Ethiopia: Govt Gives Up Tobacco Monopoly for U.S.$434 Million

Amidst the forex crisis in the country, Japan Tobacco International (JTI) paid 434 million dollars, in full, to buy the remaining shares owned by the government at the National Tobacco Enterprise, raising its stake to almost a billion dollars.

Recently, the nation drafted stringent laws to reduce the number of smokers, raising excise tax and preparing a new proclamation obliging the Enterprise to print graphic warning labels depicting tobacco-related health risks on its products.

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