Banking services resume after two days

KATHMANDU, APR 27 - Banks opened a few of their branches on Monday, two days after the major earthquake.

Some banks opened branches from 9-12am, while some others opened their branches from 10am-1pm in the Kathamndu valley. They enabled the general public to withdraw cash through counters and ATMs.

Nepal Bankers’ Association President (NBA) Upendra Poudyal on Monday decided to open as many branches as possible from 10am to 2pm to provide banking service to customers.

“NBA also decided to fix a maximum one time withdrawal limit at Rs50,000 from branches,” he said, adding that the limit was fixed to enable as many people to get essential cash as possible. In the case of withdrawal from ATM counters, the banks have made arrangements as per their convenience.

The NBA also decided to open all the branches except the damaged ones or those facing network problems.

There were complaints against the banks for lack of service at a time when the public were in greater need of cash after the devastating earthquake hit the nation on Saturday.

But the banking service has eased with the banks opening their branches and restoring ATMs counters.

Rastriya Banijya Bank CEO Krishna Prasad Sharma said that the state- owned bank opened around 150 branches across the country for 4-5 hours.

Two major branches in Dhading and Bishalbazaar, Kathmandu and a few smaller branches, however, remained close due to connectivity issues and fear of aftershocks on Monday. Sharma said the two branches will come into operation on Tuesday.

A total of 2200 customers received banking services on Monday, according to the bank. “I have directed branch chiefs across the country to provide banking service even from the street if offices cannot be operated,” he said.

Likewise, Himalayan Bank opened four branches in Kathmandu Valley and a few others outside the valley from 11am to 1pm on Monday.

“We closed our branches on Sunday as some of our staff’s houses were destroyed. A few branches were damaged including a part of the bank’s headquarters,” said Ashoke Rana, Himalayan Bank Limited (HBL) CEO. The HBL branches in Maharajgunj, Kathmandu and Pokhara were damaged by the earthquake.

Meanwhile, the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) on Monday invited the CEOs of banks and financial institutions at its headquarters and asked them to open as many ATM counters as possible.

In the meeting attended by Governor Chiranjeevi Nepal, deputy governors, NRB officials and bankers, directing them to inform the customers about the resumption of banking services.

During the meeting, the bankers also suggested that they could provide cross-banking ATM services without any charges, but no decision has yet been taken.

Meanwhile, the central bank has arranged for the government to make its payment through its central office in Baluwatar after the banking due to damages caused to its banking office in Thapathali.

Source: eKantipur