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Oct 12 , 2024

With the Horn Edging to the Brink, Regional Leaders Should Extol Trust

In his inaugural address on October 27, 2024, Taye Atseqesellasie, the fifth president since the 1995 constitution, extolled mutual trust as Ethiopia's most valuable legacy for future generations. Yet...

Oct 5 , 2024

Birr's Unmoored Descent Threatens to Drown an Economy Awash in Debt

Not long ago, the sight of exchange bureaus in Addis Abeba was as rare as a cloudless day in the rainy season. But a recent decision by the Central Bank to grant five non-bank entities permits to trad...

Sep 28 , 2024

Not to Turn the "Land of Origins" into a Land of Uneven Promises

In the early 2010s, Ethiopian authorities found themselves at odds with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The Fund cautioned that the country's rapid economic expansion overheated the economy, ig...

Sep 21 , 2024

The Civil Service Gets a Pay Boost, But Inflation Laughs Last

A nurse in Addis Abeba shares a cramped one-room apartment with three colleagues. Her meagre salary barely covers food and transport. Like many employed by the public service sector, whose monthly ave...

Sep 14 , 2024

Drowning in Budget Gap, Universities Chase Autonomy. Can They Afford It?

Successive regimes share a common legacy: a deep-seated commitment to education as a vehicle for economic growth and social mobility. From the reign of Emperor Menelik II to the present day, each admi...

Sep 8 , 2024

The Road Ahead Remains Difficult. So Are Rewards for Getting It Right Profound

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's (PhD) visit to China last week could mark a watershed moment for his country, not only because he led a large delegation to Beijing, but due to the broader context of Afric...

Sep 1 , 2024

Addis Abeba's Gleaming Makeover Shouldn't Leave the Vulnerable Behind

Addis Abeba's skyline is being dramatically altered. Once characterised by unremarkable buildings and dusty roads, Africa's political and diplomatic capital now greets visitors with a spectacle of aff...

Aug 25 , 2024

Addis Abebas Light Rail Dream Turns into a Clunky Nightmare. It Shouldn't.

It may appear distasteful, unappealing and cumbersome to sight. But, the Addis Abeba Light Rail Transit (AA-LRT) stands as a concrete symbol of Ethiopia's ambitious attempt to shake off its image as a...

Aug 18 , 2024

Heavy-Handed Play to Tame Market 'Villains' in Reform's Name Hardly Works

The economy is in turmoil, and describing the situation as merely dire could be an understatement. The federal government's response to the unfolding crisis has been to clamp down on businesses, targe...

Aug 10 , 2024

Audacious Move Taken to Free an Economy Long Anchored in Captivity

The past few weeks have been anything but uneventful on the economic front. Across the board—from wage earners to business leaders and policymakers—there has been a discernible apprehension as eve...

Aug 3 , 2024

Will the Belated Baptism Float or Flounder the 'Brewed Buck'?

Much like the unpredictable brew of a strong coffee from the Ethiopian highlands, the Brewed Buck has experienced unprecedented fluctuations in over half a century. On Wednesday of last week, the rate...

Jul 27 , 2024

Birr's Leap of Faith Betting on a Dirham Deal

National Bank Governor Mamo Mehiretu recently etched his name in the annals of Ethiopia's central banking by signing a memorandum of understanding with Khaled Mohammed Balama, governor of the United A...

Jul 20 , 2024

Short Circuited Policy Roulette Shock Businesses, Stall Progress

In a volatile economic environment, sudden policy reversals leave businesses reeling and progress impeded. Businesses and investors alike struggle with an environment where predictability is a luxury...

Jul 13 , 2024

Political Uncertainty, Economic Volatility Manufacturers Battle on Two Fronts

Policymakers are walking a tightrope, struggling to generate growth and create millions of jobs while tackling budget deficits, trade imbalances, debt servicing, and runaway inflation. These are probl...

Jul 7 , 2024

Bulging Budget Obscures Deepening Fiscal Battle for Value

The federal budget has crossed a symbolic threshold, approaching the one trillion Birr mark at 971.2 billion Br, equivalent to 16.7 billion dollars at last week's official exchange rate. The exponenti...

Jun 29 , 2024

Autonomy in Action: Will Mamo Mihretu Redefine the Central Bank?

In a spirited bid for autonomy, the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE), under its youngest Governor yet, Mamo Mihretu, aspires to redefine its relationship with the government, the public, international...


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The way the Birr moves is changing, and with it, habits that have shaped daily life for ge...

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