$1m bill for our man in Ethiopia
Safety upgrade for Hilton apartment, writes Katarina Williams.
Taxpayers have spent more than $350,000 on upgrades to a rental property for New Zealand’s ambassador to Ethiopia and the African Union in Addis Ababa.
A further $695,000 was spent over three years on the operating cost of renting and running the Official Residence of Ambassador Bruce Shepherd, which includes utilities, taxes, maintenance and security.
Information received under the Official Information Act revealed it cost a total of $1,047,941 for the period between June 2013 and July 2016. This equates to over 17 million Ethiopian Birr, the local currency.
In comparison, a six-bedroom, 16-room modern villa in Addis Ababa is selling for 8 million Birr, less than half what the Government spent on someone else’s property.
Aside from the official residence, New Zealand also has an embassy in a ‘‘commercial’’ apartment in the city’s Hilton Hotel.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) would not disclose the cost of renovations to make the apartment ‘‘fit for use’’.
According to the hotel’s website, rooms are available from US$558 (NZD$774) per night and apartments from US$250 (NZ$344) per night with a minimum stay of a month.
For that price, you get access to amenities including a large swimming pool, mini-golf course, tennis and squash courts, and a fitness centre. The hotel also has six eateries where you can purchase modern cuisine ranging from Salmon Teriyaki to Lamb Madras and Classic Risotto.
However, MFAT insisted the cash spent on a home for Shepherd in Addis Ababa was money well spent.
Because the property is rented, its operational cost was at least $300,000 more than MFAT-owned properties in New York ($389,878), Paris ($354,768), Los Angeles ($393,283) and Honolulu ($130,970).
‘‘In Addis Ababa, it is extremely difficult to get property that provides a level of amenity and security sufficient to enable the Official Residence to operate effectively,’’ an MFAT spokesman said.
‘‘Because of that, the sum included the upgrade of the property to ensure it was compliant and provided a safe and secure standard of accommodation.’’
The government’s Safe Travel website warns of a high security risk in Addis Ababa due to the threat of terrorism. There is an extreme security risk in the border areas with Somalia, Kenya, South Sudan, Sudan and Eritrea, with kidnapping, armed conflict and civil unrest among the concerns. University of Canterbury international relations expert, Jeremy Moses, said the establishment of an Ethiopian base was part of New Zealand’s attempt to get votes as it made a play for a spot on the UN Security Council for the 2015-16 term.
‘‘The commitment to Africa that was signalled through the creation of [Addis Ababa] was an important part of the campaign … what it does signal is a longer-term commitment,’’ Moses said.
‘‘Often in those Security Council campaigns, you get states making promises of additional aid or other types of short-term commitments. What I think New Zealand is trying to say here is that it’s committed to relations with Africa on a broad scale.’’