Report by Farkhanda Ahmad)
KARACHI: Mr. Sartaj Ahmad Khan, President Chitral Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) and President PTI Lower Chitral had meeting with the president and CEO of National Bank of Pakistan Mr. Arif Usmani at the NBP Head Office Karachi on the other day. Mr. Shoukat Khatak, EVP and Group Head of Services Quality Group was also present on the occasion. Mr. Sartaj Ahmad Khan presented a detailed proposal to the president of NBP regarding the key challenges pertaining to better performance and quality customer service delivery by NBP branches in Chitral, which eventually serves towards the objectives set for the Chitral Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
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Speaking on the occasion Mr. Khan said that the services of NBP Main Branch Chitral KPK has been providing since 1964 as a representative of the State bank of Pakistan as a chest branch.. He pointed towards the issues and concerns the main branch is facing persistently since the dismantling of the Main Branch building in 2012. The main building of NBP was dismantled owing to the construction of by-pass road. Since then main branch of NBP Chitral has been operating in a rented premise unsuitable for quality services and customer care. According to Mr. Khan NBP main branch has been continuously facing criticism from the customers, local mainstream media for not being able to provide a quality services. Having this situation in the backdrop Mr. Khan presented a proposal to purchase a property suitable to build a spacious and well equipped branch in Chitral town.
He also pointed towards the fact that the outlook of the existing branches in Chitral is very shabby and undesirable as compared to branches of other banks. Giving the high stake margin of the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) in Chitral, there is need to conduct a survey of all the branches and upgrade the equipment and furniture for effective services and customer care.
Upgrading the existing branch of NBP Booni Lasht Upper Chitral to Chest branch/Main branch was also proposed for smooth working of the newly established district. Currently 15 banks including microfinance branches are operating in Booni, upgrading the existing branch to Chest branch will not only cater to the needs of these banks but will also be able to address the government institutions, treasury department, allied departments, organizations for settlement of required services for making government/ receipt and clearing agent in all respect besides providing quality customer services.
Additionally, it was proposed to establish four branches of NBP in the un banked areas of Laspur valley of Mastuj TMA, Kosht valley of Mulkhow TMA, Shagram valley of Torkhow TMA and Brep town of Mastuj TMA. Mr. Khan stressed on a very important matter of the absence of NBP ATMs in entire Chitral, he highly recommended an immediate order for installation of ATM machines in the existing branches of NBP in Upper Chitral. Acute shortage of human resource in the NBP branches of Chitral area is another pressing matter Mr. Khan drew attention towards.
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He requested the President to recruit well qualified local human resource to run the branches of NBP on sustainable basis. As the non-local staff face issues of adjustment to the environment and tend to push for their transfers to their local stations thus leaving the branches in Chitral understaffed and quality of customer service suffered.
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The proposal was concluded on a very important request for estabslishing two Bank booths of NBP at Arandu and Shah Saleem crossing points with Afghanistan to address the immediate need for increasing business across the borders in the long run and to open a new branch in the Ayun village of Lower Chitral.
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The proposal to open a separate management unit (zonal or regional office) of NBP in Chitral area was also presented to the President in order to properly manage, facilitate and coordination of stakeholders for better business growth through quality customer sevices in Chitral.
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At the end of the meeting Mr. Khan extended an invitation to the president NBP on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry to visit Chitral next year to inaugurate some of the projects discussed in the meeting. The President of NBP appreciated the shared proposal and promised to initiate approval for all the issues phase wise with a follow up meeting with top management executives of NBP soon in Islamabad.
