Council of Ministers approves two regulations, refers two more bills to parliament

Addis Ababa, June 7, 2024 (FBC) – During its 34th regular session, which took place today, the Ethiopian Council of Ministers deliberated and passed decisions on four distinct draft bills. These bills encompassed the federal government’s draft budget for the 2024/25 Ethiopian fiscal year, a draft proclamation aimed at establishing and managing a special fund for the Green Legacy initiative and degraded land rehabilitation, as well as draft regulations designed to specify service fees for various services rendered by the Petroleum & Energy Authority and the Ethiopian Coffee & Tea Authority.

The Council first deliberated on the federal government’s draft budget for the 2017 E.C (2024/25 fiscal year), which was formulated in line with the 2023/24-2025/26 development and investment plan goals and designed to facilitate the implementation of the 2017-2021 E.C (2024/25-2028/29) medium-term macroeconomic and fiscal framework. The draft budget was also crafted based on the performance of the 2016 E.C (2023/24) federal government program budget, the government’s financial capacity, anticipated revenues, and an assessment of the needs of government institutions to effectively fulfill their missions and responsibilities.

It is learned that the draft budget amounts to approximately one trillion Birr and includes regular expenses of the federal government, capital expenses, support to the regional states, support for the implementation of sustainable development goals, and reserve costs.

Secondly, the Council discussed a draft proclamation for the establishment of a special fund for the Green Legacy initiative and degraded land rehabilitation, with the objective of determining its management. It was noted that the GL initiative did not have its own budget and fund thus far. It has only been financed by the federal government and regional states

This draft proclamation was designed to ensure the sustainability of the extensive endeavors undertaken under the Green Legacy program, to rehabilitate the degraded land that constitutes more than half of Ethiopia’s area, and to guarantee the forest sector’s multifaceted importance. Additionally, the draft proclamation mainly aims to establish a financial system for the allocation of resources necessary for the development of the Green Legacy initiative.

Following a discussion on the above two bills, the Council unanimously decided to forward them to the House of People’s Representatives for further consideration and endorsement.

Finally, the Council discussed the proposed draft regulations to determine the service fees for various services rendered to the public by the Petroleum & Energy Authority and the Ethiopian Coffee & Tea Authority. Both draft regulations were formulated to facilitate the adoption of new technologies, procedures, and trained human resources by the aforementioned authorities, with the aim of enhancing the quality of their service provision. Additionally, the draft regulations sought to establish a system that would enable these authorities to provide services in a manner that considers the financial capacity of their customers.

After extensive deliberation, the Council unanimously approved the draft regulations, which will come into effect upon publication in the Negarit Gazette.