PM Abiy calls for concerted efforts to realize Ethiopia’s revival across all fronts

Addis Ababa, November 26, 2024 (FBC) – The President of the Prosperity Party and Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed (PhD), has called for concerted efforts and struggle to realize Ethiopia’s revival across all sectors.

The Prime Minister posted a message on his social media page regarding the 5th anniversary of the Prosperity Party (PP) under the theme “The Reform and its Fruition.”

In his message, Abiy underlined the importance of building on past successes and overcoming challenges as well as bridging gaps.

The struggle for change, the work and the results of the national reform are more than one party, the PM noted, pointing out its inclusive benefit in the country.

The national reform came about through the public demand and party interest is now entering its first phase, he said, adding the ideas of the reform have been expressed in words and translated into actions.

Stating the reform’s gains in the past few years, the premier asserted that his administration is committed to repair the country’s past fractures and guide its journey to a better future.

In his statement, Abiy recapped the major areas of success and fruits of the reform process in the past five or so years.

The modern political history of Ethiopia is characterized by the rise of political parties, which have shaped public demands and introduced political struggle strategies. However, they have also created obstacles by promoting armed struggle, politics of hatred, and division of ideologies, Abiy recalled.

Yet, he claimed that his party was established in a way that advances the existing political interests and repairs the country’s political fractures. The establishment of PP has created a political organization based solely on ideology that champions inclusiveness without any prejudice. It does not label its competitors as enemies but treats ideology differences as an asset and value. It walks a strong path by relying on Ethiopian values, learning from other ideas, and is not a prisoner of ideology. According Abiy, the recent political landscape change in Ethiopia is one of the fruits of the national reform.

Abiy further asserted that the reform has enabled religious institutions exercise their rights and uphold their dignity without political interference. Although the institutions have faced their own internal challenges in managing their independence, they have been given the opportunity to conduct their affairs independently of government interference and only according to their religious rules.

In order to avoid the division that was challenging their dignity, the government has played the expected role of bringing together, reconciling and uniting the religious leaders who were having differences for a while, the Prime Minister indicated, while mentioning the efforts he made in bringing together the Holy Synod of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church and the Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council.

He also reminded that the gap in the law has been bridged so that the religious institutions can fulfill their mission as they wish by affirming their unity. Abiy Ahmed mentioned that the Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council and the Evangelical Churches Fellowship Ethiopia long overdue questions of legitimacy have been answered through proclamation during the reform period.

Pertaining to civic society institutions, Abiy acknowledged that they play a crucial role in shaping the political and social life of a country. He claimed that they are ways in which the community organizes itself, respects its rights, and presents its ideas in an organized manner. In that regard, Abiy mentioned that his government has amended the proclamation of civic institutions to ensure that they exercise their rights and responsibilities accordingly. Prior to his government came to power, there were only 1900 civic associations, he calimed. However, in the last five years alone, 3300 new civic associations have been registered.

Highlighting the successes in building a democratic system, Abiy asserted that democratic system is practiced through democratic institutions. Democratic institutions are also expected to be independent, impartial, and credible. According to him, the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE), the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC), the Ombudsman, and the Ethiopian Media Authority were reformed in the past five year. Legal and organizational changes were made to make them independent, impartial, and credible. They follow their own policy that allows them to operate solely by law and conscience, free from government pressure and interference. The reform has given these institutions the right and freedom to monitor the government institutions and the ruling party in accordance with their laws and take actions when necessary.

In relation to media freedom and development, the Prime Minister mentioned that during the reform government has given the media the freedom to operate and be governed only by law, and to be the voice of all types of society. He claimed that media is a platform for pluralism and expression. Freedom of expression is one of the manifestations and a reflection of civilization.

Work has been done to amend the Ethiopian Media Authority Proclamation, amend the media regulatory laws; encourage media access, and establish a system where media outlets can regulate themselves. As a result, the number of media outlets in Ethiopia, which were 122 before the reform government, has now reached 272, showing a growth of 123%. Television stations have increased from 25 to 78; radio stations from 52 to 73. The language accessibility of these media outlets has also increased from 39 languages ​​before the reform and now provide services in 60 languages.

In advancing the country forward in all sectors, the premier said his government has made a multitude of strides, and reckoned that Ethiopia has not developed as much as it should have as a centuries-old state. One of the driving reasons for the reform government came to power is the demand for advancement.

The reforms implemented in the agriculture sector to ensure food sovereignty have brought about a paramount change in culture and results. The rainfed agricultural system has been transformed into a culture of year-round production with the adoption of irrigation system, cluster farming on all arable lands. Mentioning the results achieved in wheat, rice, barley, maize and fruit products, Abiy claimed that Ethiopia has become the leading wheat producer in Africa by successfully substituting wheat. “Our export production in the vegetable and fruit sectors has also increased,” he noted.

