FORTUNE+ VIDEO SPONSORED CONTENTS ADVERTORIALS FORTUNE AUDIO Fortune Careers New TRADE AFRICA New

Fortune Logo



US Donates 42m Br Worth of Medical Equipment

Sep 10 , 2021

[ssba-buttons]

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has donated 46 modern tuberculosis diagnostic equipment worth one million dollars to the Ministry of Health. The handover took place in the compound of the Ethiopian Pharmaceutical Supply Agency in the presence of the Lia Tadesse (MD), minister of Health, and the US Ambassador to Ethiopia, Geeta Pasi. Dubbed GeneXpert, the new machines will reduce the time it takes to diagnose TB in a patient from two days to just two hours. Epidemiologists estimate that there are roughly 160,000 cases of TB across Ethiopia, while the country's capacity to test for the infection is underdeveloped. Around 24,000 people die of TB yearly.

Radar

Amendment Expands Access for Foreign Traders

Foreign participation in Ethiopia's wholesale, retail, import, and export trade sectors has come under renewed focus as the Ethiopian Investment Board(EIB) approved a significant amendment to Directive No. 1001/2016  in its meeting on May 23, 2025. The amendment, proposed by the Ethiopian Investment Commission(EIC), focuses on refining the legal framework governing foreign investment in these sectors. The decision is part of a broader strategy to enhance the country's appeal as an investment...

Read more >>

Radar

NBE Sets Four Percent Ceiling on Foreign Exchange Fees

The National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) issued a new foreign exchange market directive on May 20, 2025, that caps commercial banks' forex service fees at a maximum of four percent. Banks are instructed to adapt competitive, transparent, and streamlined pricing for all forex-related services. Effective May 26, 2025, total charges for purchasing foreign exchange whether for imports, service payments, or cash note purchases must not exceed the newly set limit. The directive also prohibits banks f...

Read more >>

Radar

SantimPay Launches Zero-fee Digital Remittance Platform

SantimPay has rolled out FrankRemit, first fully integrated, zero-fee digital remittance platform, in partnership with Bank of Abyssinia(BOA). The service smoothly connects all commercial banks and major mobile money providers, including Telebirr, M-Pesa, and CBE Birr which is a first of its kind in the country. FrankRemit is expected to revolutionise how the Ethiopian diaspora sends money home. Developed locally and tested over the past two weeks with successful transfers from multiple count...

Read more >>