This page gives useful information about the Ethiopian legislation, regulations and legal issues to the private sector. For the strategy on private sector development
see also Discussion on the National Private Sector Development Strategy

In the following please find the provisions applicable to traders, businesses and business organizations of the Commercial Code of the Empire of Ethiopia of 1960. The entire brochure is available at the Birhaneas Selam Printing Press, Addis Ababa in English and Amharic versions.

• Forms of Business Operation in Ethiopia

  www.ethioinvestment.org\legal\Frm_Bus_Op.htm

  • Methods of doing business (Sole trader, business organization, general partnership, limited partnership, private limited company, share company, joint venture)

  • Registration of business organization

  • Branch and representive office

• Provisions applicable to Traders
  Commercial Code, book I., title I-IV
  The provisions applicable to traders focus on the following issues: 
  Persons to be regarded as Traders - Persons capable of carrying on a Trade - Right to act as a Trader - Commercial employees - Managers - Agents - Commercial travelers - Commercial brokers - Books and accounts to be kept - Keeping of accounts - 

• Provisions applicable to Businesses
  Commercial Code, book I., title V
  Definition - Elements of a Business - Trade-Names - Distinguishing Marks - Patents and Literary or artistic Copyright - Sale of a Business - Mortgage of a Business

• Provisions applicable to Business Organizations
  Commercial Code, book II., title I-VI
  By "Business Organizations" is not meant "Entrepreneur Associations", but different forms of Business Partnerships: General provisions - Ordinary Partnership - Management of the Partnership - Rights and Duties of Partners - Profit Sharing - Joint Venture - General Partnership - Limited Partnership - Companies limited by Shares

• Legal Framework for Investments
  http://www.ethioinvestment.org/Legal.htm
  Forms of Business operation, Guideline for the preparation of project profile, Investment areas eligible for incentives, Types of Incentives, Condition for approval of investment and incentives, Investment approval service, Client's complaints presentation procedure

• Investing in Ethiopia
  www.ethioexport.org/investing.htm
  Ethiopan Export Promotion Agency (EEPA)
  Opportunities, Guarantees to Investors, Incentives

• Legal framework for Micro-Finance institutions

• Proclamation No. 40/1996
  A Proclamation to provide for the Licensing and Supervision of the Business of Micro Financing Institutions

• Set-up Procedure for Non Governmental Organizations
  http://www.crdaethiopia.org/Registration%20of%20NGOs/establish_ngo_in_ethio.htm  edited by CRDA