The formation of the Ethiopian state is owed to countless historical and political trajectories. The established narrative, though, is that modern Ethiopian state was formed during the reign of Emperor Menelik II. This is because the modern Ethiopian state was expanded through conquest during his era, especially to the Southern and South Western parts of Ethiopia.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s Economic and Political Challenges

In my commentary published in EBR issue 55 entitled “Stand Still and Movement” I expressed my grave concerns about the future of our nation. The coming to power of the new Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed is a relief for such concerns, at least for now. Abiy is the right pick in all senses of the word to be at the helm of power (as that happens to be the criteria at this juncture in our history). However, for all the peace that he has brought about to be sustainable, it is imperative to understand the major political and economic challenges that he in general, and we as citizens in particular, will be confronting. I will begin to highlight the top five economic challenges first and conclude by briefly noting two major political challenges that are preconditions for addressing the economic challenges.

Since 2000, Africa has recorded impressive rates of economic growth, owing largely to development assistance and a prolonged commodity boom. While the continent shows great diversity in the socioeconomic trajectories, growth rates have generally masked an underlying lack of structural transformation.

Global growth is accelerating. But before we break out the champagne, we should acknowledge the long-term risks to sustained expansion posed by rising private and public debt.

Market analysts view the uptick in private lending in most emerging and some developed economies as a sign of higher demand and a precursor of faster growth. But, while this is true in the short run, the relentless rise of overall debt remains among the most serious problems burdening the global economy.

Succession planning isn’t as straightforward as just christening one or more workers as surrogates, or enumerating a list of would-be substitutes. Rather, it is a strategic, planned and cognizant effort to cultivate future leaders who can ensure a business’s sustainability. Arguably the most critical decision a given board makes for a company’s future is electing a CEO. It must also be a standing board agenda item and the board should be kept appraised of development plans so that it assures that the organization’s future leadership needs are met. To everyone’s wonder, in Ethiopia’s financial sector most boards know least, or bother less as to how to choose their next CEOs.

Recent projections indicate that several Sub-Saharan African countries will experience robust economic growth over the next five years. By 2023, around one-third of the region’s economies will have grown at an average annual rate of five percent or higher since 2000.

Excise taxes are commonly referred as indirect taxes. Because they are a type of narrow based taxes, they can be collected by the government in several instances, during production or distribution, as opposed to direct taxes such as personal and profit tax, which are imposed on individuals and companies. Excise taxes are also levied on specific commodities such as luxury goods, whose demand remain unchanged irrespective of their prices.

Before the threat of a US-China trade war arose, surging stock markets and corporate profits had obscured the fact that the global economic system is under existential stress. Global financial stability remains considerably in doubt. Indeed, as world financial leaders gather for the annual IMF/World Bank spring conference in Washington, DC, the rapid pace of technological change and rising inequality are fueling ever louder calls for root-and-branch revision of the entire system.

Managing Ethiopia’s Foreign Currency Problem

Economists understand the exchange rate of currencies just as they understand the price of any other commodities. In the foreign exchange market, the goods that are traded are currencies and their prices are the exchange rates. This means, just as with the price of any good or service, the exchange rate is primarily determined by demand and supply.

During the recent discussion Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) held with the business community in Addis Ababa, one of the major issues raised by the representatives of the private sector was the shortage of foreign currency that has seriously affected their businesses as well as the entire nation. As part of the response, the Prime Minister asked the business leaders to bring back the hard currency they have in foreign banks in Dubai. He said Ethiopian businesses have lots of money deposited in foreign currency in Dubai and Chinese banks. Although asking the businesses to bring back the scarce foreign currency is a right thing to do as part of a short term solution, it is essential to see what factors the businesses to put their money in foreign countries.