BY YESUF ENDRIS
ADDIS ABABA– The continued financial support from Ethiopians for the construction of the Abbay Dam is being intensified in the project’s current final stage, the coordination office said, mentioning the funding in various income-generating schemes.
The Office of the National Council for the Coordination of Public Participation to the Construction of the Abbay Dam Director General Aregawi Berhie (PhD) told the Ethiopian Press Agency (EPA) that the public supports the building of the iconic dam financially, professionally, and in other ways.
While some 10 million Birr has been secured from the public to the iconic dam in the SMS scheme in each month, the non-financial support also remains strong.
Noting the boost in the public-government coordination for the execution of the Abbay Dam, Aregawi (PhD) indicated that continued public support to the iconic dam showcases how Ethiopians are really eager to support developmental projects.
About the progress of the dam, the director general stated that the project is nearing to the completion owing to the robust partnership of the government and all segments of the society. Also, the office and environmental protection advocacy institutions insisted on
the need to carry out extensive afforestation activities in the Abbay basin that would extend the project’s lifetime.
“By the same token, Ethiopians and foreigners of Ethiopian origin in the Diaspora have been extending continuous support to the dam since its launching and the government’s public diplomacy activity is making success in initiating those people.”
Meanwhile, Aregawi commended the government’s meticulous diplomatic approach that enabled to create a joint and multilateral cooperation for equitable use of Nile waters. “In spite of Egyptian politicians’ greedy stance, other Nile riparian countries are embracing Ethiopia’s initiation of equitability.”
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SATURDAY 30 MARCH 2024
