KARACHI: Customers on Wednesday urged the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to increase duration of banking hours ahead of Eid holidays as overwhelmed staff at various branches struggled to provide services.

Eid holidays have been announced by the federal government from May 10-15, with banks set to reopen on May 17 (Monday).

On Wednesday, as the city experienced hot weather with temperatures rising to 37° C, long queues outside banks were seen in many areas. Though bigger branches of some banks had placed tents and chairs outside their establishments in a bid to ensure social distancing and complying with Covid-19 safety guidelines, many branches are filled to the brim as closing time neared.

The rush was partly due to the confusion over the new bank timings announced by the SBP last week.

“I came here at 10:30am and even after an hour, my token number has yet to be called,” said Syed Ahmed, a senior citizen waiting for his turn at a bank branch in Clifton.

While inside the bank some 40 customers waited for their turn, a similar number stood outside.

SBP asks banks to remain open on Saturday from 9am to 2pm

At another bank branch, a middle-aged man walked up to a bank counter for senior citizens and women — where already some 10 elderly people were waiting for their turn — and said, “I need to encash this cheque as my son has Covid.”

What followed next was angry customers in that particular section moving away from the customer as a visibly shaken bank staff quickly handed him the payment. “I hope he was bluffing about corona,” an elderly customer said.

The customers said the 1pm cut-off time for banks was unreasonable and urged the government to operate the banks for longer period as the big Eid holiday break neared.

They complained that ATMs were so unreliable and they didn’t want to take the risk of being stuck at home without any money.

‘Bank staff working at full strength’

“Every year we disburse two salaries [to government employees] during Ramazan, this year that’s not the case. We are following [standard operating procedures] SOPs and have to ensure that the minimum safe distance is ensured inside the bank and this sometimes slows down the process,” said Junaid Ahmed Soomro, the manager of National Bank of Pakistan’s Nickle Road branch.

He said that the branch was ensuring strict compliance of the SOPs. When questioned whether the service was slower, he said, “Anyone who comes at the branch by 1pm is given a token. All staff in branch is there till the last customer is served, even if it means staying back much later.”

Many bank managers said that Ramazan was the toughest month for bank staff. “People are usually tired and get into arguments. This pandemic has made things worse. People refuse to sit at a distance and prefer to loiter near the counters. Many want to enter without face masks while many remove masks once inside the branch. While we try our best to ensure SOP compliance, customers lash out at staff, particularly the security guards who are just following orders,” a manager said.

“While many industries have reduced the workforce numbers at offices following government guidelines, bank staff is working at full strength,” another manager of a private bank said.

When reached out for comment, SBP spokesman Abid Qamar said, “Keeping in view the long holidays announced by the government on Eid, SBP has already instructed banks to remain open on Saturday, May 8. Bank timings were also revised recently from 9am to 2pm following the instructions of NCOC in the wake of rising cases amid the third wave of coronavirus pandemic.”

Published in Dawn, May 6th, 2021