Ethiopia’s five-year Growth and Transformational Plan achievable: PM Meles
Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said that the five-year national development and transformational plan is achievable as it incorporates positive achievements and lessons learned over the past five years.
In a press conference to foreign media in Addis Ababa on 11th August 2010, the premier said it is possible for Ethiopia to double its economic growth.
The proposal will succeed the previous Plan for Accelerated and Sustained Development to End Poverty (PASDEP). The new “Growth and Transformation Plan” (GAP), will shift from a strategy dependent on foreign investment to a locally driven economy and will target an economic growth of 14.9%. Over the past five years, Ethiopia has achieved high economic growth averaging about 11%.
The PM said the plan is comprehensive and is largely designed to ensure food security as well as address the issues related to youth and women. “In the future, we will feed ourselves and we will be able to manage our own forms of social security...I don’t think that is impossible. I think it’s quite achievable over the next five years,” he added. PM Meles noted that the government has been striving more actively to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and expand social insurance programs in the social sector exerting efforts to build national consensus, democracy and development as well as realising the renaissance of the country towards political arena.
The plan also predicts a huge expansion of infrastructure, with the country’s power production set to increase from 2,000MW to 10,000MW and the construction of 2,395km of railway lines. Ethiopia plans to spend $12 billion over 25 years on realising its ambition of becoming an energy exporter in Africa.
Agriculture was the decisive strategy of PASDEP, and GAP also sees this as crucial for social and economic development. However, unlike the former plan, GAP shifts the focus away from foreign contractors. This will include building a fertilizer producing company that would contribute to the average fertilizer demand which stands at 550,000 metric tonnes. The other target is significantly increasing the current four million mobile phone subscribers to 6.1 million and increasing the 0.74 million subscribers of the fixed line to 8.5 million.
Regarding the 4th National Elections which took place in May, PM Meles said that the elections paved the way for a stable democracy by marginalising anti-democratic forces by democratic means. He further said the government is ready to work closely with all opposition parties willing to operate peacefully. The government will facilitate means to further enhance the participation of opposition groups by establishing a joint forum for political parities. On EPRDF’s succession plan, Meles said the Executive Committee of the front had deliberated on how better to implement the plan and organise the coming party congress.
Concerning the recent peace accord signed between the Ethiopian government and the United Western Somali Liberation Front (UWSLF), Meles said the agreement is helpful to further improve peace and security in the Somali Regional State. He further said the government hopes to sign a similar agreement with the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF).