Ombudsman provides Rs1 billion relief to banking customers

KARACHI: Banking Mohtasib Pakistan Muhammad Kamran Shehzad on Thursday said that his office has provided relief of around Rs1 billion to the banking customers.

The relief has been provided by disposing of 27,658 complaints against the commercial banks during the calendar year 2022.

While unveiling the Annual Report 2022, Shehzad elaborated that of the 35,265 complaints, 21,822 (79 per cent) were resolved amicably through reconciliation, 734 (3 per cent) complaints were decided after formal hearings, while 5,102 (18 per cent) cases were disposed of or rejected being incomplete, frivolous or due to the lack of jurisdiction as per the law, under which the institution of the Banking Mohtasib has been established and 7,607 complaints remained outstanding as of December 31, 2022.

He said 30,493 complaints were received during the year 2022, whereas 4,772 complaints were brought forward from 2021. The Banking Mohtasib had provided relief of Rs709 million by disposing of 32,592 complaints of the 37,364 during the calendar year 2021, he added.

Shehzad said that there was an increase of 31 per cent in the receipt of public complaints lodged directly with the Banking Mohtasib Pakistan, whereas there was a slight decrease in the complaints received on the Prime Minister’s Portal during 2022.

The Banking Mohtasib has extended its outreach by opening up two new offices — one in Faisalabad and the other in Muzaffarabad — during the year.

Under the law, the Banking Mohtasib provides free of charge services to the complainants at their doorsteps.

The Banking Mohtasib Office has upgraded its information system by introducing an online portal with effect from January 1, 2023. It would shortly provide convenience to the complainants to lodge and track their complaints through the online portal and mobile application.

The Banking Mohtasib Pakistan has also revamped its website and made it more user-friendly, he added.

The Banking Mohtasib plans to launch conventional and digital media campaigns for the benefit of the banking customers.

Shehzad stressed upon all the banks to collectively launch a massive public awareness campaign through all forms of media to educate the banking customers to protect them from frauds and forgeries.

He also urged the commercial banks to take substantive, meaningful and effective steps for the foolproof security of their customers’ deposits.