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Mar 2 , 2025 . By BEZAWIT HULUAGER

False Overseas Job Promises Leave Seekers Bankrupt

Masresha Alebel, 37, hoped to improve his family's circumstances by seeking employment in Romania. He encountered a company that presented an opportunity he found appealing. The initial connection occurred through a social media advertisement that outlined a credit system for travel and the poten...

Feb 25 , 2025 . By AKSAH ITALO

Farmers Struggle with Fertiliser Price Hikes as Soil Acidity Affects Productivity

In the Southern Gonder Zone of Amhara Regional State, skyrocketing fertiliser prices have thrown farmers into crisis, threatening both their livelihoods and the region's agricultural output. Mulatu Banke, a 45-year-old farmer and father of five, cultivates two hectares of land with onion, wheat, and teff. He usually harvests 15 quintals of teff and 40 quintals of wheat annually, selling most of his produce to sustain his family. But this year, he has not bought any fertiliser, he cannot afford it. "I haven't bought anything," he said. "It's too expensive." Fertiliser prices have doubl...


Feb 9 , 2025 . By ROBERA GETACHEW

USAID Funding Suspension Triggers Crises, Hits Health Sector, Leaves Thousands Jobless

Demelash Tekesete, a consultant for an NGO, was stunned by the sudden halt of US Agency for International Development (USAID) funding. “It was unexpected and shocking,” he said. His work, focused on equipping youth with job skills, internships, and university awareness programs, depended entirely on USAID funding. The abrupt cut has upended his life. He has lost his job. “You make plans, rent, school fees, daily expenses, and suddenly, they're all gone,” he said. “This decision destroys lives overnight.” Demelash, a father of one, earned 34,000 Br monthly, enough to pro...


Feb 2 , 2025 . By ROBERA GETACHEW

Economic Slowdown, Instability, Tax Burden Bang Small Businesses

Tesfaye Hora, a former Bajaj (three-wheeled vehicle) driver from Gebre Guracha in Oromia Regional State, once led a stable life. Earning between 700 Br and 900 Br daily, he provided comfortably for his wife and daughter. Determined to build a better future, he sold his Bajaj for 160,000 Br and borrowed 40,000 Br from his sister to move to Addis Abeba in July 2019, hoping to follow in her footsteps in the suit fabric trade. At first, Tesfaye's business flourished. For seven months, he navigated the trade successfully, building connections and securing decent profits. He dreamed of relocating...

Agenda

Egg Prices Soar, Families Struggle, Bakeries Bleed as Market Swings

Endalk Eshetu stood arguing with a street egg vendor on Russian Street, near Anbessa Gibi Park in Amist Kilo. It was Thursday at 5:30 PM, the peak of rush hour, with long taxi queues as employees left...

Jan 25 , 2025

New Traffic Rules Add Financial Strain on Addis Abeba Drivers

Binyam Tesfaye, a 31-year-old father of two, is struggling under the weight of Addis Abeba's new traffic regulations. Earning 7,000 Br a month, he spends 5,000 Br on rent, leaving little for other exp...

Jan 19 , 2025

Traditional Weaving Unravels as Chiffon Takes Over, Demands Dwindle, Costs Rise

Asamenew Arba, a weaver operating from a building housing micro enterprises near Shero Meda in northern Addis Abeba, faces severe difficulties in his trade due to the scarcity of essential imported ma...

Jan 12 , 2025

Leather Industry Falters, Quality Declines, Factories Shutter

Daniel Megersa, a butcher in Addis Abeba's northern Asko area, has watched his in-home slaughtering business decline sharply in recent years. Once overwhelmed by customer calls during holidays like Ge...

Jan 5 , 2025

Depressed Buyers, Burdened Vendors as Stagflation Dulls Christmas Holiday

The blistering sun barely bothered 60-year-old Alemneh Eshetu as he strolls from one vendor to another looking to buy an affordable chicken. With his red coat and hat to cover the inferno, he paces ar...

Dec 29 , 2024

Escaping Underemployment, Facing Low Wages at Home, Scam Factories in Myanmar

Shikur Naser, a 25-year-old civil engineering graduate, left for Bangkok, Thailand, in September 2023, hoping to land a job in digital marketing. Born in Tora, Silte Zone, Central Ethiopia Regional...

