Hiding Facts

I was about to send my opinion as a reply for what Mr. Gebriye wrote with the title” Ethiopian unwanted in Ethiopia…." However, an article written by Aiga reader on 09/05/07 addressed the fact with very logical elaboration on the possible consequences of recruiting expatriates.  I would like therefore to confine my self only on some issues which I know as far the Ethio-German development cooperation is concerned.

Mr. Gebriye often mentioned DED (German Development Cooperation) and DED people to substantiate his argument. It is clear that the Ethiopian government, through Ministry of Capacity Building, is undertaking a big program of its kind to build the engineering capacity of Ethiopia in cooperation with various German development organizations such as GTZ, DED, CIM exetra…with the objective of transferring knowledge by taking the rich engineering skill and experience of the Germans as a benchmark. (For further information on the program browse www.ecbp.biz)

What makes this program peculiar and pioneer as compare to other development cooperation programs so far implemented in the history of this country is that the Ethiopian government contributes Fifty percent of the required budget from its own custody. This budget line, among other things, goes for the recruitment of the German experts required for the engineering reform. Organizations like DED and CIM are expected to recruit Germans having exceptional skill for various projects of the program. One of the major objectives of this capacity building program, for example, is to bring reform on the curriculum of engineering departments of Ethiopian universities Thus, some of the DED and CIM employees would therefore become professors in the universities.

It is clear that Ethiopian professors on the other hand have their own complaints with regard to the salary scheme functioning in the universities. I share their complaint when I compare to the salary scheme of other countries which are on the same level of development to our country. This could be one of the reasons that many professors leave the universities to search for better earning.

Despite the fact that government should take measure to create modest salary scheme, it is however, a right policy to take precaution in the recruitment of expatriates for the program in which the government also contributes fund from its own custody. Otherwise, it will have its own repercussion on the moral of the incumbent professors and experts serving their country although they are being paid less.

Leaving his own interest aside, it would be better for Ato Gebriye to see the issue from this perspective. As it would result in " Be'enkirt Lay Jero Degef"  

SBK(9/7/07)