ANZ on Tuesday announced an expansion of MoneyMinded, the bank’s flagship adult financial education program, to include a dedicated mobile banking module, reflecting the growth of mobile phone banking in the Solomon Islands.
This follows an agreement signed between ANZ and the Australian Government last August to support the increased roll out of mobile banking to remote and rural areas in the Solomon Islands.
Commenting on the latest developments to the MoneyMinded program, Geoffrey Buchanan, ANZ CEO Solomon Islands, said: “Mobile banking is quickly becoming the channel of choice for many customers here in the Solomon Islands, especially in rural provinces where people have limited access to branches.
“Investing in the growth of mobile banking and supporting this with dedicated financial
literacy training, with a particular focus on making banking more accessible to women, is an important part of creating positive change in communities.
“Working with our community partners, we hope to bring about a shift in participants’
mindset and behaviour towards managing money and the use of mobile banking.”
MoneyMinded is informed by community consultation and delivered through partnerships
with local community organisations and government.
Twenty five new facilitators were accredited to deliver the program following a five-day workshop in Honiara.
ANZ and its community partners – Rokotanikeni, Premiere Group of Companies Ltd and Christian Care Centre – are committed to delivering MoneyMinded to the community at large this year.
MoneyMinded is ANZ’s flagship financial literacy program, designed to boost financial inclusion in communities where ANZ operates. It has been successfully delivered to some
6000 people across the Pacific since it was introduced in 2010.
ANZ goMoney was the first mobile phone banking channel in the Solomon Islands. Since its launch in September 2013, it has attracted 24,500 new customers, including 15500
customers who had previously never held a bank account.
ANZ began operations in Solomon Islands in 1966 and now has four branches, 13 ATMs and employs more than 110 staff across the nation.
ANZ has the largest network of any bank in the Pacific with a presence in 12 Pacific
countries including Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Tonga, Samoa,
American Samoa, Cook Islands, Guam, Kiribati, Timor Leste, and a Representative Office in New Caledonia.
