PMA Launches Activities of the Child and Youth Banking Week 2015

PNN: 16/03/2015

At the Girls Spanish School in the city of Al Bireh, the Governor of the PMA, Dr Jihad Al Wazir, and Deputy Minister of Education and Higher Education (MoE), Mr. Mohammed Abu Zaid, rang the opening bell to announce the launch of the activities of the Fourth Child and Youth Banking Week 2015. The announcement was made in the presence of Chairman of the Association of Banks in Palestine (ABP) Mr Joseph Nesnas and the representative of the UNRWA Education Programme, Mr Hani Al Omari. The launch was attended by eighth-grade students from the school as well as from the Boys Al Mustaqbal School, in order to highlight the significance of raising the financial awareness of this particular student segment.

Dr Al Wazir reviewed the PMA's endeavors in support of the effective delivery of banking services to all groups of society, in a fair and transparent manner and at reasonable costs. These endeavors, which aim at promoting financial inclusion, demand further efforts to be made in the area of raising awareness and boosting financial literacy of the targeted social groups, so that members of these groups acquire the ability to benefit from available banking and financial services, which would ultimately enhance their capacities and improve their standards of living and thereby promote social and economic development.

Dr Al Wazir thanked the MoE and the ABP for their unwavering cooperation in the organization of the Banking Week and their keenness to accomplish its goals and reach as the largest number of students possible. Being the Week's targeted group, eighth grades in 1600 schools will be covered by intense visits from bank employees making presentations on financial and banking services and their significance and responding to student enquiries.

In turn, Mr Abu Zaid praised the concept of the Banking Week and commended the PMA for its efforts in reinforcing the banking system and achieving financial stability. He asserted the importance of the continuous cooperation and coordination with the MoE in the area of financial and banking awareness-raising, in order to bring up a well-educated and accomplished Palestinian generation. As such, Mr Abu Zaid considered the Banking Week of high educational and pedagogic value to students at schools in Palestine.

It is worth mentioning that the PMA has launched its initiative "Child and Youth Banking Week" since 2012, in coordination with the Child and Youth International Finance organization (CYFI) based in Amsterdam, to coincide with the activities of the annual Global Child and Youth Banking Week on March 16 of every year, aiming at promoting financial and banking literacy for vast segments of society, particularly children and youth. In addition, the activities seek to help children and youth prepare to judiciously craft their own financial and economic future. In the year 2013, the PMA received the Global Money Week award for organizing the best financial and banking awareness-raising event in the Middle East.