Addis Ababa’s Vital Registration Embraces Telebirr

The Addis Ababa Civil Registration & Residency Service Agency (CRRSA) is transitioning to a cashless system accepting payments only through telebirr starting next year.

The Agency, responsible for registering vital events like births, marriages, divorces, and deaths in Addis Ababa, has already integrated Ethio Telecom’s mobile money platform.

“Just one month after integrating telebirr, the Agency has already collected 13 million birr from its head office and district branches in the capital,” said Yonas Alemayehu, General Director of the Agency. Yonas shared with Shega the plans for the institution to become completely cashless within the next year.

“We’ve made significant progress in digitizing payments,” he said. “Similar to the initial resistance towards telebirr acceptance at fuel stations, there might be an adjustment period. However, we believe everyone will ultimately appreciate the convenience of digital services.”

Since the nation made fuel transactions cashless, several government agencies, such as the Federal Document Authentication & Registration Service, have transitioned to digital payments.

Most of the Agencies are also accepting only telebirr. However, three weeks ago, it was reported that the Petroleum and Energy Authority is preparing to launch a platform that enables drivers to pay at gas stations using Safaricom’s M-PESA and other digital payment solutions by banks. 

The Agency is also exploring the addition of other government digital payment options. It signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia a year ago to potentially deploy CBE Birr as a payment option.

“Since our services are essential for residents, we’re prioritizing the user experience by digitizing every service we offer. We’ll also implement special accommodations for users with health concerns and the elderly,” Yonas told Shega.