Criminal attacks will disrupt community services and hold back the economic development of rural people.
Bank South Pacific General Manager Retail, Paul Thornton, said this in a statement following the ransacking of a BSP ATM in Hagita, Milne Bay Province.
Thornton confirmed that the ATM’s safe was taken away by armed criminals, with two people seriously injured during the attack.
“We would like to pass our thoughts and prayers to those injured people, one of whom was an ambulance officer who was attending the scene to assist the first person shot during this criminal attack.
“We would also like to express our disappointment at yet another violent robbery in the Province and advise that we will not replace the ATM until security in the area improves.”
This incident follows an armed robbery outside BSP’s Alotau branch in December during which two people died and an armed robbery at the Padipadi sub branch.
“BSP takes banking to all provinces of Papua New Guinea as well as to many districts. Criminal attacks such as this results in important community services being disrupted and holds back the economic development of rural people who are deprived access to financial services," Thornton said.