The Government in the right Path

                                                                                                                               Taye Kebede

The FDRE government started to operate by formulating sound strategy, believing it will become good to its development vision and aspiration, it has gained many achievements. Especially, its efforts and achievement in improving the lives of many through a rapid and sustainable agricultural production and productivity is mentioned.  As it is known, pooling popular support for the rapid development that was commenced should not be left for tomorrow. And with regards to strengthening this popular support, moves should be made by to augment it.

As we all know, the FDRE government has clearly stipulated on its land policy that farmers should get land freely and assuredly. Of course the government made its effort by formulating a way that would benefit the whole farmers of the country by increasing its production and productivity. It has been able to fully stop habits of selling and transferring land which used to be common previously. As the farmers are beginning to understand the benefits of land more and more, it is changing their life for the better by using various inputs.

And this shows the government’s uninterrupted effort, considering its role in the motivation of the farmers is huge. The government has come a long way in formulating path that would change the lives of farmers for the better through supporting and encouraging farmers that would spearhead its initiatives and be a model to the other farmers.

The government has showed that the policy and path is the right one to those forces that are knee-deep in close-minded attitude. It has especially forced those who claim development won’t be possible in splintered lands, to look hard into their outlooks.

As it is known, change is the result of strong effort. The main reason that’s attributed for the success of developed countries today is the success of their policies and the path they adhered.

I think it is obvious that the all-encompassing change we are seeing today is attributed to the government together with the public formulated policy and path adhered. It is known that today the government is following various paths to consolidating the rapid growth, lasting peace and the democratic order building process.

As it’s known, election is a popular process in which the better party is given credit and consent of the voters. In this process, the public chooses the one it deems will protect and guarantee its interest from two or more parties. And to be chosen by the public, or to get the consent of the public, a certain political party should present itself as the best. In order to present itself as the best, it demands uninterrupted effort, strong commitment and being successful. Currently, Ethiopia with its fifth biggest largest economy in Sub-Saharan Africa and the biggest from non-energy based economies is currently attracting many investors’ attention and eyes.

And I think this achievement has to do not only with the sound policies and strategies formulated by the FDRE government, but also its success when executed. Of course it is obvious that the change our country is going through and the reason why foreign investors are attracted to our country has to do with the existence of a developmental and democratic government which follows a clear and precise path; have leadership that responsive to pragmatic and latest issues; and a government that adheres to a path that involves popular participation.

Thus, the international community and their investors are attesting to the fact that the FDRE government is able to garner positive results by executing its own brand of developmental and democratic path, it formulated to elevate its people from poverty and backwardness. And on top of attesting to our positive growth trend, they are coming ‘in droves’ to our country to get involved into the investment sector. And this is what the recent reports that are coming out implying – that Ethiopia is fast becoming the preferred destination from East Africa. We are clearly seeing all investment roads leading to Ethiopia.

Of course, my dear readers are well aware of the forces who in the hopes of imposing their own ideological agenda throw criticism tantrum left and right on Ethiopian government since the day it started to operate to lift the country out of poverty by formulating its own policies and strategies. As it can be recalled these forces had been putting pressure and trying to forcefully privatize the country’s banks, telecommunication, electricity, Airlines, City water and utilities cheaply. Also they have exerted pressure for land, a natural resource of the people, to be sold and transferred.

On top of this, these forces have tried to hinder our progress by clearly hinting at halting our country from getting foreign loan and aid that will help fulfill its developmental aspirations - although it has been to no avail.

In addition to this, they have been for years propagating that Ethiopia will not have an economic growth, if it doesn’t follow these neo liberal politico-economic thinking - although the opposite have been true.

Since the Ethiopian government understood this out look’s of ‘everything has to be left to the private sector, and the government should not interfere except to make sure rule of law is upheld’ it took serious measures not to delve into it. It was able to withstand the heavy pressure made by the neo-liberal forces; which intended weaken the role of the government, and instead established a strong developmental government.

It’s a fact that the government by withstanding, these forces’ pressure to sell land and their “prophecy” that agriculture based development strategy leads to failure, doesn’t go with the country’s reality, it has instead put the country in a rapid and sustainable growth by formulating and executing its own developmental directional path.

As it’s known, we are seeing miraculous progress in our country in these twenty years. With this, it has been able to debunk the neo-liberalism thinking of government should not interfere in the economy.

This is why, when these forces under the umbrella of neo- liberalism ideology were hit by economic crisis, our country was able to continue with its own rapid economic growth.

What we can understand from this and what other countries of the world has to contemplate is that they can grow outside of the neo- liberalism thinking by formulating policies and strategies that take their own hard realties into account, just like Ethiopia’s developmental path. Thus, it’s important to understand why these ideology extremists want to impose their hidden agenda by highlighting issues that nadir the country’s real investment situation.

As it’s known, the Ethiopian government by spending on the country’s public infrastructure, by encouraging potential investors by facilitating various incentives and by opening its doors, and by presenting the country’s (attractive) realities in various international arenas, it’s attracting many investors into the country. As a consequence, the number of foreign investors that are involved in various investment sectors especially in agriculture, manufacturing and industrial sectors is increasing as time goes by.

So, at time when many foreign companies and investors are showing strong interests in investing their capital on the country taking advantage of the conducive investment environment set up by the government, it can’t be acceptable to say ‘listen only to what we tell you’. 

I believe the extremists’ outlook cannot be anything more than exerting pressure our country to take in their ideology without reservation. And this is not coming from a benevolent intention, but an extremist outlook of ‘’ you only grow through our chosen path’’.

I said this because currently there are many large Corporations from China, Turkey, India, Europe, and Arab countries that are investing their capitals by taking advantage of our country’s suitable investment policy; and also large American company that’s going to invest in geothermal hydropower project, Canadian and Australian companies that are involved in minerals investment, along with other increasing number of companies with their own intentions.

The Ethiopian government understood fully accepting neo-liberalism is a recipe for disaster, even before the ideology demagogues were hit by the financial crisis; so it didn’t even contemplate about the ideology let alone accepting it. To reach to this conclusion, the government has gone through many countries experience on how policies that doesn’t’ take the respective countries realities into account forced them into downward spiral.

Taking these trends into account, our government decided to formulate a developmental and democratic order that takes the country’s realities into account. With it, the government has been able to record rapid and sustainable growth that would benefit the public step-by step in its struggle against poverty. This shows the FDRE government is in the right truck in all aspects.