BSP lending a helping hand

Normal, Weekender
Source:

The National, Friday 30th December 2011

BANK South Pacific has a commitment to the people of Papua New Guinea not only in improving product offers, service levels and access to banking services for customers but also to deliver many life changing community initiatives.
Among various community initiatives and programmes focusing on health, education, sports and the environment that BSP delivers annually, there are community projects delivered by the bank’s branches.
BSP has 37 branches in and this year each designed its own community projects after discussion with their community.
Thirty-five individual significant projects were completed by all branches. Kokopo and Rabaul combined their project.
Each project involved major planning and time, including refurbishing health facilities, renovating schools, bringing healthcare to communities, installing water supply to schools among other worthy ways.
The unique thing about the bank community projects are that BSP men and women devote their own time during weekends to help deliver the project, with support of local contractors and community members.
Since 2009, BSP has given bank to communities more than K1 million annually to fund the projects and help communities.
Chief executive officer Ian B Clyne introduced the annual community projects in 2009 and made a bold statement then that “BSP is 100% committed to the people of PNG”.
This statement remains tangible as BSP continues to lend a helping hand to make a difference in the communities it operates in, while simultaneously delivering clients new and innovative products and, new and improved levels of customer service.
Said Clyne: “BSP not only has a commitment to delivering much needed banking services to the majority of Papua New Guineans but also delivering meaningful projects that contribute to a better community, and better nation”.
The CEO’s vision and line of thinking has trickled down to every staff member at BSP who have passionately taken on the challenge to make a difference.
Porgera is an example where the project has touched the lives of children. Previously the local elementary school children did not have desks and sat on the bare earth for an education.
Today they have desks and teachers have tables and chairs, because BSP saw their plight and offered a helping hand. 
Branch manager John Basanu reflects: “our community project was identified in March and prompted by a staff who was enrolling her child and found out the children were sitting on the bare earth”.
Paiam Elementary head teacher Esopi Leonard agrees. “Most of our students sat on the ground and today BSP has seen our need and for that we are very thankful for this contribution, knowing that you only opened in March.
You will hear similar stories and sentiments in communities across PNG, where BSP has touched. BSP branches are now planning 2012 community projects.
As the only home grown bank in Papua New Guinea, BSP is reaching out to communities because it truly understands that it has the opportunity to make a meaningful and lasting difference where it matters the most.
“We are a bank that listens to customers, is changing to meet the growing and unique needs of PNG and the South Pacific and to help people really get more out of life. We want to make a change for tomorrow, today,” Clyne adds. 

The author is BSP’s public relations manager. For more information email: [email protected] or [email protected]