Thai Credit Bank PCL today announced the kick-off of the 2024 Tang-To Know-how financial literacy program, which is now in its eighth consecutive year. The official inauguration of the program was held on March 8, 2024 at Ibis Style Bangkok on the theme "Building strong savings habit for a secure financial future". On this special occasion, the bank also officially launched "Tang-To" piggy bank to help people develop healthy saving habits and conducted a special financial education training session simultaneously online and in-person via the bank's 268 learning centers nationwide to mark the official opening of the program. The session was attended by over 2,700 participants, making it the largest session the bank has ever run and marking another significant milestone of the bank's colourful history.
Noting that Tang-To Know-how project has been running for eight consecutive years, Mr. Winyou Chaiyawan, chief executive officer of Thai Credit Bank PCL said that this reflected the bank's firm commitment to enhancing the quality of lives of people including entrepreneurs and owners of small businesses who are the driving forces behinds Thailand's economic growth and strengthening local communities and empowering farmers who are the backbone of the nation to make them self-reliant through the Thai Credit Foundation's EMpower for Community projects. The bank will continue the project to empower entrepreneurs who are financially underserved and individuals from all walks of life through financial education for a sustainable society and business growth in line with the bank's business philosophy: Everyone Matters."
"Thai Credit Bank PCL has made good corporate governance and social responsibility its priorities as we believe they can lead the bank to sustainable growth. The bank is committed to achieving profitable growth in its business and adhering to good principles and business ethics as guidelines for conducting business. It has also made contribution to society and local communities by providing financial education through the Tang-To Know-how program and creative social activities. The bank has encouraged its staff members to get involved in volunteer work, help people and do good deeds. The continuous training the bank provides is clear proof of strong support for its customers' business and dedication to making positive changes in society and local communities," Mr. Winyou said.
To ensure further progress of the project, Thai Credit Bank PCL and the Thai Credit Foundation have inked an MoU with the Ministry of Interior's Community Development Department (CDD) to help it develop its human resources, as well as leaders of communities and members of the networks under the department's supervision through financial education that will help them better manage their money and debts. Under the agreement, the partners will work together to design and develop the course content focusing on financial and debt management to make sure that it is perfectly suited to learners. The move has enhanced the bank's reputation for providing quality financial education, which is a great source of pride of the bank.
Mr.Roy Agustinus Gunara, managing director of Thai Credit Bank PCL said saving money provides financial security and freedom and rescues individuals facing a financial emergency. Savings can be useful to reduce debt load and improve people's financial health. Learning to save also help people to be more disciplined about money. For this reason, the bank has decided to launch "Tang-To" piggy bank to encourage people to save money and clear their debt.
"The main concept of the training program this year is to promote saving money. We should save money at any age. It's never too late to start saving. We should just set aside a percentage of our income for saving no matter how much we earn. And using a piggy bank is the simplest and most convenient way to save money. We can start using it immediately and in any amount we wish. If we can cut unnecessary spending, we can have more money to save. Regular saving over a time allows us to achieve our goals. We can use our savings to pay off debt too," Mr. Roy said.
Mr.Kamolphu Phuredithsakul, assistant managing director of Micro Finance Business & Lending Branch Management Group of Thai Credit Bank PCL said the Tang-To Know-how project has gone from strength to strength over the past seven years. It started with just a small number of participants. The figures show 89% of the bank's customers who have completed the courses have better financial bahaviors. The majority of them said they have seen their revenue grow by 10%. When it comes to customer loyalty, Thai Credit Bank PCL has achieved a Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 81. In the social dimension, the bank has been named first runner-up at the 6th ASEAN Rural Development and Poverty Eradication Leadership Awards in the private sector group for its significant contributions to rural development and poverty eradication through the Tang-To Know-how project.
"The Tang-To Know-how project was very successful in terms of the number of participants, with nearly 180,000 people attending the courses over the past seven years. In 2023 alone, more than 58,000 people took part in the program through classroom, online and on-site sessions. This year, the bank expects 60,000 participants to attend. We vow to continue improving the quality of the project to ensure that its content meets the needs of each target group, enabling them to make the most of it. We will also improve the effectiveness of trainers to make them better help learners reach their full potential and implement innovative learning and teaching methods to keep learners more engaged, motivated and entertained," he said.
Source: Thai Credit Bank
