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Sep 14 , 2025

US Renews National Emergency, Sanctions on Ethiopia

The United States has extended the national emergency and sanctions on Ethiopia for another year under the African Growth & Opportunity Act (AGOA). Signed by President Donald J. Trump, the measure was first declared on September 17, 2021, through an executive order citing the conflict in norther...

Sep 14 , 2025

Rockefeller Pitches Clean Cooking to Curb School Meal Emissions

A recent study has revealed the staggering environmental toll of school feeding programs. A single school serving 400 students can burn through the equivalent of 56 hectares of forest each year to fuel cooking. The Rockefeller Foundation flagged the health risks too, with most cooks, predominantly women, breathing smoke levels ten times higher than the World Health Organisation's safe limit. "If every school meal transitioned to clean cooking with electricity and solar, the emissions saved would equal those from the entire global aviation sector," said Kagwiria Koome, who leads the foundati...

Sep 14 , 2025

Sun-Powered Grid Brings Light to Qunbi District

A new 600KW solar mini-grid in East Hararge'sQunbi district has connected 2,200 households to electricity, marking a milestone in the recent rural electrification push. Ethiopian Electric Utility (EEU) laid seven kilometres of medium-voltage and 10 kilometres of low-voltage lines, installing four transformers to reach communities long cut off from power. Customers cover only meter and installation costs before accessing the service. The project is part of the national strategy to expand energy access through mini-grid technology in remote areas. To mark the 2018 New Year, EEU and EBS Tel...

Sep 14 , 2025

Red Sea Bank Eyes Investment in Local Banking Sector

Last week, Kebede Abera, deputy head of the Ethiopian mission in Djibouti, met with executives from the Bank for Commerce and Industry of the Red Sea (BCIMR) to discuss opportunities in the country's banking and finance sector. BCIMR, Djibouti's largest bank with a 45pc market share, was established in 1957 and is majority-owned by France's BRED Banque Populaire (51pc), with the Government of Djibouti holding 33pc and a Yemeni bank 16pc. Kebede highlighted opportunities created by ongoing macroeconomic reforms and growth in the financial sector. BCIMR executives expressed interest in expand...

Sep 14 , 2025

Italy, Ethiopia Agree on Railway Modernisation Partnership

The Ethiopian Railways Corporation (ERC) and COIPA Italia S.p.A. have signed a Strategic Cooperation Framework Agreement to modernise Ethiopia's railway network and advance sustainable transport. The deal, inked on September 12, 2025, is expected to boost economic ties between the two countries. Transport Minister Alemu Sime called the agreement a "win–win" partnership, while ERC CEO Hlina Belachew voiced confidence it would lead to tangible projects. COIPA Italia CEO Vito Favorito Sciamarella pledged technology transfer, investment, and capacity building. The partnership also brings in Inro...

Sep 14 , 2025

Ministry Suspends VAT on Essential Medicines Temporarily

The Ministry of Finance (MoF) announced the suspension of value-added tax on certain over-the-counter medicines sold by pharmacies until a legal amendment is finalised. The move follows a request from the Ministry of Health (MoH), which stressed that widely used medicines, including paracetamol, gastrointestinal and respiratory drugs, antimigraine treatments, musculoskeletal medicines, topical anti-infectives, antihistamines, vitamins, folic acid, minerals, and contraceptives, are critical for primary healthcare, child development, and family planning. Under current law, OTC medicines are g...

Sep 14 , 2025

Equity Bank Moves to Enter Ethiopias Financial Sector

Kenya's Equity Bank has signaled interest in joining Ethiopia's financial sector as the market opens to foreign players. Founded in 1984, the lender has grown into one of East Africa's largest banks, serving over 16 million customers across Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and other markets. Equity Bank CEO James Mwangi met with Ethiopian Investment Commission Commissioner Zeleke Temesgen to discuss operating conditions. Zeleke welcomed the move, promising government support, while Mwangi said Ethiopia had long been part of the bank's expansion plans and that the new policy offers a...

Sep 14 , 2025

Supreme Court Issues Directive on Case Execution Procedures

The Federal Supreme Court has issued a directive to regulate and standardise the work of its Execution Department, setting a framework for how final judgments and court orders are enforced across federal courts. The directive defines the department's structure, roles, and responsibilities while introducing uniform procedures for registering, processing, and prioritising cases with set timelines and documentation standards. It also mandates internal audits, periodic reporting, and disciplinary measures to improve compliance and accountability. Court officials say the measure is aimed at i...

Radar

Sep 7 , 2025

Ministry Showcases Arada Branch Revenue Gains

Arada District's Land Development & Administration Branch pulled in over 150 million Br in just 70 days, beating its 90-day target. Most of the revenue came from annual lease collections and servi...

Ministry Backs Blended Finance for Micro, Small Enterprises

The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) is partnering with Ministry of Finance to expand financial access for micro and small enterprises through blended finance and digital tools. Off-bal...

