Ethiopia's Central Bank Dips a Toe in the Open Market Waters

Jul 13 , 2024


In a historic move to manage liquidity within the banking system, the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) held its first-ever open market operation (OMO) on July 11, 2024. The auction drew notable interest from the financial sector, with 16 bidders submitting nearly 20 billion Br. The central bank accepted the total amount of bids, reflecting the banking industry's robust engagement with this new monetary policy tool. The NBE's foray into OMOs is seen as a strategic measure to control the money supply, stabilise the financial system, and address liquidity imbalances. Analysts have stated the importance of such initiatives in maintaining economic stability, especially in a dynamic and evolving market environment like Ethiopia's. The inaugural auction involved a two-week deposit-taking operation, attracting substantial interest from financial institutions. According to the official announcement, the total amount of bids submitted by participants reached an impressive 19.970 billion Br. This level of engagement displayed the broad spectrum of financial entities eager to participate in the central bank's liquidity management framework. The fixed interest rate for this operation was set at 15pc, providing a competitive return for the participating institutions. The operation's start date coincided with the auction date, and the maturity date was scheduled for July 24, ensuring a two-week duration for the deposits.


Radar

Abyssinia Bank Strategic Moves Pay Off, Driving Profit Growth

The Bank of Abyssinia (BoA) enjoyed another profitable year, amassing 4.23 billion Br net profits, an increase of 10.5pc from last year. The Bank announced total assets of 222.3 billion Br, surging by 17.3pc. Total deposits mobilised through the year climbed by 33.97 billion Br to 192.51 billion Br, while loans and advances reached 167.7 billion Br. However, the bank exhibited a nominal decline in its foreign currency earnings totalling 424 million dollars. Earnings per share also showed a ma...


Radar

$100m Project Mulls Public Transportation Make-Over

A 100-million-dollar project aims to manufacture over 5,000 diesel-powered and electric public transport vehicles for the capital. The proposed project was launched hoping to replace the ageing vehicles and improve safety, efficiency and quality across the city's urban transport system. Last week saw an MoU inked between executives of Multiverse Enterprise Plc and Addis Abeba Minibus Associations and was held at Vamdas Entertainment near Megenagna. The agreement includes plans to replace 15,000...


Radar

Safaricom Soars with 6.1 million Customers

Safaricom Ethiopia reported significant commercial growth in the first six months of the 2025 fiscal year (April to September 2024), with notable increases in both mobile (GSM) and M-PESA services. The company's network and services reached a population coverage of 46pc, growing from 30pc in the previous year. This expansion was supported by the addition of over 1,000 network sites, bringing the total to more than 3,000 across the country. Safaricom Ethiopia saw a surge in its customer base,...


Back
WhatsApp
Telegram
Email