New Tech Firm Gets Off the Ground

Jan 16 , 2021


eTech S.C., a newly formed tech firm with 200 million Br in capital, was launched at the end of last week. The company has already secured four licenses to get involved in cybersecurity, software development, infrastructure, e-commerce, fintech and telecom services. During its establishment, it has offered two million shares for sale with a par value of 100 Br. Potential shareholders were required to buy a minimum of 350 shares to participate in the new venture. So far, it managed to raise 160 million Br in capital. The idea for the firm was first brought up sometime in mid-2020, and the company was formed through the efforts of more than 200 founding members, many of whom have extensive tech backgrounds working for firms such as Amazon and Microsoft. In the past year, the government has passed laws governing e-transactions, including an agent banking directive and a payment license directive, as part of the effort to digitise operations and the need for an operating digital platform due to the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).


Radar

Electricity Bills Get the VAT Jolt

The new Value Added Tax (VAT) has begun implementation on electricity consumption and various service fees affecting customers who use more than 200 kilowatt hours of electricity per month. Based on a directive from the Ministry of Finance, the tax will be applied to the excess amount of electricity consumption above 200 kilowatt hours. The Ethiopian Electric Utility (EEU) began implementing the VAT on bills starting from November though both prepaid and postpaid customers will have to pay VAT a...


Radar

World Bank Greases Financial Overhaul

The World Bank approved 700 million dollars in credit from the International Development Association (IDA) to scale up support for the financial sector. The funds are targeted at modernizing the regulatory and supervisory framework of the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE), supporting governance reforms, balance sheet restructuring, and recapitalization of the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE), and transforming the Development Bank of Ethiopia (DBE) into a sustainable development finance institutio...


Radar

Gadaa Bank Expands Reach, Faces Lending Constraints

Gadaa Bank closed its first full fiscal year of operations with a net profit of 90.2 million Br. The 18-month-old Bank held its annual general assembly at Millenium Hall on Africa Avenue last week where the board announced that during the year, the Bank opened 15 branches and now has 85 operational branches. “Due to recently enacted policy measures on credit by NBE and unmet resource mobilization during the fiscal year, the Bank was unable to make loan disbursements,” stated Wolde Bulto,...