Legal Insights
Legal Updates
Stay informed with our latest legal insights, analysis, and updates on regulatory developments in Ethiopia and across Africa.
Ministry of Urban and Infrastructure Issues Implementing Directive for Foreign National Residential Property Ownership Framework
On August 2026, the Ministry of Urban and Infrastructure issued Directive No. 1147/2018 (the “Directive”) to operationalize the Foreign Nationals’ Ownership Right of…
UNDERSTANDING ETHIOPIA'S FOREIGN RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY OWNERSHIP REGIME: WHAT FOREIGN NATIONALS, INVESTORS, AND DEVELOPERS SHOULD KNOW
Ethiopia's property law has traditionally restricted foreign nationals from owning immovable property, limiting them primarily to leasehold arrangements and other…
MAJOR REGULATORY REFORM IN ETHIOPIA'S HEALTHCARE SECTOR: EFDA Issues New Rational Medicine Use Control Directive No. 1138/2026
The new directive establishes a significantly enhanced regulatory framework governing the prescribing, dispensing, compounding, monitoring, and promotion of medicines in…
ELECTRONIC INVOICING SYSTEM ADMINISTRATION DIRECTIVE NO. 1142/2026
The Ministry of Revenues has enacted the Electronic Invoicing System Administration Directive No. 1142/2026, effecting a fundamental transformation of Ethiopia's tax…
Ethiopia Enacts Carbon Market Proclamation No. 1436/2026 Establishing the Legal Framework for Carbon Trading, Climate Finance, and Sustainable Investment
The House of Peoples' Representatives of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia has enacted Carbon Market Proclamation No. 1436/2026 (the "Proclamation")…
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PRODUCTS SECURITY CLEARANCE AND CONTROL PROCLAMATION NO. 1310/2023: WHAT STAKEHOLDERS SHOULD KNOW
Ethiopia's digital transformation has accelerated the adoption of information technology across government institutions, businesses, financial services, and everyday…
Analysis of the ECMA CIS Directive Draft: A New Era for Ethiopian Collective Investments
The Ethiopian Capital Market Authority (ECMA) has circulated a draft Collective Investment Schemes (CIS) Directive dated July 2025 that is nothing short of a…
UNDERSTANDING ELECTRONIC COMMERCE LAW IN ETHIOPIA: A PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR DIGITAL BUSINESSES, PLATFORM OPERATORS, AND CONSUMERS
Electronic commerce has fundamentally transformed the way businesses operate, consumers purchase goods and services, and governments deliver public services. Today…
Ethiopia's New Customs Proclamation: 5 Key Changes Every Importer and Transporter Must Know
A major amendment to Ethiopia's Customs Proclamation took effect on 23 July 2026, bringing changes that will reshape how businesses import goods, transport cargo, and…
Ethiopia Amends Customs Valuation Rules: Strengthening Transparency, Fairness, and WTO Compliance
The Ministry of Revenues has issued Customs Valuation Directive No. 1123/2018 (2026), amending the Customs Valuation Directive No. 1080/2017 (2025). The amendment…
Ethiopia’s Data Sovereignty Regime: A Framework in Search of Enforcement
On 24 July 2024, the Personal Data Protection Proclamation No. 1321/2024 (the “Proclamation”) entered into force, establishing Ethiopia’s first comprehensive legal…
Ethiopia Introduces a Comprehensive Regulatory Framework for Franco Valuta Imports
Hirko & Associates Law Office wishes to inform investors, importers, business operators, trade associations, development organizations, and other stakeholders that the…
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