Dec 22 , 2024

Fuel Supply Halts as Parallel Market, EV Push Leave Regions, Investors in the Lurch

Africa Oil Plc has five of its stations denied fuel supply by the Ethiopian Petroleum Supply Enterprise (EPSE). The company had requested over a million litres of fuel, but its requests have been unfu...

Dec 15 , 2024

Shackled by Poverty, Employees Battle for Survival

A 23-year-old woman (name withheld to protect identity) has been working at a garment factory at the Adama Industrial Park, for the past six years. She describes her work as feeling more like "slavery...

Dec 8 , 2024

National ID Footprint Stumbles Over Limited Acceptance, Printing Quality

Dawit Arega, a tourist guide for 14 years, has encountered difficulties with his National Identification. Enrolling in the initiative when it launched in September 2022, he hoped it would simplify pro...

Dec 1 , 2024

Government Reforms Battle Market Forces on Cement Industry Control

On the outskirts of Addis Abeba lies the subdued Qaliti cement market with retailers like Tsigereda Eshetu gazing for customers that may be interested in their products. The price for a quintal of cem...

Nov 24 , 2024

Mercato's Taxing Transformation Tests Tax Authorities

Business owners in Mercato, the largest open market, were left stunned by a sudden gridlock following a consequential decision by authorities to tighten tax administration in the economic hub. The mov...

Nov 16 , 2024

Perfect Storm of Climate, Health, Supply Chain Issues Trigger Resurgent Malaria

Malaria is no stranger to Ethiopia. Every year, the disease poses a public health issue, especially in rural regions where the majority of the population lives in areas conducive to mosquito breeding...

Nov 9 , 2024

Blackouts Plague Residents as Aging Grid Fails to Deliver

Dagmawit Yilma, a mother of three young boys, knows the struggle of Ethiopia's energy crisis all too well. Simple tasks like making breakfast and preparing school lunches have become a daily ordeal th...

Nov 3 , 2024

Schools Disrupted, Dams at Risk

A calm Monday morning on October 7, 2024, took a turn for residents of southern Afar Regional State. An earthquake that rattled the campus caused widespread chaos and fear for students at Sabure Prima...

Oct 27 , 2024

Infrastructure Woes Derail Hosting Football Dream

Ethiopia's football scene is undergoing a transformative period, marked by ambitious aspirations and pressing issues. The country's dream of hosting the 2029 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) has ignited...

Oct 20 , 2024

New Bill Breaks Real Estate Brick Walls

Sixty-year-old Alemnesh Nigussu had a dream—to secure three apartments for her children. With a considerable sum of 4.5 million Br, she invested in Purpose Black, a relatively new real estate compan...


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Commentaries | Mar 02, 2025

Health Policy Reforms Walk a Tightrope of Bitter Pills, Bold Cures

Life Matters | Mar 02, 2025

Online Toxicity Hijacks Social Media

My Opinion | Mar 02, 2025

In Carbon Market, Corporations Buy Guilt, Not Change

Sunday with Eden | Mar 02, 2025

The Emotional Toll of Worry

Agenda | Mar 02, 2025

False Overseas Job Promises Leave Seekers Bankrupt

Editorial | Mar 02, 2025

Mismanaged, Trade Liberalisation Could Pour Cold Water on Local Hopes


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Mismanaged, Trade Liberalisation Could Pour Cold Water on Local Hopes

The domestic economy has endured a punishing half-decade. A global pandemic throttled trad...

Editorial | Mar 2 , 2025

Publishing Industry Contends with Soaring Costs, Shifts Digital

Walelgn Ayele, an aspiring young author, faced a harsh reality when he attempted to publis...

Featured | Feb 9 , 2025 . By KALKIDAN NEGASH

False Overseas Job Promises Leave Seekers Bankrupt

Masresha Alebel, 37, hoped to improve his family's circumstances by seeking employment in...

Agenda | Mar 2 , 2025 . By BEZAWIT HULUAGER

Wegagen Breaks Ground as First Bank to Issue Shares on Capital Market

Wegagen Bank has taken a pioneering step in the emerging capital market, releasing a prosp...

Fortune News | Mar 2 , 2025 . By BEZAWIT HULUAGER