The total membership has significantly grown from 120,775 in December 1999 to 152,438 members by the end of 2005. The movement, more particularly provincial based societies such as the East New Britain S&L Society, is an ideal vehicle to reach and promote savings into the rural population.
The movement plays an important role in the financial system in promoting thrift to its members and more importantly in extending the monetization of the PNG economy into the rural sector, so that the rural population participates meaningfully in economic development.