Ethiopia: Payment for government services goes digital
Ethiopia and MasterCard have reached an agreement that would enable Ethiopians to access and pay for government services digitally.
The agreement is expected to support government’s wider digital transformation plan to modernize Ethiopia’s payment systems and foster a more financially inclusive ecosystem.
Accordingly, MasterCard integrates its Payment Gateway Services (MPGS) infrastructure to the CBE, which will enable payment collection on behalf of the government.
As part of the first phase, members of the Civil Society Organizations in Ethiopia will soon be able to pay for their operational licenses on the portal with any branded payment card.
“Our efforts will further relieve Ethiopia of the cost of cash and support our ambitious digital transformation strategy,” said Belete Molla, Minister of Innovation and Technology.
He said partnering with “trusted global companies like MasterCard” ensures that Ethiopia can develop an innovative payment infrastructure to facilitate digital interactions between the government and its citizens.
“We want to empower our citizens using innovative technology and offering a selection of digital payments options is a key part of achieving that goal,” the minister added.
It will also enable the country to provide a versatile digital payments solution – customers with any bank card can use it.