Dear Gebreselassie:

Instead of quoting an unnamed foreign megazine to claim that Ethiopia turned the best to attract foreign direct investment under Woyane's rule, I recommend you to read the following:



News Today

Developing countries still in the red - World Bank report
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Accounting for the actual value of natural resources, including resource depletion and population growth, shows that net savings per person are negative in the world's most impoverished countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, according to a new World Bank publication, 'Where is the Wealth of Nations?', launched on the eve of the 2005 UN World Summit.

Current indicators used to guide development decisions - national accounts figures, such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP) - ignore depletion of resources and damage to the environment.

In the Conference Edition of 'Where is the Wealth of Nations?', the World Bank offers new estimates of total wealth, including produced capital, natural resources, and the value of human skills and capabilities, which show that many of the poorest countries in the world are not on a sustainable path.

"New measures of wealth make the social and environmental costs of development decisions visible that are not captured by traditional economics, and thereby allow us to improve actions and policies for sustainable development. Including the value of natural resources and our social capital in national accounting is a vital step to achieve economic growth that is equitable and sustainable," said Achim Steiner, Director General of the World Conservation Union (IUCN).

The publication offers a ranking of countries according to total wealth, with tables highlighting the 10 wealthiest and the 10 poorest countries. Switzerland heads the list of the top-ten performers, the other nine being European countries, the United States, and Japan. Sub-Saharan Africa dominates the bottom-10 list, with Ethiopia having the lowest level of total wealth.

"If a household is running down its bank account from month to month, or having to sell assets such as vehicles or livestock in order to keep food on the table, then we would conclude that this household is not sustainable," explains Kirk Hamilton, Lead Environmental Economist, Environment Department, and the main author of the book.

"The same applies to nations as a whole - if their net saving rate is negative then this is a signal that national wealth is being run down and the development path is not sustainable."

The companion booklet, Ensuring Environmental Sustainability, however, highlights that there are important exceptions - Mauritania has improved its development prospects through better management of fishery resources, while Botswana has successfully used diamond resources to finance the schooling, health care, and infrastructure which have supported its high rate of growth.

In the case of Botswana, the government makes specific provision in its budget to ensure that mineral revenues are invested rather than consumed through government expenditures.

It also maintains a large mineral revenue fund which can both finance future investments and buffer the government budget from swings in diamond prices.

This combination of macroeconomic and natural resource management has permitted Botswana to avoid the 'resource curse' that has afflicted many oil producers.

"Every day, decision makers in developing countries are faced with difficult choices regarding the exploitation of natural resources and the environmental impacts of development programs and policies," said Ian Johnson, World Bank Vice President for Sustainable Development.

"But the tools currently being used are leaving out the natural resources stocks and intangible capital such as knowledge and skills. Sound management of ecosystems is key to a responsible path to growth. This publication challenges common assumptions about how nations generate their wealth."

With this publication, the World Bank releases what could be termed the 'millennium capital assessment', or monetary estimates of the range of resources - produced, ecosystems, and intangible - upon which development depends. This comprehensive snapshot of wealth for 120 countries at the turn of the millennium aims to deepen the understanding of the linkages between the ability of a country to develop and the level and composition of wealth.

According to 'Where is the Wealth of Nations?', natural wealth - the value of minerals, energy, forests, cropland, pastureland, and protected areas - is actually a much higher share of total wealth in low-income countries than produced capital, 26% compared with 16%.

The 7th Millennium Development Goal (MDG) - to ensure environmental sustainability - calls on countries to "reverse the losses of environmental resources" by 2015.

Achieving this goal has proven to be elusive for most countries, not least because of a lack of indicators of sustainable development.

"There is a shared sense of urgency about meeting the MDGs," added Evans, "however, it would be tragic if the achievements of 2015 are not sustained because soils have been mined and fisheries and forests depleted. Avoiding this outcome is the true seventh Millennium Development Goal."

Dear Liku!

Where do you find the phrase under, "Woyane's rule" in the magazine?

“….The publication offers a ranking of countries according to total wealth, with tables highlighting the 10 wealthiest and the 10 poorest countries. Switzerland heads the list of the top-ten performers, the other nine being European countries, the United States, and Japan. Sub-Saharan Africa dominates the bottom-10 list, with Ethiopia having the lowest level of total wealth….”

It is sad to see that our beloved country is still among the worst in the world. 15 years leadership this is what we get from tyrant Meles.




Kelem thank you. I agree with everything you said.

Gebreselassie,

"Kidamen Senbet new Kalaluh ayigebham, Ayidel?"

Here is a direct quote from the stuff you posted (cut and pasted):

"In its 2005-2006 evaluation, the magazine says Ethiopia is favorable for foreign direct investment with its cheaper labor and suitable infrastructural development, among others, the statement said.

It said the country had licensed foreign investment projects with an aggregate capital of 1.1 billion USD."

Which period do you think is the above referring to?

You cannot avoid shooting yourself on the foot. Once again, you exposed how shallow and gullible you are!

Grow up!

Dear Gebreselassie:

Yes, I inferred "under Woyane's rule" from the stuff you posted, as Zobel pointed it out. To know that Ethiopia has been under Woyane's rule in 2005-2006 does not demand a university course on logic. Did you get me Gebre?

Yemayreba Woyane,

Minor correction:

According to the publication cited above, Ethiopia is not only among the worst, but it is the poorest of all. This new approach of wealth evaluation includes the stocks of "natural resources and intangible capital such as knowledge and skills" of a given nation. With these two elements added into the evaluation system, one would intutively expect a higher rank than we usually see in such lists. No, we sliped down. There is no one below us; we are standing on the floor of the abyss with the steep cliff above us. I think, Woyane has achieved what seems impossible in only 14 years. Its leaders deserve indeed a special recognition as that from Yara.

In the recent interview in BBC's Hard Talk, the major achievemnt boasted about by our PM was the education sector. He claimed that the education coverage rose from a mere 19% during the Dergue to a staggering 70% (?) at present. Assume this statistics is true. Not only that, we can even take the liberty of being witnesses to the numerous new schools, colleges and universities that have been opened in the last years - empty buildings?. But, where is their contribution as "intangible capital" to positively influence our rank in the world list?

When asked if Ethiopia would eradicate hunger in the remaining 10 years to the deadline set for the Millennium Development goals, our leaders answer (please see BBC):


"Prime Minister Meles Zenawi strongly believes that his government can achieve this goal within the next five years, if an improvement in agricultural production in the past two years is anything to go by."

"His information minister, Bereket Simon, concurs.


'Definitely we believe that Ethiopia will achieve this target. The potential of the country is enormous,' he says."

Are the two talking about a different Ethiopia than others know?

Gebreselassie, would you please enlighten us on which Ethiopia you are talking about?

Bravo Ethiopia ,Bravo EPRDF
Bravo citizens
water+vinegar for the radicals
Gebre- you are so consistent and very good person
keep it up on providing good news to us and night mares to the ankasas and quilos

Pierden BMV 1.72%, Dow Jones 1.32% y Nasdaq 1.48%

Operadores e inversionistas muestran su preocupación ante la crisis del sector inmobiliario que se acentúo con el reporte de ayer que señala menos ventas de viviendas usados 13:40
Promedia dolar 11.19 pesos a la venta en bancos del DF 09:50

Se deteriora confianza en la economía de EU

Sigue nerviosa Bolsa de EU por baja en venta de casas sigue la especulacion por narco alianzo salgado macedonio con narco capama