Ethio-Lease Secures License

Aug 10 , 2019


[ssba-buttons]

Ethio Lease Ethiopian Capital Goods Finance S.C, the first lease finance company in the country co-owned by non-nationals, secured a license from the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE). Established as the subsidiary of Africa Asset Finance Company Inc., Ethio Lease was officially launched on August 8, 2019, in the presence of Yinager Dessie (PhD), governor of the National Bank of Ethiopia, Ahmed Shide, the minister of Finance, and Girma Wake, board chairperson of Ethio-Lease. The company has a paid-up capital of 400 million Br and plans to provide leasing services to address equipment shortages in the health care, agriculture, food processing, energy and manufacturing sectors.  “The main advantage of Ethio Lease is that it will use foreign currency to acquire equipment for companies,” said Girum Tsegaye, CEO of Ethio Lease. “The companies then pay the equivalent of the foreign currency in Br.” The company will be joining the five local capital goods finance companies including Aliya, Oromia, Addis, Debub and Kaza Capital Goods Finance Business. One company, First Capital Goods, is also under formation.


Radar

New Directive Tightens Rules for Foreign Employment Agencies

The Ministry of Labour & Skills has issued a directive under the Ethiopian foreign employment framework, setting clear standards for agency size, capital, and operations. Depending on their level, newly established agencies can serve between 10 and over 100 workers a day. Office space requirements range from 100sqm to 700sqm, tied to operational scale. Level-one agencies must hold a paid-up capital of 20 million Br and place a security deposit of 250,000 dollars or its birr equivalent...


Radar

Audit Findings Expose Deepening Gaps in Accountability

A new study reveals that audit irregularities in Ethiopia have continued to rise year after year, driven by weak enforcement and unresolved legacy problems. The finding, commissioned by the Office of the Federal Auditor General (OFAG) and conducted by independent researchers from Addis Abeba University, examined audit reports covering 2009–2023. The study attributes the persistent irregularities to limited accountability, poor follow-up, and reduced audit coverage during political transitio...


Radar

Africa Maritime Conference Sets Sights on Seafaring Innovation

The Ministry of Transport & Logistics has launched the first-ever Africa Maritime Conference, marking a bold move to position landlocked Ethiopia as a continental hub for seafaring innovation at a time of global talent shortages. At a pre-conference briefing, Frans Joubert, CEO of YCF Manning Ltd, underscored Africa's untapped potential in the maritime sector. Of the 1.9 million seafarers worldwide, only four percent are African—despite the continent hosting around 150 maritime academie...