Our subscribers to the print edition are entitled to get a bonus in a form of early access to our digital edition for just 2,000 ETB.



Quenching Addis Abeba's Thirst


Residents in the capital are all too familiar with the rationing of running water supply as the 0.48 million cubic meters of water pumped out by the Authority fails to meet even half of the capital's demand. The nearly eighty-year-old Gefersa dam sti...

Mar 18 , 2023


Fortune News

Benishangul-Gumuz State Most Expensive to Reside

Consumers in the Benishangul-Gumuz Regional State feel the pinch of a high cost of living, exacerbated by the logistical challenges of importing goods from neighbouring states. The passage through...

Mar 18 , 2023

Fortune News

Korean Firm Takes the Helm to Consult Bus Transit Corridors in Addis Abeba

A Korean-based consultancy firm, DONG IL Engineering Consultants bagged the contract to conduct a detailed analysis on constructing bus transits on flood-ridden roads in Addis Abeba. The company is...

Mar 18 , 2023

Fortune News

Price Thresholds for Horticulture Exports Rise Despite Quality Issues

Authorities raise the minimum price threshold for horticultural products on vegetables and fruits exported to Djibouti ports. The prices saw up to 40pc increase three weeks ago, following  a prolo...

Mar 18 , 2023


Latest Updates

Electrical Grid Theft Banes Amhara Regional State

Repeated theft has plagued electric power transmission lines in Amhara Regional State with the lates...

Mar 18 , 2023


Abay Bank's Capital Fortitude, Efficiency Bolster Profits During Turbulent Times

In the finance world, where institutions' fluctuating fortunes often make headlines, Abay, a mid-siz...

Mar 18 , 2023








Agenda

Rainy City Calls for Running Water

Water is a vital utility for Dawit Assefa, a contractor and father of two who lives on the second floor of a condominium building. The nature of his work leaves him open to getting dirty real quick but taking proper showers on daily basis and doing l...

Mar 18 , 2023


Fed Broadens Tax Base Despite Mounting Inflation

A series of discussion panels were summoned a couple of weeks ago at the Ministry of Finance headquarters on King George Street (Sidist Kilo), with hopes of en...

Mar 11 , 2023


Lost in Transportation: Teff Prices Spike Up

Injera is a luxury food item for Birtukan Mengesha, a waitress at Addis Abeba University student's lounge. Besides the limited amount of tips she gets from t...

Mar 4 , 2023







Editorial

Confronting the Axis of Threat: Diminished Assets, Inflation, and Trade Imbalance

Ethiopia's economy once hailed as a paragon of growth and development, now faces a confluence of challenges, including falling net foreign assets, an expanding trade deficit, and escalating inflation. These issues have exerted pressure on the overall...

Mar 18 , 2023


Is Ethiopia Insolvent? Or Just Illiquid?

Ethiopia is rapidly emerging as one of China's top African debtors, second only to Angola, which owes the second largest economy in the world 42.6 billion dollars. Although Ethiopia owes only a little over one-third of Angola's debt to China, it is significant...

Mar 11 , 2023

Nature May Cause Drought; Famine Results from Political Failure

Once again, Ethiopia has claimed international attention in the past few weeks for reasons that are rather unsavoury. A few weeks after the federal authority's declaration the country has joined a list of countries exporting wheat, the depressing news that nea...

Mar 4 , 2023







Exclusive Interview

Unilever's Bold Strategy: Invest in Local Production to Shield against Global Disruptions

Q: Unilever was among the top 20 taxpayers a few years ago. However, it did not even reach the top 40 last year. Why? Stefan Cloete: We paid a record level of taxes last year - 85pc more than in 2021. Almost double. If we were omitted, other companies might have paid much higher taxes than in pre...

Mar 18 , 2023


It’s about People, the Planet and Prosperity

Q: When it was established over 77 years ago, the United Nations was created to stop wars. Look at the world today; it is full of violent conflicts from Ukraine to Ethiopia. Do you find it frustrating to work for the UN system in a world still at war? Ahunn...

