Mining Minster Sir Ano Pala and Rigo District Development Authority (DDA) has agreed to invest K2Million to Women’s Micro Bank to support women, girls and their families in Rigo District. Women’s Micro Bank Limited branded as MAMA BANK has partnered with the Rigo DDA to establish and bring financial inclusion services to the people of Rigo and setup a Mama Bank Agency in the district to enable the local’s access to financial services and credit facility to support the district’s economic plans in empowering entrepreneurship in Rigo District. This initiative was led by Mama Bank Chief Executive Officer, Mr Gunanidhi Dasa back in 2022 which has eventually paved the way for Member for Rigo Sir Ano Pala to organize his DDA to set up in Kwikila. Mama Bank and Rigo District Development Authority recognized that women in the District of should have proper banking services to save and grow their hard-earned money through access to financial services and credit facility. They should have their own bank account with affordable and adequate access to credits to enable them progress their entrepreneurship and contribute towards their family’s welfare and district’s economic development. During the MOA signing ceremony held at Kiapara Village in the Central recently, Sir Ano Pala told the women and people of Rigo that he is committed to support them through established arrangements such as financial institution in their entrepreneurial ambitions and not cash handouts. He said that this will create an avenue for his people to adequately have access to credit to enable them to play a more active role in the economic development and contribution of the district. The Chairman of Mama Bank, Mr. Noel Norikgu thanked the MP for having that confidence in Mama Bank to be a bank of choice to support the economic empowerment programs of Rigo district. “We felt obligated to provide the banking services that can economically empower all women, girls and their families.” “We've been placed in a space of greater responsibility as the women’s bank to be the major player for women and girls’ financial inclusion as captured under the National Financial Inclusion Strategy from BPNG.” “And today that is a responsibility we share with your prestige’s office and the Rigo district.” CEO of Mama Bank MrGunanidhi Das stated that the Rigo DDA and Mama Bank are prepared to consider the provision of loan facilities to borrowers through direct and through different available suppliers. This includes farmers who are unable to provide security of a type or in an amount which banks would be requiring in the normal course of its operations. This facility of credit scheme provided DDA will enable Mama Bank to go extra mile in serving the rural farmers in Rigo. Mr Das further explained that the Mama Bank is trying to implement the real microfinance concept in the country. Mama Bank believes that any credit scheme should link to the performance of the income generating activities. If a customer is willing to improve his or her own economy and a bank helps in access to finance, then automatically nation’s economy will develop. SMEs can be created and the Government’s ambition of achieving 500,000 SME by 2030 will be fulfilled if informal and MSME sector is taken care of properly.