Authority Rolls Out IPO Rules in Ambitious Push to Rein Confidence in Capital Market

Nov 14 , 2024



The Ethiopian Capital Markets Authority (ECMA) has approved a long-awaited directive governing initial public offerings (IPOs) and trading of shares and securities, a landmark step toward establishing a regulated capital market.

The new regulations mandate the registration of securities and require issuers to provide comprehensive prospectuses, including full financial statements, risk factors, and the rationale behind their offerings.

The directive imposes on publicly traded companies heightened disclosure obligations. It introduces regulatory tools such as shelf registrations, allowing companies to raise capital incrementally over defined periods, and implements a book-building process for price discovery.

"This directive represents a foundational shift toward a secure and transparent investment environment," said ECMA Director General Hana Tehelku. "Investors can now rely on standardised, vetted information to make informed decisions."

The Authority’s officials hope to see investors’ confidence boosted, pledging that the directive combats fraudulent activities and insider trading. By setting stringent eligibility criteria and disclosure requirements, they aspire to safeguard the public from misinformation and market manipulations, a trend that has caused thousands lose their investments over the years. Noncompliance leads to monetary penalties and suspensions from trading, measures designed to enforce a culture of compliance among public companies and intermediaries.

"Our regulatory measures set a precedent for an ethical and well-regulated capital market," said Hana.





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