Radar | Jun 11,2024
The Bank of Abyssinia has gone all-in on paperless banking, betting that biometric log-ins and touch-free kiosks will save it hundreds of millions of Birr in printing costs while enhancing its green credentials. At the RasPremium Branch inside the Bank’s headquarters on Gambia Street, its President, Bekalu Zeleke, displayed to Central Bank Governor MamoMihretu a live demonstration of the paperless system. Tablets with fingerprint readers and kiosks that operate in seven languages replaced the familiar piles of deposit and withdrawal slips.
“This isn’t simply a facelift,” Bekalu said at the July26, 2025, inauguration. “It’s a rethinking of how we serve. These technologies are designed to be intuitive, secure, and inclusive.”
Customers who need help can still lean on staff for onboarding. A tablet prompts new users to type in a mobile number, then captures a portrait photo and fingerprints. Two selfservice machines handle cash deposits, withdrawals and cheque submissions. A third caters to customers using the Bank’s interestfree products. The upgrade positions the Bank of Abyssinia at the forefront of the domestic banking industry. Nearly 1,000 branches are now entirely paper-free, each equipped with tablets and kiosks (many of the latter are currently on shipment, according to the Bank's officials), and staff nationwide have already been trained on the new system. According to Bekalu, the transition to entirely paperless operations enables the Bank to maintain its edge as banks race to become faster and more transparent.
Governor Mamo called the move a “milestone” for the industry and warned peers that global competitors will eventually test the market’s openness.
“This is no longer a luxury,” he said. “It’s a survival.”
PUBLISHED ON
Jul 27,2025 [ VOL
26 , NO
1318]
Radar | Jun 11,2024
Fortune News | Mar 14,2026
News Analysis | Dec 13,2025
Radar | Apr 03,2021
Commentaries | Jul 09,2022
Radar | Dec 12,2023
Radar | Aug 30,2025
Commentaries | Jul 17,2022
Radar | Jul 31,2021
Radar | Jan 15,2022
Dec 22 , 2024 . By TIZITA SHEWAFERAW
Charged with transforming colossal state-owned enterprises into modern and competitiv...
Aug 18 , 2024 . By AKSAH ITALO
Although predictable Yonas Zerihun's job in the ride-hailing service is not immune to...
Jul 28 , 2024 . By TIZITA SHEWAFERAW
Unhabitual, perhaps too many, Samuel Gebreyohannes, 38, used to occasionally enjoy a couple of beers at breakfast. However, he recently swit...
Jul 13 , 2024 . By AKSAH ITALO
Investors who rely on tractors, trucks, and field vehicles for commuting, transporting commodities, and f...
Aug 8 , 2026
The World Bank asks readers to picture a mother in rural Ethiopia who has never held...
Jul 31 , 2026
Weldu Yiheysh has not read the Pacific temperature charts. He does not need to. In Shibta District of Enderta Wereda, in...
Jul 25 , 2026
Ideally, citizens who have paid income tax all year should not have to reach for thei...
Jul 18 , 2026
Pressed in Parliament on jobs and household incomes, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD)...
Loading your updates...