Content: Commentary

  • Addressing a “Five-Star” Economic Problem

    In the absence of fundamental economic reforms, inertia in economic growth does not carry for too long. Even faster growth brings some negative impacts with it, writes Eyob Tesfaye (PhD), a macroeconomist, urging policymakers to pursue desperately needed reforms. The views reflected here are only his and do not represent any institution.

  • Local Tourism: Gateway to Sense of Patriotism, Empathy

    If there is a mechanism that helps low-cost service providers make profit, is cost-effective to local tourists and brings sustainable socio-economic benefits to people living in tourist areas, there is no reason that a positive mutual relationship cannot be built, writes Neftalem F. Hailemeskel (neftalemfikre@gmail.com), a certified digital marketer and owner of a digital marketing firm.

  • Labour Bill: Let’s Talk More About It

    The draft labour bill concerning employees in the private sector changed 53 articles in the existing labour law, and 18 of those were rejected by the Confederation of Ethiopian Trade Unions (CETU). The draft indeed needs a thorough discussion before it could move further, writes Senay Lemma (senaylemma2@gmail.com), a country human resource manager.

  • A Way Forward for Food, Land Use in Ethiopia

    To unlock the potential of better food and land use, business leaders and policy-makers working in the food and land sectors need long-term science-based targets and pathways to make better-informed decisions, write Gemedo Dalle (PhD), Ethiopian minister of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, and Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever and chair of the Food & Land Use Coalition.

  • Tale of Two States

    Some are “advising” Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) to avoid indulging in the controversial historical narrative. But given that the public is hopeful due to the change in the leadership of the ruling party, we have a historic opportunity to revisit our past, argues Eyob Tekalegn Tolina (eyobjobt@gmail.com), a political economist who is currently a director at an American investment firm.

  • Ministries Merger: Threat to Livestock, Fisheries Sector

    Last month, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) introduced a bill to parliament to merge the ministries of Livestock & Fisheries and Agriculture & Natural Resources. This move will hamper the livestock and fisheries sector argues Lemma Habtamu (lehabtamu@outlook.com), a PhD candidate and an assistant professor of dairy sciences.

  • With Coordination, Education Goals Realise

    In the past 15 years, more children than ever have enrolled in primary schools, thanks to a massive global effort to get them into the classroom. Inadequate management structures and poorly coordinated mechanisms though are thwarting efforts, writes Ann Therese Ndong-Jatta, the director of UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa in Nairobi, Kenya.

  • Banks Almost Inexplicable Advance Despite Omens

    Private banks are suffering from a shortage of foreign currency, not to mention that they have been hit with restrictive directives by the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE). Industry insiders and commentators have predicted earlier that the banks are looking forward to a grim end-of-year report. Their third quarter performance report though tells a different story, writes this author with a solid background in finance and whose identity Fortune withheld upon request.  

  • Forex Crunch: Ethiopia’s Immovable Object

    The recurrent cause of Ethiopia’s forex crunch ranges from declining export performance to increasing imports; from declining net official public and private capital to stagnating individual transfers, writes Abdulmena Mohammed (abham2010@yahoo.co.uk), a financial expert with 15 years of experience.

  • Abiy’s Daunting Economic Assignments

    A huge assignment awaits Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) to put the industrialization effort of the nation in a stable footing. And there is much that needs to be done in both policy or strategic front as well as operational front, writes Getachew T. Alemu (getupfront@gmail.com), an economic development and investment consultant with Apex Consulting, US, and Director of Strategies, ExoTalent.

  • On Prime Minister Abiy’s Plate

    Refreshingly original, both in form and substance, the emphatic inaugural address by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has generated a strong sense of optimism in the nation. Not only has it rekindled hope, but it also has set high expectations, writes Eyob Tekalegn Tolina (eyobjobt@gmail.com), a political economist that was the manager of the Ethiopian Public Private Consultative Forum (EPPCF) most recently and a director at an American investment firm currently.

  • Revolutionary Democrats Find their Match

    The EPRDF must be thanked for a smooth transfer of power. What remains is for it to act quickly and formulate policies in concert with peaceful opposition parties to envision the way forward, without emergency decrees, argues Teodros Kiros (PhD) (kiros@fas.harvard.edu), professor of philosophy at Berklee College of Music and Non-Resident Du Bois Fellow at Harvard University.

  • The Imperative of Patriotic Wisdom

    Our society is bigger, stronger, and wiser than our politics, and the wise patriot would respect that, writes Abdul Mohammed, a regional political analyst.

