TThe waiver was granted by the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) in a February 5 circular cited by Shega. The stated reason for the delay is to block potential foreign currency flows into the country. A government policy introducing the mandatory use of the Fayda for all banking transactions went into effect early last month, beginning with the capital Addis Ababa. The measure is to be extended to other major cities by July 1, and then the entire country from January 1, 2026. All existing bank accounts are expected to be linked to the Fayda ID by December 31, 2026.