Securities Limited. I have the pleasure in welcoming you to the 2026 Annual General Meeting. This meeting is being form... I'd also like to acknowledge the early start this morning. We have a quorum of shareholders, and I'm pleased to declare meeting platform. Before we move to the formal business of the meeting, I'd like to outline some important housekeeping matters to evacuate the Kutubu Convention Centre. Don't panic. Don't use the lifts. Don't use the escalators. The conference safety exit signs to give direction to all. Should the power go off, emergency lights will automatically come on. Being just opposite the convention centre. Restrooms are located out on the left side of the halls when you walk functionalities of the meeting. I'd like to introduce you to our fellow directors who are present today, Richard Kimber. Committee, Chair of the Audit Committee, and a member of the Risk Committee.
Dr. Jane Thomason, who is the Chair of Remuneration and Nominations Committee. Robert Nilkare, who is a member of the Remuneration and Nomination Committee and is also standing for re-election today. I'd also like to introduce you to our executive management who are present, Mr. Evan Rayna Heckenberg, who is the Chief Risk Officer. Rina Antonio-Jang, who is the Chief Operating Officer. and some digital banking. Also present with us today is Herbert Maguma, who is the managing part The agenda for today's meeting is set out on the slide. I will now provide a brief overview of the c and activities. Good morning again, ladies and gentlemen. It's a pleasure to welcome you all to Kina's Annual General Meeting. I also want to acknowledge our customers, our regulators, and all of our team members right across Papua New Guinea. It's because another year of steady progress for Kina.
We have remained disciplined in how we execute our strategy. In a market that continues to evolve, that consistency is something that we're particularly proud of. The result is a business that continues to strengthen, not just in terms of growth, but in terms of our resilience. PGK, an increase of 14% on the previous year. This is a very strong result in any environment, and particularly in PGK, even after taking a prudent approach to provisioning and addressing a number of older non-performing loans. million PGK, with strong momentum across both our lending and non-lending businesses. Net interest income increased. Continued to build, supported by growth in foreign exchange activity and the increasing adoption of our digital channels. Expenses increased by 7%, reflecting careful management in what's been an inflationary environment, more effectively in delivering improved returns. Growth across our core business has been steady and deliberate.
Home lending also continued to grow, albeit at a more modest pace. Importantly, at the same time, we continue to invest in the future of the bank. This includes strengthening our leadership capability. Kina Bank for the long term and enable us to better serve our customers as their needs evolve. Our balanceAnd giving us the capacity to support future growth. As a board, we are very deliberate about balancing growth ambitions to our shareholders. We've declared a final dividend of PGK 0.193 per share, bringing total dividends ongoing commitment to delivering sustainable returns to our shareholders. We're also mindful of the broader closely with our regulators, with government, with our industry partners as part of the national response. Confident about where Kina Bank is positioned.
We're entering the next phase of our journey with a clear strategy and a successful issuance of our corporate bond, a first for PNG. There've also been some changes at a board level during We welcome Lutz Heim and Robert Nilkare, who bring valuable experience and perspective to Kina, and I'd also like to acknowledge soon transition from his role as Chief Financial Officer. I'd like to recognize his significant contribution and the leadership, and I'd also like to welcome Taiwo Fowowe as our incoming Chief Executive Officer. To our management team and to all our team members, thank you. Your effort, professionalism, and commitment are what Finally, to you, our shareholders, thank you once again for your continued support. We remain focused on protecting I'd now like to ask Ivan to give his reflections on Kina Group's performance.
Thank you, Chairman. Good morning. As Papua New Guinea marked 50 years of independence, we also celebrated 40 years of service to the people, how far we have come, also to reaffirm our role as a national institution contributing to Papua New Guinea's grow challenger in the financial services sector. Against that backdrop, I'm pleased to report that 2025 16.6%, reflecting the resilience of our business model and the strength of our diversified financial, including expansion of our loan portfolio, growth in non-interest income, and investments into key risk management, ensuring that growth was both sustainable and well-controlled. These results and broader economic uncertainty. Despite these challenges, the bank continued to perform strongly, depending on innovation and inclusion. We made important progress in expanding access to banking services upgrades to our personal online banking platforms.
