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Apr 27 , 2025 . By BEZAWIT HULUAGER

Addis Abeba Officials Backtrack After Uproar Jolts Property Owners

A controversial decision to clear a large tract of land in Addis Abeba's Wereda 1, around Flamingo and the Olympia roundabout, potentially affecting 31 properties, has been abruptly reversed, bringing relief to the property owners but leaving developers uncertain in its wake. Kirkos District offi...

Apr 26 , 2025

CREDIT AND DEVICES FOR THE MASSES

Neway Magersa (Left), president of Sinqee Bank, shared a lighter moment at the Skylight Hotel on Africa Avenue and chuckled with Oromia Regional State senior official Addisu Arega and Ethio telecom's Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Frehiwot Tamiru. The easy banter masked the scale of the task ahead, turning billions of Birr into millions of new customers, and proving that digital lending can reach corners of Ethiopia that conventional banking has missed. The nonchalant moment on April 27 marked a day otherwise devoted to hard numbers and ambitious plans. Sinqee Bank and Ethio telecom signed...

Apr 27 , 2025 . By AKSAH ITALO

BGI Ethiopia Wins Legal Battle as Ownership Claim Falls to Time

Key Takeaways A federal court dismissed Zewdinesh Getahun's ownership claim as time-barred, requiring her to pay BGI's legal fees. Forensic evidence claimed forgery, but the statute of limitations prevailed over potential wrongdoing. A federal court delivered a sharp rebuke last week to a long-running fight over shares in one of Ethiopia's largest brewers, dismissing an ownership claim by a former shareholder as time-barred and ordering her to pay the company's legal fees. The legal battle between Zewdinesh G. Asrat, who asserted that she once held a 27pc stake in BGI Ethiopi...

Apr 27 , 2025 . By AKSAH ITALO

Cash Starved Domestic Drugmakers Turn to EIC for a Lifeline

Key Takeaways: Ethiopian drug makers are seeking unconditional guarantees from the state-owned Ethiopian Insurance Corporation to access a 30pc advance, amounting to about four billion Birr, from the Ethiopian Pharmaceutical Supply Service. Local banks impose high collateral and service charge demands, prompting manufacturers to explore the state insurer as an alternative financial source. The envisioned shift could promote domestic pharmaceutical production, reduce import dependencies, and enhance access to affordable drugs. Policy initiatives seek to increase domestic procure...

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Apr 27 , 2025

Ethio Telecom to Court Big Investors After Retail Share Sale Falls Short of Ambition

Takeaways Ethio telecom is opening its capital market offerings to institutional investors, targeting a 30 billion Br goal. The initial public offering saw 47,377 retail investors but raised...

Apr 27 , 2025

Digital Shift in Veterinary Drug Registration Struggles Against Glitches, Gridlock

Key Takeaways: As of January 2025, all veterinary drug registrations are processed digitally under a new directive by the Ethiopian Agricultural Authority. The transition aspires to simpl...

Apr 19 , 2025

LEGACY Businesses in a Liminal Space

At first light in Addis Abeba's Qality District, the smell of freshly roasted Yirgacheffe beans drifts into the yeasty haze from Shoa Bakery's ovens, a blend that sums up Ethiopia's family firms. Such...

Apr 19 , 2025

Banks Warn as Crackdown on Loans Triggers Fears of Toxic Debt Surge

Key Takeaways The National Bank of Ethiopia has introduced a new loan classification system, imposing stringent grading requirements on banks. Banks feel the directive's timeline is unrealis...

Apr 19 , 2025

Auditors Under Fire as City Officials Hunts Billions in Lost Taxes

Key Takeaways: Over 800 auditors and accountants are under scrutiny in Addis Abeba, accused of tax understatement totalling 10.6 billion Br. A comprehensive investigation covered 36,729 file...

Apr 23 , 2025

Deposit Insurance Fund Faces Its First Test

Key Takeaways: EDIF has collected 5.2 billion Br in premiums, displaying its role in fortifying financial stability. Tapping into Treasury resources, EDIF seeks to bridge the gap between de...

Apr 19 , 2025

Universities Flunk Their Own Test as Confidence Wanes

Key Takeaways: The national exit exam showed a 27pc overall pass rate, prompting concerns about education quality. Private universities, with only a 16.8pc pass rate, face increased scrutiny...

Apr 13 , 2025

MERCATO TAXED TO SILENCE

Some parts of Merkato have fallen uncharacteristically silent, contrary to its typical bustle of traders, shoppers, and hawkers vying for business across its sprawling two-square-kilometre expanse. Fo...

Apr 13 , 2025

A Tax Shock Jolts Edible Oil Industry as Retroactive Levies Stir Confusion

Takeaways: Retroactive VAT enforcement on soybean cake has become a tax flashpoint, with liabilities rising to tens of millions of Birr for some manufacturers. The distinc...

Apr 13 , 2025

Property Owners on Bole Road Face Uncertainty Amid Oromia Gov't Office Expansion

A redevelopment initiative along Africa Avenue (Bole Road) has set off alarm bells for property owners whose holdings fall within the area earmarked for an expansion project by the Oromia Regional Gov...

Apr 21 , 2025

Labour Ministry Ambitions Stumble as Overseas Jobs Cause Costly Traps

Key Takeaways Federal legislators called for reforms and increased enforcement to protect Ethiopian workers abroad and facilitate safe legal employment pathways. Vocational training achievemen...

Apr 13 , 2025

Signature Fraud Claims, Alleged Political Pressure Reignite Battle for BGI Ethiopia Stake

Key Takeaways: Zewdinesh's legal battle alleged misuse of political power in corporate affairs during the 1990s. Her case emphasises the role of forensic evidence in substantiating claims of f...

Apr 13 , 2025

Ministry Struggles to Fuel Industry as Coal Stalls, Gold Surges in Uneven Resource Push

Takeaways: Ethiopia's coal production met only 41pc of its target, demonstrating major infrastructural and operational challenges. Domestic coal production accounts for 64pc of cement fac...

Apr 13 , 2025

Addis Abeba Orders Taxi Terminal Shake-Up

Key Takeaways: Addis Abeba's new transport directive requires terminal facilitators to transition into industries like manufacturing or construction, ending years of service at taxi terminals....

Apr 6 , 2025

Ministry Moves to Forge Trade Policy as WTO Push Sparks Hopes, Fears

Federal officials and private sector leaders are finalising the first consolidated trade policy, trying to spur resource mobilisation and unified implementation. According to Trade & Regional I...

Apr 6 , 2025

CBE Rebounds Sharply as Profit Drive Raises Public Mandate Questions

Key Takeaways: CBE accomplished a 344.4pc increase in deposits within eight months. The Bank's total deposits increased to 1.51 trillion Br. Asset growth reached 2.03 trillion Br, a 38.3p...

Columns

Commentaries | Apr 26,2025

Policymakers Trudge Down a Path of Punitive Taxation

Benjamin Franklin famously quipped that “nothing is certain but death and taxes.” Yet...

Editorial | Apr 26 , 2025

From Cassette, CD Dreams to Cloud Streams

Key Takeaways Kuku Sebsibie's transition to digital singles represents a shift in the...

Featured | Apr 19 , 2025 . By BEZAWIT HULUAGER

In the Shadows of Renewal, a Generation Struggles to Find Its Place

Takeaways: Hana Melaku's story demonstrates the personal turmoil within the broad...

Agenda | Apr 27 , 2025 . By BEZAWIT HULUAGER