Amhara Bank Leads Charge in Exchange Investment


Amhara Bank Leads Charge in Exchange Investment

Amhara Bank has emerged as a major player in the development of the stock exchange, acquiring a significant stake worth 90.6 million Br. This investment marks the largest holding among commercial banks, surpassing Awash Bank's 70 million Br. Chanyalew Demisse, Amhara Bank's interim president inked the agreement last week with Tilahun Kassahun, CEO of ESX, joining Zemen, Siinqee, Global Ethiopia, Awash, and Hibret banks. The government established the ESX to raise a total of 625 million Br from the private sector. The ESX has secured a substantial portion of its target funding with 275 million Br sourced from four state-owned enterprises under Ethiopia's Investment Holdings and FSD Africa. It is expected to launch next year and is positioned to play a transformative role in Ethiopia's economy.


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Sovereign Fund Reviews Mid-Year Performance of Line Companies, Calls for Strategic Improvements

Ethiopian Investment Holdings (EIH) launched its mid-year performance review for its portfolio companies, displaying mixed results for the first half of the fiscal year. Ethiopian Sugar Industry Group (ESIG) reached 95.3pc of its sales goal, selling 64,190tn of sugar for 6.1 billion Br—a 132pc year-on-year growth—despite capacity and supply issues. The Ethiopian Petroleum Supply Enterprise (EPSE) met 92pc and 97pc of its purchase and sales targets, respectively, stating it has benefitt...


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Digital Pay Uptake Booms Among SMEs, Visa Study Finds

Over 80pc of surveyed small- and medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) have started accepting digital payments in the last two years, according to a new Visa report titled, ‘Value of Acceptance: Understanding the Digital Payment Landscape in Ethiopia'. Citing increased convenience, the report indicates reduced fraud risk and improved efficiency as factors in the uptake. A substantial 66pc of these SMEs believe that investing in digital payment technologies will support future business growth. The...


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ILO Tackles Agricultural Wage Gap

The International Labour Organization (ILO) launched the Setting Adequate Wages in Agriculture (SAW-A) Project last week, with support from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation & Development (BMZ), seeking to promote fair wage policies, enhance collective bargaining, and support the establishment of minimum wage mechanisms to improve the livelihoods of agricultural workers. The sector employs over 80pc of Ethiopia's workforce, making it the country's largest employment sec...