Munir Shemsu

Loosening the Grip: The NBE's Paired FX Directives

As the IMF’s 5th review looms, Ethiopia’s central bank has rolled out its most substantive FX changes since the 2024 float, delegating trade finance decisions to banks and formalizing Franco Valuta flows.

Can Ethiopia's DFS Boom Finally Bring Coverage to the Masses?

Without foreign competition or regulatory pressure to innovate, and with a captive motor insurance market, Ethiopia's insurers had little incentive to expand beyond familiar lines of business.

Collecting More, Returning Less

Ethiopia’s new VAT Refund Directive promises faster payouts, 7 days for exporters, 45 for standard claims but embeds tighter audits, heavy documentation, and penalties for delay.

The Right to Know: What Ethiopia's Draft Freedom of Information Proclamation Means for Economic Life

A new Freedom of Information draft law in Ethiopia could transform accountability, fiscal transparency, and economic credibility if institutions enforce it beyond paper commitments.

Running on Empty: Ethiopia's Fuel Price Spiral and the Households Left to Absorb It

Ethiopia’s latest fuel price hike exposes the collision of subsidy reforms, global oil shocks, and FX pressure, driving inflation higher and deepening hardship for vulnerable households.

Ethiopia Courts OpenAI for Local Academy

Ethiopia’s AI moment: Addis AI Forum brings policymakers, entrepreneurs, and investors together to explore turning AI talent into economic impact.