Ethiopia to auction telecoms licences in December, says Tigray conflict won’t cause delays

NAIROBI: Ethiopia expects to sell a minority stake in Ethio Telecoms within nine months and tendering for two new licences will start on Dec. 1, an adviser to the state minister of finance said, brushing off concerns that conflict will delay the plan.

Africa’s second most populous country considers the telecoms industry its crown jewel as Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed seeks to energise sclerotic state-run sectors of the economy with a raft of reforms.

The government says the opening of one of the world’s last major closed telecoms markets will create millions of online job opportunities.