At the end of January, civil service employees in Addis Abeba noticed a deduction of half a percent from their net salaries for a new emergency fund. This affects the city's 168,000 public employees and was implemented without prior explanation. Officials describe it as a measure to finance disaster response under a regulation from April 2025.
In late January 2026, civil servants across Addis Abeba found a deduction on their payslips for a newly created emergency fund. The amount is half a percent of their net salary, impacting the city's 168,000 public employees. This change appeared without any prior notice, and officials have stated it supports disaster response efforts as per a regulation enacted in April 2025.
The initiative, as indicated in reports, also involves contributions from water bills to bolster funding. According to a February 14, 2026, article in Addis Fortune by staff writer Nahom Ayele, this deduction forms part of a broader mechanism to prepare for emergencies. Employees discovered the change upon reviewing their payslips, highlighting the lack of advance communication from authorities.
