Dear Fekade Shewakena,
 
I was looking at your article and I have a few comments for you. I'm 
not sure if these are honest mistakes or deliberate attempts to 
misguide your readers. I don't want to take a prejudice at this point.
 
1) If you really want to be honest with your readers please also report 
the population base you used to calculate the per capita figures. The 
population size of Tigray was about 3.2 million during the 1994 census 
and in 12 years it must have grown to about 4.6 million at the growth 
rate of 3%(national average). When you use this reasonable population 
prediction the per capita budget grant for Tigray is 122 Birr rather 
than the 160 you seem to have arrived at.
 
2) Why did you exclude the Somali region that has a smaller population 
size than Tigray but about the same Grant? For your information if you 
use reasonable predictions of the population sizes for the regions the 
per capita figures for Afar, Somali, Benishangul-Gumuz and Gambela are 
slightly higher or comparable to that of Tigray.
 
3)It would also be reasonable to note that the existing level of 
development (backwardness) of the region is one criteria used in 
weighting the amount of grant for each region. And remember how Tigray 
used to fair with Amahara, Oromia and SNNP in terms of roads, schools, 
factories, health facilities etc. at  least when the formula was set in 
1987 E.C. I have no latest information as to how much of the gap has 
been eliminated after 1987 E.C. If you have concrete information that 
the levels of development are now balanced I would agree with you that 
the level of backwardness component of the formula may have to be 
revised.
 
I hope you will take this as a complement.
 
Regards,
 
S. Tesfu
 
UK