{"id":755205,"date":"2026-09-29T21:25:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-30T01:25:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mereja.com\/index\/?p=755205"},"modified":"2026-10-02T00:32:59","modified_gmt":"2026-10-02T04:32:59","slug":"nbe-warns-on-hawala-remittances-as-diaspora-dollars-still-chase-market-value","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.com\/index\/755205","title":{"rendered":"NBE warns on hawala remittances as diaspora dollars still chase market value"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Addis<\/p>\n

The National Bank of Ethiopia has again warned that unlicensed remittance activity violates Ethiopian law, while diaspora families continue to move dollars through both formal channels and informal hawala-style networks that track what people believe foreign currency is actually worth. Birr Metrics reported on April 3, 2026, that the central bank\u2019s latest notice urged individuals and businesses, including members of Ethiopia\u2019s large diaspora, to route transfers only through licensed institutions and flagged legal risk for both providers and users of informal services.<\/p>\n

As of March 31, 2026, the National Bank of Ethiopia published an updated list of approved remittance providers that included global firms such as Western Union, MoneyGram and PayPal, alongside domestic digital platforms such as telebirr and Yaya Wallet, according to Birr Metrics. The National Bank of Ethiopia\u2019s own Money Remittance Transfer Agencies page later reminded the public that providing or using unlicensed money remittance and transfer services is illegal and punishable under Ethiopian law, and it pointed readers to an official list of licensed institutions.<\/p>\n

Formal remittance numbers have risen. Birr Metrics said net private remittances rose 36.5 percent to 4.6 billion US dollars in the first half of the 2025\/26 fiscal year, reflecting a shift toward official channels after foreign exchange measures introduced in July 2024. Those reforms moved the birr closer to a market-determined rate and narrowed the gap with the parallel market, Birr Metrics reported, which improved incentives for some formal transfers. A significant share of remittances still moves through informal networks that operate outside full regulatory oversight, the same outlet noted.<\/p>\n

Sources:<\/strong><\/p>\n