As a result of living under oppression and in fear for so long, the population has been demoralized. People see no way out of their predicament. All that they care about is their daily survival. Ethiopia's present situation is largely the result of seventeen years of mistaken social and economic policy and government greed under the regime of Mengistu Hailemariam. Unfortunately, this trend is still not reversed.
People have no freedom of work and investment opportunity.
They cannot own land and accumulate wealth. The government, on the other hand, can own land and accumulate wealth through various means for itself. One has to give bribes and gifts to officials to start business. Banks frustrate depositors and borrowers with their bureaucratic red tapes. People go through a humiliating experience of being searched before they enter a bank or any public premise.