Addis
Ababa, June 4 (ENA)-- President Negaso Gidada says his government is determined
to stamp out corruption and speed up the nation's development endeavors.
Negaso
said the on-going development efforts could not bear fruit unless decisive
measures were taken to root out corruption and graft.
The
president made the remarks here on Monday at the opening of the third
international conference on public management, policy and development.
Negaso
said after fully reversing Eritrea's flagrant aggression Ethiopia has now
redirected its focus of attention to the fight against shady deals and
malpractice.
The country has launched an economic reform program with a view to improving the living standard of its people, the president said.
He
said the program, launched with the support of the World Bank in 1992, had
helped the country to keep high inflation at bay.
Despite
Eritrea's war of aggression and the unfavorable climatic conditions, the reforms
designed to promote market-based economy were on track, the president noted.
He
said building a democratic system was indispensable to enhance good governance
and foster socio-economic development.
Negaso
said the conference was timely as it deals with, among others, the salient
issues of food security, technology transfer, civil service reform, conflict
resolutions and the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
Deputy
executive secretary of the economic commission for Africa, Lalla Ben Barka, said
on the occasion that ECA has been exerting utmost efforts to implement the
initiatives designed to strengthen governance and promote sound economic
management in Africa.
It
has been the firm belief of ECA that good governance was a prerequisite to the
continent's economic recovery and long-term development, Barka said.
She
said in 1997 ECA and the United Nations Development Program initiated the
African Governance Forum (AGF) as an annual event to share experiences in
selected areas of governance.
Over
350 professionals drawn from various countries are attending the four-day
conference.
(END)