[20 September 2007]
SANA'A, (Saba)- Officials in the government said that Yemen has accomplished many achievements during the past 12 months, from 20 September 2006 to 20 September 2007, especially in the economic field, according to the president's election program.
Deputy prime minister, minister of planning and international cooperation, Abdul-Karim al-Arhabi, whose ministry is working to complete the second phase of the national reforms agenda, said the past 12 months have witnessed important and ambitious achievements.
Al-Arhabi talked in a statement to Saba about some new attainments like the joining of Yemen to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), to be the first Arab country to join EITI; expanding the database of the Customs Authority, which could cover all the country's entries and control 90% of imports; adopting the "investments sole window"; designing a working plan to comprehend requirements of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
Al-Arhabi said that Yemen is going on in collaboration with donors to achieve many projects and tackle problems like water and electrification shortage across the country by 2010.
Minister of Health and Population Abdul-Karim Rasei said his ministry has achieved a lot since October 2006.
Rasei said the project of health insurance which the government has approved and referred to the Parliament has been on the top of such achievements.
The health insurance system is considered as a very important step towards better health services as it will help the government limit the number of patients traveling abroad for treatment, said Rasei.
Rasei said the ministry has also started to rehabilitate some hospitals in some governorates and sent abroad 500 Yemeni doctors and nurses, of different specializations, to be trained, in addition to training workshops inside the country in cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO). He added that some students will be given scholarships to Europe and America to study infrequent medical specializations.
Minister of Technical Education and Vocational Training Ebrahim Omar Hajri talked about his ministry's plan to increase the capacity of technical education institutions to receive 15 percent of the output of the preparatory and secondary education, instead of 3%.
He said that a number of technical education institute will be established in many governorates to offer professional output that can cover the demands of labor markets.
"Some projects are under implementation and some others have 50% achieved", said Hajri. He said that 17 vocational institutes and a center for building human capacities will be set up.
"Eleven vocational institutes, funded by the Saudi Fund for Development, in different governorates, are implemented", he said.
The Yemen's achievements have been welcomed by foreign countries and organizations.
The Millennium Challenges Corporation has reinstated Yemen to its threshold of assistances and granted Yemen USD 21 billion. Yemen and MCC will sign officially next month the reinstating of Yemen to MCC's threshold.
According to the new annual report of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund in Washington, Yemen has got the rank 98, instead of 101 in 2005, among countries which have achieved remarkable economic reforms.
Britain, the United States of America, Denmark and other donors in addition to the World Bank have raised their annual support to Yemen in appreciation of latest economic and political reforms.
The World Bank has increased its annual aid to Yemen from $90 million to $135 million for the period 2007-2008. Half of the WB's aid will be offered to Yemen as a gift and the second half will be granted as soft loan.
In its report on indicators of good governance for 2007, the World Bank said Yemen is developing in some sides. According to the report has improved 25% in regulatory quality, 15% in rule of law and 33% in control of corruption.
On 20 September 2006, Yemen has witnessed hot presidential and local elections which Arab and foreign observers said a good move on the way of democracy in Yemen.
NS/NS
Saba
