Daily Times

KARACHI: Home remittances declined by 3.08 percent to $19.30 billion in July 2017 to June 2017 fiscal year.

There is a need for continuous efforts to take concrete measures by economic managers, Ministry of Finance and State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) through Pakistan Remittance Initiative (PRI) to increase the remittances. Through legal channels country received $11.20 billion in 2011 to $19.30 billion in 2017.

To curb the remittance’s influx through ‘hundi’, ‘hawala’ or other illegal channels, which have been considered key factors hampering growth of formal remittance business in Pakistan, these institutions should improve provision of sending and receiving foreign money in order o encourage people to use legal channels.

Improved superior services to remittance customers through extensive online branch network of commercial banks, new alliances with international Money Sending Businesses and through focused marketing both in the local as well as international markets would increase the size of forex. Home remittances have been one of the major factors sustaining the economy over the past several years. In the backdrop of struggling exports and increasing import bills, a finely chalked-out home remittance plan has the potential to fill in the critical gap. Marketing campaigns through commercial banks would result volume growth besides campaigns with leading foreign banks in countries share major chunk of remittances would result volume increase.

Working closely with Ministry of Overseas Employment and Human Resource Development and Pakistani embassies and consulates across the world in addition to educate existing and future expatriates regarding remittance services cold help a lot for better increase in forex.

Making easy and assessable remittance account in commercial banks especially designed for remittance customers would a step towards promoting financial inclusion. Banking services to un-banked population should also be considered in this regard. By removing digital disruption in existing remittance market, introduction of technologically advanced banks’ products to customers can be an added factor.

This will eliminate the complex procedures to collect remittances and with offering a one window solution, beneficiary would feel ease. Irtiza Kazmi, Group Head Global Home Remittances of a bank was of the view that turnaround would be possible by the keen interest that commercial banks to show improving the overall business, especially better remittances service.

Published in Daily Times, July 21^st, 2017.