Customs Commission to Approve Franco Valuta Import for Consumer Goods

Apr 9 , 2022


[ssba-buttons]

The Ministry of Finance has announced that franco valuta import of designated consumer goods can be approved by the Ethiopian Customs Commission. The Ministry had allowed the import wheat, sugar, baby formula, edible oil and rice through franco valuta a year ago. The National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) was mandated to approve the origin of the foreign currency for the import. In a letter written end of last week, the Ministry cited the runaway cost of living and a flood of inquiries from those seeking to take advantage of the import exception have pushed it to take measures to expedite the import process. The Ministry had also lifted taxation for the consumer goods at the beginning of the financial year as a response to the rising cost of living. Headline inflation registered at 33.6pc in February 2022, above the 30pc mark for the seventh month in a row. According to a report from the Ministry of Trade & Regional Integration, in the past eight months 481 million litres of edible oil, 8.37 million qtl of sugar, 4.98 million qtl of rice has been imported.


Radar

Bank of Abyssinia Signs Partnership with Droga Cooperative

Bank of Abyssinia has entered into a partnership agreement with Droga Health & Financial Savings and Credit Cooperative to provide financial support and services for its members. The agreement was signed yesterday at the Bank's headquarters. The deal aims to strengthen collaboration between the two institutions, enabling cooperative members to access tailored banking services. It was signed by Wosenyeleh Abera, Deputy CEO for Customer Relations and Marketing at the bank, and Zelalem Yilma...


Radar

Wegagen Introduces Real Time SWIFT Tracking

Wegagen Bank has launched a new mobile app feature enabling customers to track international SWIFT payments in real time. The bank is the first in Ethiopia to introduce an online SWIFT payment tracking system. By integrating SWIFT Global Payment Innovation, customers, particularly those involved in import-export trade, can monitor cross-border transactions using a Unique End-to-End Transaction Reference (UETR) directly from their smartphones. To use the service, customers select the SWIFT...


Radar

National ID, Zambia Partners to Expands Program Reach

The National ID Program has signed an agreement with Zambia's counterpart to provide consulting services for the development of software that will issue digital IDs. It is the first time the institution has extended its expertise beyond national borders, a sign of growing recognition for its rapid progress. Program officials described the partnership as a milestone in their effort to position themselves as a regional player in digital transformation. The collaboration is expected to center...