From Dr Eleni Z. Gabre-Madhin.

Sir, I refer to your article “Ethiopian exchange bans futures” (April 21), in which you state that futures trading is banned in Ethiopia and that this is rooted in state suspicion of free markets. This statement and the headline on your article are misleading and false. To ban an activity requires that the said activity had been in existence and disallowed or approval for it had been sought and denied. Neither is the case.