Electronic banking for Vanuatu's rural population

(Radio Australia Pacific Beat) The National Bank of Vanuatu plans to introduce electronic banking services to rural people, bringing banking to tens of thousands for the first time.At the moment most people in rural areas do not have access to banks, and those that do, often have to travel long distances to reach them.Radio Australia's Jemima Garret reports Japan and the Asian Development Bank are assisting the National Bank of Vanuatu to introduce a new smart card system.NBV's managing director, Bob Hughes, told the Pacific Beat program the system could provide a model for remote communities in other Pacific Island countries.Mr Hughes says a significant number of people will get access to banking as a result of this initiative."We'd be looking at probably 85 per cent of the islands at this stage," he said."We have branches in most of these areas"We will have people actually available to use it through agents that actually are attached to these particular branches."You can find the full story at the Pacific Beat website:

http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/pacbeat

http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/s2159823.htm