanation about not only the importance of the ongoing projects in these areas but also the need to further explore the potentials in other parts of the country and exploit the resources, harness them to assist the overall development needs of the people.
The MPS have also raised questions related to the ensuing problem in the county related to cost of living, poverty reduction, creating jobs for the rapidly growing number of youth in the country, among other things. All these issues need an economic
development approach that needs to take into consideration the country’s low base of economic development where it is in dire need of capital, technology and adequate market among others.
During the past two-plus decades the government has been implementing economic development that is based on agricultural development led industrialization (ADLI).
The policy sticks on developing agriculture first so that it can assist the industrialization of the country.
Yet both the agriculture and manufacturing industry of the country is not able to lift the rapidly growing population of the country out of poverty and the growing demand for jobs.
Abiy’s administration has focused on harnessing the country’s abundant natural resources to promote the mining and tourism sector which in turn is likely to prop up the growth of the other sectors.
According to a document from OECD Natural resources, both renewable and non-renewable, and ecosystem services are a part of the real wealth of nations. They are the natural capital out of which other forms of capital are made.
They contribute towards fiscal revenue, income, and poverty reduction. Sectors related to natural resources use provide jobs and are often the basis of livelihoods in poorer communities.
This shows that the government’s green economy development can be seen as an all-rounded solution to the country’s needs for rapid economic development. So far the government has been expediting such development works at Entoto, in the capital Addis Ababa. It has also launched similar development projects in Koysha, Wonchi and Gorgora areas.
These projects aim to harness the untapped natural resource potential of the areas so that they can become sources of huge foreign currency by attracting a significant and competitive amount of tourism.
Once these areas are developed and go in full swing, they are likely to be sources of real wealth or capital that can assist the growth of all other sectors.
As to PM Abiy, the main thing required to realize such projects is exploring the available immense natural resources potential of the country. HE emphasized that people should never believe that the grass is greener on the other side. People should start to open their eyes and see what nature has endowed them at home, rather than migrating abroad in search of better living.
The Ethiopian Herald March 24/2021
