New branch eases banking woes

 THE people of Gazelle district in East New Britain will no longer have to travel to Kokopo and Rabaul to access bank services. 

Bank South Pacific has opened a sub branch at the Kerevat growth centre next to the Gazelle district administration yesterday.

BSP’s deputy general manager (retail banking) Peter Boutcher, speaking at the opening, said this  was the 44th branch opening in the country.

“Banking is the central part of nation building. We want to assist our clients to grow their savings and their small businesses,” he said.

He added that BSP branches in the country are community based, and required the assistance of the communities in taking ownership of the services.

Boutcher urged the people to use their bank cards (Kundu cards) to do transactions to reduce security risks.

He encouraged people to use other means of banking such as mobile or internet banking to avoid standing in long lines at the bank. 

BSP Island region area manager Albert Burua said the new sub branch will accommodate four staff and four ATMs.

Gazelle MP Malakai Tabar, while congratulating BSP, said having a sub branch in the district will act as an indicator of economic prosperity of the district.

“This is a service that will not only serve the local and rural communities but give indication of a growth in the socio economic status of the communities,” he said.

Tabar said the branch will serve the largest district in East New Britain with more than 130,000 people and several national institutions; the University of Natural Resources and Environment, National Agriculture Research Institute, Cocoa and Coconut Institute, Correctional Services and Kerevat National High School.