Payments/PG
Papua New Guinea
ISO PG · 3 schemes
Summary
- Digital Kina CBDC QR pilot (2024)
- Hyperledger Iroha 2 first CBDC
- National Switch 8 banks connected
- Wantok Wallet BSP mobile
- Kina Pei contactless NFC
Banking landscape
Central Bank
- Name: Bank of Papua New Guinea (BPNG)
- Website: https://www.bankpng.gov.pg/
- Role: Monetary policy, CBDC development
Major Banks (2024)
| Rank | Bank Name | Type | Digital Platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BSP | Regional | Wantok Wallet |
| 2 | Kina Bank | Local | Kina Pei |
| 3 | Westpac PNG | International | Westpac App |
| 4 | ANZ PNG | International | ANZ App |
| 5 | National Development Bank | State | NDB App |
Market Structure
- BSP: Dominant regional
- Digital Kina: CBDC pilot
- Kina Bank: Local innovation
- High unbanked: 85%+ population
Payment infrastructure
National Payment Systems
| System | Operator | Type | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Digital Kina | BPNG | CBDC | Pilot 2024 |
| National Switch | BPNG | Interbank | 8 FIs |
| KATS | BPNG | RTGS | Active |
| Mobile wallets | Banks | Mobile money | Growing |
Digital Kina CBDC
- Proof of concept end 2024
- Port Moresby pilot
- QR code merchant payments
- Hyperledger Iroha 2 blockchain
- Japan METI + Soramitsu partnership
National Switch
- 8 financial institutions (July 2024)
- Tisa Bank, Credit Bank PNG added
- 2025: More banks + MNOs
- Interoperability expansion
QR code standards
Digital Kina QR
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Type | CBDC |
| Technology | Hyperledger Iroha 2 |
| Status | Pilot (2024) |
| Partners | Japan METI, Soramitsu |
Digital Kina Features
- Mobile app download
- Scan merchant QR
- Instant payment
- First Iroha 2 CBDC
- Government-backed
Kina Bank QR
- Kina Pei app
- Contactless tap-and-go
- NFC enabled
- Visa Debit (Oct 2024)
- Modern digital
Mobile payment apps
| App | Provider | QR | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Digital Kina | BPNG | Yes | CBDC |
| Wantok Wallet | BSP | Limited | USSD |
| Kina Pei | Kina Bank | Yes | NFC + QR |
| WhatsApp Banking | Kina Bank | No | Text |
Wantok Wallet
- BSP operated
- USSD technology
- Unbanked access
- Text-based commands
- Growing adoption
Financial Inclusion
- 85%+ unbanked population
- Mobile wallets key solution
- 50% inclusion potential
- Rural access challenge
Schemes
| Scheme | Type | Symbology | Adoption | Technical standard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Digital Kina | CBDC QR | Blockchain | Pilot | digital-kina |
| National Switch | Interbank | BPNG | 8 FIs | national-switch |
| Kina Pei | NFC/QR | Bank | Active | — |
Sources
Full country report
Schemes
Standards
Primary · 1