Women’s bank to assist the unbanked

 THE opening of the Women’s Micro Bank will assist in reaching the unbanked women population, Bank of Papua New Guinea assistant governor Ellison Pidik says.

Speaking during the opening last Friday, Pidik said financial inclusion was a national issue and a major agenda of development.

He said it was everyone’s responsibility to carry out financial inclusion awareness and campaign.

Pidik reminded Women’s Micro Bank chief executive officer Thushari Hewapathirana and the board and management to include half a million women population in financial literacy.

“We have to include them in financial inclusion.”

He said that 85% of the country’s population was excluded from banking sector and formal economy sector.

“I am pleased to announce that PNG is reaching out to half a million clients.

“The Women’s Micro Bank Limited will be spearheading the goal of reaching the 500,000 unbanked women in the country before 2015,” Pidik said. Pidik said an important component of any economy is financial strategy.

He said PNG was at the forefront of promoting financial inclusion agenda adding that the BPNG Governor Loi Bakani, last year, made and signed a commitment to drive financial inclusion in the country.