Finance State Minister Confers with Safaricom CEO

Addis Ababa, July 30/2021(ENA) Finance state Minister Eyob Tekalign held discussion with Safaricom Ethiopia PLC CEO, Anwar Soussa on the progress of the project by Global Partnership for Ethiopia and the next steps in the implementation.

Eyob and Soussa spoke about the importance of digitization and an open and competitive telecommunications sector for the future of the country, according to Ministry of Finance.

In the discussion, Eyob said the Government of Ethiopia as part of its homegrown agenda has opened its market to private-sector competition, and foreign investment, which is expected to bring a higher quality of service and more choice for consumers.

He also stated that these reforms will lay the foundations for Ethiopia’s future digital transformation.

Safaricom Ethiopia PLC’s entrance as the second mobile phone operator in Ethiopia is expected to spur massive investment in the telecommunications sector as well as to bring increased competition to the market, leading to improvements in service quality, coverage, and innovation.

The Company is also expected to lead to thousands of direct and indirect jobs being created as companies are formed to offer services to the industry and a new technology ecosystem emerges.

Soussa expressed his gratitude to Eyob and the Government of Ethiopia for having given Safaricom Ethiopia PLC the opportunity to serve the people of Ethiopia and for their strong support as the telecommunications company prepares to launch operations.

It is to be recalled that Global Partnership for Ethiopia (a consortium of telecom operators made of Vodafone, Vodacom, Safaricom, Sumitomo Corporation, and the CDC) Group was awarded license to operate in telecom sector in Ethiopia.

It is expected that the award would bring to Ethiopia a total of eight billion USD investments over the next ten years and is expected to provide 1.5 million jobs to citizens.