  • Berbera Port: Influences from Beyond the Horn

    The recent joint-venture between DP World and the governments of Somaliland and Ethiopia has prompted diplomatic firefighting. But all Horn actors’ influence in regional politics is dependent on alignment to the same wider geopolitical alliances, limiting their diplomatic manoeuvring space, write Jos Meester (jmeester@clingendael.org) and Willem van den Berg (wberg@clingendael.org), research fellow and research assistant, respectively, at the Netherlands Institute of International Relations “Clingendael”.

  • Think Globally, Act Globally

    We occupy a unique place in history that is full of constant change. Economies are diverse, nations are interdependent in trade, and there is a digital revolution. If Ethiopia does not adapt to this dynamic world it will remain uncompetitive on the world stage, writes Asseged G. Medhin (kolass799728@yahoo.com), CEO of operations at the National Insurance Company of Ethiopia (NICE).

  • Nothing but Optimism for China’s Development Vision

    China’s Belt & Road Initiative will boost domestic prosperity and the sharing of opportunities with the rest of the world. Developing countries such as Ethiopia must strive to play their part in this Initiative for it presents a win-win situation, writes Zemen Jonedi (zemenjonedi27@gmail.com), a writer, political analyst and foreign relation expert.

  • To Brand, Not to Brand

    Operating a hotel independently may mean more control and flexibility when making significant decisions. But branded hotels offer access to larger customer databases and substantial marketing budgets. David Desta (destadavid@gmail.com), a Cornell University graduate from the School of Hotel Administration who has been working in Ethiopia for the past several years, explains the dilemma.

  • Threat of Inadequate Knowledge in Prosecution of Businesses

    An on-going court case reported in this paper shows the absence of care in the investigation of the crime and the substantiation of pieces of evidence. It is one amongst numerous criminal cases flooding courts that require the close examination of all lawyers, writes Yohannes Woldegebriel (johnwaa@hotmail.com), a lawyer and former prosecutor that has worked in four different public prosecution offices and has vast experience in tax law and commercial matters.

  • Averting Graver Humanitarian Crisis as Peace Remains Elusive

    A sustained solution to the conflict in South Sudan has been elusive. And if the government of South Sudan, opposition parties and development partners fail to intervene to save lives and build the resilience of rural communities, the humanitarian crises will be graver, writes Patrick Kormawa (PhD), FAO Representative to the Africa Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and FAO Subregional Coordinator for Eastern Africa Region.

  • Mega Projects, Mega Risk

    A recent report on the fire accident risks faced by residents close to Qoshe draws attention to the lack of risk mitigating tools in the city. Projects are given the green light, often without considering the psychological and health risks they pose to the very community these projects are expected to benefit, writes Asseged G. Medhin (kolass799728@yahoo.com), CEO of operations at the National Insurance Company of Ethiopia (NICE).

  • Ours Isn’t a Zero-sum Country

    At a time when Ethiopians need a unifying national conversation in an open public forum, what they have instead are multiple parallel conspiratorial conversations, Abdul Mohammed, a regional political analyst, argues, calling for the middle ground in the political divide to prevail.

  • Ethiopian Coffee as Nation’s Icon

    The French are recognised for their perfumes, the Italians for their fashion and design, and the Germans for their great engineering. Similarly, Ethiopia must strive to have its coffee recognised as a brand as it would bring many economic benefits, write Misgana Gobeze (addismisgana@gmail.com) and Sintayehu Girma (sintayehuGirma76@gmail.com).

  • Ethio telecom’s Vanity Award

    Although the awards given by the European Business Assembly (EBA) are portrayed as outstanding results achieved in a prestigious competition, they are not, in actual fact, a recognition of the telecom’s services by the international community, writes Amhayes Tadesse (amhayes.t@tafcorporate.com), an executive advisor at Tekleberhan Ambaye Construction.

  • Rising Above Hunger, All Forms of Malnutrition

    Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number 2 calls for the eradication of all forms of malnutrition for we are facing a global epidemic of being overweight and obese. We still have good reasons to be optimistic and believe that eradicating hunger by 2030 is still possible, writes Graziano da Silva, director-general of the Food & Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations.

  • Ideal Time for Domestic Tourism

    The reinstatement of the State of Emergency has done little to help a frail tourism industry that is already facing difficulties. Hoteliers must wither what is bound to be a tough time for the sector by reinforcing domestic tourism, writes David Desta (destadavid@gmail.com), a Cornell University graduate from the School of Hotel Administration who has been working in Ethiopia with Kuriftu Resorts for the past several years.