Private Company Joins Fintech Frenzy

Nov 26 , 2022


A fintech company, SantimPay Financial Institution S.C., finalised preparation to venture into the lucrative mobile money market next week after securing a permit from the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) two months ago. The digital payment system was the exclusive domain of financial firms, such as banks and microfinance institutions, before it was opened for private companies, attracting tech firms. SantimPay launched an online gateway platform after regulators at the NBE issued permits for private mobile money platforms two years after opening the financial sector to non-financial entities. Incorporated three years ago with a paid-up capital of 40 million, SantimPay launched a closed-loop gift card service cooperating with Birhan Bank, with 8,900 customers transacting over 43 million Br last year. At the launching event scheduled at Hilton Hotel, the company's managers will showcase their products in partnership with half a dozen banks: Abyssinia, Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE), Bunna, Awash, Amhara, Birhan, and Telebirr.


Radar

Yirgalem Hospital Inaugurates New Oxygen Production Plant

A new oxygen production plant has been inaugurated at Yirgalem Hospital Medical College in Sidama Regional State. The launch was attended by the regional state's chief administrator Desta Ledamo and Health Minister Mekdes Daba (PhD). Desta noted that a new kidney dialysis centre will soon be opened as well. Mekdes stated that the Ministry is working to increase the number of oxygen production facilities from the current 10 to 34 nationwide. The Yirgalem plant cost 86 million Br to build and h...


Radar

Corridor Develops with Parking, Recklessness Concerns, Research Finds

Research involving 400 respondents across four first-round corridor development routes revealed major challenges to the initiative. The study, conducted by Shaka Analytics and ETC Institute in collaboration with the Addis Abeba City Transport Bureau, examined the impact of the program on transportation patterns, transit accessibility, and parking availability. The routes—Arat Kilo to Bole Deldey, Embassy of England to Arat Kilo, Mexico roundabout to Wello Sefer, and Piassa to Arat Kilo—we...


Radar

Digitalisation Spreads to the Court System

Ethio telecom and the Amhara Regional State Supreme Court have agreed to implement a Smart Court project in Bahir Dar to modernize court operations using digital technology. This agreement includes building a modern network infrastructure, implementing cloud services, creating a modular data centre, establishing a network operations control centre, and connecting the region's courts with a secure digital network. The project is designed to facilitate secure digital information exchange betwee...