Ethiopian PM urges locals to deepen knowledge transfer in mega projects

Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-11 04:18:51|Editor: Mu Xuequan
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ADDIS ABABA, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn has called on local professionals who are working at the country's mega projects to give great emphasis on knowledge transfer endeavors.

The premier made the remarks during his visit to the under-construction Awash-Woldia/Hara Gebeya railway project in eastern part of Ethiopia on Monday.

Flagship projects in the east African country, mainly railway construction projects, can help Ethiopian professionals to acquire better skills and abilities so as to undertake similar other projects by employing domestic workforce, local media FBC quoted Desalegn as saying on Monday.

The Awash-Woldia/Hara Gebeya railway project is part of Ethiopia's ambition to have a network of over 5,000 km of railway lines by the end of the second five-year Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP-II) period, due effective from 2015/16 to 2019/20.

The project, which involves the construction of 390 km railway line by the Turkish-based company, Yapi Merkezi, at a cost of 1.7 billion U.S. dollars, is being built between Awash and Woldia towns and has now reached its 57 percent of completion.

The east African country, through its National Railway Network of Ethiopia (NRNE) initiative, has embarked on the construction of railway infrastructure to be constructed in two phases.

Phase one is composed of five railway projects, which include Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway Project, while the second phase intends to build six projects across the country.

Desalegn said that effective knowledge transfer activities can help the east African country to realize its plans by qualifying locals to effectively undertake similar other projects.

Ethiopia's flagship Chinese-built railway project, which links the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa and the port of Djibouti in Djibouti, had been praised by Ethiopian officials for its knowledge transfer endeavors to locals.

Built by CREC and China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, the 752.7 km Ethio-Djibouti railway, is Africa's first modern electrified railway linking the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa and port Djibouti in Djibouti.

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