Participants in Ethiopia’s ongoing National Dialogue Initiative have put forward three alternative policy proposals regarding land ownership, while calling for urgent tax reductions and fair census representation. The consultations, which have been underway for nearly a month, shifted focus to previously underreported socio-economic issues, agriculture, and pastoralist livelihoods. Attendees held vigorous debates on whether land should be state-owned, private, or a hybrid model to address systemic tenure insecurity across urban and rural communities.
Debates centered on the potential drawbacks of each land model: private ownership risks land concentration among wealthy investors, leaving future generations landless, whereas state ownership threatens citizens’ tenure rights through arbitrary expropriations. Participants emphasized that existing laws allow officials to displace farmers under the guise of public interest without fair compensation. Consequently, representatives across 250 discussion groups urged the government to establish clear legal frameworks. They recommended reserving forests, rivers, and mineral sites for state administration while granting farmers full agency over their land use and guaranteed market-rate compensation for any public acquisitions.
In addition to land reform, delegates reached a broad consensus on addressing the country’s rising cost of living by overhauling the national tax system and wage structures. Citing high inflation alongside stagnant low income levels, participants urged immediate tax relief. Specific proposals called for exempting minimum-wage workers from income tax altogether and reducing income tax rates for higher-earning brackets to ensure equitable wealth redistribution. Further recommendations highlighted equal access to infrastructure, industrial facilities, and modern agricultural inputs for all regions rather than concentrating resources strictly in central areas.
Controversy also emerged over national demography and historical budget allocations rooted in the 2007 population census. Representatives from various regions raised historic grievances, claiming their populations were undercounted due to political pressures or administrative errors at the time, which resulted in lost parliamentary seats and diminished federal funding. While some group delegates demanded monetary compensation for these historic shortfalls, others advocated for a forward-looking solution: appointing an independent, neutral body to conduct a fresh, accurate national census to ensure fair political representation.
All recommendations raised during the small-group sessions are currently being compiled into broader discussions among the 500 working groups. Facilitators noted that these proposals remain open for further deliberation as the dialogue proceeds toward synthesizing nationwide feedback into final policy recommendations.