People demand computerisation of National Savings Center for quick service

[Naveed Yaseen]

Malik Ayub Sumbal
Clients of the National Savings Centre (NSC) have urged the government to introduce computerised system in all branches, as the outdated manual system has become a nuisance for them.

The majority of NSC clients are old citizens who have deposited their hard-earned money in different saving schemes, as the NSC offers maximum profit on the deposited amount. However a major problem arises every month when these people have to wait in long queues for hours to withdraw their desired amount.

Naseem Akhtar, an accountholder of the NSC, Saidpur Road Branch, told ‘The News’ while waiting in an unending queue “I have been waiting here for more than two hours but my turn has not come yet. Probably I would have to come back tomorrow to withdraw money.”

Abdul Latif Sufi, also standing in the queue, said that it’s a routine matter for accountholders like him to stand and wait for their turn every month. “We come prepared to waste the whole day over here,” he told ‘The News.’

A group of people interviewed by ‘The News’ demanded computerization of all braches of the National Savings.

The assistant manager of the NSC Saidpur Road Branch, Muhammad Iftikhar Malik, told ‘The News’ “With the manual system being in practice at all centres, the staff is unable to wind up their work on time. The public dealing hours are from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. but due to rush of people we cannot go to our homes on time.”

“The government should computerise the whole NSC system,” he added.

Acting NSC Director (Operations) Afzal Tahir Bajwa, when contacted by ‘The News,’ said that the government has allocated Rs500 million for computerisation of all NSC branches. As a first step, the NSC Civic Centre Branch in Islamabad has been computerised. “This has been done on trial basis. There are some technical loopholes that would be plugged soon,” he said.

He, however, admitted that due to lack of interest on part of the government, a full-fledged department has not been launched.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=124788