Sep 7 , 2025

National Electricity Network Set for Upgrade

Ethiopia Electric Utility (EEU) plans to expand the national electricity grid by 8,689 km in the 2026 fiscal year, Yohannes Tonja, head of Performance Monitoring and Evaluation, said. The rollout incl...

Sep 7 , 2025

Urban Investments Fuel Employment, World Bank

The Urban Institutional & Infrastructure Development Program (UIIDP) created over 1.15 million jobs between 2018 and 2024, the World Bank reported. The program supported 117 cities with infrastruc...

Sep 7 , 2025

Abay Bank Partners with Visa to Expand Digital Reach

Abay Bank marked its 15th anniversary with a strategic deal with Visa to accelerate digital payments. The partnership introduces prepaid cards, ATMs, and PoS services, planning to reduce cash dependen...

Sep 7 , 2025

Fintech Milkii Lifts Borrowing Beyond Collateral

Milkii, a digital lending platform rolled out by Oromia Bank with Quantum Technology, has stormed into the fintech scene with over 60,000 users and 140 million Br disbursed in just three months no col...

Sep 7 , 2025

Freight Operators Win Eased Certification Requirements in Policy Shift

The Ministry of Transport & Logistics has relaxed long-contested rules governing freight transport competence certification. State Minister Denge Boru said the revisions came after repeated consul...

Aug 30 , 2025

Credit Cap Nears Lift-Off

The National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) is preparing to lift its long-standing credit cap by September, unlocking 1.3 trillion Br in bank lending. The move, flagged by board member and State Minister of F...

Aug 30 , 2025

Dire Dawa Launches Cheche App, Unifying City Services

A new application named Cheche was launched in Dire Dawa this week, integrating 30 public institutions and offering over 500 services. The app was launched in the presence of officials from the Minist...

Aug 30 , 2025

Businesses Face New Quarterly Tax Rules

The Ministry of Finance introduced a new system requiring taxpayers to pay 25pc of annual taxes every three months. The first installment, due August 2025, covers income from January to March, with su...

Aug 30 , 2025

EagleLion, CBE, Dashen Roll Out New Remittance Platform

EagleLion, in partnership with the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE) and Dashen Bank, unveiled a suite of digital services to modernise remittances at an event held on August 26 at the Sheraton Addis...

Aug 30 , 2025

Bank of Abyssinia, Fastpay Seal Digital Remittance Deal

Bank of Abyssinia has partnered with Fastpay LLC to launch a digital remittance platform powered by Cybersource technology. Signed at the Hyatt Regency on August 28, the agreement enables Ethiopians a...

Aug 23 , 2025

State-Owned Enterprises Deliver, But Fund Seeks More from Underperformers

Ethiopian Investment Holdings (EIH), the country's sovereign wealth fund, closed its annual performance review with a mix of strong gains and lingering concerns across its portfolio of state-owned ent...

Aug 23 , 2025

Bureau Maps Out 1,700 Land Rights in a Month

The Rights Registration & Holding Service Directorate under the Bureau of Land Development & Administration prepared over 1,700 landholding certification maps in a single month. The update cam...

Aug 23 , 2025

Yango Pitches New Rental Model to Car Owners

Yango Ethiopia has introduced a vehicle rental program designed to boost returns for car owners. Through franchise partners, owners can register vehicles, manage drivers, track trips, and monitor reve...

Aug 23 , 2025

Spice Shipments Bring Nearly 15 Million Dollars

Spice exports fetched 14.94 million dollars from 15,612 tons shipped in the past fiscal year, the Coffee & Tea Authority reported. Top buyers included India, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United States...

Columns

Commentaries | Sep 13,2025

In Climate Talks, Africa Mortgages Tomorrow Simply to Survive Today

At its launch in Nairobi two years ago, the Africa Climate Summit was billed as the forum...

Editorial | Sep 13 , 2025

Digital Payments Reshape Economy While Service Workers Lose Out

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

Featured | Sep 14 , 2025 . By NAHOM AYELE

Student Tax ID Push Triggers Logjam

The yellow flush of Aday Abeba flowers has returned to Addis Abeba, heralding the arrival...

Agenda | Sep 13 , 2025 . By NAHOM AYELE and YITBAREK GETACHEW

Monument to National Ambition, Geopolitical Agency

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), Africa's largest hydroelectric power project,...

Fortune News | Sep 15 , 2025 . By AMANUEL BEKELE

US Renews National Emergency, Sanctions on Ethiopia

Rockefeller Pitches Clean Cooking to Curb School Meal Emissions

Sun-Powered Grid Brings Light to Qunbi District

Red Sea Bank Eyes Investment in Local Banking Sector

Italy, Ethiopia Agree on Railway Modernisation Partnership

Ministry Suspends VAT on Essential Medicines Temporarily

Equity Bank Moves to Enter Ethiopias Financial Sector

Supreme Court Issues Directive on Case Execution Procedures