All authorised bank branches will remain open on April 29 and 30 (Saturday and Sunday) and observe extended working hours to facilitate the collection of taxes.
In a statement issued Wednesday, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) informed that it has been decided on the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) request that all those bank branches that regularly remain open on Saturdays, including National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) branches and field offices of SBP Banking Services Corporation (SBP-BSC), shall remain open on April 29 and 30 to facilitate the payment of government duties and taxes.
The branches would also observe extended working hours till 6pm to facilitate the collection of taxes through ADC’s Over-the-Counter (OTC) facility, it added.
The SBP also directed the National Institutional Facilitation Technologies (NIFT) to arrange special clearings at 1pm on April 29 and 6pm on April 30 to ensure same-day clearing and settlement of payment instruments deposited at NBP’s authorised branches for customs collection.
The central bank instructed all banks to keep their clearing-related branches open accordingly till such time that would be necessary to facilitate the special clearings by NIFT this weekend.
