Millennium Dam project draws huge public support

By Pawlos Belete, April 18, 2011

The Great Millennium Dam, the largest dam on the continent, continues to receive tremendous public support since the plan was made public two weeks ago.

Gift groups of companies have already decided to donate 100,000 birr cash and  buy 400,000 birr worth of bonds.

“Ethiopia will never stop its program because of lack of external support. We are so convinced of the justice of our cause, so sure of the strength and rationality of our arguments, so convinced of the role of our hydropower projects in eliminating poverty in our country that we will use every ounce of our strength, every dime of money that we can save to complete our program,”

said Prime Minister Meles Zenawi in his opening speech at the International Hydropower Convention held here in Addis Ababa two days before the official launching ceremony of the dam.

It seems that the general public is in line with what the premier said. Gebreyesus Igata, managing director of Gift Group, a conglomerate of four sister companies, said that his companies have decided to buy bonds amounting  to 400,000 birr for three years without interest and a donation of 100,000 birr on Friday, April 15, 2011.

“The Great Millennium Dam is a finger print of the 21st century generation of Ethiopia, like its predecessors in the Fasiledes and Axum era,” said the managing director.

Gift Group is an umbrella of four companies which are engaged in trading, nail manufacturing, real estate development and construction activities.

Edna Mall and its employees are also planning to play their part in making the project a reality.

Samrawit Fetwi, marketing executive of Edna Mall, told Capital that her company and its employees are planning to buy bonds and make some financial contributions.

The management of the company has planned to make its intention public tomorrow at 10:30am.

The employees of Nicon Plc have also decided to buy bonds amounting to 135,000 birr, according to Elsabet Reta, office manager of the company.

The grand project which costs the country close to 80 billion birr and has an estimated capacity of producing 5,250 megawatts of electricity when completed in 2017, continues to receives support from private, public institutions, from students, employees and employers in every walk of life.  

In a related development, Ethiopia and Addis Ababa Chambers of Commerce and Sectoral Associations said they were mobilizing their members in a coordinated manner so as to make it easier for the business community to play a role in the project.
Source: Capita lEthiopia

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