The Young Minds Saving Campaign

The Young Minds Saving Campaign is gaining momentum in the country since its inception in 2013.

With the objective to provide an opportunity for children between the ages of 6 and 25 to open bank accounts, the team joined forces with other financial institutions to carry out awareness on the benefits of saving and the products available from the financial institutions to help children start saving.

The capital of Western Highlands Province, Mount Hagen was the latest addition to the provinces visited by the team, nine schools in the Province were visited during the one week campaign.

Team leader, Mr. Garima Tongia, said the campaign started last year and the BPNG team and other financial institutions have been visiting schools throughout the country conducting awareness on savings. He said the campaign has been receiving positive feedback with many students opening accounts with the partnered financial institutions increasing the number of Papua New Guineans who are financially included.

As part of the campaign, representatives from participating financial institutions who at that time were from Bank South Pacific, ANZ, WESTPAC and Women’s Microbank were given an opportunity to talk about the products available for students and to also commit themselves to school visitations to help students open accounts.

So far fifty six (56) schools (primary and secondary) have been visited in six provinces by the team and well over 50, 000 have taken part in the campaign.

As a result of the campaign in schools over 92, 000 bank accounts have been opened since December last year.