Jiwaka welcomes back BSP after shutdown

JIWAKA Governor Dr William Tongamp yesterday welcomed the reopening of the BSP rural branch in Banz nearly two months after it was closed down on April 23 after an attempted robbery.
The bank’s reopening is good news to the more than 300,000 people of Jiwaka who rely on its services.
Provincial administrator Michael Wandil, PNG Teachers’ Savings and Loan Society chairman Gabriel Tai, business operators and community leaders and police witnessed the event.
Tongamp condemned the actions of the unidentified suspects who forced the closure of the branch and assured the management and staff of BSP that such behaviour to disrupt banking services will never happen again.
He pledged the provincial government’s continued support towards the bank.
The provincial government had initially negotiated for the establishment of a BSP branch in Jiwaka and had acquired land at Banz . The BSP team led by Mt Hagen branch manager Theresa Pilamp and staff at Banz acknowledged the Jiwaka provincial government for its support.
The bank now has added two more services to begin next week, which is for lending and international transfers to start.
Tongamp appealed to Jiwakans to look after the service and support the bank to grow, also calling on business houses to make use of the services.