THIS refers to poor customer service faced at the directorate of National Savings, where mostly retired people invest in Behbud scheme, Regular scheme, Defence and other savings schemes which are regulated without any professional ethics, discipline or norms. They are required to come in person every month to draw their profit at these savings centres. The cheque book coupons are issued against each certificate of investment. The amount is not deposited in their bank accounts. They are required to appear personally like wanted criminals.

Our association, the Pakistan Commercial Exporters of Towels Association (PCETA), has invested Rs15m in a monthly regular income scheme. When our man went with the letter of request for the issuance of cheque for profits for August 2014 on Sept 2, they first received this letter and stamped it, but then cancelled and returned the request, telling our man that the tenure of the investment had expired so the entire sum of investment must be withdrawn.

The association policy is regulated by elected representatives. Therefore, our office sent a letter asking the NSC to immediately prepare a crossed cheque of the principal amount, as well as of the profit due.

It is a simple procedure but they are unable to comprehend or for unknown reasons delaying unnecessarily. I wonder what treatment our senior citizens must have been receiving.

A professional approach by the NSC will double and triple the deposits if they work to gain investors’ confidence.

Ali Ashraf Khan

Chairman, PCETA

Karachi

Published in Dawn, October 31st, 2014