FORTUNE+ VIDEO SPONSORED CONTENTS ADVERTORIALS FORTUNE AUDIO Fortune Careers TRADE AFRICA Election 2026 New TIME REMAINING UNTIL ETHIOPIA’S NATIONAL ELECTION 0Days 0Hours 0Minutes 0Seconds




Ethio telecom Dominates Industry with Expanding Profits, Coverage

Jul 13 , 2024


[ssba-buttons]

The state-owned teleco company netted 21.7 billion Br in the financial year, posting a 21.7pc jump in revenues to 93.7 billion Br from last financial year. While it has not enjoyed a monopoly since the entrance of Safaricom Ethiopia three years ago, its annual revenues have taken a leap with the competition. The centenarian operator increased its customer base by 8.9pc to reach 78.3 million, with an 85.4pc geographical coverage. Its nearly three-year-old mobile money service, Telebirr, is used by 47.5 million users, and transactions valued at 2.55 trillion Br have occurred to date. A formidable 73pc of the transactions occurred during the ended fiscal year, reflecting the service's accelerated growth. CEO Frehiwot Tamiru attributed foreign currency shortages to complete projects, theft, vandalism of equipment, and conflict in some parts of the country for problems Ethio telecom during the year. The CEO disclosed that a deal with an international financier for a foreign currency loan will relieve some pressure on the company in the coming year. She had declined to disclose the company's identity. “We're awaiting approval from the government,” Frehiwot told Fortune. Ethio-telecom, slated to issue a 10pc ownership stake to the public in the soon-to-be-launched capital markets, earned around 198 million dollars in the year from its international services, while delayed access to land impeded its growth in certain regional states. A part of the country’s sovereign wealth fund, Ethiopian Investment Holding, the state telecom operator, paid off 9.97 billion Br in dividends and around 21.79 billion Br in taxes.


Radar

Parliament Receives $237m Development Loan Package

The Council of Ministers forwarded two concessional loan agreements totalling 237.3 million dollars to Parliament for ratification, targeting rural infrastructure and food security. The package includes 46.3 million dollars from the African Development Bank (AfDB) for climate-resilient infrastructure in pastoralist regions. A second credit facility of 191 million dollars (146.1 million SDR) from the International Development Association (IDA) is earmarked for the sixth phase of the Productive Sa...


Radar

MoTRI to Overhaul Consumer Protection Rules Following Cabinet Approval of Trade Policy

The Council of Ministers, led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD), approved Ethiopia's first unified trade policy last week, ending a three-year deliberation period to fill a decades-long regulatory vacuum,. This institutional milestone mandates the Ministry of Trade & Regional Integration (MoTRI) to overhaul consumer protection frameworks, specifically requiring a rigorous revision of the Trade Competition and Consumer Protection Proclamation to eliminate market distortions and the prolifera...


Radar

Regional Power Exports Yield $366m as Capacity Hits 9.6GW

Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP) generated 365.99 million dollars from regional exports in the first nine months of the fiscal year as national capacity reached 9,579MW. The revenue followed the sale of 24,940GWh, representing 91pc of gross generation. Hydropower remains dominant, providing 9,500MW. To diversify assets and mitigate climate risks, the utility integrated the 100MW Asela Wind Power Project. The transmission network has expanded to 148,600km to secure domestic industrial supply and...