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




Water Bottling Industry to Save $50m

Nov 5 , 2022


[ssba-buttons]

A masterbatch that makes blue-colour plastic water bottles will no longer be imported. Ethiopian Beverages Manufacturing Industries Association leaders persuaded manufacturers to discontinue using the product due to pressure on the foreign currency reserve. It is hoped to save close to 50 million dollars spent to import the masterbatch. Close to 15 million litres of bottled water is consumed a day. The product is unsuitable for recycling, pollutes the environment and adds no value, Getnet Belay, president of the Association, told a press conference held last week at the Inter Luxury Hotel. The Association partnered with the Federal Food & Beverage Industry Research & Development Institute, led by Bekele Mekuria, to study the product's environmental impact for over a year. Following the request for the 20pc excise tax exemption on bottled water, the Institute has recommended the Association lower its operational costs.


Radar

Liquidity Relief, Reform Pressure Meet as World Bank Prepares Major Budget Support

The World Bank is set to approve a 1.45 billion dollar budget support package for the Ethiopian government on June 25, 2026. The announcement came alongside a high-level consultation at the Ethiopian Skylight Hotel, where leaders from the Ethiopian Chambers of Commerce and Sectoral Associations (ECCSA) met with private sector representatives and the National Council. The package follows an earlier 17 billion dollar credit and summer service support allocation. Bisrate Teshome, senior private...


Radar

Cabinet Approves 502b Birr Budget as City Returns to Federal Subsidy

The Addis Abeba City Cabinet has approved a 502 billion Br budget for the 2026/27 fiscal year, a fiscal plan that marks a return to federal subsidies despite previous claims of municipal self-sufficiency. The budget, now awaiting final ratification by the City Council, incorporates a federal subsidy of more than 74 million Br. This policy reversal follows the 2025/26 mid-year salary revisions for civil servants, implemented to buffer the inflationary impact of the floating Birr on the cost of...


Radar

Global Analytics Meets Local Insight as WAAS Partners With Kantar in Ethiopia Expansion

WAAS International Plc has partnered with global analytics firm Kantar on June 12, 2026, to introduce predictive analytics and consumer tracking tools into the country's corporate market. The collaboration blends Kantar's global methodologies with WAAS's 35-year local data archive to support business leaders operating in a liberalising economy. WAAS Managing Director Efera Busa said the partnership connects global expertise with local context, delivering standardised metrics without losing cu...