Meles visits development projects in Harar

(9 July 2007)

A high level government delegation led by Prime Minister Meles Zenawi visited housing development and potable water and sanitation projects in Harar town as well as the castor bean development project being carried out by foreign investors in Fechatu locality.

The delegation has also visited  condominiums being constructed by the town's housing development project office.

Briefing the Premier, the office head said the houses are under construction on 53,418 square meters of land at eight different locations.

A structural construction agreement amounting 45 million Birr was signed with 16 contractors for the construction of 968 houses.

The construction of condominiums, being carried out on 45 blocks, has so far created casual and permanent jobs to over 1,000 people.

The housing development project aims to create jobs for over 4,000 unemployed people organized under 220 micro and small-scale enterprises within four years time, the head said.

The project also aims at alleviating existing housing problem of the town by constructing over 8,000 condominium houses until 2002 E.C.

The high level delegation has also visited potable water and sanitation project in Harar town.

The project head said on the occasion that up on the completion, the project with a capacity of releasing 268 liters of water every second, would provide potable water services to over 214,000 people in five towns for ten years .

The drilling of 17 water wells carried out in Hasaliso area, 71 kilometers away from Harar town, was also successful.

According to the agreement signed with the African Development Bank (ADB), the total cost of the project is estimated to be 293.67 million Birr.

ADB granted 215.47 million Birr long term loan as well as a 12.13 million Birr aid for the execution of the project, it was learnt.

The project is expected to be completed with in a year.

After completing the visit in Harar town, the delegation visited the castor bean development underway on 8,000 hectares of land in Fechatu area, 35 kilometers away from Harar town.

Flora Eco Power Ethiopia plc, an international company is undertaking the castor bean development and running the castor bean processing factory.

About 4,000 farmers are currently engaged in the castor bean development and are supplying their products to the company.

Heads of the company said that they have plans to expand the production and erect castor processing factory in the area.