MasterCard Funds COVID-19 Response Centre

Oct 17 , 2020


MasterCard Foundation and the Ministry of Innovation & Technology have launched a project to support the development of the Citizens Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Response Data-Driven Health Informatics Portal. The Ministry has received close to 887,000 dollars from the Foundation for the project, which will leverage digital innovation in the response and engagement of citizens on the pandemic. The platform being devised by the project will serve as a joint portal to collect and release information on government intervention policies regarding COVID-19 at a regional and national level. It will also facilitate information flow to citizens on all government COVID-19 responses. Plans for a rapid response centre to respond to questions and concerns from citizens is part of the project. This will use an inbound and outbound call centre with a toll-free line integrated with an information portal. The Response Centre is expected to be run by the Ministry of Innovation & Technology and its partners, including the Ministry of Health, the Ethiopian Public Health Institution, and Ethio telecom among others.


Radar

Tech Ministry Falters as Audits Expose Mismanagement, Unmet Ambitions

The Ministry of Innovation & Technology is under scrutiny after an audit revealed lapses in project management and financial oversight. This raised questions about governance standards within a Ministry central to the country's tech-driven growth ambitions. According to the Federal Auditor General, the Ministry has completed only 11pc of its planned projects with its overall financial administration standing at 37.4pc for a year-long project that commenced in 2022. Budget mismanagement an...


Radar

Central Bank Keeps Lending Lid Tight as Inflation Squeezes Economy

The Central Bank has reaffirmed its decision to maintain an 18pc cap on credit growth, reinforcing a commitment to tighter monetary policy during persistent inflation and economic uncertainty. The National Bank of Ethiopia's (NBE) monetary policy committee cited ongoing concerns over inflation, which stood at 19.9pc year-on-year (YoY), and liquidity imbalances as reasons to uphold the restriction on lending. Bankers and analysts interpret this move as evidence of regulators' determination to...


Radar

Ethio Telecom Expands Services with DStv Streaming

Ethio telecom enters the entertainment pool with bundled DStv streaming services through high-speed broadband internet and mobile data packages. The partnership with MultiChoice Ethiopia aspires to merge the telecom's fiber broadband and mobile network with DStv's content. Subscribers can access DStv channels through mobile data or fiber broadband bundles, with discounts of up to 35pc through Telebirr or My Ethiotel (*999#) and up to 26.5pc at sales centers for fiber broadband bundles. Acc...