The Ethiopian Ministry of foreign Affairs called the decision ‘ill-advised measure to unnecessarily overshadow the elections’, in a statement released on May 24, 2021. US president Joe Biden’s administration restricted economic and security assistance to Ethiopia, followed by visa restrictions on Ethiopian and Eritrean officials in relation with the six months military
operation in Tigray region of Ethiopia.

Currently the Public Enterprise Holding and Administration (PEHA) is in the process to hire transaction advisors to privatize the ten sugar projects failed in the government hand.

Brook Taye (PhD), senior advisor to Ethiopia’s Ministry of Finance

The ministry, which is currently evaluating capital offered by two telecom operators who participated in an international bid Ethiopia floated months back to give license for two operators, is expected to announce the winner in two weeks maximum.

As covid19 restrict access to cash and financial institutions, number of mobile transaction users has grown by 13pct globally to over 1.2 billion in 2020, with over 300 million monthly active accounts, according to new report dubbed ‘State of the Industry Report of Mobile Money’, by Global System for Mobile Communication (GSMA). For the first time, the amount of remittance sent and received via mobile money has also surpassed USD1 billion, exponentially growing by 65pct.

The National Bank of Ethiopia introduced a new threshold for banks’ minimum paid up capital, raising the bar to ETB5 billion, up from the current ETB500 million. Existing banks are given five years grace period to meet the new threshold, while new banks in seven years, according to Frezer Ayalew, Bank Supervision director at NBE, who said the letter is just dispatched for the commercial banks.

The first private iron ore mining plant is to kick off in Mekaneselam, Wollo Zone in northcentral Ethiopia. Agodo YO is investing between USD150 and 200 million to install a medium-scale iron ore processing plant using the close to 200 million tons of ore discovered in Mekaneselam. Agodo YO is a sister company of C&E Brothers Steel Factory, engaged in rebar production since 2008. 

Ministry of Mines and Petroleum agreed to renew Midroc’s Legedembi Gold Mining license. Midroc Gold is expected to resume production in the next two years.

“Midroc is allowed to start running its mining plant in Legedembi. However, local people who were affected by the project previously must be compensated and reach agreement on how the community get a lasting benefit. Plus, the project cannot resume immediately now, because Midroc has to maintain its machineries, which has been idle,” Frehiwot Fekadu, communications director at MoMP, told EBR.

The House of People’s Representative ratified revised Commercial Code of Ethiopia. The revised code featured various new articles ranging from types of business licenses, online registration and closing, taxation and renewal procedures, ecommerce, trade competition practices, arbitration and tribunals, among others.

Sunpay Solutions Plc becomes one of the first two companies requested license from the National Bank of Ethiopia to operate their own Point of sales (POS) and ATM machines. Established with ETB100 million, Sunpay has planned to deploy 60,000 POS machines. The company is also in preparation to launch a digital financial service. The sister company of sunshine Investment Group that includes sunshine construction, planned to start operation by July 2021.  

Although the largest trade block, African Continental Free Trade Area, was officially operationalized on January 1, 2021, only Ghana has started tariff free shipments to south Africa and Guinea, so far. 

“surely other countries will start trading, as soon as the covid19 pandemic restrictions are lifted,” Brian Mureverwi, trade advisor at Department of Trade and Industry at African Union, told EBR.

However, Ethiopia is among African states that did not offer the types of goods and services it wishes to trade under tariff free, though it is among the 34 countries who ratified the agreement. Countries are expected to liberalize 90pct of the 5,708 items, to start trading. 

“technically we have analyzed which items we will liberalize now and which will be held as sensitive sectors, which will be liberalized in the course of the next 13 years. However, we are waiting for Ministry of Finance to approve the items. The ministry is reconsidering the offers, in terms of customs revenue loss, and competitive edge,” Muse Mindaye, Director of Trade Relations and Negotiation at Ethiopia’s Ministry of Trade and Industry, and member of the national negotiator team, told EBR.