Since the late 1990s, the Government of Ethiopia has had clear aspirations for broad-based sustainable development and poverty reduction, as evidenced in a series of strategies such as the Sustainable Development for Poverty Reduction Programme (SDPRP, 2000-2004), the Plan for Accelerated and Sustained Development to End Poverty (PASDEP, 2005 to 2009), and the Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP, 2010-2014). The effects on the economy of the first two strategies were judged to be very significant, with strong economic growth, poverty reduced, employment increased, and some exports flourishing (MoFED, 2002,2005). Its clear link to the GTP, notably its reassertion of the need to achieve middle-income status, means that it builds on previous decisions about where national development is headed.