Karachi: February 09, 2018: An exclusive ceremony was held at the Ministry for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development (OPHRD) Islamabad. National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), Bureau of Emigration & Overseas Employment (BE&OE), Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF) & State Life Insurance Corporation (SLIC), signed an agreement for BE&OE Protectorate Fee Collection system. This is a major step forward by the 4 organizations to offer an interoperable digital solution enabling the citizens of Pakistan who are traveling abroad for employment to pay their Protectorate Fee through NBP Digital Platform. The agreement was signed by Mr. Saeed Ahmed – CEO/President NBP, Mr. Shoaib Mir Chairman – SLIC, Mr. Habib Gilani MD – OPF and Mr. Kashif Noor – DG BE&OE in the presence of senior officials from all the mentioned organizations including Dr. Muhammad Hashim Popalzai – Secretary OPHRD, Mr. Mudassir H. Khan – SEVP/Group Chief Payment Services & Digital Banking Group NBP, Mr. Azfar Jamal – EVP/Head of Innovation and other officials. This initiative will not only open the Fee Collection at numerous branchless banking outlets of partner organizations of NBP but will also remove the previously practiced manual mechanism of payment through 3 banks. This, in turn, will facilitate the intending 1 Million annual overseas employment emigrants of Pakistan. Speaking at the occasion, Mr. Saeed Ahmed said “This customized solution depicts NBP’s resolve to ensure best practices in financial services for the people of Pakistan. Our role in providing digital & online solution is the key factor in this arrangement to facilitate and provide easy access of payment to Pakistani emigrants, as well as real time funds settlement for BE&OE, SLIC and OPF with online visibility of their funds”. Representing BE&OE and OPHRD BE&OE DG Mr. Kashif Noor commented “It is hoped that this will surely result in minimizing the emigration cost and due to involvement of alternate channels, the emigrants from far flung area shall also get benefit from this facility at their home place. This will also save time and money of emigrants, additionally they will be safe from agent exploitation.” The Chairman State Life Mr. Shoaib Mir said “State Life is proudly serving the emigrants since 1982 who are the main source of foreign currency remittances. The recent initiative will definitely ease out the intending emigrants in finalizing the documentary requirements for proceeding abroad. State Life will always keep on exploring avenues to serve its customers efficiently and effectively using state of the art IT technology”. MD OPF Mr. Habib Gilani remarked “This day embarks a great milestone achieved by OPF in collaboration with its stakeholders, including BE&OE, SLIC and NBP as it has extended another landmark facility to Overseas Pakistanis. This digitalized collection solution of one window facility will enable Overseas Pakistanis to process their case in shortest possible time by depositing all protector fee in any NBP branch throughout the country and its allied fee collecting partners. This great initiative reflects Government’s commitment to create comfort for Overseas Pakistanis who contributes immensely in strengthening country’s economy.” Under the Emigration Ordinance and Emigration Rules 1979, BE&OE is responsible to control and regulate the legal migration from Pakistan on one hand and look after the interest of the emigrants on the other. BE&OE is the centralized agency of Federal Government of Pakistan to process recruitment demands of the Pakistani manpower through Licensed Overseas Employment Promoters for different manpower importing countries. For an emigrant, it is a legal binding to get Foreign Service agreement protected from the concerned Protectorate of Emigrants (PE) Office by depositing government fees. Published in Daily Times, February 10th2018.