The newly formed Ethiopian Diaspora Agency is set to launch its operations on Friday, March 1, 2019, on a ceremony to be held at the Sheraton Addis Hotel, The Reporter.
This was announced during a press conference that was held in the new headquarters of the Agency located at an outside office belonging to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA).
According to Selamawit Dawit, the new director, the Agency has been recruiting its human resource as well as preparing its organizational structure.
Hence, they are set to launch the operation of the Agency on an event where diaspora organizations, members of the diaspora as well as officials will be in attendance. The agency will have 53 employees and it will take over the tasks that the Diaspora Affairs Directorate has been doing under the Ministry.
The first task of the Agency will be registering the diaspora, Selamawit added. This will be carried out on the website of the Agency as well as at the Ethiopian Embassies and Consulate Offices located around the world.
Stressing that the agency is the product of the ongoing reform in the country, Mohammed Indris, the deputy director, admits that there were serious challenges in delivering the necessary service for the diaspora in the past. These challenges include perception, strategic gaps, and institutional capacity limitation.
By solving these issues, the Agency will create an enabling environment for the diaspora to come and contribute to the development of the country.
