BY HAFTU GEBREZGABIHER
Although Ethiopia’s reform over the past four years has been difficult, Prime Minister Abiy said tangible results have been achieved in the agricultural sector and development projects.
“Road construction, telecommunication coverage and Ethiopian Airlines and other key institutions have brought about significant changes and we have achieved incredible results following the reforms,” said Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
In his briefing to the members of parliament, the Premier noted that the profit in the telecom sector has been increased to ETB 55 billion following the reforms in Ethiopia.
During the recent regular session of the House of Peoples’ Representatives (HPR), the reforms in the telecom and finance sector has been showing remarkable results.
On its part, the telecom giant ethio-telecom has announced that it has been expanding partnerships mainly targeted at integrating and improving the financial sector. Among other, the recent agreements to launch telebirr payment system and immigration and citizenship services platform are made so as to meet the ever growing demand of the citizens on fast and secured alternative payment services using the newly emerging telebirr digital payment system which is easy, fast, convenient and secure payment platform for the settlement of any service payments.
This reliable and cost effective optional digital payment system would enable citizens easily pay their service charge any time from their whereabouts, thereby saving their money, time and energy being secured from the toiling and challenges they are facing in dealing with the brokers as well to have closely obtain receipt for the service charge payment.
This telebirr payment platform has so far managed to get the attention of over 19.95 million subscribers, more than 82 master agents, 69.8 thousand agents and 18.8 thousand merchants within a short span of time as well as it has been integrated with 12 banks to transfer money from bank to telebirr and with 10 banks to transfer money from telebirr to bank. As the platform is widely preferable in the society for e-money payments, 20.63 billion-birr transactions has been made so far.
Furthermore, the company has invested over 45.48 million birr worth digital learning centers in 66 high schools across the country and equipped them with 1,386 desktop computers and furniture (1,386 tables and chairs each) as well as availing fast broadband internet service per digital learning room. As a result, over 140,596 students will be beneficiary.
Among 66 government high schools equipped with digital learning facilities, 18 of them are located in Addis Ababa; while the remaining 48 high schools are in different regions of the country. The selection of these high schools has been made through the support and engagement of Addis Ababa and regional education bureaus in collaboration with the company’s regional and zonal offices.
Considering the multifaceted role of the education sector in the overall growth of the nation, our company has invested over 4.8 billion birr over the past years, particularly in the provisioning of the school net services since the introduction of technology supported online education (plasma TV) by connecting educational institutions with high speed fixed broadband internet and satellite communication options and providing free and up to 86 percent service fee discount.
In addition, in the year 2021/22 alone, the company discharged its corporate social responsibility by donating 50,000 dozens of exercise books for the primary school students enrolled in 665 schools countrywide which worth over 16.5 million birr in support of the low income group of the society. The company also expended 23.4 million birr for the school feeding program for 9,000 students learning in 24 schools as well as allocated 22 million birr as a one-year pocket money for 5,500 selected students of 45 Universities granting birr 400 per month for each student.
Moreover, the company has donated 54.4 million birr worth 70,000 mobile handsets with SIM cards for women residing in 846 woredas/districts across the nation so as to bridge the digital divide and enable them access information and empower them in digital economy as well as granted mobile phones and laptops for 250 hardworking female teachers which is one of the manifestations of its commitment to the overall excellence of the education sector.
Furthermore, our company has made a significant contribution recently to the Ministry of Education in its major effort to restore the destroyed and looted educational institutions in the crisis ravaged areas so as to get students back to school and resume learning through providing a 9222 short code SMS and telebirr App where customers can contribute any amount they need.
Ethio telecom, as one of a nation’s proud and pioneering telecom services provider, would keep on excelling its corporate social responsibility contributions by directly taking part in a range of development endeavors of the nation in general and in making a difference in the excellence of education sector in particular, the company committed.
The Ethiopian Herald June 17/2022
