From: Biniam Haile \(SWE\) (eritrea.lave@comhem.se)
Date: Tue Apr 07 2009 - 13:02:26 EDT
Eritrea: Promising a Bright Future
Eritrea: Promising a Bright Future
Efrem Habtetsion, Apr 7, 2009
Achievements are measured by the objectives you outline to reach. The
aim of all human beings is similar: improving their livelihood and
establishing a peaceful and prosperous life. So as to attain such status
in life, human beings have been, since ancient times, living together at
family, village, community and national levels. Exerting their physical
and psychological resources, they have achieved considerable
civilization.
The objective of a nation and society is clear and similar to that of a
family. A nation is an entity that organizes all its resources to ensure
its interests and achieve development. Saying this, the central aim of
any political organization or a government is applying maximum effort to
ensure its interests. An effective government, therefore, is identified
by the economic, social, political, organizational and cultural changes
it makes.
The Eritrean people struggled and paid precious price to establish a
free country in order to enable the coming generations lead a peaceful
and free life. The Eritrean People's Front for Democracy and Justice
that lead the successful Eritrean Liberation Struggle is still striving
to make a better future and prosperous nation for those who sacrificed
their lives and those still doing so.
During the first seven years of independence, the Eritrean people,
thanks to the responsible leadership they have, were able to rise from
the ashes of the struggle and make substantial progress. Registering
seven percent growth in every aspect of development, it was able to make
a difference in the rehabilitation phase in a short period of time
avoiding dependency and the culture of being recipient of foreign aid.
Thus, it achieved a development that boosts the policy of self-reliance
and that nurtures the culture of work. Had we not encountered the sudden
Woyane invasion, it is easy to understand where we would have reached by
this time in our development endeavors.
Since we didn't halt our efforts, despite all the major challenges, our
development activities didn't stop. On the contrary, we were able to
build major works for defending the invasion and that facilitated
economic interaction; major agricultural projects, as part of our self
reliance strategy were implemented in different parts of the country.
What we accomplished at that critical situation has now become a symbol
of achievement against dual challenges.
After the defeat of the Woyane offensives that was legally addressed in
2002, the Government of Eritrea declared a development campaign to
swiftly heal the scars of the war and to boost its development works.
The central motto of the Warsay-Yekealo Development Campaign emerges
from the basic principle of self reliance that was nurtured by the EPLF
during the 30 years long armed struggle. The Campaign has made
considerable and fundamental changes in different parts of the country
and in various sectors.
In order to multiply the limited national resources and reach the
required goal, the economic rehabilitation is being carried out in three
phases; first, the public has made substantial contribution in planting
trees, soil and water conservation, terracing, and other similar works.
Second, members of the defense forces also played a central role in
construction activities. They carried out major projects that could not
be accomplished by the public. Third, major PFDJ's and Government owned
construction companies such as Segen, Gedem, Roadup, ASBECO, Debeat,
Wina, Homib, Mussa Ali, Sawa etc divided Eritrea in four parts-eastern
and western lowland and northern and southern highlands---made and are
making significant works in major construction projects.
Ensuring food security is the number one priority in the development
campaign. The land for cultivation and that for agro industry
development was enlarged and is showing results now. Major and strategic
dams like, Fanko and Gerset and diversion canals that are able to
cultivate a vast land were constructed and others are under
construction. Similarly, a number of dams and micro dams were built all
over the country and have already contributed to national agricultural
production. Big projects of livestock raising, poultry, bee multiplying
and others have progressed successfully and as a result milk products
and meat and its products' supply showed promising increase.
Regarding fish resources, delivery infrastructure, storage and other
works have been under construction and some have already started
production in Gelalo, Edei, Ti'o, Assab, Massawa, Marsa Teklay, Marsa
Gulbub, Berasole, and Dahlak. Fish production is a necessity and a good
food supply alternative with big potential in Eritrea.
The provision of potable water is another sector with priority that the
development campaign focuses on. A number of projects have been carried
out in remote areas of the country that once were deprived of this basic
necessity. Hundreds of wells, water reservoirs and water distribution
centers have been built. Hence, in some Zobas of our country, above 85
percent of our people have access to potable water. The works on
improving the sewage and water pipes in the cities, major projects are
established in Asmara, Keren, Dekemhare, Dbarwa, Mendefera, Ghindae,
Sheb, Wadi-Labka and others.
regarding building residential houses, there are major projects in 12
cities that are expected to solve the major housing problem.
