This report covers performance period from 01 July 2022 to 31 December 2022.
Telecom infrastructure and services have been recognized as enabler and catalyst for the socio-economic development of a country. Cognizant of relevance and multiple active role Ethio telecom has in our country’s overall progress and prosperity, our company has been undertaking a wide range of projects and operations to expand telecom infrastructures and systems, improve the quality of service and increase the outreach of the benefits to the community. We have been working hard to become a competent and preferred telecom service provider in the fast and dynamic telecom market to meet the growing demand for telecom services.
Ethio telecom, successfully closing its previously implemented three years BRIDGE strategy with outstanding results of 75.6% growth in customer base, 76% growth in revenue, 104% growth in foreign exchange revenue, 142% growth in net profit, commenced the new budget year announcing its newly devised three-year growth strategy called LEAD which is devised with a vision of providing services beyond connectivity, enabling inclusive growth by providing digital and financial services and simplifying the daily activities of organizations and individuals starting from July 01, 2022.
This budget year is the first year of LEAD strategy and within the six months period, our total subscribers reached 70 Million achieving 98.6% of the subscriber base target and an increase of 15.1% which means an addition of 9.2 Million customers from previous budget year similar period. Mobile voice subscribers reached 67.7 Million, Data and Internet users 31.3 Million, Fixed Services 862.2K and Fixed Broadband subscribers reached 566.2K. Telecom density has reached 65.7%.
During the period, we have generated a total of 33.8 Billion ETB in revenue, which is 96% of the target and 19.9% (5.62 Billion birr) from the previous budget year similar period. When looking at the revenue share in terms of service types, Mobile voice accounts for 47.4% of the total revenue while Data and Internet contributes 28%, International business shares 8.4%, Value Added Service accounts for 6.5%, infrastructure share 2.2% and the remaining 7.5% comes from other sources. During the period, 64.8 Million USD foreign currency was generated from international business and scored 90% of the target.
This achievement is made possible due to network expansion and optimization works targeting to enhance customer experience and satisfaction; offering 50 new and 41 revamped, a total of 91 local and international products and services.
Furthermore, a total of 228 project works that would help expand and strengthen our company’s infrastructure, increase network coverage and capacity are carried out enhancing the capacity to serve 5 million additional customers. It also launched its pre-commercial 5G mobile service in the city of Adama, which is an enabler for mission critical services and realize technologies such as internet of things.
In addition to our company’s multi-faceted efforts to expand revenue options in the fiscal year, we have formulated and implemented a cost saving strategy (DO2SAVE & cost optimization strategy) to make the company more efficient and productive, by avoiding unnecessary costs, and were able to save 3.5 billion birr, achieving 134% of the plan.
telebirr, which was launched to satisfy the need for digital financial services and to ensure financial inclusion, has acquired more than 27.2 million customers and transacted a total of 166.1 billion birr in the economy in six months, generating an income of 82.5 million birr.
As agents and merchants are needed to ensure the delivery of the service to many and increase accessibility of telebirr, we have used our 372 service centers and engaged 112 master agents, more than 98.8 thousand agents and more than 25.5 thousand merchants.
In addition, system integration with 18 banks has been completed and money transfer from bank to telebirr has been made possible, and transfer from telebirr to bank has been made possible with 15 banks. By launching the telebirr remittance service and linking it to international money transfer institutions, citizens in 44 countries have the option to easily transfer money to their home country. As a result, it was possible to receive 719.6 thousand US dollars in the last 6 months.
A total of 214 institutions have integrated their payment systems with telebirr. The National Targeted Fuel Subsidy, Unity Park and Friendship Park part 2 entrance tickets, the Ethiopian Accounting and Audit Board, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Innovation and Technology, the Ministry of Trade and Regional Cooperation, Immigration and Citizenship Services , Ethiopian Airlines, Ethiopian Electricity Service, Addis Ababa City Administrative Revenue Bureau, National Lottery, Adama Science and Technology University, Mede Walabu University are among the huge government projects and institutions that
made their payment systems integrated to telebirr. Additional 127 government services are being made to make their payment systems digital.
On the other hand, our company made loan repayments of 3.4 Billion birr or 60.8 Million dollars for the projects carried out by the vendor financing modality thereby maintaining its good business relationship, credibility and partnership with its partners.
To ensure sustainable business growth, various capacity building interventions were made, including face to face training for more than 9,000 employees and digital training for more than 14,000 employees in the period. Along with other interventions, employee engagement in strategy development & execution, work environment enhancement and safe & healthy working conditions, various compensation and benefits systems.
As part of Corporate Social Responsibility and our commitment for our societies overall progress, our interventions have continued to have a positive impact on society, environment, and all stakeholders. Our CSR projects focused in strengthening communities by targeting the fundamental drivers of long-term development such as education, health, agriculture, environmental protection, greening and beautification of cities. We have contributed in kind, in service and in cash more than 294 Million Birr to address pressing societal challenges. This corporate spirit is also reflected by our staff across the country by voluntarily mobilizing more than 2.9 Million ETB for various humanitarian activities. Also, their material, blood donation and in-service support has been enormous.
Among the challenges we faced during the period, service outages due to security instability, which have compromised expansion and enhancement projects implementation, supply chain, increasing operational costs and revenue impacts. In addition, fiber and copper cable vandalism, commercial power interruption, and delay in land acquisition for new sites deployment were among the main challenges during the reporting period.
This achievement can be considered remarkable especially given the challenges posed to provide and expand telecom services and the fact that it is obtained amid competitive market. The achievement is only made possible because of the commitment of our company leaders and employees to make Ethio telecom a preferred operator. On the top of running the business, the leadership team’s stamina and concerted effort in managing the crises was exemplary.
Finally, we would like to extend our most sincere gratitude to our customers, partners, and stakeholders for their contribution towards such an outstanding and encouraging performance and we commit to strive to satisfy the needs of our customers by providing new technologies, various network expansions, and new products and services that will enable us to achieve the large-scale goals we have planned for the fiscal year.
January 12, 2023