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Starting February 8, 2026, all purchases of mobile airtime and data in Ethiopia will be subject to a five percent levy for the National Disaster Fund.
According to a new directive dated January 16, 2025, Commissioner Shiferaw Teklemariam (PhD), head of the Disaster Risk Management Commission, has made contributions to the Disaster Risk Response Fund mandatory rather than optional. Here’s the contribution system covering multiple sectors of the economy.
| Economic Sector | Specific Source / Service | Levy / Surcharge Amount |
| Telecommunications | Airtime and Data Sales (All purchases) | 5% |
| Finance & Banking | Total Loans Disbursed (Banks & MFIs) | 1% |
| Digital Banking Service Fees | 5% surcharge | |
| Corporate Shareholder Dividends | 1% (Annual) | |
| Insurance | Total Premiums Collected | 1% |
| Aviation | Domestic Airline Tickets | 100 Birr (Fixed) |
| Transport & Logistics | Maritime Transport & Logistics | 5% of Annual Sales |
| Fuel Supply (via EPSE) | 1 Birr / Litre | |
| Government Services | Passports, Visas, Business Licensing, & Document Authentication | 200 Birr (Fixed) |
| Sale of Confiscated Contraband | 60% (Semi-annual) | |
| Manufacturing | Chemicals (Producers & Importers) | 1% of Monthly Sales/Value |
| Tobacco & Alcohol (Producers & Importers) | 5% of Monthly Sales | |
| Gaming | Lottery Tickets and Winnings | 1% |
| Public Budget | Federal Budget Contribution | 0.25% (Quarterly) |
| Addis Ababa & Dire Dawa Administrations | 0.25% (Quarterly) |
The initiative follows recent disruptions in international aid, including the global suspension of United States Agency for International Development (USAID) disbursements in January 2025, which affected health services, refugee support, and other humanitarian programs.
The Ethiopian government plans to mobilize domestic resources to be self-sufficient for funding emergencies, moving away from reliance on foreign aid and leaning more on domestic and business resources.
The fund is managed under the Ethiopian Disaster Risk Management Commission, which has been restructured as an executive organ to oversee these proceeds.
Source: BirrMetrics