The Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration announced that it has provided 2,936,270 business registration and licensing services online at the national level during the first nine months of the 2025/26 fiscal year.
Abdulhakim Mulu (PhD), State Minister for the Trade System and Licensing Sector, shared these figures during a recent nine-month performance evaluation meeting with sector leaders. He noted that the Ministry initially planned to provide 2,704,475 services during this period. By exceeding 2.9 million, the Ministry achieved 109% of its targeted goal.
According to the State Minister, this performance represents a 12% increase when compared to the same period during the previous fiscal year.
Dr. Abdulhakim emphasized that the ongoing implementation of the online business registration and licensing system is designed to make business operations more modern and convenient. He stated that the platform has empowered the business community to access essential services from any location, saving them considerable time, energy, and financial resources. He further highlighted that this achievement is directly linked to the Ministry's vital contribution to the success of Ethiopia's broader national digital transformation.
In addition to registration services, the Ministry reported a strong focus on post-licensing inspection and regulatory activities aimed at ensuring lawful and orderly trade practices.
Nationwide, the Ministry planned to conduct post-licensing inspections and monitoring on 1,431,378 enterprises. The actual performance surpassed this goal, reaching 1,503,568 enterprises, which translates to a 105% execution rate of the plan.
During these rigorous post-licensing monitoring efforts, it was discovered that 361,997 enterprises, accounting for 24% of the businesses inspected, were operating unlawfully or failing to operate properly within the scope of their granted licenses. The State Minister confirmed that proportional measures and penalties have been taken against these non-compliant businesses, corresponding to the severity of their infractions.
Source (including image): Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration (Facebook page)
