With the growing number of confirmed cases and the full impact of the pandemic on the economy yet to be seen, the government of Ethiopia has received grants and financial backings, the latest coming from the government of Japan and the Swiss multinational medicine company, Novartis.

Four months after the first incident was reported in China and more than 118 countries reporting cases, the Novel Corona virus (COVID-19) has also been reported in Ethiopia imported by a Japanese national.

Yet again another Japanese business mission to Ethiopia ends with no significant investment commitments being made, except advising the authorities to consider easing business procedures and policies, putting in place environmental safety regulation and improve the pool of skilled manpower, The Reporter has learnt. 

The Former Ethiopian Prime Minister, Hailemariam Desalegn has been awarded with the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun by the Government of Japan. He was hailed for his record of public service.

A thriving city in central Japan, Kobe, has taken a daring move to offer what is called a startup visa program, a one-year visa package, for enterprising young business leaders wanting to setup shop in Japan, as the administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe tries to manage the fallout from another (national) program which offered a five-year Japanese visa for semi-skilled workers around world to curb the crippling labor shortage in the country.

With less than two months left until the upcoming Seventh Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), which is scheduled to be held in the Tourist-marvel city of Yokohama, the Japanese foreign assistance apparatus is still pondering over the level of envelope Official Development Assistance (ODA) package for African economies, to be announced for the coming three years.

Concluding his official three-state visit to Africa, Taro Kono, Foreign Minister of Japan has requested Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) to attend and lead the peace and security sessions of the upcoming seventh Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD-VII) to be held by the end of August in Yokohama.

Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation, a subsidiary of the Mitsubishi Group, is said to have a business interest to partner with Ethiopian,with the latterto host the corporation’s regional hub for the entire Africa, The Reporter has learnt.

​​​​​​​After a half a century stay in the Ethiopian trade business, local dealers and Isuzu Motors International via Itochu Corporation — the trading and export house of Isuzu Motors – have reached terms to set up an assembly line in Ethiopia, The Reporter has learnt.