Government's capacity building initiatives said encouraging

Addis Ababa, August 28(ENA)-- The Council of the Ethiopian Peoples' Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) says the all-rounded activities being carried out by the incumbent government in the area of capacity building are bearing promising results.

This was disclosed at the ongoing conference of the Council that discussed on the plans and performance of the capacity building activities here on Wednesday.

The conference said since capacity building is the pivotal issue of the nation's democratization process and development endeavors concerted efforts were needed to be exerted for its effective implementation.

The government and EPRDF have paid due attention to the execution capacity building and hence set up a pertinent body that would guide the implementation of the strategies at federal and regional levels, the Council said.

It said although the efforts geared to improve the humanpower training system in educational institutions have not been undertaken with the desired speed, they have been put back on the right track.

Teachers shoulder the highest responsibility to maintain the quality of education, the council noted, adding that pre and on-job training would be offered to teachers as of 1996 E.C with a view to enhancing their professional capacity.

It also indicated that given the time, capacity and experience constraints, what have been carried out in the area of vocational and technical training were encouraging.

Various packages would be prepared and put into force to effect the new educational and training policy in pastoral areas, the Council said.

The Council underscored the need to attach due significance to the capacity building initiatives aimed at improving the civil service and judicial systems, which it said are decisive to accelerate the working mechanisms at service rendering institutions.

It also calls for the formulation of feasible working procedures that would help effectively execute the new income tax proclamation both at the federal and regional levels.

The council noted with concern that the public relation and information exchange schemes in the country were at low-level as they are not backed by strong working mechanisms.

Hence, it said, creating an efficient information exchange system was the clarion call of the day as it is an indispensable device with which the government could mobilize the general public for development.

The council said rural finance institutions should be organized in such a way that the farmer would get fair and efficient services.

(END)