4.1 Urban Economy and Role of the Town

The town serves as woreda administration and tourism center. There are 16 manufacturing industries, 34 wholesale trades with capital of 15 million Birr, 2017 retail trades with capital of 26.2 million Birr, 3 fuel stations and 3 garages in the town. There are 3 banks and 3 micro finances giving services in the town. The average annual revenue of the municipality in 2001–2003 was 8.8 million Birr and the major sources of revenue were urban land lease, service charges and direct and indirect taxes. The major investment opportunities in the town are: hotel and tourism development, agro processing, construction inputs. 

According to CSA 2007, economic activity rate was 43.9 for both sexes, 49.9 and 39 for males and females respectively. The rate of unemployment in the same year was 22.5 % for both sexes. The male and female unemployment were 16.6 and 28.9% respectively.

Wukro town has economic linkages with the surrounding areas and Mekelle town. The town gets grain products, livestock supply, natural resources (fuel wood and charcoal) and labor from surrounding areas manufactured and commercial products from Mekelle.

4.2 Social and Municipal Services

Social Services

Education

There are six privately owned kindergartens; one government primary (1-4 grade) school, three government and one private junior secondary (1-8 grade) schools, 1 government senior secondary (9-10 grade) school, 1 preparatory school; one government and one private colleges in Wukro town. The student per teacher ratio for primary, junior secondary, senior secondary and preparatory schools are 1:45, 1:40, 1:40 1:32 respectively while student class room ratio for the same schools are 1:49, 1:51, 1:67, and 1:52 respectively.

Health

Regarding health services in Wukro town there are one government hospital, and two government health centers, one private clinic and five private pharmacies.  Two ambulances, one owned by Red Cross and another one by the town administration give service for emergency cases.

Municipal Services

Wukro town has one public meeting hall, abattoir giving slaughtering service for Christians and Muslims; a general and cattle markets meeting twice a week on Mondays and Thursdays and six daily markets. Solid waste is collected by two tractors and seven horse drawn carts and disposed in authorized open dump site. Two MSE associations are involved in solid waste collection. There are nine public toilets in the town and liquid waste is collected by the municipality’s vacuum truck.

Above 70% of the town area is covered by greenery. There is forest covering 15ha and street trees are also planted along 40Km of streets in the town. There is one public park called Millennium Park with area of 10 ha, a stadium and five playgrounds, one guest house and three standardized hotels in the town. There is a river called Gunfal in the town. Regarding religious services, there are three churches for Orthodox Christians, 1 church for Catholic and 2 mosques in the town.