DBE, being one of the state owned financial institutions, has clear mission of accelerating the national economic development. In order to meet its predetermined objectives, the bank has the following mandates:

To provide medium and long term investment credit as well as short term loans to viable projects,

To mobilize funds from sources within or outside the country

To mange funds entrusted to it,

To participate in equity investments,

         To provide domestic and foreign banking service to its borrowers,

To accept time deposit,

To guarantee loans and other financial obligations,

To draw, accept, discount, buy and sell bills of exchange, drafts and promissory notes payable within or outside Ethiopia,

To issue and sell bonds,

To act as trustee,

To provide technique and managerial service,

To open and operates bank accounts with banks and banking correspondents in Ethiopia or abroad,

To engage in such other activities as is customary carried out by development banks.