Taxes and Tax Reform in Ethiopia, 1990-2003

tax reform, fiscal policy, distribution of income, incidence analysis, Ethiopia, Africa

Case Study on Factors Affecting Training Need Assessment in Jimma University College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine librarians

Training need assessment is also the process of collecting information about an employees or tasks that helps to specify the training need or performance deficiency. This study examined to assess factors that affect training need Assessment in Jimma University College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine librarians that used questionnaire, interviews, observation and document review as instrument of data collection. Simple random method was used to select samples from the target population and the study employed quantitative and qualitative data types from primary and secondary data source. The quantitative data analyzed in descriptive (frequency, percentage) by SPSS version 20 and presented in table and graph forms. The qualitative data were also analyses in systematic narration. The results of this study revealed that there is not a regular system on delivering training program and weak in supervising the employees by higher manager. Regarding on the training every decision is held by the higher manager without a systematic and detail information gathering about individual, there performance and the level of their skill.  The survey data revel that lack of attention from the higher manager on training need assessment due to workload, lack of proper training program and Lack of facilities and logistics were the main reason for the failure of training activities in library. Therefore, Jimma University College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine should be provide attention on training need assessment the lead to prepare any training for the right people at the right time for filling the gap to create a good work environment that directly help to improve library service. Keywords: Training, Training Need Assessment, library, JUCAVM DOI: 10.7176/JTHS/42-01 Publication date:July 31st 201

Finance and Poverty in Ethiopia: A Household Level Analysis

finance, Ethiopia, Africa, poverty, consumption smoothing

The Prevalence and Factors Associated with Mental Distress among College Students in Southern Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND: Although mental health problems affect the general population, students are highly vulnerable to psychological disorders. Mental distress among students is a cause of concern as it may impair their behavior and diminish learning, which could negatively affect their academic performance. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the prevalence and the factors associated with mental distress among college students in Southern Ethiopia.METHODS: Institution based cross-sectional study was conducted among 280 regular students of Hawassa College of Health Sciences. Mental distress was measured using a Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20). The data were entered into Epi-Info version 3.5.4 and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 20. Multivariable logistic analysis was performed following bivariate analysis to adjust for the effect of confounders.RESULT: The prevalence of mental distress among the study subjects was found to be 59 (22.30%). Female students were 2.08 times more likely to have mental distress as compared to male students (AOR =2.08 [95% CI: 1.14-3.82]). The odds of mental distress among third-year students was 60% lower compared to second-year students [AOR = 0.40; 95 % CI, (0.19, 0.87)]. Students who were from Amhara ethnic group were 3.37 times more likely to have mental distress as compared to students from Sidama ethnic group [AOR=3.37;95%CI (1.13-10.09)]. Moreover, students who had Grade Point Average of below 60% were 4.69 times more likely to be mentally distressed as compared to those students who scored Grade Point Average of greater or equal to 60% (AOR= 4.69; 95%CI,[ 2.46, 8.96).CONCLUSION: The finding suggests the importance of providing mental health counseling support for students as part of the teaching and learning process. More research to further explore the multiple factors influencing students’ mental health condition should also be conducted

Taxes and tax reform in Ethiopia, 1990 - 2003

In 1991 the Ethiopian Revolution Democratic Front (EPRDF) toppled the old ‘socialist’ regime that had ruled the country for seventeen years. In contrast to the previous policy regime of hard control, EPRDF initiated a wide range of reforms that covered not only the tax system but also the exchange rate, interest rates, trade, domestic production and distribution. This paper attempts to explore the contribution of the tax reform, the changes in its structure and institutional reform in order to understand its role in raising revenue

Agronomic Traits of Trifolium Species in Different Agroecologies of Benishangul-Gumuz Region