Mar 4 , 2023

Inflation, Geopolitical Tension and Climate Change Torment the World

Project Syndicate (PS): You have often pointed out that inflation has been exacerbated by trade protectionism, which weakens the market competition that induces firms to keep prices low, and by immigration restrictions, which lock in labour shortages. At a tim...

Jan 24 , 2023







Viewpoint

Food-System Revolution Coming

With the agricultural sector approaching a crossroads, decision-makers in government, industry, and civil society will need to heed the lessons from major transitions in other industries and start preparing. The preparation will require a careful inventory of farmers, workers, and consumers' needs. While farmers are growing older and leaving the land for other pursuits or retirement, the agricu...

Mar 19 , 2023


Lack of Accountability Emerging in the Airline Industry: A Firsthand Account

Despite the challenges of modern air travel, the airline industry continues to promote it as a luxury experience, with friendly salespeople, professional ground crews, and smiling flight attendants who offer champagne and fold your coat neatly. However, the re...

Mar 18 , 2023

How Governments Can Reach Those Furthest Behind First

We are at the halfway point for implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs), but we are not halfway to achieving them. In many critical areas – from poverty to food security – progress has been reversed in recent years, owing to severe and compou...

Mar 11 , 2023


My Opinion

E-Procurement Promises Billions in Savings, a Blow to Global Graft

Corruption is an enormous, global challenge, likely costing more than one trillion dollars annually, or 120 dollars for everyone globally. World leaders have long promised to tamp down on corruption. Unfortunately, we are getting nowhere. A newly released research identifies a surprisingly straightforward, cheap way to reduce corruption that can save countries hundreds of millions or even billi...

Mar 18 , 2023


Unlocking the Economic Power of Maternal, Newborn Health

Almost a decade ago, world leaders promised to fix maternal and newborn health, along with hunger, peace, education, and virtually every other major problem by 2030 in what has become known as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Unfortunately, we are far...

Mar 11 , 2023

How Increasing Global Vaccinations Can Save Half a Million Lives

Vaccination is one of the true wonders of humanity, having saved more lives than any other medical invention and providing population-level control of diseases that once ran rampant. Yet, we often fail to appreciate how fundamentally they have changed human li...

Mar 4 , 2023






Featured

Welfare through Intermittent Fasting

Martha Getachew had struggled with her weight ever since attaining 40 years old. Her gradual weight gain coupled with insensitive comments from others triggered her. The mother of two longed for a way to lose weight, finally embarking on intermittent fasting was hope, a method of going without food for a couple of hours each day or eating just one meal in particular days. Six months ago, Martha limited her food intake to once a day. Working at the beauty salon, she said it was difficult at...

Mar 11 , 2023


Commentaries

Confronting the Global Water Crisis

The world's water crisis can no longer be ignored. Unless we manage water properly, we will neither tackle climate change nor meet most of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Last year's unprecedented floods, droughts, cyclonic storms, and heat waves showed what is coming. But while such disasters garner plenty of attention, the underlying water crisis does not. Water-related challenges – whether there is too much, too little, or dirty and unsafe – are already fueling chronic food a...

Mar 18 , 2023


News Analysis

Inflation, Tax Woes Plague Breweries, Price Hike Brewing

Local breweries have increased wholesale beer prices for the third time in three years as galloping inflation and a global economy in recession take their toll. The price of a crate has shown a 10pc rise as distributors received their latest delivery with an 85 Br increase from 690 Br. Many local bars in the capital are holding off retail price increments until they ran out of inventory. The price of beer has risen globally due to several factors, including higher costs of fertilisers and...

Mar 4 , 2023


Delicate Number

306,585,000,000

The total loans and advances in Birr the banking industry made to the manufacturing sector in the first quarter of 2022/23. The manufacturing sector is one of the three, including foreign trade and construction, the largest recipients of loans. The lowest were mines, power, water resources and hotel and tourism.  

