[Addis Fortune] The Revolutionary Democrats have finally mustered the courage to swallow the inevitable bitter pill under the leadership of a young man, Abiy Ahmed (PhD). Last week, the highest decision-making body of the party agreed, rather unanimously, to open up state-owned enterprises in key economic sectors to private capital. It is a decision that heralded a second-generation leadership of the incumbent has a test for meaningful reforms both on the political and economic fronts.

[Addis Fortune] Although the import bill has shown a decline last year, this year's export revenue remains to disappointment with barely half of the target met. As macroeconomic problems continue, international financial institutions advice the government to consider making cuts to government expenditur. If the budgets are not modest a further devautation of the Birr is inevitable, reports YARED TSEGAYE, FORTUNE STAFF WRITER.

[Addis Fortune] Unlike the previous months, food inflation has fallen

[Addis Fortune] Seventy-one mining companies with registered capitals of more than 73 billion Br have joined the mining industry in the first half of the second edition of the Growth & Transformation Plan (GTP II), according to the Ministry of Mines, Petroleum & Natural Gases.

[Addis Fortune] Twenty-eight million Birr worth of foreign currency notes were confiscated last week. They were caught being smuggled from Addis Abeba to Adama.

[Ethiopian Herald] Recently, the Economist magazine in its article published under the title 'Ethiopia's scheme to help the poor is setting an example' narrated a story about how the country is setting an example in helping the poor through its safety net program. In fact, the magazine claimed, if the program succeeds, it would become an example to other poor countries across the world.

[Ethiopian Herald] About 20.4 per cent of the total population of Ethiopia lives in urban areas, which has rendered it as one of the least urbanized countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite this low level of urbanization, however, the country has one of the highest rates of urbanization even by the standards of developing countries, which is estimated at 4.1 per cent. This is also much higher than the average growth rate of the total national population, which is estimated at 3 per cent per annum.

[Ethiopian Herald] ADDIS ABABA - Poor management of resources is the major cause of African backwardness, regional water resources experts stressed while calling for regionalized perspectives in the utilization of Nile basin water resource.