4. Information and communication technologies and the nation

other agencies are not allowed to

The Ethiopian Civil Service College has

access it.

recently been supported by the World

Bank's Global Development  Learning

The Ethiopian Trade Point was

Network (GDLN) to establish a

established in October 1997 with

sophisticated VSAT based peer to 

assistance from UNCTAD to collect and

peer videoconferencing and distance

disseminate trade information using

learning centre at its premises on the

ICTs to facilitate foreign trade

outskirts of Addis Abeba. The Civil

procedures and to implement an

Service College was set up in 1995 to

electronic trading system, but because

provide training for civil servants,

of the limitations described above, this

however the GDLN facility (which is

has made little progress.

6

 Similarly,

part of a network of 29 centres around

these and other factors such as the war

the world, including 6 others in Africa)

with Eritrea have contributed to the very

is open to anyone. The two way

limited amount of tourism in Ethiopia

videoconferencing facility is housed in

(particularly in view of the country's

a classroom capable of taking up to

potential to attract tourists) and

40 students and a variety of courses

although there are some websites

have been held for about

promoting tourism, these are small

1'200 students so far, for which they

standalone sites created by private

pay about 25 per cent of their salary.

operators of tours and accommo 

The centre also houses 8 PCs on a

dation.

7

network with a direct VSAT link to the

Internet. The College operates without

Despite the barriers to e commerce,

strongly promoting its capacity to the

one or two companies have adopted

public or enhancing its services (for

some innovative techniques to exploit

example by allowing students to

the potential of the Internet for e 

connect directly from home instead of

commerce.

8

 The most well known of

only from the university), because the

these is EthioLink's `reverse e 

College managers are somewhat

commerce' service (EthioGift), which

unsure of their status with regard to

allows the Ethiopian Diaspora (many

ETC's monopoly on services.

of which do have credit cards) to

purchase items, including goats, for

4.5

NGOs and international

delivery to their friends and relatives

organizations

living in Ethiopia.

9

The British Council and the Christian

4.4

Government

Relief and Development Association

(CRDA) have recently established

In 2001 there were estimated to be

DEVINET (Development Information

about 349'650 civil servants in the

Network on Ethiopia) to support the

Ethiopian Government, of which only

development of civil society through

20 per cent have post high school

collating and publishing information

education. About 50'000 (14 per cent)

on a website generated by NGOs and

had PCs and an estimated 2'200 had e 

other development organizations in

mail (based on 735 government

Ethiopia. DEVINET also aims to

EthioNet accounts each having 3 users).

support NGOs in developing their own

websites and to improve their use of

Through the European Union

Internet resources.

10

Delegation, the International

Parliamentary Union (IPU) has made

The UN Economic Commission for

considerable funds available to the

Africa (UNECA) in Addis Abeba is the

Ethiopian Federal Parliament and the

location of the headquarters of this

Federation Council for a project called

organization, which has long

Development and Upgrading of the

supported electronic networking in the

Parliamentary Information System

region through its Pan African

(DUPIS). The Birr 8.24 million contract

Documentation and Information

has yet to be finalized following

Service (PADIS) which has now been

controversy over the award of the

s u b s u m e d   u n d e r   t h e   n e w

tender.

Department of Information Services

29