Standing Committee First Visit to Private Foreign Firm Garners New Era


Standing Committee First Visit to Private Foreign Firm Garners New Era

Safaricom Ethiopia stated that it has become the first private foreign company to host a visit by a standing committee from the House of People’s Representatives, with the Democracy Affairs Standing Committee touring the company’s operations last week. Wim Vanhelleputte, CEO, presented the company's half-year results, showcasing growth in mobile and M-PESA services. Notable achievements include expanding 4G coverage to 46pc of the population, acquiring over 6.1 million active subscribers, and seeing a surge in data usage to an average of 6.6 GB per user. Ewinetu Alene, committee chairman, emphasized the committee's oversight role and noted the occasion as a new era of private sector engagement with government stakeholders.


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Authority Enacts EV Charging Stations Directive

A new directive setting technical standards, licensing requirements, and safety measures for electric vehicle (EV) charging stations has been approved. Created by the Petroleum & Energy Authority (PEA), it aims to ensure the quality of energy supply and the safety of charging stations and accelerate the adoption of EVs. The directive outlines service provision regulations, including technical and safety standards as well as electricity tariff criteria. It divides public charging stations...


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Fuel Prices Surge Following Subsidy Withdrawal

The Council of Ministers has authorised monthly reviews and adjustments to retail fuel prices, leading to a price hike on January 7. The increase affects gasoline, kerosene, white diesel, light black diesel, heavy black diesel, and jet fuel. Gasoline prices rose by 11.3pc to 101.47 Br a litre. White diesel and kerosene prices increased by 9.6pc, while light black diesel now costs 108.30 Br a litre, and heavy black diesel is priced at 105.97 Br. Long queues at fuel stations persisted until...


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Wegagen Bank Expands into Diaspora Real Estate Market

Wegagen Bank has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Deluxe Properties to support diaspora communities in purchasing homes. The agreement was signed at Wegagen Bank's headquarters last week. Under the MoU, Wegagen Bank will provide financing to diaspora buyers of Deluxe Properties' homes. The bank offers loans covering up to 80pc of the property's cost, with repayment terms spread over 25 years. The Bank stated the initiative supports the National Bank of Ethiopia's (NBE) missi...