Summary of countermeasures against the tobacco industry’s CSR activities in Ethiopia
| CSR activity | Countermeasure | Action period | Responsible body | Outcomes |
| NTE produced hand sanitiser and distributed it in response to the COVID-19 pandemic | EFDA ceased production and distribution | 2020 | TIMRT EFDA MWECS | NTE stopped from producing and distributing COVID-19 prevention materials |
| MWECS publicly exposed the CSR tactic | June 2020 | MWECS | Exposed the TI’s presence behind COVID-19 related CSR activities | |
| Providing scholarships to Ethiopian students to study in Japan | CSOs sent a letter expressing concern over Japanese Embassy’s involvement in JTI’s CSR activity | 2022 | Consortium of Ethiopian NCD Associations TIMRT MWECS | No change identified |
| NTE engagement in Tobacco Advertising Promotion and Sponsorship by using the MOU signed with the Customs Commission | NTE used the MOU agreement with government to promote its products. This activity was exposed by MWECS | 2020 | MWECS | NTE continues engaging in Tobacco Advertising Promotion and Sponsorship |
| Recognition of NTE as a loyal taxpayer | The tobacco control community strongly criticised the action of the Ministry of Revenue for recognising NTE as a loyal taxpayer | 2020 | TIMRT MWECS EFDA | NTE removed from 2020 award list |
CSO, civil society organisation; CSR, corporate social responsibility; EFDA, Ethiopian Food and Drug Authority; JTI, Japan Tobacco International; MOU, memorandum of understanding; MWECS, Mathiwos Wondu Ye-Ethiopia Cancer Society; NCD, non-communicable disease; NTE, National Tobacco Enterprise; TI, tobacco industry; TIMRT, Tobacco Industry Monitoring and Response Team.