Banking Mohtasib provides Rs709 million relief to banking customers

KARACHI: The Banking Mohtasib Pakistan (BMP) has provided relief amounting to Rs709 million to the banking customers in 2021, a statement said on Tuesday.

The bank disposed of 32,592 complaints out of 37,364 during the year 2021, which is about 87 per cent of the total complaints as compared to the year 2020, where Rs598 million were provided to banking customers by disposing 21,360 complaints.

According to the Annual report for the year 2021 of the BMP, 33,196 new complaints, including 17,762 complaints from the Prime Minister’s portal were received at the BMP secretariat in 2021 whereas 4,167 of complaints were brought forward from the year 2020.

An increase of about 46 per cent was observed in the receipt of complaints at the BMP during the year 2021, as compared to the year 2020.

The BMP office, in-spite of Covid-19, has succeeded in maintaining the regular pace of disposing of complaints while adhering to the prescribed Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs).

“The BMP has started a project to upgrade the IT system and revamp its website to keep pace with the technology and to meet the art of the technological product,” the statement said.

“This revamped website will contain an online complaint lodgment portal for the general public which will be followed by launching of SMS service by sometime in June this year to keep them abreast with the status of their complaints,” it added.

With a view to protecting the people from fraudulent activities which are rampant now a days, the BMP Kamran Shahzad has also emphasised on the banking customers that they should not disclose their personal and financial credentials to any third person, adding that on receiving suspicious calls they should immediately approach the nearest branch of their bank or contact the helpline of the bank.