Partnering for Asia's Transition

Read how DBS is Making Greater Impact in our Sustainability Report 2024

Financial Inclusion

We deliver solutions that help bring financial services to traditionally underserved segments.

We want to ensure more segments of the community have access to useful and affordable financial products and services that meet their needs and are delivered in a responsible and sustainable manner.

Democratising Banking Services Access to All

As the former Development Bank of Singapore, we have an ingrained purpose to enable financial and social mobility and security for every segment of the community.

Serving the community

We expand our reach to low-income individuals or groups who are typically excluded from traditional banking. POSB is currently the only bank that works with the Ministry of Manpower to avail bank accounts as part of Work Pass Issuance process for Work Permit Holders, which comprise Migrant Domestic Workers and Migrant Workers.

With innovative and digital technologies, we constantly explore ways to increase access to financial services.

Addressing financing gaps of small businesses

We participate in a range of government-assisted schemes to support micro, small, and medium (MSMEs) in the growth and expansion of their businesses to provide MSME working capital financing and micro-loans. We also improve financing for underserved MSMEs and social enterprises (SEs) to build capabilities and capacities to scale businesses.

As MSMEs pivot in a post-pandemic era, they continue to have unmet working capital requirements to sustain themselves. In 2023, we have approved over 4,400 unsecured loans totalling SGD 665 million to MSMEs in Singapore, which consisted of both government risk share and commercial unsecured loans.

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Championing Social Enterprises (SEs)

Since the inception of DBS Foundation in 2014, we have helped support over 800 SEs across the region and awarded over SGD 13 million in grants to over 100 SEs.

We are also the first and only bank in Singapore to offer solutions tailored for social enterprises – businesses for impact with a double or triple bottom line. In 2021, we rolled out the SE mentorship programme, which benefitted over 50 SEs across our core markets.