Parliament Tightens the Screws on Petroleum Distributors

Jan 12 , 2025


[ssba-buttons]

  Federal legislators passed today a sweeping bill tightening licensing requirements for distributors of petroleum products and imposing stiffer penalties on violators. The authors' of the bill believe it will combat smuggling, hoarding, and fuel adulteration. The law carries prison sentences of five to seven years for those convicted of adulterating fuel, tampering with equipment, or operating without proper certification. Authorities can confiscate contraband fuel from smugglers, while distributors caught overcharging buyers risk fines ranging from 600,000 Br to one million Br; repeat offenses carry prison time. Under the new legislation, which passed with two votes against and one abstention, aspiring distributors are mandated to construct storage depots capable of holding at least half a million liter of fuel, open four service stations, and expand to 10 stations within three years. Existing distributors have five years to meet comparable benchmarks. Lawmakers also ratified a shift to mandatory digital payments along the supply chain, ending long-standing cash-based practices. During a heated debate, several MPs criticised regulators for what they described as lax oversight, pointing to unauthorised checkpoints operated by regional states that reportedly levy arbitrary fees on fuel transporters. Others called out the government for not pursuing “known participants” in illicit trade, arguing that tolerating such activities undercuts the integrity of the rules.


Radar

Revenue Drive Intensifies Following 900 Billion Br Milestone

The Minister of Revenue announced plans to collect 1.28 trillion Br in the upcoming fiscal year. This announcement was made during a discussion forum organised by the Ministry of Revenue (MoR) and the Customs Commission, which included senior leaders, employees, and relevant stakeholders. The event, themed "We will achieve our mission through coordinated leadership and active participation of employees," served as the platform for this important announcement. According to the ministry, they s...


Radar

Parliament Endorses Electoral Law Change Tying Party Support to Member Contributions

Federal legislators have ratified a contentious amendment to the Ethiopian Electoral, Political Parties' Registration, and Elections Code of Conduct Proclamation, revising the criteria political parties must meet to access government funding. The revised proclamation requires political parties to secure at least 20pc of their income from membership contributions in order to qualify for government grants. The clause passed with a majority vote in parliament, with two votes against and four abs...


Radar

City Unveils Major School Expansion Across 11 Districts

Addis Abeba City Administration has launched 150 education projects valued at over 5.2 billion Br ahead of the 2026 academic year. Spread across the capital's 11 districts, the rollout includes 14 newly built schools and upgrades to 64 existing facilities, adding 1,655 classrooms alongside ICT labs, libraries, and sports fields. City officials say the investment is part of efforts to improve access and quality of education, with infrastructure designed to accommodate students with disabilitie...