I HAD two bad experiences with BSP Bank which has put me right off banking with it forever.
The first was to do with my personal identification number (PIN). I live in Australia and was in PNG for holidays recently. I needed some money, so I went to the bank to withdraw some cash.
I had forgotten my pin number. So I went to the teller but was told that I could not make manual withdrawal as this practice had ceased.
I was told to apply for a new BSP card and wait for two weeks for my card before I am able to do any transaction.
I told the good lady I couldn’t wait for two weeks as I was in PNG for only a couple of days for holidays and I needed the cash immediately.
She said “but that is the bank’s policy” and was unable to do anything about it. Then I asked to see the manager or the supervisor because I was desperate.
I even showed them my passport and visa to prove I was an Australian resident and was only visiting.
After two hours of negotiations and going from supervisor to manager, I was forced to sign a lost BSP card replacement form and was very reluctantly authorised to withdraw manually.
I promised the tellers I would never bother them again so I withdrew all my money.
When I returned to Australia, I sent some money to my relatives in PNG through the Western Union money transfer system.
Two days later, I got a call from my nephew saying he could not withdraw the money because he did not have a passport or a driver’s licence as required by BSP.
My nephew was told to go and renew his passport or go for a driving test and get a licence so he could get his money. So much for a lousy K100.
The tellers would not even allow another bank employee to identify my nephew as it was strictly going by the rules.
Are these people so frightened of losing their jobs for making decisions to suit ordinary people?
What kind of bank is this?
The ordinary village person requires identification papers and references to open up a bank account.
If he/she cannot produce these, too bad, as much as he/she wants to own a bank account.
Then when friends and relatives send money through the bank, they are unable to get it because they need proper identification.
Either way, you lose.
Is this the so-called “people’s bank”?
I doubt it. It is more like a bully, charging exorbitant fees and bully people to make profit out of their hard earned money and not to serve the ordinary people.

Barbara Beaton
Darwin,
Australia