Ministries Agree to Develop, Increase Profitability of Mining Sector

June 1/2020 (ENA )Ministries of Mines and Petroleum and Science and Higher Education have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that enables them to undertake researches that would improve Ethiopia’s mining industry.

The MoU was signed between Science and Higher Education Minister, Hirut Woldemariam,  and Mines and Petroleum Minister Samuel Urkato today.

Speaking at the signing ceremony,  Minister of Mines and Petroleum Samuel said the agreement will help to modernize the mostly traditional mining sector that has been incurring huge loss.

He added that the ministry will strive to implement projects which are based on scientific knowledge and increase productivity.

The framework will help to provide long-term and short-term vocational training for mining professionals and also university level education in order to develop the mining industry and  create more jobs, Samuel elaborated.

Science and Higher Education Minister Hurit Woldemariam said massive research works that  address the core problems of the mining industry will be the focus of the framework.

She said establishing center of excellence and helping mining students to carry out work-based learning process is the other aim of the framework.

The Memorandum of Understanding will be implemented starting from the coming Ethiopian fiscal year, it was learned.

The Government of Ethiopia is working to increase its profit from the sector from 44 million USD last budget year to 265 million USD this Ethiopian budget year.