“Reform” has been a buzzword of government particularly over the last decades. To be fair, some reform undertakings have brought tangible changes to the country. For instance, the healthcare system that targeted ‘prevention than cure’ received international accolade.
“Ethiopia has achieved the MDG target on the reduction of child mortality by two-thirds three years ahead of the 2015 deadline,” as a-UNDP article published online on October 22, 2015 stated. Diametrically opposite to such achievement, the suppression of political and human rights have reached fever pitch, particularly in the recent decade.
Corruption becomes almost a norm in the public sector, robbing off the public’s hope to prosperity. Hence, the reforms in the other area were just a myth. “Reform” has once again topped in the government agenda. The current one seems to touch a wide array of activities that could change the public’s life. The reform process centers on institution building, improving the values, principles, functions and structures of public institutions.
The new administration has already prioritized key institutions to the reform, to mention but a few, justice and democratic entities, security sector as well as revenue and foreign affairs areas have received increasing attention. The Defense sector has taken the lead goose role in the reform undertaking. It has been said to have incorporated diversity in its leadership and the entire chain of command. Moreover, tasks have been in the pipeline to align the forces with the requirements of modern time such as cyber security and naval force.
Profound reform actions also taken place by Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The reform included restructuring directorates at the headquarters and assigning capable people at over missions. Also, the federal police launched reform that included modernizing its services and establishing air-force as well. Commissioner General Endeshaw Tassew told journalists last February that the new reform of Federal Police Force will have four clusters at northern, southern, east-west and central parts of the country. A similar reform at Federal Supreme Court is also deemed to modernize both the civil and criminal benches.
Works are also in the pipeline to make Ethiopia major international commercial arbitration hub. The effort indeed requires lots of tasks that could not see completion overnight. But Supreme Court President Meaza Ashenafi explained, to students from Harvard and Kennedy University who paid visits to Ethiopia as of March 5, 2019, that the justice areas is in reform phase to ensure rule of law in the country. In response to the commencement of ease of doing business, she told the visitors that the level of nations’ justice is poor and in fact that the underpaying of task force to get better of the trade which led by Prime Minister as to information indicated from the court. The justice sector reform has also surfaced on the premises of Federal Attorney General.
Public Relations Director of Federal Attorney General Zinabu Tulu also told The Ethiopian Herald that the new directorates that fit into the priority of the country and customers’ expectations have been established. Hence, human rights protection, anti-corruption, organized and transboundry crime is among the issues put top on the table. As we human beings need periodic checkups, public organizations must also undergo periodic overhauls, Col. Fekade Gebreyes, Associate Consultant at Ethiopian Management Institute and Strategy. “Consultants looks into the structure and profitability and suggest possible recommendation that could redeem organization from failure”, he said. Advices and trainings usually come after proper diagnosis, he added. Think-thank groups, consultants and academic institutions as well as customers and people who have seasoned experiences ought to contribute building blocks so that the ongoing reform could take good shape.
Herald March 15/2019
