Ethiopia permits mobile banking and money services
<p><span word="Ethiopia">Ethiopia</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="last">last</span> <span word="countries">countries</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Africa">Africa</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="permit">permit</span> <span word="mobile">mobile</span> <span word="banking">banking</span>.</p><p><span word="Mobile">Mobile</span> <span word="banking">banking</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="proved">proved</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="profitable">profitable</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="developing">developing</span> <span word="world">world</span>, <span word="where">where</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="still">still</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="use">use</span> <span word="banks">banks</span>. <span word="Earlier">Earlier</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="year">year</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="World">World</span> <span word="Bank">Bank</span> <span word="reported">reported</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="seventy">seventy</span>-<span word="five">five</span> <span word="percent">percent</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="world">world</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="poor">poor</span> <span word="are">are</span> “<span word="unbanked">unbanked</span>.” <span word="That">That</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="point">point</span> <span word="five">five</span> <span word="billion">billion</span> <span word="people">people</span>. <span word="Banking">Banking</span> <span word="through">through</span> <span word="mobile">mobile</span> <span word="telephones">telephones</span> <span word="lets">lets</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="take">take</span> <span word="part">part</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="financial">financial</span> <span word="services">services</span> <span word="even">even</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="near">near</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="bank">bank</span> <span word="office">office</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="Africa">Africa</span>, <span word="only">only</span> <span word="Ethiopia">Ethiopia</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Zimbabwe">Zimbabwe</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="provide">provide</span> <span word="mobile">mobile</span> <span word="money">money</span> <span word="services">services</span>. <span word="Now">Now</span>, <span word="that">that</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="change">change</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="Ethiopia">Ethiopia</span>.</p><p><span word="BelCash">BelCash</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="M">M</span>-<span word="Birr">Birr</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="mobile">mobile</span> <span word="banking">banking</span> <span word="technology">technology</span> <span word="providers">providers</span>. <span word="They">They</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="setting">setting</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="mobile">mobile</span> <span word="banking">banking</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="mobile">mobile</span> <span word="money">money</span> <span word="services">services</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Ethiopia">Ethiopia</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="past">past</span> <span word="three">three</span> <span word="years">years</span>.</p><p><span word="Dutch">Dutch</span> <span word="company">company</span> <span word="BelCash">BelCash</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="working">working</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="partnership">partnership</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="banks">banks</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="provide">provide</span> <span word="easier">easier</span> <span word="access">access</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="financing">financing</span> <span word="through">through</span> <span word="bank">bank</span> <span word="accounts">accounts</span>. <span word="Ireland">Ireland</span>-<span word="based">based</span> <span word="M">M</span>-<span word="Birr">Birr</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="mobile">mobile</span> <span word="money">money</span> <span word="service">service</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="works">works</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="micro">micro</span> <span word="finance">finance</span> <span word="groups">groups</span> <span word="where">where</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="registration">registration</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="bank">bank</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="needed">needed</span>.</p><p><span word="Ethiopia">Ethiopia</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="mobile">mobile</span> <span word="industry">industry</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="young">young</span>. <span word="And">And</span> <span word="wireless">wireless</span> <span word="service">service</span> <span word="coverage">coverage</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="country">country</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="well">well</span> <span word="developed">developed</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="pressure">pressure</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="wireless">wireless</span> <span word="network">network</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="expected">expected</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="increase">increase</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="past">past</span> <span word="four">four</span> <span word="years">years</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="number">number</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="mobile">mobile</span> <span word="users">users</span> <span word="grew">grew</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="three">three</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="seventeen">seventeen</span> <span word="million">million</span>. <span word="And">And</span> <span word="Ethiopia">Ethiopia</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="telecommunications">telecommunications</span> <span word="provider">provider</span>, <span word="Ethio">Ethio</span> <span word="Telecom">Telecom</span>, <span word="expects">expects</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="number">number</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="grow">grow</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="forty">forty</span> <span word="million">million</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="next">next</span> <span word="three">three</span> <span word="years">years</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="government">government</span> <span word="closely">closely</span> <span word="controls">controls</span> <span word="Ethiopia">Ethiopia</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="telecommunications">telecommunications</span> <span word="market">market</span>. <span word="That">That</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="there">there</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="provider">provider</span>. <span word="Competition">Competition</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="permitted">permitted</span>.</p>
页:
[1]