Khalid bin Shaheen, SEVP & Group Chief, GHRMG (Global Home Remittances Management Group), National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), urged the Pakistani community in Saudi Arabia to use the legal banking channels for remittances. In a press conference in Riyadh during a visit to the Kingdom this month, Khalid said that 80 percent of NBP remittances are being sent via Cash over Counter Option because majority of Pakistanis belong to labor/worker class not maintaining account at Pakistan. In order to facilitate them, NBP is now trying to open maximum accounts in Pakistan and provide ATM cards to all beneficiaries of foree cash transactions wherein they can withdraw their money as per need via ATMs of NBP. He also disclosed helpline number 111627627 which can be used in case NBP customers face any problem with NBP branches/ATMs. He added that overseas Pakistanis all over the world remitted $5,982.04 million in the first five months (July-November) of the current fiscal year 2012-13), showing a growth of 14.16 percent or $742.05 million, when compared with $5,239.99 million received during the same period of the last fiscal year (July- November 2012). Overseas Pakistanis from all over the world in November 2012 remitted $1,017.83 million as against $924.92 million in the same month of the last fiscal year (November 2011). Khalid further said the growth in workers' remittances is the result of the efforts made by Pakistan Remittance Initiative/PRI-joint initiative of the State Bank of Pakistan, Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Ministry of Finance to facilitate services for both overseas Pakistanis and their families back home. Khalid visited Saudi Arabia this month to conduct marketing campaign of Foree (immediate) Transfer Remittances Scheme of NBP being successfully offered from Tahweel Al Rajhi, Samba, Enjaz, NCB, and Al Amoudi Exchange in Saudi Arabia. He also visited various workers' camps situated at Central, Eastern and Western Regions to motivate Pakistani workers for using legal banking channel for sending their money to Pakistan. Khalid also met with Muhammad Naeem Khan, Ambassador of Pakistan to Saudi Arabia at Riyadh as well as senior officials of local banks with NBP tie-ups, including Al Rajhi Bank, SAMBA, and Bank Albilad. He also inaugurated NBP Helpdesk at Eastern Region/Al-Khobar Center. — SG
