Abay Bank's Paid-up Capital Surges, Battles Liquidity Hurdles


Abay Bank's Paid-up Capital Surges, Battles Liquidity Hurdles

The third-generation Abay Bank has solidified its position with marked growth in paid-up capital of 6.01 billon Br, showing a 27pc surge from the previous year. It registered revenues of 8.4 billion Br, marking a 19pc increase while its assets soared by 21pc to reach 66.4 billion Br. However, the bank's net profit showed a nominal decline to 1.5 billion Br, shrinking by 3pc, while earnings per share declined to 280 Br. With over 3.5 million customers, deposits have surged by a whooping 26pc to 52.6 billion Br. Despite the bank being tested by liquidity hurdles due to the 14pc credit cap put on by the Central Bank, total loan portfolio stood at 41.7 billion Br. The bank incurred a total expense of 6.4billion birr, making a 30pc  increase from the previous year. Amlaku Asres (PhD), board chairman, pointed to the domestic and international challenges affecting banking activities while the emergence of new technologies has created opportunity for the bank to test new waters. Yehuala Gesese, presidant of the Bank, noted that the bank has formed new strategies where rebranding the bank has played a crucial part. He added that that expanding digital services through internet and mobile banking services has played a role in bank’s growth.


Radar

Electricity Bills Get the VAT Jolt

The new Value Added Tax (VAT) has begun implementation on electricity consumption and various service fees affecting customers who use more than 200 kilowatt hours of electricity per month. Based on a directive from the Ministry of Finance, the tax will be applied to the excess amount of electricity consumption above 200 kilowatt hours. The Ethiopian Electric Utility (EEU) began implementing the VAT on bills starting from November though both prepaid and postpaid customers will have to pay VAT a...


Radar

World Bank Greases Financial Overhaul

The World Bank approved 700 million dollars in credit from the International Development Association (IDA) to scale up support for the financial sector. The funds are targeted at modernizing the regulatory and supervisory framework of the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE), supporting governance reforms, balance sheet restructuring, and recapitalization of the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE), and transforming the Development Bank of Ethiopia (DBE) into a sustainable development finance institutio...


Radar

Gadaa Bank Expands Reach, Faces Lending Constraints

Gadaa Bank closed its first full fiscal year of operations with a net profit of 90.2 million Br. The 18-month-old Bank held its annual general assembly at Millenium Hall on Africa Avenue last week where the board announced that during the year, the Bank opened 15 branches and now has 85 operational branches. “Due to recently enacted policy measures on credit by NBE and unmet resource mobilization during the fiscal year, the Bank was unable to make loan disbursements,” stated Wolde Bulto,...