ADDIS ABABA, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- The National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) has relaxed the country's foreign exchange directive, lifting several restrictions on access to and use of foreign exchange. The NBE, in a statement issued Wednesday, said the newly introduced measures aim to further enhance the East African country's foreign exchange market. The new measures include permits for service exporters to hold 100-percent of their export proceeds in foreign exchange retention accounts for indefinite periods. In recent years, the Ethiopian government has been implementing various targeted measures aimed at easing the country's long-standing foreign exchange shortage. These efforts include a structural reform of the country's foreign exchange governance policy architecture, such as the introduction of a market-based foreign currency exchange regime.

Source: Ethiopian News February 12, 2026 18:45 UTC