Ethiopia has collected 709 billion birr in revenue in the first six months of the 2025/26 Ethiopian fiscal year, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed(PhD) told Parliament on Tuesday. The full-year target stands at 1.2 trillion birr.

Addressing the House of Peoples’ Representatives during a mid-year performance review, Abiy said the revenue achievement marked “significant progress” but noted that Ethiopia still lags behind other low-income countries. On expenditure, the government has disbursed 48.5 percent of the planned budget.

Abiy dismissed concerns that large infrastructure projects could not be financed with domestic resources alone. “Ethiopia can fund its key projects from domestic resources, and we are committed to delivering them efficiently,” he said, emphasising confidence in the government’s fiscal management.

Referring to Asia’s 25-year trajectory of macroeconomic reform and development, Abiy said Ethiopia has drawn lessons from similar reform paths pursued by several Asian countries. He argued that a well-guided population can play an irreplaceable role in transforming the country’s economy.

As part of the reform agenda, the Prime Minister highlighted youth-focused initiatives, including the AI Institute established five years ago and an AI university currently under development, describing them as a lasting legacy for future generations.

He stressed the importance of early childhood education, noting that 34,000 kindergarten schools have been built nationwide. The Five Million Coders initiative, he said, forms part of a broader plan to educate and nurture the young generation.

Abiy told lawmakers that progress under the Green Legacy initiative, advances in technology, and expanded early childhood programmes demonstrate the positive outcomes of the ongoing economic reforms.