These investments are helping to make banking more. We continue to strengthen our physical presence. The opening of our new office in Popondetta, delivered in part, also advanced a number of strategic partnerships throughout the year, including our investment into NiuPay, which we also remain deeply committed to the communities that we serve. Through our Strongim Komuniti Grants program support rural health facilities. These initiatives are simple but impactful, and they reinforce our 2030 strategy. At the heart of everything we do is a simple but powerful purpose that articulates our for the people, communities, and markets that we serve. To achieve this, we are focused on six strategic through innovation, serving our communities, and embedding governance for sustainable growth. Standards of an international bank.
I'd like to briefly outline two examples of how our 2030 PGK 35 million 10-year subordinated bond, which was listed on the PNGX on the 16th reasons. It strengthens our capital base and diversifies our funding profile through access to long-term capital support from institutional and wholesale investors, as reflected in the bond's oversubscription, demonstrates financial services system as a whole. At a product and customer experience level we serve our retail banking customers and expand financial inclusion across Papua New Guinea.
It is real-time person-to-person transfers, QR code merchant payments, bill payments, and PeiBeta in the first half of 2026 for existing Kina Bank customers, with broader rollout including. Digitization is not just an opportunity, it is a necessity, and we are committed online banking platform designed to meet the evolving needs of both small and large businesses across our growing. I would like to acknowledge the dedication, professionalism, and resilience of our teams across the group. Our chief financial officer role. I would like to acknowledge and thank Johnson Kalo for his significant con has provided an important role in strengthening our financial foundations and supporting our growth, and I'm pleased he Kina as our new CFO.
He brings deep experience across finance, capital management and growth, strong financial stewardship, and long-term value creation as we execute our 2030 strategy and to the board for their continued guidance and support. Looking ahead, we're clear about the purpose and our core businesses, while maintaining the financial discipline and risk management that underpin our performance. Capital market initiatives and expanded access to banking services across Papua New Guinea and nations and our ability to deliver long-term value for all our stakeholders.
Thank you, and I'll now hand back ASX and the PNGX, and shareholders on the 27th of April. It's available on the company's website. Before moving on to the various resolutions to be considered today, I'll now briefly outline the meeting and voting procedure. Voting on all resolutions is now open.
Online shareholders may vote via the platform, and shareholders in the room online virtual platform, as shareholders online may vote at any time from now until five minutes after card to complete. Non-voting shareholders received a blue card and visitors received a white card. Your votes at any time from now until the close of the poll and place it at the ballot boxes at the back of the room. The results of the poll will be released on the ASX and PNGX and will be available on the company's web shareholders. I'm also holding undirected proxies in my capacity as Chair of this meeting, and I intend to two.
Online shareholders, please ensure that you've registered through the webcast as a shareholder and not as a guest. Please submit questions by selecting the Ask a Question tab located in the upper right corner of the screen. At time. If you have a question already prepared, please submit it now so that many questions as possible can be answered. Questions short and to the point, so that as many shareholders as possible have the chance to ask a question. All online answer. We reserve the right to rule out questions not relating to the AGM or that are out of order. On today. Guests are welcome to observe the proceedings of this meeting, but I'm sure you will appreciate that participation in the meeting. Prior to asking a question, could you please stand and present your blue or yellow attendance card? Each resolution to the meeting in turn.
The terms of each resolution will be displayed on the screen, shareholders will then begin Receive for the resolution, then the vote will be taken. I will also provide an opportunity for shareholder participation at the AGM, including how to vote and ask questions online during the AGM is available or in the download section of the virtual meeting platform. I will now move to the formal business of the meeting being held on the 10th of June 2025, and signed by myself on the 25th of August 2025. The 2025 annual report contains the financial report, the directors' report, and the independent auditor's report, which I'll Download section of the virtual meeting platform. The financial statements have been audited by Deloitte PNG and approved. It is not a resolution that requires a vote.
I'll take the reports as read and would like to take any On Kina's reports or the auditor from shareholders or those persons entitled to vote on behalf of shareholders in the room.
One.
Thank you. We'll now move to the resolutions set out in the notice of meeting.
