ANZ reaffirms maintaining presence in PNG

Business

ANZ has reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining institutional and corporate banking operations in PNG.
ANZ PNG managing director Mark Baker said: “We have spent time restructuring our businesses across Asia, including in PNG, in recent years to allow us to fully focus on our core business, servicing large local corporates and multinational corporations.
“We are in the process of opening a new corporate centre in Goroka to support the supply chain related to PNG’s coffee export sector, adding to two centres opened in Waigani and Lae over the past 12 months.
“ANZ is unique among the Australian banks, as it has a presence in 33 markets across the globe.
“Our business in PNG is still among the largest in the ANZ Group, and an important part of our international network.
“Our strength lies in supporting trade and capital flows across that network, which in turn supports local economies.”
Baker was responding to comments by Prime Minister James Marape who warned ANZ and Westpac to shelve any plan to leave the country because they may not be allowed back into PNG.
ANZ PNG chairman Lady Winifred Kamit said: “ANZ has a long history of developing Papua New Guineans and its highly trained staff are sought after in the PNG banking market.
“Former ANZ staff fill some of the most senior positions in PNG’s banks including at BSP, Kina Bank and NCSL (Nasfund contributors savings and loans).
“In turn, their positions at ANZ are taken up by our emerging PNG leaders, a pipeline of talent that the bank’s management continues to nurture and develop through its world class training resources.”
According to the bank, ANZ is committed to supporting PNG during difficult times, through its participation in the purchase of government treasury bills, continued support to businesses including some state-owned enterprises.

One thought on “ANZ reaffirms maintaining presence in PNG

  • ANZ and Westpac are reputable global brand name in the banking industry and their exodus in PNG is not a good sign especially, when PNG is positioning itself to inject cash from its natural resource industry projects. Why shelving the windfall and trying to leave quietly must be a concern of its main stakeholder the government? Obviously, ANZ have been talking about the poor performing economy of PNG, and now training locals to fill in big position is its exit strategy when their incumbent expatriates are leaving to join other financial institutions to secure themselves. It does not smell right. It signals unwelcoming for other potential financial banks to land in PNG’s shore in the future.

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