Daily Times

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) was conducting ‘mystery shopping’ to know of problems faced by the customers while availing house loans and was guiding the banks for customers’ facilitation.

“We have completed 11 cycles of mystery shopping. Our officers visit banks for house loans inquiries by disguising themselves as teachers, shopkeepers or low-income clients to check what hurdles they were facing in sanctioning of loans,” Chief Manager SBP, Waqas Kashif Bajwa said while addressing executive body of Multan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (MCCI).

Flanked by Deputy Chief Manager Ms Quratul Ain and Assistant Chief Manger, Imran Sadaf, he urged upon industrialists and public to use complaints portal and other avenues of the central bank for redressal of their issues adding that within three days a complaint is processed about housing loaning.

SBP Cheif Minister regretted that banks normally wanted to sell their products instead of promoting the central bank’s subsidized schemes and added that regular seminars would be arranged at MCCI for sensitizing business community regarding banking different plans they have offered.

“A What’s app number will be displayed in the bank for registering of complaints and quick feedback to customers,” he explained. Microlending, Housing, Islamic banking and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) were priority sectors of SBP, he said adding that Central bank and MCCI collaboration would bear fruit.

About hedging of dollar, Mr Bajwa advised industrialists to furnish a proposal on behalf of MCCI in this connection so that it could be forwarded to high ups of bank for decision making.

Replying volley of questions from executive body members, he informed that commercial banks were bound to give ” machine processed” currency notes to its clients central banks imposes heavy penalties in case of counterfeit notes either from its pack or withdrawn from ATMs.

The banks are bound to collect small notes from the customers, Chief Manager said, adding that internal arrangements within banks about these has nothing to do with clients, he clarified.

About Car financing, Mr Bajwa stated that SBP had revised the policy to lessen the pressure on banking industry.

He asked business community to avail solar scheme for their homes and factories as it has 6 percent fixed mark up.

Earlier, in his welcome address, MCCI president Khawaja Muhammad Hussain demanded regular seminars on SMEs schemes at the chamber, adding SBP should allow banks for money exchange so that businessmen had not go to money exchangers.

He appealed for making documentation process easy for house loaning besides hedging of US Dollar and release of Duty Drawback on Local Taxes & Levies (DLTL) refund case of exporters from the central bank at the earliest. Khawaja Hussain also demanded keeping up policy rate unchanged at 7 pc which had been increased by 7.25 pc from SBP recently.

Later, Senior Vice President MCCI, Sohail Tufail, extended vote of thanks to the visiting dignitaries.