The water and sewer authority for Arba Minch signed an agreement with MOSS powering, which is a developer of M-birr, to collect water utility bills last Tuesday at Hyatt Regency Hotel.
The Authority previously collected the bills through less than ten branches which was inconvenient for the customers and even for the authority, according to Werkeneh Abrham, General Manager.
M-birr allows a person to transact money with their phone and does not require an Internet connection.
“In the region M-birr has been partnering with OMO saving and credit micro finance institution which is mainly operating in the Southern People’s Nation and Nationality region. This makes the platform simpler to use because people are familiar with the service,” he adds.
The platform reduces late payments, collects bills on time with a minimal transaction payment rate. To use the platform, it costs 4.6 birr up to 6000 birr and 52 birr of the maximum for 100,000 transactions.
According to the authority there are more than 13,000 customers in the town but since there are many projects underway that number is expected to increase.
Studies show that banks and microfinance institutions in Ethiopia began providing mobile banking services some years ago which is late compared to other African nations.
The available mobile banking services include balance inquiry, transaction details, payment of utility bills, bank statements, intra-account transfers, and alerts for withdrawal on a customer account.
The government-owned giant bank, CBE, launched mobile banking service in December. As of March 2018, there were 2,745,716 mobile banking subscribers across the country mostly to pay bills.
This service can be used for utility water, electricity, and telecom, traffic fines, including tickets for Ethiopian Airlines and some bus transportation such as Selam Bus, Walia Bus and others.
Following the government direction to create a cashless society, all utility payment transactions began migrating from Le Hulu, to CBE through CBE birr and other payment methods five months ago. M-Birr provides the service through more than 5000 agents across the nation.
Arba Minch town water and sewer to use M-Birr
Hyatt plans to double African presence
Hyatt Hotels Corporation disclosed that a Hyatt affiliate has entered into a management agreement with seven hotel developers in Africa which is to be opened in the coming three years. The Seven Hotel of Hyatt Regency which is in the pipe line would bring the total number of Hyatt-branded hotels to 15 by 2021.
Currently, there are eight Hyatt regency Hotels which are operational in Egypt, Morocco, Tanzania, South Africa, Algeria, Kenya, Ethiopia and Mozambique.
“Hyatt has been focused on growing its brand presence in the Africa, with gate way cities and tourist destinations being one of most important development strategies, said Tejas Shah, regional vice president of development of sub-Saharan Africa, Hyatt.
As Hyatt Regency this is a milestone in expanding the existence in the African market as Hyatt increasingly is gaining popularity with leisure travelers.
“We are proud to be working with Hyatt again to introduce its brands to the global city of Manchester,” said Tejas Shah, regional vice president of development sub shahran Africa, Hyatt.
Tourism in Africa is projected to increase and drive job opportunities for over 3.5 million people in the next 10 years, as the number of tourists expected to grow by 4.4 percent in the coming 15 years.
“Africa, and particularly East Africa, remains a focus for Hyatt with an increasingly favorable business climate and heightened tourism spend, encouraged by relaxed,” Shah adds.
Dakar-Senegal, Marrakesh-Morocco and Cairo- Egypt are among the new destinations where the Chicago-headquartered Hyatt’s opens its door until 2021.
According to the UNWTO Tourism 2018 Edition, international tourist arrivals in sub-Saharan Africa have grown by 5.8 percent from 2005 to 2017, which is well above the global average of 4.2 percent. Furthermore, the continent saw a sustained growth of 8.6 percent in international tourist arrivals last year visa rules, travel incentives, and a growing middle class.
“The opening up of more Hyatt in Africa can make to serve our esteemed customers to provide the highest level of service beside the direct and indirect job drive created by this hospitality industry”, the Vice President stressed.
Nisir Micro Finance doubles loan amounts
Nisir Micro Finance SC plans to increase its loan total from 200,000 to 400,000 birr as part of its five-year strategic plan to support young entrepreneurs starting this year. They also plan to deploy tech-based banking services.
Established in 2015, with 215 shareholders with 14.7 million birr in paid-up capital, the company wants to reach the ‘Missing Middle’ class in Addis Ababa to support new business and improve existing ones through their five branches.
