Kifiya Financial Technology, a subsidiary of the US based Global Computing Solution Plc (GCS), has been hired by Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporate (EBC) to collect license fees from television owners.

Kifiya is the company that has been running a United Billing System (UBS) called Lehulu. Via Lehulu, Kifiya has been collecting fees of telephone, electric and water from the public.

According to Fortune, Lehulu will soon start collecting traffic fines as per the agreement it concluded with Addis Ababa Road and Transport Bureau. Currently traffic fines are paid at sub-city’s transport office or post office. Nonetheless, upon completion of the database and network building, drivers that got tickets can pay their fines at a nearby Lehulu office.

Kifiya is finalizing preparations to commence collecting fee from television owners. According to Netsanet Raya, Kifiya’s Chief Operational Officer, the tasks being carried out include customizing application and transferring database from EBC.

The service is expected to be launched in the coming few weeks, according to EBC’s promotional and Market Study Director, Senayit Haile.

Currently Kifiya operates and owns 34 Luhulu centers. According to Fortune, the firm has been rendering its service for 1.1 million people that are bill paying customers and processing 2.1 million transactions each month.

Netsanet commented Kifiya intends to further integrate more services, such as pre paid electricity payment to unified billing system.

Source: Fortune