European Aid Organisation Completes Year-Long Project

Mar 20 , 2021


[ssba-buttons]

People in Need (PIN), a non-governmental organisation founded in 1992, has announced the completion of a year-long project that aided more than 100,000 internally-displaced people, returnees and host communities in the Oromia and Southern regional states. The project was funded by European Union Civil Protection & Humanitarian Aid Operations together with the Czech Development Agency. Launched in April 2020, it was designed to address water, sanitation and hygiene needs in camps where internally-displaced people are hosted. PIN provided emergency shelter kits to over 3,000 vulnerable households, benefitting an estimated 15,550 people. The organisation also distributed WASH kits, which included basic sanitary materials such as soap and washbasins, to 2,900 households. Ten shallow wells and two boreholes were also disinfected and rehabilitated as part of the efforts to improve hygiene. Multi-purpose cash transfers were made to over 1,000 households to help them cover their basic needs without having to liquidate their productive assets. The project also involved raising awareness on healthy hygiene practices to prevent the spread of diseases, including COVID-19, through campaigns.


Radar

Amendment Expands Access for Foreign Traders

Foreign participation in Ethiopia's wholesale, retail, import, and export trade sectors has come under renewed focus as the Ethiopian Investment Board(EIB) approved a significant amendment to Directive No. 1001/2016  in its meeting on May 23, 2025. The amendment, proposed by the Ethiopian Investment Commission(EIC), focuses on refining the legal framework governing foreign investment in these sectors. The decision is part of a broader strategy to enhance the country's appeal as an investment...


Radar

NBE Sets Four Percent Ceiling on Foreign Exchange Fees

The National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) issued a new foreign exchange market directive on May 20, 2025, that caps commercial banks' forex service fees at a maximum of four percent. Banks are instructed to adapt competitive, transparent, and streamlined pricing for all forex-related services. Effective May 26, 2025, total charges for purchasing foreign exchange whether for imports, service payments, or cash note purchases must not exceed the newly set limit. The directive also prohibits banks f...


Radar

SantimPay Launches Zero-fee Digital Remittance Platform

SantimPay has rolled out FrankRemit, first fully integrated, zero-fee digital remittance platform, in partnership with Bank of Abyssinia(BOA). The service smoothly connects all commercial banks and major mobile money providers, including Telebirr, M-Pesa, and CBE Birr which is a first of its kind in the country. FrankRemit is expected to revolutionise how the Ethiopian diaspora sends money home. Developed locally and tested over the past two weeks with successful transfers from multiple count...