BY HIZKEL HAILU
Despite different challenges and difficulties, Ethiopia’s reform that has been underway for the last four plus years is directly or indirectly the outcome of the wide ranging enrage of the public over the decades of maladministration, lack of good governance, and accountability of the administration. Reform in general and economic reform in particular is amongst the top of all agenda in Ethiopia.
On top of that, Ethio telecom is among the companies that are contributing their unceasing role in the nation’s economic growth. Telecom infrastructure and services have been recognized as catalyst for the socio-economic development of a country. Cognizant of relevance and multiple active roles Ethio telecom plays in the country’s overall progress and prosperity, the company has been undertaking a wide range of projects and operations to expand telecom infrastructures and systems improve the quality of service and increase the outreach of benefits to the community.
In particular, the company has been working hard to become a competent and preferred telecom service provider in the fast and dynamic telecom market to meet the growing demand for telecom services coupled with supporting the national economic growth. Telebirr is amongst the company’s extraordinary projects which is playing significant role to make smooth e-transactions.
Telebirr, a mobile payment and digital wallet service was launched by Ethiopia’s state-owned operator Ethio Telecom in May 2021. It is significant for boosting growth of the country through offering cashless transactions across the nation especially addressing the rural and poor society. It is also a mobile payment and digital wallet service that lets customers make different financial transactions using their phones.
During the recent regular session of the House of Peoples’ Representatives (HPR), it was also clearly explained by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) that the reform in the telecom sector has been showing remarkable results. Although Ethiopia’s reform over the past four years has been difficult, the Premier 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,” the Premier said.
Noting that the profit in the telecom sector has been increased to Birr 55 billion following the reforms in Ethiopia, the Prime Minister said that in previous years, the customer base of Ethio Telecom was 38 million but due to the reform, it has increased by 27 million and reached 65.5 million, he said.
In relation to its profit he said that the company had been generating 33.5 billion Birr. Nonetheless, it has now grown its revenue to 55 billion Birr. He further said that Telebirr service has now over 20 million subscribers and has undertaken 20 billion Birr transactions within a year.
He also underlined that the transaction that is going under Telebirr is by far higher than the transaction of the whole banks done using technology in the nation. “Given the old traffic vulnerability to fraud, Telebirr mobile money service has brought about significant change,” he stressed.
On its part, the giant ethio-telecom has announced that it has been expanding partnerships mainly targeted at integrating and improving the financial sector. This telebirr payment platform has so far managed to get the attention of over 20 million subscribers, more than 82 master agents, 69.8 thousand agents and 18.8 thousand merchants within a short span of time.
Coupled with integrating with 12 banks to transfer money from bank to telebirr the company has been integrated 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 others, Ethio telecom has made agreement to launch telebirr payment system with immigration and citizenship services platform 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.
The two institutions have signed an agreement to launch a passport service payment system that is expected to provide customers with Immigration and Citizenship Service digitally. During the signing and launching ceremony, Ethio telecom CEO, Frehiwot Tamiru on her part said that telebirr customers have reached about 20 million so far, and some 20.63 billion Birr has been exchanged on the telebirr platform.
Talking about the growing demand of digitalization, she has confirmed that several governmental and non-governmental organizations are now using telebirr. “Today, we have signed an agreement with Immigration and Citizenship Service; so, customers can use telebirr to pay the passport service payment at anytime and anywhere. About 1500 to 2000 people have been provided to customers a day.
“The manual system is really uninteresting for customers as it needs more time to go to banks or payment service centers. Now, customers can use either their mobile phones or computers to access the payment service system wherever they are,” she said.
Immigration and Citizenship Service General Director, Bruhtesfa Mulugeta on his part remarked that telebirr will help customers to apply for Passport service within the shortest time possible. “The payment service platform has enabled us to serve customers easily. I hope we will have further agreements to link with telebirr for other services,” he noted.
It is also crystal clear that this reliable and cost effective digital payment system would enable citizens easily pay their service charge any time from their whereabouts, thereby saving their money, time and energy. Moreover, the customers can be secured from the toiling and challenges they are facing in dealing with the brokers as well to have closely obtained receipt for the service charge payment.
Meanwhile, according to the document obtained from Ethio telecom, telebirr payment platform was launched exactly a year ago in this month and it has been very successful mainly because of its simplicity of use. The platform has been playing paramount roles since the very first day it came to be operational in easing ways of life of the society in particular and the digital financial inclusions in general.
Likewise, the company is strongly committed to implement telebirr integrated service payments with other similar institutions to make multiple payments possible in one place coupled with supporting the national economic growth. It is also highly engaged in transforming the platform into new heights and extends its accessibility far beyond purchases and digital money transfer, thereby making digital Ethiopia’s set vision a reality that is once thought very distant to happen, the company stated.
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD THURSDAY 30 JUNE 2022