Through the Bounty of the Basket initiative, efforts have been made to ensure that milk, chicken and honey products are available on every family’s basket. As a result, chicken meat production has increased from 70 thousand tons to 208 thousand tons; milk production from 7.2 billion liters to 10. billion liters. Honey production has also increased from 129 thousand tons to 272 thousand tons.

Meanwhile, the PM noted that the Green Legacy initiative is also one of the key strategies to advance Ethiopia. Through this initiative, Ethiopia is moving to a green belt by recovering the deforested landscape. Some 40 billion tree seedlings with economic importance were plated in the past six years across the nation. Of these, 50.4 percent are forest tree seedlings, and 48.6 percent are multipurpose fruit, fodder and firewood trees, the premier stated.

The government has also managed to advance industrial productivity, enabling import substitution of products such as beer malt, cooking oil, pasta, nutritious foods, students and security forces uniforms, and electrical appliances.

The PM emphasized the importance of advancing digital services, citing increased research and investment in AI, the Digital Ethiopia Strategy 2025, and other technologies in the past six years. As a result, digital bank accounts have grown from 52.1 million to 205.4 million, and money transfers through modern methods have reached 9.6 trillion birr.

Abiy pointed out that digital loan and savings services have ensured financial inclusion, with 7.7 billion birr collected in digital savings and 8.4 billion birr in microloans provided to those unable to access conventional banking.

Efforts have been made to utilize existing resources and undertake new projects to modernize Ethiopia, creating additional income and job opportunities. Tourist destinations in Addis Ababa, Gorgora, Wonchi, Halala Kela, and Koisha have been built and utilized under the Dine for Sheger and Dine for Nation projects. The Dine for Generation program is also developing seven other tourist destinations across the country.

Whereas, the urban corridor development project initiated in Addis Ababa has expanded to rural Ethiopia, focusing on infrastructure, cleanliness, greenery, housing for low-income citizens, schools to prevent addiction and immorality, and fostering social cohesion, the Prime Minister said.

The reform government has instilled the culture of accomplishing mega projects in a few days and months, he indicated, pointing out that mega projects stalled and damaged before the reform government are also being completed with special supervision. He said the progress of Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is a prime example of this.

On the other hand, modernization of security and intelligence institutions has created competent, politically independent, and constitution-based institutions in Ethiopia. Legal, operational, and organizational reforms are being carried out to make them suitable for Ethiopia.

Commenting on the economic reform works and successes achieved, PM Abiy underscored that one of the national fractures that pushed for change seven years ago is the macroeconomic fracture. The macroeconomic crisis has led to an unsustainable debt burden on the country, which has led to macroeconomic instability and inflation. To repair this crisis, a comprehensive work has been done by implementing homegrown economic reforms in two phases. Through these reforms, civil service reform, reform to align national income with national product, reform to increase production and productivity, reform to align banks’ foreign exchange with other markets, reform to reduce and restructure debt, and reform to adjust the state and size of government borrowing have been implemented.

As a result, the amount of loans and support the government receive from international institutions has increased. Debt restructuring and reduction discussions have come to fruition. The country’s foreign exchange reserves have increased and the government’s capacity to raise domestic revenue has increased.

Moreover, the culture of political participation has also blossomed in the country recently owing to the reform, he indicated. The reform government has ensured that anyone can engage in any form of political activity as long as it is legal and peaceful. Political organizations other than the ruling party are seen as competitors, not enemies. As a result, leaders of competitor parties have been appointed to federal and regional leadership positions. This is a new political culture for Ethiopia. The Prime Minister, the Vice President of the Prosperity Party, and the Regional Presidents regularly consult with competitor parties. Consultations are held with competitor parties on national plans, implementations, and major policy issues. This is paving the way for building a civilized political culture, he further asserted.

Highlighting the paths that his government follows to protect the national interest of Ethiopia, Abiy noted that identifying and protecting Ethiopia’s National Interests are also the key areas under the reform government. He touched upon the country’s quest to access to the sea gate and the nation’s accession into the BRICS platform, diplomatic engagements on multilateral forums, among others.

Prime Minster Abiy emphasized that the push for change, the reform works and the results achieved are more than one party. The aforementioned indicators are testament that the early stages of the reform works are on the right track.

Underscoring the importance of building on the previous success, PM Abiy called on the leadership and members of his party, the leadership and members of opposition (competitor) parties, and the entire Ethiopian populace; to rise up and join hands together to make this era a period of Ethiopia’s progress, with the change firmly rooted in the ground.