AbstractA study was conducted to evaluate Trifolium species for their agronomic traits intwo agro-ecologies of Benishangul-Gumuz region, North Western Ethiopia. Theexperiment was carried out at Tongo, Assosa, and Kamash forage researchstations of Assosa Agricultural Research Center, which were purposively selectedto represent highland, mid and lowland agro-ecologies respectively. FiveTrifolium genotypes (T. steudeneri 9720, T. decorum 9447, T. quantinum 6301, T.tembense 7102, and T. steudeneri 9712) were evaluated in a randomized completeblock design with three replications. Plant height at forage harvesting, forage drymatter yield and leaf to stem ratio were significantly (P < 0.001) affected byenvironment (E) and G x E (G and E interaction). The highest mean forage drymatter yield was recorded at Kamash, than Assosa and Tongo. The result ofcombined analysis indicated that, genotype (G) had significant (P < 0.001) effecton forage dry matter yield and T. quantinum 6301 genotype was the best yielderamong the genotypes evaluated. Total dry matter yield was significantly different(P < 0.001) among genotypes at Tongo and Assosa. Generally, based on foragedry matter yield data, T. quantinum 6301 was well performed at Assosa andTongo than other genotypes, T. steudenary 9720 was relatively better adapted atKamash, and they are recommended as an alternative legume forage crops for therespective locations

Tuberculous Dactylitis: An Uncommon Presentation of Skeletal Tuberculosis

BACKGROUND: Skeletal involvement accounts 1-5% of all cases of Tuberculosis. The vertebrae are more commonly affected. The bones of the hands are more affected than the bones of the feet. The term “spina ventosa” has been used to describe this disorder because of its radiographic features of cystic expansion of the involved short tubular bones. Tuberculous dactylitis mainly occurs through lympho-hematogenous spread. The lung is the primary focus in 75% of cases.CASE DETAILS: A 4 years old female child developed a painless swelling on her left index finger two months prior to her presentation. Following an unsuccessful treatment as a case of osteomyelitis with antibiotics, imaging showed an expansile lytic lesion with sclerosis, and fine needle aspiration confirmed tuberculous dactylitis. The child was initiated on anti-tubercular treatment with subsequent marked clinical and radiologic improvement.CONCLUSION: Presence of longstanding finger swelling and pain should alert a clinician to consider active disseminated tuberculosis. Furthermore, proper interpretation of imaging and use of fine needle aspiration has been highlighted.KEYWORDS: Tuberculous dactylitis, Spina ventosa, Expansile lytic lesion, Tuberculosi

Demystifying heavy metals and physicochemical characteristics of groundwater in a volcano-tectonic region of Middle Awash, Ethiopia, for multipurpose use

This study investigates the concentrations of physicochemical and heavy metal contaminants in the groundwater of the Middle Awash Basin, Ethiopia, to inform targeted water management strategies. A total of 32 groundwater samples were collected from 16 stations via piezometers and boreholes at the end of both the dry (June 2021) and wet (October 2021) seasons. Utilizing Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS), and in situ metering, 22 physicochemical and 24 heavy metal parameters were analyzed. The data revealed significant levels of contamination; notably, sample GW11 had extraordinarily high concentrations of total dissolved solids (10,826 mg/L), strontium (908 µg/L), molybdenum (802.4 µg/L), zinc (6060 µg/L), and electrical conductivity (15,645 µS/cm), while GW12 exhibited elevated levels of aluminum (2615 µg/L), zinc (4446 µg/L), and arsenic (117.2 µg/L). Contaminants such as arsenic, vanadium, gallium, lithium, rubidium, chromium, manganese, copper, and zinc were found enriched in groundwater near Lake Beseka, majorly influenced by geogenic activities, volcanic ash, and weathering of rocks. The sampled waters might be affected by human activities including agricultural runoff from sugarcane plantations, sugar factories wastewaters, and agro-industry activities (decade’s activities). Over half of the groundwater sources were unsuitable for drinking, posing significant health risks to local communities that rely heavily on these sources due to limited access to clean surface water. The findings emphasize the urgent need for comprehensive groundwater management and remediation plans in the Middle Awash region to ensure safe and sustainable water use, particularly addressing the variation in contamination levels influenced by Lake Beseka. These measures are critical to protect public health and support local development in the face of ongoing environmental and anthropogenic pressures

Finance and poverty in Ethiopia: A household level analysis

In this paper, using the rich household panel data of urban and rural Ethiopia that covers the period from 1994 to 2000, we attempted to establish the link between finance and poverty in Ethiopia. Our results show that access to finance is an important factor in consumption smoothing and hence poverty reduction. We also found evidence for a poverty trap due to liquidity constraints that limits the ability of the rural households from consumption smoothing. The empirical findings from this study could inform finance policies aimed at addressing issues of poverty reduction. – finance ; Ethiopia ; Africa ; poverty ; consumption smoothin