Mar 18 , 2023


Fineline

Leaders of the National . . .

Leaders of the National Election Board are in a charm offensive mood, of a sort. Last week, they organised a rare tour for members of the media, showcasing what polling stations will look like during the upcoming national elections; and they took the...

Oct 3 , 2020


Verbatim

“It isn't complete.”

Anthony Blinken, the US secretary of state, said of the withdrawal of Eritrean forces from the Tigray Regional State, the federal government and the TPLF agreed in Pretoria, South Africa, in November 2022. Secretary Blinken visited Addis Abeba last week and briefed the media at Addis Abeba University, Algeria St.






Fortune Video

Advertisement




Sunday With Eden

Healing Societal Wounds through Clemency

I met Solomon Desta a couple of years ago. He lives and works in a religious institution as a guard, greeting everyone with a smile so genuine that it puts us at ease. The elderly man has no family or children but seems content with his life. He is a respectful, kind man with a great sense of humour.  He always checks in on me and before long, we started exchanging hugs and chatting about lif...

Mar 18 , 2023


Women Thrive Against All Odds

International Women's Day was celebrated on March 8th last week. However, for Ethiopia, it should be another reminder of how far behind the nation is in protecting girls and women from sexual and physical abuse. It should be a day to amplify how much the natio...

Mar 11 , 2023

Discovering the Purpose of Pain

The world is not short of pain. Despite the variation in type and degree, all of us go through tragedies of some sort. Expected or not, experience hardships that are upsetting and may result in a change in the course of life. There is a strong link between...

Mar 4 , 2023


Life Matters

A Week without Our Three-wheeled Allies

A comedian made a joke about how citizens' wishes are not granted but rather what government thinks is our need. Apparently, ours believes we need to get in better shape. The cost of teff has risen to over 9,000 Br so we could practice intermittent fasting and the week-long restriction on the movements of three-wheeled vehicles so we would walk an extra mile or two; carrying a heavy load is a b...

Mar 18 , 2023


A Longevity Quest to Parenting

As an only child, I did not experience life with siblings and I do not remember arguing with my parents. Perhaps when I became a teenager I wanted independence and to do things my way but confronting parents was unthinkable then; whatever we were asked of, we...

Mar 11 , 2023

Managing Intergenerational Tension

The other day as I was in the taxi, I heard this older man talking about how corruption has gotten worse in this day and age. As I internally deliberated on the accuracy and truth of his statement, he continued blaming this generation for everything that has g...

Mar 4 , 2023





Radar

Land Related Services Reopen Void of Clarity

The suspension of property transaction services by the Addis Abeba City Administration has been lifted after a two-month hiatus. However, officials in the City Cabinet did not reveal if the ban on land-related services through designates, imposed a month prior was included in the decision. The partial or complete hiatus on land-related services, is all too familiar to residents of Addis Abeba,...

Mar 11 , 2023


Arcane Markers

Hamere Berhan' at old post office prints books using ancient paper made from animal skin called 'Birana' .  The printing press is part of EOTC Ethiopian Tewahdo Orthodox Church which has had scribes for close to two millenia. Shortage of paper is still a problem in Ethiopia all newsapapers in the country are printed at one printing press , Birhana Selam around 4 kilo. This due to the fact there...

Mar 18 , 2023

In Picture

Coffee Train

Tomoca Coffee has opened another outlet inside the La Gare Train Station and is converting an old train car into a café. Open in 1917, the train station is one of the attractions of the city. It will now be part of the La Gare Eagle Hills Project. The removal of the historical Buffet De La Gare inside the train station following the start of the construction had led to an outcry...

Mar 14 , 2021


NEW MESQEL SQUARE

A construction crew, equipment and materials still obscure the progress of the Mesqel Square project. Nonetheless, the fencing that once enveloped the construction site has largely been removed, and the crescent-shaped steps have been installed. Costing 2.5 billion Br, the project is one of many that attempt to rehabilitate parks, public spaces and rivers of Addis Abeba...

Feb 13 , 2021