KARACHI, July 1: The State Bank of Pakistan has clarified a report Monday which said the nationalized banks will charge Rs20 as service charges on deposit of utility bills at their counters from July 1.

The SBP described the report as “incorrect” and “baseless”.

“Neither the State Bank nor any of the nationalized banks ...have issued any such instructions for the recovery of service charges,” the central bank said in a statement. “In fact, the banks are not allowed to charge any service charges on utility bills from the general public.”

The SBP advised the public not to pay any charges to banks on deposit of their utility bills.

The National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) and Habib Bank Limited (HBL), in a joint statement, also denied the report, which had claimed that all transactions, including cash deposit or withdrawal, pay orders, demand drafts, telegraphic transfer, mail transfer, rupee travellers cheque, etc would be subject to this service charge. A NBP spokesman, while expressing surprise at the report, said no such service charges were being considered, either by the NBP or HBL.—APP