The Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE) has launched a nationwide digital platform, “CBE Beje,” providing payroll management and collateral-free loan services to employees across the country.

The rollout was marked at the bank’s headquarters, with CBE President Abe Sano and Deputy President for Corporate Services Efrem Mekuria in attendance. Over the past two months, the platform has disbursed more than 1.6 billion birr in loans, Efrem Mekuria said.

The service allows employees to access loans ranging from 500 birr to 150,000 birr without collateral, facilitated through the CBE Birr Plus mobile application. Since the pilot phase began in early 2024, 478 institutions have signed agreements to participate, with 83 institutions’ staff actively using the digital loan service.

Efrem Mekuria noted that the initiative is part of CBE’s strategy to deepen financial inclusion, expand digital services, and improve accessibility for both government and private sector employees. The bank plans to introduce additional loan products tailored to customer demand, encouraging wider participation in the digital platform.