Business

IMF Ranks Ethiopia Among Africa’s Most Indebted Nations

ADDIS ABABA — October 2025. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has released its latest list of Africa’s most indebted nations, placing Ethiopia seventh with outstanding obligations totaling $1.59 billion. At the top of the list is Egypt, burdened with about $6.89 billion in IMF debt, followed by Côte d’Ivoire and Kenya, each owing around $3

October 26, 2025 • By Addis Insight

Business

Ethiopia Capital Market Authority Tightens Exchange Oversight

ECMA Mandates Independent Oversight for Exchanges, Details Strict New Supervision and Reporting Framework ADDIS ABABA — The Ethiopian Capital Market Authority (ECMA) has released a comprehensive new supervision guideline, establishing a rigorous framework for oversight, compliance, and governance for all market participants. Dated October 2025, the directive introduces significant new requirements aimed at bolstering market

October 24, 2025 • By Addis Insight

Business

NBE Issues Directive to Prevent Use of Personal or Third-Party Accounts for Commercial Transactions

Addis Ababa, October 2025 — The National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) has issued a stern directive to all banking institutions to crack down on business operations conducted through individuals’ personal or third-party accounts. The move is part of a broader effort to strengthen financial oversight and address risks linked to tax evasion and illicit finance.

October 24, 2025 • By Addis Insight

Business

CBE’s New Service Fees Spark Outcry as 50 Birr Charges Hit Small Transfers

ADDIS ABABA – The Commercial Bank of Ethiopia’s (CBE) newly adjusted service fees officially took effect today, and early customer reactions on social media show widespread frustration. Screenshots circulating online reveal that interbank transfers under ETB 1,000 are now subject to a flat ETB 50 charge, a rate many customers say is disproportionate to the

September 30, 2025 • By Addis Insight

Business

Abyssinia Bank Reports Record Growth: Total Assets Surge to 286.2 Billion Birr

Abyssinia Bank has reported its strongest financial performance to date, with total assets reaching 286.2 billion birr ($5.1 billion), marking a 28.8% year-on-year increase as of the close of the 2017 E.C. fiscal year (2024/25 Gregorian calendar). The bank’s annual general meeting—its 29th regular and 16th extraordinary shareholder assembly—highlighted sharp growth in income, profitability, and

September 30, 2025 • By Addis Insight

Business

Ethiopia Opens Restricted Eurobond Talks in Paris as Debt Restructuring Gains Momentum

Addis Ababa/Paris – Ethiopia has entered into confidential negotiations with a group of its international bondholders to restructure its $1 billion Eurobond, signaling the most serious progress yet in efforts to resolve its sovereign debt crisis. According to people familiar with the matter, the restricted talks – held under non-disclosure agreements – began in Paris

September 30, 2025 • By Addis Insight

Business

Visa, SantimPay to Deploy 20,000 POS Terminals in Ethiopia

Addis Ababa – Global payments giant Visa Inc. has entered into a strategic partnership with Ethiopian fintech firm SantimPay Financial Solutions S.A. to deploy 20,000 point-of-sale (POS) terminals across Ethiopia, a major step toward building out the nation’s underdeveloped digital payments infrastructure. The agreement—inked during the Visa Connector Ethiopia summit last week—marks Visa’s first financial

September 30, 2025 • By Addis Insight

Business

Ethiopia 2025: U.S. Report Flags Reforms and Corridor Risks

The U.S. State Department’s 2025 Investment Climate Statement on Ethiopia paints a picture of a country pulling in two directions at once: a government eager to court foreign capital and modernise its economy, and a political and regulatory environment that repeatedly unsettles the very investors it hopes to attract. Reform Momentum and Market Appeal The

September 29, 2025 • By Addis Insight

Business

NBE Lifts Credit Cap to 24% but Stops Short of Full Removal

Ethiopia’s Central Bank Holds Tight on Monetary Policy Ethiopia’s central bank unexpectedly opted for a partial easing of its credit controls, lifting the ceiling on commercial bank loan portfolio growth to 24% from 18%—but stopping well short of the full removal that investors, exporters and commercial lenders had widely expected. The announcement came late Monday

September 29, 2025 • By Addis Insight

Business

Ethiopia’s Central Bank Holds Interest Rate at 15% as Inflation Cools and Economy Strengthens

Addis Ababa — Ethiopia’s central bank kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 15% and opted for only a cautious loosening of credit growth limits, signaling that policymakers remain focused on containing inflation even as the economy shows signs of broad-based strength. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE), which

September 29, 2025 • By Addis Insight