BY DANIEL ALEMAYEHU
Ethiopia’s government, currently, has established a number of ministerial offices that carry out their respective duties in order to achieve the general objectives set by the Federal State. Based on this, the current incumbent has formed new sectors and ministries to bring the expected development. As a result, the ministries have taken various responsibilities and support the overall progress of the nation.
Out of those ministries that have been actively participating in the nation’s growth, Ministry of Urban and Infrastructure takes a remarkable position in making unified economic and political community. To this end, the Ministry has taken national responsibilities for cumulative outcomes. Based on the Ministry’s official website, it is stated that the Ministry is responsible to duties such as: initiating policy making, setting strategy and legislation that enhance urban construction and infrastructure sustainable development and competitiveness and register urban land related and other immovable properties; prepare detail program compatible with the national development plan.
The Ministry is also responsible to prepare national integrated infrastructure master plan in collaboration with the concerned organs; to undertake studies relating to urbanization; establish system for integrated urban development in coordination with other concerned organs; follow up implementation; establish a system for the integration of urban centers in compliance with national and regional development plans and integrated urban master plan follow up along with its implementation mechanism.
Lately, the Ministry has organized an event at Millennium Hall, Hawassa in order to present its six- month performance report of the current fiscal year. The federal institution coupled with regional bureaus has participated on the event. Stakeholders have also presented their six-moth performance report and discussed on the major issues raised by the report.
Speaking on the event, Minister of Urban and Infrastructure, Chaltu Sani stated and acknowledged some of the major achievements that her Ministry has registered in the first six months of the current fiscal year. As to the Minister, the Ministry achieved major results including paying attention to reconstruct infrastructures in war-torn areas of the country and restoring the basic services.
Chaltu further said, “In the assessment of performance among the federal institutions, the Ministry stood second which implies that it is on the right track.” Though the construction sector is carrying out its duties under different pressures, the Ministry has tried to find solutions. To curb those challenges, multiple decisions have been made and tangible improvements have been registered, the minister added.
Accordingly, as to Chaltu, experience was gained regarding accomplishing mega projects. Besides, actions were taken on capacity building activities, and forming different codes and standards, the Minister noted. Speaking about the nation’s mega projects initiated by the Prime Minister, Chaltu Said, “city parks have brought a number of opportunities to our cities and created rooms for experience sharing.”
“Capacity building, housing development programs, green infrastructure development and land management, city reform works, and digitalization works are the major focus areas of the Ministry in the remaining period of the fiscal year,” Chaltu stated.
Regarding budget, Chaltu mentioned that city administrations have collected higher income than expected. The income will be used to create better environment and increase values to the lifestyle of the people. As to the Minister, safety-net program is one of the best practices that the government has been acting on. Accordingly, the Ministry has played its part to increase the number of beneficiary areas from 11 to 84 areas in the country.
In the capital city, the culture of saving has increased and it has brought better results. However, urban housing development has become one of the major challenges for urban residents. To reduce the challenges, the government has evaluated its steps and decided to bring the private sector to invest. Government’s plan to build houses for citizens could not be achieved as expected, but this way of bringing the private sector has shown better results, Chaltu added.
“This event helps to know our strength and develop more and to identify our weaknesses and improve them in the remaining period,” the minister noted. Be that as it may, based on the report presented on the event, the Ministry has tried to play its part in reconstruction of war-torn areas and restore basic infrastructure in those areas. The report disclosed that the Ministry has organized a committee that is dedicated to rehabilitate and restore basic services in the war affected areas and support citizens who are affected by the war. This committee has incorporated members from the Ministry of Urban and Infrastructure, also the coordinator, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Transport and Logistics, National Bank of Ethiopia, and other responsible stakeholders. The committee, which was led by the Ministry of Urban and Infrastructure, was responsible to restore services as fast as possible.
The report further stated that the Ministry has registered tangible results in Amhara region regarding supporting war-affected towns including Woldia, Kemissie, Sekotta, Kombolcha, Shewarobit, Lalibela, and Dessie. About 18 public service providers namely 8 primary schools, 3 health centers, and 7 one-stop service centers, that were destroyed by the war have been reconstructed by allocating 150 million Birr. It is also stated that new and up-to-date technologies were used to finish the reconstruction within two- three months.
Restoring electricity, the report mentioned that the Ministry has achieved 91.93 percent of its plan. It is also reported that the Ministry has planned to finish the remaining activities within six weeks.
The report has also described major challenges that the Ministry has faced during the first half of the fiscal year. Legal structures, lack of attention seen in land administration services, actions against the master plan, challenges related to finance, shortage of developed land and foreign currency are some of the challenges the office faced in due course in the past six months of the fiscal year.
In order to curb the above stated challenges, the report mentioned that the Ministry has taken a number of steps. It is reported that the Ministry has done multiple follow ups regarding legal structures. Besides, the Ministry has taken actions to create favorable conditions to address the objectives in relation to land administration and other related issues.
In the remaining months of the fiscal year, it is noted that the Ministry has planned to finishing projects and resolve problems occurred in the first half of the fiscal year. In addition, scaling up service delivery is one of the major focus points of the Ministry.
By the same token, while delivering the opening speech, Hawassa City Administration Mayor, Asst. Prof. Tsegaye Tukie said that the City Administration has tried to curb illegal actions in the city and make the city a favorable environment to the people.
To make the city more favorable to tourists, as to the mayor, the City Administration has started major projects including, Tabor Mountain, Gate Hawassa, and Gudumalle projects. Besides, the administration has installed security cameras, and constructed walking and bicycle riding roads. It was learnt that these city projects are underway as a part of the Ministry’s objectives.
The Ministry has also delivered trainings for more than 1800 construction work professionals on home-grown construction management manuals and safety works, it was learnt.
The Ethiopian Herald March 1/2023
