Interest Rate Cut Leads Lion Bank to Forgo 21m Br

May 23 , 2020


[ssba-buttons]

Lion International Bank has forgone 21 million Br in revenue after cutting lending interest rates and waiving commission fees to alleviate the financial burden on its customers. The Bank has decreased its lending interest rates for particularly hard hit sectors like the export, hotel and tourism, agriculture, inter-country trade, transport and construction industries. Additionally, it is providing loan merging and extensions from three to sixth months. The Bank has taken these measures and increased transaction and cash withdrawal limits to minimise the number of customers who have to travel to its branches. The waived fees will include those levied on loan repayment requests, letters of credit (LC) and cash against document (CAD) extension requests, as well as ATM transactions. The Bank, through its mobile and internet banking system, has increased the daily limit on transactions to 15,000 Br and 50,000 Br for ATM and Point of Sale terminals (PoS), respectively. The limit on mobile banking has been increased to 85,000 Br. The limit on online banking transactions for customers and businesses has been increased to 100,000 Br and half a million Birr, respectively.


Radar

Construction Sector Faces 'Serious Trouble,' Minister Warns

The construction industry in Ethiopia is in "serious trouble," said Chaltu Sani, Minister of Urban & Infrastructure Development, citing major challenges with finance, competitiveness and material costs. Speaking at the opening of the BIG 5 Construct Ethiopia expo and the inaugural East African Infrastructure & Water Expo at Millennium Hall last week, Chaltu stressed the need for concerted efforts from government, private sector, and international partners to support the 67 billion dol...


Radar

Wegagen Bank, Gift Real Estate Partner to Promote Diaspora Homeownership

Wegagen Bank S.C. and Gift Real Estate Plc. signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on June 23, to offer housing loans for homebuyers, with a special focus on the Ethiopian diaspora. The agreement enables eligible diaspora members to access loans covering up to 80pc of a home's value at reasonable interest rates. The bank's Deputy CEO Kidane Gebreselassie noted the deal will promote the real estate sector and expand homeownership options. Founder and CEO of Gift Real Estate, Gebreyesus Igata...


Radar

Jimma University Signs Sports Science Agreement to Strengthen National Programmes

Jimma University has signed a four-party Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ethiopian Academy of Sciences, Derartu Tulu Sports Training & Research Institute, and the Oromia Youth & Sport Bureau to advance Ethiopia's sports science and training capacity. Signed on June 26, the agreement includes joint research, shared facilities, and hosting of national and international competitions. It is expected to strengthen youth development, public health, and national pride through coor...