Access to Financial Services 

The EU-STREIT PNG Programme is working with multiple partners, including local banks and mobile operators in the Sepik region, to improve the access of local population to financial, rural banking and cashless services in the Greater Sepik region. 
Being critical for running agri-businesses, provision of an expanded range of tailored and inclusive banking systems in this area – that suffers from lack of enough banking access points – enables farmers, rural communities, and agricultural enterprises to get access to loans, payment and saving products.
Before the EU-STREIT PNG Programme commenced its operation, there were only 132 banking access points in East Sepik and Sandaun provinces, and more than 70% of households in the region didn't have access to any form of financial services provided by banks and other financial institutions. 
With interventions from the Programme, the number of banking access points are envisioned to double and reach a total of 265 by the end of 2022. This represents a 100% increase in the total number of access points. With these interventions, the Programme and its partners will aim to reach 150,000 beneficiaries before the end of 2022, covering a majority of households in the two Sepik provinces.