Telebirr was launched in May 2021. The platform attracted four million people in a few weeks and currently has more than 28 million users. Other mobile money services should soon enter the Ethiopian telecom market, which is in full liberalization.

Ethiopian citizens will now be able to pay their taxes using Telebirr, the digital payment platform of incumbent operator Ethio Telecom. The company announced last week that it had signed a partnership agreement with the Ministry of Revenue for this purpose.

Through this partnership, citizens can pay income taxes, private pension contributions, and federal tax payments using the Supplementary Service for Unstructured Data (USSD) or the Telebirr app. The collaboration also allows the Ministère des Revenus to set up an alternative and practical payment platform for services, enabling it to meet the ever-increasing demands of the population.

Ethio Telecom is committed to implementing Telebirr integrated service payments with other similar institutions and making all payments possible at a single window. This is in line with the new “Lead” three-year development strategy unveiled last September. Through this strategy, the incumbent operator wants to develop in new sectors of activity and offer new solutions beyond connectivity.

This initiative should enable Ethio Telecom to strengthen its position in the mobile money segment of the Ethiopian telecom market, where it has 28.2 million users. Safaricom, which launched operations in the country last October, is expected to launch its M-Pesa digital payment service soon. The company has already obtained the approval of the authorities.

In addition, a third telecom operator should enter the market in the coming months by acquiring the country’s second private telecom license. This license includes mobile financial services, among others.

Source: Agence Ecofin