4.1 Urban Economy and Role of the Town

The town is Zone administration and commercial center. There are three fuel stations and

five garages in the town. Five different banks give service in the town.

The average annual revenue of the municipality was 5.6 million Birr and the major sources of revenue were service charges and fees, land based revenues, business related taxes and licensing fees. The per capita revenue within the same period was 141.70 Birr. The major investment opportunities in the town are coffee processing or milling, development of hotels and lodges. 

According to CSA 2007, the rate of unemployment in the same period was 10% for both sexes. Gimbi town has economic linkages with the surrounding areas, West Shoa and Addis Ababa. The town gets grain products, livestock supply, natural resources (fuel wood and charcoal) and labor from surrounding areas and manufactured and commercial products from Addis Ababa.

4.2 Social and Municipal Services

Social Services

Education

There are three privately and 1 government owned kindergartens; seven government and two private

primary (1-8 grade) schools; seven government and three private junior secondary (7-8 grade) schools

two government and two private senior secondary (9-12 grade) schools, two government TVET; one

government university; one government and two private colleges in the town. 

Health

Regarding health services, in the town there are one government and one private hospital, and one

government health center, one government and ten private clinics, six private pharmacies, and four

private drug stores.

Municipal Services

Gimbi town has one public meeting hall, abattoir giving slaughtering service for Christians and Muslims; general and cattle markets meeting twice a week on Wednesdays and Saturdays and two daily markets. Solid waste is collected by a tractor dumped in authorized site. There are four public toilets in the town but currently only two toilets are giving services, and liquid waste is collected and dumped by rented vacuum trucks from other towns.

There is a green area covering 10% of the total area of the town, and a forest called Chuta in the town. There is one park (Choli park), one public library and town hall, a stadium and playground, one semi standard hotel (Zemelak hotel) in the town. Regarding religious services there are four churches for Orthodox Christians,19 churches for Protestants and three mosques for Muslims in the town.