Nisir provides loans for small and medium business (SME) and was able to mobilize over 450 million birr in five years of operation. In order to reach a majority of the public, the company plans to deploy modern financial technology to become more accessible. This makes Nisir the first among microfinance institutions to render core-banking, mobile banking, Internet banking, and ATM services.
The company also plans to increase the number of customers to 10,000 and mobilize over 850 million birr to benefit more youth. They found that eighty percent of those taking loans are between the age of 18-34.
”Nisir is targeting youth because they have been the reason for our existence,” said Binyam Tadesse, Board secretariat of Nisir Micro finance SC.
Nisir Micro offers loans service for students of higher institutions to buy laptops at low interest rates.
According to the board of secretary, the company can process all types of loans within a week, which is faster than most banks.
The National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE), is drafting a directive to allow Microfinance Institutions to operate like regular banks.
NBE’s data shows that the total assets of the 38 MFIs, , have reached 76.5 billion birr. Their total loan amount is 51.7 billion birr. Their assets have grown by 26 percent.
In five years, the company has grown to employ 70 people in five branches. 
Shipping Enterprise postpones truck purchase
The Ethiopian Shipping and Logistics Services Enterprise () postponed the opening of the bid document for the procurement of 150 brand new heavy duty trucks in relation to the bid document adjustment on axle load.
Wondimu Denbu, deputy CEO of the Enterprise for Corporate Service, told Capital that the international bid was expected to be opened in the current week, while in connection with bidders who wanted further clarification about the bid document on the point of axle load the opening has been postponed for the third week of October.
He said that the enterprise has targeted removing some trucks that are not suitable for operation which it handles on the import export corridor mainly on the Djibouti outlet.
Due to that the state multimodal monopoly is looking to purchase 150 heavy duty trucks to improve its service and replace the old ones.
Currently ESLSE has about 440 trucks including the 215 trucks, from one of the popular brand Renault Trucks, a French automotive company. The Renault trucks are high quality, but the others are not in good condition, according to experts.
Besides the 215 Renault trucks that were purchased about four years ago the enterprise had a collection of 230 that came from different organizations when the enterprise formed under amalgamation of the historical Ethiopian Shipping Lines, the Dry Port Services Enterprise and the Maritime and Transit Services in 2012.
“The trucks are very old as per our current study 123 trucks will be removed during the current budget year. After one trip to Djibouti they have to go to maintenance, which is uneconomic for the enterprise,” Wondimu said.
He said that the current bid opening is postponed due that the enterprise took time to get clarification from Ethiopian Roads Authority (ERA) and Ministry of Transport, who are responsible for giving clarification for maximum axle load capacity for trucks in the country.
“We have mentioned the axle load capacity that is not in use in the country because bidders want clarification that we should approach the two government organizations for more clarification and provide the information to bidders,” the Deputy CEO explained. He said the bid will be opened on October 20.
Yoseph Tamiru, Pavement Management Team Leader at ERA, told Capital that ESLSE has been requested to import 4 axle load capacity truck that is not allowed in the country. This means they were looking to import the combination of 4 axle trucks, according to the expert at ERA.
He said that his authority explained the issue to ESLSE.
“In the current condition we allowed tri axle that means the combination of three axle and we have also told them that they can buy trucks designed based on the tri axle,” he explained.
Yoseph remembered that the agreement that Ethiopian signed under COMESA and other treaties the four axle truck is not allowed to be driven on the street.
He said that the crucial issue is putting axles on combination line. It might be seven or eight axle trucks shall import but the maximum combination of axle must not be more than three axles.
ESLSE planned to increase the axle and enable to load more tonnage since the weight disburse on every axles since the number of axles has increased.
Such kind of four axle trucks are not driven in the countries where they are made, according to Yoseph argued. Over loading is the challenge of road designed life, while ERA is doing its best to control axle load.
As per the country law the maximum axle load allowed is 58 tones, but mostly trucks in the country load 40 tones.
ESLSE is also leasing trucks from private transporters besides using its own. In the past budget year ESLSE, which is one of the mega public enterprises tabled on the latest privatization process on partial sales, has earned 1.7 billion birr.
Roba Megerssa, CEO of ESLSE, said that in the current budget year the enterprise has targeted to transport 7.5 million tons in commodities, which was 4.5 million tons in the past budget year.
