Ethiopia achieving broad based growth, said World Bank President

Addis Ababa - Ethiopia is achieving broad based growth and World Bank seeks lessons from Ethiopia´s development strategies which resulted in the broad based growth achievements, Robert B. Zoellick said.

In an interview in Addis Ababa on the occasion of the 10th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union (AU) Heads of States and Governments, which he came to attend, President of World Bank Group Robert Zoellick said Ethiopia has done a very good job in terms of achieving broad based growth.

Responding to the question ´in which areas Ethiopia has effectively utilized the resources obtained from the World Bank?´ Zoellick said, it is not just one area that Ethiopia proved to be effective; adding the development strategy implemented in Ethiopia is a smart one which he can learn from.

Asked about the discussion he had with Ethiopian Prime Minster Meles Zenawi on the occasion, Zoellick said he used the meeting to listen and learn from Meles about some of the issues in Ethiopia, the region as well as in the AU.

"Ethiopia has had very good growth and I was trying to figure out how we (World Bank) could become a better partner." Zoellick said; adding that one of the issues is the decentralization as the Ethiopian government is trying to expand the benefits of growth throughout the country.

He further stated that the discussion in this regard was the question of how World Bank can help build capacity.

The growth rate in Ethiopia has been very strong, he added.

According to the World Bank chief, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has made excellent undertakings in the overall situation of Ethiopia and has been a very good partner.

Commenting on a question whether there are any grants or loans to Ethiopia coming from the World Bank any time soon, beyond being one of the beneficiaries from the International Development Association (IDA) a program through which countries obtain loans and grants for various development endeavors, he said through World Bank´s country assistance plan Ethiopia would receive hundreds of millions USD in either grants or low interest loans based on the signs and performances of the country.

With regards to the limits of the foreign exchange Ethiopia has Zoellick said, "….we are moving forward with a new country assistance strategy through our (World Bank´s) board in a couple of moths and I hope that will help."

To access the full interview use this URL http://www.waltainfo.com/Interview/2008/Feb/worldbank.htm

In case you are snooping, Omer Redi is a Web Journal Deputy Editor in Chief and Web Master for a renowned wire media in Addis Ababa and frequently contributing author for American Chronicle. He welcomes requests from media within and outside Ethiopia which wish to have him as freelance writer on issues on Ethiopia, African Union (AU) - which is based in Addis Ababa near to Omer´s place- as well as the Horn of Africa and the Middle East.

January 2008©Omer Redi