The current responsibility of the PFDJ, in short is establishing a
strong economic democracy and justice, a base for political democracy
and justice. This to happen, every section of the society has to have
equal access to the basic necessities. Economic infrastructural
construction that boosts development is being implemented towards that
end.
The Massawa-Assab, Gahtelay-Wadi-Labka, Keren-Tesseney, Serejeka-Shebah,
Kieru-Kerkebet, Abrara-Azhara-Meamide, Afabet-Kubkub-Felket Naro,
Tsaedakrstian-Mekerka-Mensura.are some of the newly constructed major
and important roads. Similarly, asphalting and widening the major
streets of Asmara, Keren, Dekemhare, Adi-Keih, Ghindae, Akurdet,
Barentu, has been finalized. In order to connect every village in the
country with a trade center nearby, hundreds of roads were built and
repaired. One of the major achievements in the road construction works
is bridge building. Strategic bridges were built and repaired in
different parts of the country and especially in the Asmara-Massawa
road, Barentu-Tesseney, Gash, Solomuna. Modern airports were also built
in Sawa and Massawa and a new one is under construction in Bisha.
The provision of equal access to education and training to citizens;
improving and expanding the quality of education; avoiding waste in that
sector is another priority of the economic development endeavors. Almost
in every part of the country the number of schools has skyrocketed.
People are able to attend from kindergarten up to high school in their
localities. Colleges of business, agriculture, health, marine biology,
social sciences, and a number of technical schools were also established
in various parts of the country. The access to higher education that was
only in Asmara is now distributed throughout the country: College of
Social Sciences in Adikeih, College of Marine Resources in Massawa,
College of Agriculture in Hamelmalo, College of Business and Economics
in Halhale, College of Health Sciences in Asmara..
Healthy society builds a healthy nation. Since independence, the
achievement that Eritrea registered in the health sector is remarkable.
Now, we have regional referral hospitals in Asmara, Assab, Barentu,
Medefera and Ghindae. Clinics and health centers are built in different
villages, towns and cities. Above 90 percent of Eritrean children
receive different kinds of vaccines regularly and Eritrea is one of the
only five sub Sahara African countries that are expected to meet the
development goals on the health sector in child care mortality rate.
Thanks to the vigorous effort of the campaign conducted by the Ministry
of Health, our people are aware that prevention is better than cure.
Accordingly, in order to ensure the well being of the needy, disabled,
families of fallen heroes, refugees, the displaced, orphans. the
government spends above one billion Nakfa annually.
Improving communications so as to facilitate other development projects
plays an important role. Providing mobile services, digitalizing fixed
lines and introducing wireless lines are the major projects that have
been accomplished and are still on progress.
Similarly, the development of public transportation in cities and
villages largely improved through the government and private
involvement. The Government imported a number of buses and made fees
affordable to many people. Transportation companies such as Transhorn,
Harat, Gemel, Lilo, Eri-Traco were established to facilitate public and
cargo transportation.
Despite the rise of oil prices at the international level, what we have
done on electrification is worthy of note. The rural electrification
projects underway enabled many villages to have access to electricity
and the development of renewable means of energy s also on the top.
Although we have a long way to go on electrification, what we have done
is promising.
Mining activities, especially in gold and natural gas, are being
conducted in different parts of the country. Some of these have reached
a level of production. In Bisha and Zara gold mining will start soon.
The marble and granite mining in Gheleb, Gogne, Ghindae etc were
established to supply local market as well as for export purposes.
Wheat, sugar, banana and tomato processing, fish and milk processing
industries have already started production. Benefiting from the
opportunity provided, many citizens have also set various factories in
Asmara, Dekemhare, Dbarwa etc.
The work ahead of us, comparing the major challenges we faced in the
last 18 years, is easier. Since we have established a strong base for
our economic rehabilitation, the years to come are of a better future.
Source: Hidri January 2009, No. 42
By Abiel Solomon
http://www.shaebia.org/artman/publish/article_5772.shtml
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