Understanding the Legal Requirements for Electronic Signatures in Ethiopia PDF Version Available Here In December 2018, Ethiopia adopted the Electronic Signature Proclamation No.1072/2018 in order to create a conducive legal framework to promote electronic commerce and electronic government service. The Proclamation provides legal recognition to electronic signatures to promote trust in electronic communication and to...Read More

House Sales in Addis Ababa to Be Taxed at Predetermined Prices The Addis Ababa City Government has set a fixed price per square meter for house sales in an effort to collect all revenue generated by the city, in line with recent tax reforms. Under the new valuation, the government will estimate that a house...Read More

Ethiopian Federal Appellate Courts Must Now Provide Reasons for Dismissing Appeals The federal appellate courts have long had a practice of dismissing appeals without providing a reason on the standard form. This procedure has allowed appellate courts to make prompt decisions as they were not required to articulate detailed reasoning for deciding to dismiss an appeal...Read More

Ethiopian Government Support for Disaster-Affected Investors Comes to an End: Directive 967/2023 Repeals Directive 253/2021 The Directive that provides for the Government’s support to investors whose properties were damaged by both man-made and natural disasters is repealed by the Ministry of Finance’s Directive 967/2023. Consequently, Directive No.253/2021 is repealed as of the 29th of May...Read More

DABLO Law Firm LLP Represented at the AEA XVII International Congress in Vienna DABLO Law Firm LLP is proud to announce that its managing partners Dawit Kidane and Bruk Geremew participated in the International Congress of the Association of European Attorneys (AEA) in Vienna, Austria, from May 25 to May 26, 2023. The theme of...Read More

Legal Update on the Revised Property Tax Levied by the Addis Ababa City Administration PDF Version Available Here The land tax, sometimes referred to as the property tax, is regarded by the government as one of the most significant sources of revenue for the government and is used to meet the increasing demand for services...Read More

The Distinction between a Commercial Agent and a Commission Agent in Ethiopia Both commercial and commission agents are traders that need commercial registration and licensing to operate in Ethiopia according to the Commercial Code, the Commercial Registration and Business Licensing Proclamation No. 980/2016, and the Directive to Provide for Commercial Registration, Licensing, and Post-licensing Inspection,...Read More

The new Excise Tax Amendment Proclamation No. 1287/2023 became effective as of April 27, 2023 in Ethiopia. The Proclamation abates the excise tax rate for imported new vehicles, stating the earlier rates were “exaggerated.” It also introduces a 5% excise duty on telecommunication services, including internet, voice, and SMS services. As per the Proclamation, this...Read More

Authorities are collecting a 3% social welfare levy on imported goods.   It was back in August 2022 that a new social welfare levy was introduced by the government through the Social Welfare Levy on Imported Goods Regulation No. 519/2022. With a 3% rate, the social welfare levy applies to all goods imported into Ethiopia...Read More

Is the Declaration of Bankruptcy a Mandatory Requirement to Terminate an Employment Contract due to a Reduction in Work Volume or Profit? The Labor Proclamation No. 1165/2019 provides conditions under which an employer may terminate a worker’s employment contract with prior notice. Article 28(3) of the Proclamation, specifically, stipulates that those grounds attributable to the...Read More