Utility Pilots Portable Payment Machines


Utility Pilots Portable Payment Machines

The Ethiopian Electric Utility (EEU) has procured 100 portable point of sale (PoS) machines to allow smart card users to recharge their pre-paid electric power balance. Fifteen of the machines have been distributed to service centres, while the remaining 85 will be delivered and distributed in two months' time. The machines use a telecom network that allows for constant operation, making them immune to system interruptions ocurring at service centres. Though partly digitised, electric utility payments are still arduous and time-taking for consumers. It is not uncommon to see long queues winding around the EEU's service centres. "The main target is to avoid long queues and allow people to have easy access to payment," said Tesfaye Hirpa, director of ICT at the EEU. The EEU has 50,000 high-power users, around three million low-power or domestic users, and half a million prepaid card users.

[ssba-buttons]

Radar

Korenti, Agelegel Microfinance Ink EV Financing Deal

Korenti Auto Trading PLC has signed a strategic agreement with Agelegel Microfinance to provide accessible financing options for electric vehicle (EV) buyers. The partnership seeks to ease EV ownership by offering fair pricing and loan packages with affordable rates. The initiative supports Ethiopia's push for clean transport and aligns with national sustainability goals. Korenti's managing director said the move reflects the company's commitment to expanding electric mobility. Customers can now...


Radar

NBE Leads Week-Long Bank Supervision Application Forum

The National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) is hosting a week-long Bank Supervision Application (BSA) User Group meeting that began on July 7, 2025. The BSA system, developed by a pan-African consortium of central banks including the NBE, automates supervisory work for financial regulators. NBE will take over the rotating BSA chairmanship in September. Opening the session, Frezer Ayalew, Director of Bank Supervision, stressed the need for modern tools to handle growing regulatory demands amid cyberse...


Radar

Six Fuel Companies Banned, Seven Warned, Authority Noted Illicit Activity

The Ethiopian Petroleum & Energy Authority has taken disciplinary action against 13 fuel distribution companies for illegally trading 2.8 million litres of fuel outside the digital system in the past two months. Six firms face a one-month suspension from the fuel import and trading market, while seven others received final warnings and must rectify their operations within a month. Director General Destawe Mekwanant (PhD) said the companies failed to monitor fuel stations and ensure proper...