Addis Ababa To Abolish Feeding Agency Under Proposed Administrative Reform

Addis Ababa plans to abolish its Feeding Agency under a proposed restructuring of the city administration, transferring its powers and duties to the Women, Children, and Social Affairs Bureau.

The Feeding Agency is among several city institutions proposed for dissolution in a draft proclamation approved by the Addis Ababa City Council. Its responsibilities are being transferred to the Women, Children, and Social Affairs Bureau because they are directly related to the bureau’s core mandate.

The agency has evolved beyond providing meals to students. Its responsibilities include school feeding, provision of uniforms and educational materials, menstrual hygiene support and assistance to socially vulnerable groups, as well as oversight of food quality, hygiene and safety.

The agency says the number of students covered by its services has increased from about 452,000 to more than 803,000 over successive years, while the number of teachers covered rose from about 28,000 to more than 37,000. The number of feeding workers also increased from about 10,000 to more than 16,000, with expenditure reaching about 2 billion birr.

The proposed abolition comes as Mayor Adanech Abiebie begins another term after the City Council unanimously reappointed her on September 30. The new administration has identified cost-of-living pressures, employment creation, support for micro and small enterprises and improved management of public resources among its priorities.

The restructuring is part of a wider effort to reorganise the city’s executive bodies, remove overlapping mandates and change how government functions are managed.

The draft also proposes replacing the Government Development Organizations Administration Authority with an Investment Holdings entity, which would be responsible for managing city-owned enterprises with an emphasis on profitability and capital management.

Labour and skills functions would be separated under the proposed structure. The existing Labour and Skills Bureau would be divided into a Labour and Job Creation Bureau and a Technical and Vocational Training Bureau.

The Culture and Arts Bureau and the Tourism Commission would meanwhile be merged into a single Culture and Tourism Bureau.

Transport administration would also be reorganised, with the Traffic Management Authority proposed for dissolution. Its responsibilities would be divided among the Transport Bureau, the Roads Authority and a newly established Transport Management Center.

The Workplace Development Administration Agency and the Addis Ababa Leadership Academy are also listed for dissolution under the draft.

The transfer of the Feeding Agency’s functions to the Women, Children, and Social Affairs Bureau would retain the city’s existing feeding-related responsibilities within the proposed new institutional structure. The agency’s programmes have also included employment opportunities for women involved in preparing meals and support services beyond food provision.

The draft proclamation must complete the applicable legislative process before the proposed restructuring takes effect.

Source: FSX Business News