Ethiopia unveils plan to lift 7.9 million people from poverty

Ethiopia’s Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Damene Darota, on Friday said the ministry planned to lift close to 7.9 million rural Ethiopians from “absolute’’ poverty.

The ministry, currently evaluating major activities implemented during the just-concluded 2016-2017 fiscal year, revealed the country’s plan to improve the economic conditions of the Ethiopians, mainly in the rural part of the country.

Ethiopia, as part of its agenda for 2025, aspires to become a middle-income country.

Darota said that the plan was part of the country’s second five-year Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP II) effective from 2015 to 2020.

“Close to 6.6 million of them, who are able to engage in various economic activities, were provided opportunity to participate through climate conservation, irrigation development and other agricultural activities in the last six months.

“The remaining 1.3 million economically deprived citizens, who are either physically disabled or older people, are receiving support from the government,’’ Darota said. (Xinhua/NAN)

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