The Addis Ababa City Administration Revenue Bureau has announced that digital content creators will be required to pay taxes on income earned from gifts and “stars,” crowdfunding, and membership fees received from followers during live-streaming activities.

The new tax measures also cover income generated through advertising and sponsorship agreements on social media platforms, including YouTube, TikTok and Telegram.

The bureau said digital content creators who fail to provide complete financial records could face a 15 percent tax deduction from their total income.

Payment platforms and other entities facilitating transactions to digital content creators will also be required to submit reports to the tax authority detailing the amounts paid to individual creators.

The measures are part of a broader Desk Audit Guideline prepared by the Addis Ababa Revenue Bureau to improve the efficiency, fairness and reliability of tax collection and the review of tax declarations for the 2018 Ethiopian fiscal year.

According to the bureau, the guideline is intended to strengthen the examination of financial statements submitted by Level “A” taxpayers and address weaknesses identified during previous tax assessments.

The bureau said its review of tax declarations for the 2017 fiscal year found that a significant number of taxpayers had underreported their income, resulting in billions of birr being excluded from the tax base.

To address such practices, the bureau said it has introduced a more uniform audit system that will use financial records and information from third parties to identify undeclared income.

Equb funds to face scrutiny
The guideline also introduces stricter requirements for taxpayers who claim that large amounts of money found in their bank accounts are proceeds from Equb, a traditional rotating savings arrangement.

Taxpayers making such claims will be required to provide supporting documents, including a list of Equb members, an account book, documentation signed by the Equb collector and a judge, and evidence showing that the money was received through a lottery or purchase arrangement.
If sufficient evidence is not provided, the bureau said the funds could be treated as business income and taxed accordingly.

The bureau will also use information obtained from slaughterhouses to assess the declared sales of butcher shops and slaughter businesses.

Under the system, tax officials will compare the number and type of animals slaughtered with the sales reported by businesses. If slaughterhouse records indicate that more animals were slaughtered than reflected in declared sales, the difference will be valued at prevailing local market prices and included in taxable income.

Construction companies will also face closer scrutiny of expenses reported in their accounts.
The bureau said contractors’ reported costs will be assessed against the actual stage of construction. For example, unusually high cement and steel expenses for a project still in the excavation stage, or excavator and earthmoving truck rental expenses for a project already in the finishing stage, may not be accepted as legitimate business costs.

The guideline also limits claims by landlords that surplus funds before depreciation expenses can be used for personal purposes.

Property owners will be required to clearly identify, in square meters, rented and unfinished areas of buildings, as well as vacant and privately used portions.

Vehicle importers will also be subject to closer monitoring. Where VAT receipts issued for individual vehicle sales do not correspond with the date and amount of deposits recorded in bank accounts, tax authorities may assess the transaction using the prevailing market value of the vehicle.

The Revenue Bureau said the new audit guideline is intended to use financial information, third-party data and technology to identify income concealed through accounting irregularities and bring previously undeclared income into the tax system.

The Addis Ababa City Administration has redistributed traffic management responsibilities among three municipal institutions following the approval of a new proclamation defining the powers and duties of executive bodies.

Under the new arrangement, duties previously managed by the Traffic Management Authority have been divided among the Transport Bureau, the Roads Authority, and the Transport Management Centre. The restructuring aims to clarify institutional roles and strengthen coordination as the city moves to resume regular traffic law enforcement following brief operational disruptions.

Traffic management will now operate as a dedicated sector within the Transport Bureau, headed by a deputy bureau chief. Meanwhile, the Roads Authority will oversee road safety infrastructure, including traffic signage, speed humps, and road-use permits.

The transition and transfer of responsibilities created temporary gaps in traffic enforcement over several days, leading to noticeable violations across the capital. Observed offenses included unpaid parking fees, parking violations, drivers failing to yield to pedestrians at zebra crossings, and general traffic infractions on local roads. Heavy-duty trucks were also spotted exceeding speed limits and operating outside designated movement hours.

These temporary enforcement lapses prompted public concern, with residents urging the city to swiftly restore effective traffic control and improve road safety.

Dashen Bank, Mastercard, and Ethiopian Airlines’ ShebaMiles loyalty program have officially launched a new Platinum co-branded Mastercard debit card in Ethiopia.

The collaboration integrates digital payments, airline loyalty rewards, and premium travel privileges into a single financial product, designed to serve frequent travelers, business executives, diaspora members, and digital-first consumers.
Issued by Dashen Bank and powered by Mastercard’s global network, the card connects daily financial transactions with travel-focused benefits.

Cardholders gain access to premium perks, including entry to more than 1,600 airport lounges worldwide via Mastercard Airport Experiences, airport fast-track processing, and global data roaming.

To cater to diverse user preferences, the card is available in both standard plastic and virtual formats. The digital version is accessible directly through the Dashen Bank Super App, which currently reaches over two million active monthly users. This virtual offering aims to streamline digital payment processes while expanding immediate access to travel rewards.

“Modern travelers increasingly expect convenience, security, and added value from their payment cards,” said Shehryar Ali, Senior Vice President and Country Manager for East Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands at Mastercard. He highlighted that combining payments, loyalty, and travel benefits into one card strengthens Ethiopia’s premium payment ecosystem.

Dashen Bank CEO Asfaw Alemu noted that the initiative responds directly to rising consumer demand for lifestyle-integrated banking solutions, offering clients greater flexibility across physical and digital payment touchpoints.

Approximately 35 percent of children in Ethiopia have elevated blood lead levels, prompting urgent calls for stronger public health surveillance, identification of contamination sources, and preventive measures to protect vulnerable populations.

The warning was highlighted by the global health organization Vital Strategies ahead of International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (October 18–24, 2026). Coordinated by the World Health Organization under the theme “From Detection to Prevention,” this year’s campaign emphasizes that lead poisoning is often invisible but preventable through systematic testing and targeted source investigation.

A July 2026 report by Vital Strategies, drawing on 2023 Global Burden of Disease estimates, indicated that nearly 36 percent of Ethiopian children have blood lead levels exceeding the WHO reference threshold of 5 micrograms per deciliter. This exposure carries severe health consequences, causing an estimated 5.8-point IQ loss per affected child, contributing to over 13,000 annual cardiovascular deaths in Ethiopia, and driving economic losses above US$6 million. Globally, more than 800 million children have elevated blood lead levels, with lead exposure linked to over 3.5 million deaths in 2023 alone.

Lead damages early brain development and poses severe risks during pregnancy. To address a historical lack of representative national data, Ethiopia’s Ministry of Health and the Ethiopian Public Health Institute—supported by Vital Strategies—are launching nationwide blood lead surveillance.

Federal health officials plan to test 10,500 individuals using a three-stage sampling approach across 527 census areas. Fieldwork for the 90-million-birr project is slated to begin around October, with results expected by April.

“Lead is a silent threat hidden in spices, toys, cosmetics, cookware, paint, and soil,” noted Daniel Kass of Vital Strategies. He added that industrial workers can also unknowingly transport lead dust home on clothing, exposing their families.

In June 2026, Ethiopia established its first National Roadmap for Lead Exposure and Poisoning Prevention, aiming to reduce childhood blood lead levels by 60 percent by 2030 through enhanced legal enforcement, laboratory surveillance, pollution reduction, and cross-sector coordination.