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

Fortune Logo

The Political Class Bet on Mega-projects, Pushed State Banks to the Brink


May 30 , 2026
By Eyob Tesfaye (PhD)

Ethiopia's developmental state experiment was less a model of economic discipline than a response to political necessity...





Subscribe here for the (Addis) Fortune Bundle Subscription and get a month of exclusive access free of charge. Already a subscriber, Login below:


SUBSCRIPTION OFFERS

You can make transfer to :



Related Posts

Most read

Editor's pick

Latest News

Columns

Commentaries | May 30,2026

The Political Class Bet on Mega-projects, Pushed State Banks to the Brink

Life Matters | May 30,2026

Beyond the Scoreline, How Foreign Football Becomes Local Identity

My Opinion | May 30,2026

A Cold Shower for the AI Mania

Sunday with Eden | May 30,2026

When Ordinary Lives Rewrite Poverty

Agenda | May 31,2026

Ethiopians to Vote Under the Shadow of a Foregone Outcome

Editorial | May 30,2026

Mistaking Development Theatre for Public Trust Has a Cost

Editors' Pick

Exclusive Interviews

State Enterprises from Oracles to Apprentices

Dec 22 , 2024 . By TIZITA SHEWAFERAW

Charged with transforming colossal state-owned enterprises into modern and competitiv...

Agenda

Rising Costs, Inflation Threaten Insurance Industry

Aug 18 , 2024 . By AKSAH ITALO

Although predictable Yonas Zerihun's job in the ride-hailing service is not immune to...

Agenda

BREWING DISCONTENT

Jul 28 , 2024 . By TIZITA SHEWAFERAW

Unhabitual, perhaps too many, Samuel Gebreyohannes, 38, used to occasionally enjoy a couple of beers at breakfast. However, he recently swit...

Fortune News

Electric Vehicle Push Leaves Investors in the Lurch

Jul 13 , 2024 . By AKSAH ITALO

Investors who rely on tractors, trucks, and field vehicles for commuting, transporting commodities, and f...

Commentaries

The Political Class Bet on Mega-projects, Pushed State Banks to the Brink

Ethiopia's developmental state experiment was less a model of economic discipline tha...

Taking Women Farmers Seriously

As the war in Iran disrupts fertiliser supplies and undermines food security around the world, the need t...

Fineline

Leaders of the National . . .

Leaders of the National Election Board are in a charm offensive mood, of a sort. Last week, they organised a rare tour for members of the me...

When the country’s most. . .

When the country's most senior diplomats and envoys return back to their posts after two-week debriefings, they leave behind a point or two...

Editorial

Mistaking Development Theatre for Public Trust Has a Cost

May 30 , 2026 . By NAHOM AYELE and YEABSIRA TAYE

Tomorrow, millions of Ethiopians are expected to vote in the seventh national electio...

Tax Push Tests How Much Pain Taxpayers Can Bear

May 23 , 2026

An International Monetary Fund (IMF) team has spent weeks in Addis Abeba conducting t...

T-Bills Trap Begins in the Federal Government's Own Budget

May 16 , 2026

The federal budget tells a troubling story about inflation, debt and reform. The prob...

Every Encounter with the State Should Not Become an Invoice

May 9 , 2026

The Ethiopian state appears to have discovered a fiscal instrument that is politicall...

Gallery

Parliament Approves New Cabinet Members

Oct 6 , 2021

Parliament Approves New Cabinet, Incorporates Opposition Leaders Lawmakers have approved today the nominations of 22 ministers, including three opposition leaders. Two MPs have voted against, while 12 abstained...

2020 in Posterity

Jan 5 , 2021

TIGRAY VOTES DESPITE "NULL & VOID" THREAT

Sep 9 , 2020

IN-PICTURE: LAUREATE'S RECEPTION  

Dec 14 , 2019

PM Abiy Ahmed (PhD) at a Gala Dinner Called for the Awarding of the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize

May 6 , 2019

Faces, Voices of Addis Abeba

Apr 26 , 2019

Sunday With Eden

When Ordinary Lives Rewrite Poverty

There are moments in life that leave people changed forever. A few days ago, I attended a conference at a religious inst...

A Ball, A Father, A Life-time of Memory

Football was never merely a game in our household. It was ritual, language and affect...

Life Matters

Beyond the Scoreline, How Foreign Football Becomes Local Identity

The recent celebrations in Addis Abeba following Arsenal's success were, to put it bl...

When Problem-Solving Fails Because the Shape Looks Different

We like to think of ourselves as pattern-recognition machines. From the moment the da...

Fortune news

New Customs Directive Seeks to Remove Export Uncertainty

May 31 , 2026 . By BEZAWIT HULUAGER

The Ethiopian Customs Commission (ECC) has introduced a legally binding advance rulin...

Logistics Sector Opens to Foreign Firms With One-Million-Dollar Entry Requirement

May 31 , 2026 . By BEZAWIT HULUAGER

The Ministry of Transport & Logistics has introduced new requirements for foreign...

EIH Ditches Flat Board Pay, Ties Rewards to Profitability, Audit Results

May 31 , 2026 . By BEZAWIT HULUAGER

Ethiopian Investment Holdings (EIH) has introduced a performance-linked remuneration...

Sandford School Faces Legal Setback as Court Rejects 'Fee Harmonisation' Claim

May 31 , 2026 . By NAHOM AYELE

The Federal High Court's Arada Division has ruled that Sandford International School...