Thank you, Ian. Shareholders, thank you for the opportunity to address the meeting. I have been a director of Kina Securities since August 2025. I am also a member of the Remuneration For New Britain Palm Oil Limited, a major agribusiness institution in Papua New Guinea and one of the largest private sector employ Executive advisor, Project Manager for IPBC, which is now known as Kumul I formerly served as a director at Mainland Holdings Limited. I am currently a Board Director National Petroleum Authority. I hold a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Bond University and also a graduate of And developed my expertise in leadership, commercial acumen, governance, and the PNG business environment Delivering strong business performance, strengthening market position and growth through innovation. Limited, and contributing to the board's significant experience in the areas of governance. I'll hand it back to Ian.
Thanks, Robert. Thank you. The resolution is displayed on the slide. Excluding Robert Nilkare, unanimously recommend shareholders vote for this resolution. Are there any questions? Johnson, are there any questions online?
No, Chair, there are no questions.
Further discussion. I now put this resolution to the meeting. If you're in the room, please mark the for, against, or abstain next to resolution one on your electronic voting card. The second item of business is-
Thank you, Ian. Good morning, shareholders, and thank you for the opportunity to address the meeting, taxation and governance sectors. I held senior leadership roles, including Chief Operating Officer, Tax and Corporate Finance Partner at Deloitte PNG, where I also served as Country Managing Partner for three years. New Commission. I served as Chief Assessor, which was responsible for core technical functions. Between my senior roles in PNG, I spent approximately seven years as a corporate tax advisor in Australia. University in South Australia. I currently serve on the board of St. John Ambulance PNG, Superannuation Fund in Papua New Guinea, and First Investment Finance Limited. My strong In financial services. I'm committed to serving as a director of Kina Securities Limited, stability. Thank you. I'll now hand over back to the chair.
Thank you, Lutz. The vote on the resolution. The board, excluding Lutz, unanimously recommend shareholders vote for this resolu- is in the room. No. Johnson, are there any questions online?
Mr. Stephen Mayne. The question is, given that Deloitte is our auditor, is it suitable- Thoughts on that, perhaps?
If I can address that. I left Deloitte in 2015. Relationship, there is no financial or otherwise operational tie with that firm.
We're very confident in Lutz's independence.
Thank you.
Thank you. It appears there's no further questions. Sorry, that were received are on the screen. If there is no further discussion, I now put this resolution to the meeting. If you're abstain next to Resolution 2 on your electronic voting card. Resolution 3, which requires a simple majority of the votes cast by shareholders present and entitled to vote on the resolution. As the auditor of the company from shareholders or persons who, sorry, or those persons entitled to vote. Are there any questions online?
No, Chair, there are no questions online.
Thank you. Room, please mark for, against, or abstain on the box in Resolution 3. Resolution 4 is the approval of the directors' fee pool. Shareholders present and entitled to vote on the resolution.
Given the interest of the directors in this item, the Directors' fee pool from shareholders or those persons entitled to vote on behalf of shareholders in the room. One. Thank you. The proxies received are shown on the screen. If you're attending online, please now select for, against, or abstain next to Resolution 4 on your electronic voting card. Performance rights to Mr. Vidovich for financial year 2025. The resolution is displayed on the slide. Excluding Mr. Vidovich unanimously recommend shareholders vote for this resolution. Are there any persons entitled to vote on behalf of shareholders in the room? Johnson. The proxies received are shown on the screen. If there is no further discussion, I now put this. Please now select for, against, or abstain next to Resolution 5 on your electronic line.
This resolution is an ordinary resolution, which requires a simple majority of votes cast by shareholders present. The approval of Kina's rights, sorry, Performance Rights Plan from shareholders or those persons entitled to vote on behalf of shareholders. Thank you. The proxies received are on the screen. For, against, or abstain for Resolution 6. If you're attending online, please now. That concludes the formal part of the meeting. Please submit your votes now if you haven't already done so. The poll will. Votes have been counted and verified. I'd now like to invite any questions or general comments about the company. There any advance questions for the meeting that we need to discuss? I'll now open. Sorry, this microphone's a bit scratchy. I'll now open up to you. Given that there's no further questions. Lane in each box for each resolution.
If you've got any questions, please rai- cards on the way out. Shareholders attending online can submit their vote until five minutes after the meeting closed, and thank you for attending and for your continued support of Kina Securities. Thank you.