In Papua New Guinea, about 85% of its population live in rural areas. A large proportion have very limited school education and have low literacy and numeracy rates. Most people, especially rural women in the informal sector, have also never banked with a financial institution.

Lizette Ambang, a member of Binz Ice Ambra Association in Jiwaka Province, shares the story of women in her village and how learning basic financial knowledge is improving their lives.

Asian Development Bank is increasing access to financial services in remote and rural areas in Papua New Guinea through its Microfinance Expansion Project. The project is implemented with financial institution partners and co-financed by the governments of Australia and Papua New Guinea.

It is strengthening industry regulation and the capacity of lenders to deliver a wider range of financial services and products in rural areas, with a focus on lending to micro and small enterprises, and especially to women. The project is also supporting a large-scale financial literacy training program.

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