The dedicated multi-currency US dollar account is expected to support settlement of cross border card transactions and strengthen Ethiopia’s participation in international digital payments. The broader international payments project has been under development for more than a year and will be implemented in two phases. The first phase will allow international payment cards to be used at ATMs and point of sale terminals connected to Ethiopia’s payment network. Implementation will depend on regulatory approvals, technical readiness and agreements with international payment networks. The initiative forms part of wider efforts to modernize Ethiopia’s payments infrastructure.