World Bank Scraps Doing Business Report

Sep 18 , 2021


[ssba-buttons]

The World Bank ceases publishing its annual Doing Business Report, after irregularities were discovered in the reports published in 2018 and 2020. The report was among policy tools adopted by authorities in Ethiopia. The irregularities initiated a series of internal reviews and audits as well as brought up ethical concerns. Following this, the Bank's management has decided to discontinue the report. "Going forward, we will be working on a new approach to assessing the business and investment climate," reads a statement from the group. Improving the Ease of Doing Business ranking to achieving a rank below 100 was part of the Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's economic reforms introduced in 2018. Ethiopia ranked 159th out of 190 in the 2020 Doing Business Report, while neighbouring Kenya ranked 56th.


Radar

Revenue Drive Intensifies Following 900 Billion Br Milestone

The Minister of Revenue announced plans to collect 1.28 trillion Br in the upcoming fiscal year. This announcement was made during a discussion forum organised by the Ministry of Revenue (MoR) and the Customs Commission, which included senior leaders, employees, and relevant stakeholders. The event, themed "We will achieve our mission through coordinated leadership and active participation of employees," served as the platform for this important announcement. According to the ministry, they s...


Radar

Parliament Endorses Electoral Law Change Tying Party Support to Member Contributions

Federal legislators have ratified a contentious amendment to the Ethiopian Electoral, Political Parties' Registration, and Elections Code of Conduct Proclamation, revising the criteria political parties must meet to access government funding. The revised proclamation requires political parties to secure at least 20pc of their income from membership contributions in order to qualify for government grants. The clause passed with a majority vote in parliament, with two votes against and four abs...


Radar

City Unveils Major School Expansion Across 11 Districts

Addis Abeba City Administration has launched 150 education projects valued at over 5.2 billion Br ahead of the 2026 academic year. Spread across the capital's 11 districts, the rollout includes 14 newly built schools and upgrades to 64 existing facilities, adding 1,655 classrooms alongside ICT labs, libraries, and sports fields. City officials say the investment is part of efforts to improve access and quality of education, with infrastructure designed to accommodate students with disabilitie...