COOP Bank, Kifya Launch Digital Uncollateralised Lending Platform


COOP Bank, Kifya Launch Digital Uncollateralised Lending Platform

The Cooperative Bank of Oromia and Kifya Financial Technologies have partnered to launch an uncollateralised digital lending platform dubbed 'Michu.' The platform offers loans and overdraft facilities mostly catered towards providing credit access to micro, small, and medium businesses (MSMEs). The Bank is offering a maximum of 30,000 Br in credit with a repayment period of one to four months. "We're excited to join hands with Kifiya as we expand our digital financial offerings and deliver support to the financing needs of micro and small businesses that are often neglected but represent a significant part of the economy,” said Deribie Asfaw, CEO of the Cooperative Bank of Oromia. Powered by Kifya's Qena technology, the platform will use an AI-enabled credit scoring system. Kifiya Financial Technologies was incorporated in 2010 and has been operational since 2013 developing digital payment solutions. The Cooperative Bank has 1.7 million subscribers and over 18,000 merchants accepting payments through its mobile money platform.


Radar

New Unit to Oversee City Tax Audits

The Addis Abeba City Administration Revenues Bureau has launched a new work unit to ensure the quality of tax audit decisions through a re[1]auditing procedure. According to Adane Sule, the head of the bureau's office, the new audit quality assurance unit will seek to address gaps and malpractices that previously existed due to the absence of a similar body to verify tax audit decisions. He asserts that the unit's main goal is to re-audit decisions, verify their quality and relevance, and correc...


Radar

Shipping Behemoth Beats Profit Target Despite Cargo Dip

Ethiopian Shipping & Logistics (ESL) announced its six-month performance report for the fiscal year, revealing a mixed outcome. While it achieved 95pc of its operational service target, handling 2,880,187tn of cargo, this represents a slight decrease compared to the same period in the previous fiscal year. The ESL attributed this dip primarily to global difficulties, notably Red Sea shipping disruptions. Despite these hurdles, the company reported exceeding its profit targets. Projecting...


Radar

Customs Hits Revenue Target, Cracks Down on Smuggling

The Ethiopian Customs Commission announced that it has exceeded its revenue collection target for the first six months of the fiscal year. The Commission collected 203.75 billion Br, surpassing the planned 190.9 billion birr by 106.73pc, representing a 106.7 billion Br increase compared to the same period in the previous fiscal year. Commissioner Debele Kabeta noted that coordinated efforts with other institutions to prevent contraband contributed to the successful outcome, resulting in the seiz...