Safaricom Ethiopia stated that it has become the first private foreign company to host a visit by a standing committee from the House of People’s Representatives, with the Democracy Affairs Standing Committee touring the company’s operations last week. Wim Vanhelleputte, CEO, presented the company's half-year results, showcasing growth in mobile and M-PESA services. Notable achievements include expanding 4G coverage to 46pc of the population, acquiring over 6.1 million active subscribers, and seeing a surge in data usage to an average of 6.6 GB per user. Ewinetu Alene, committee chairman, emphasized the committee's oversight role and noted the occasion as a new era of private sector engagement with government stakeholders.