Public urged to embrace digital banking services  

KATHMANDU, Aug 18: Nepal Bankers’ Association (NBA) has appealed the public to avoid visiting bank branches except for urgent cases.

Issuing a public notice on Monday, NBA—the umbrella organization of all 27 commercial banks—urged the customers to help minimize crowds in banks by not visiting their branches except for urgent cases.

The notice of the NBA comes in the wake of a recent spike in the number of COVID-19 cases that prompted the government to impose containment measures and tighten restrictions on various businesses and services.

According to the Ministry of Health and Population, Nepal registered 581 new confirmed COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total tally to 27,241 as of Monday. With three more COVID-19 related deaths, Nepal’s COVID-19 death toll has now reached 107. 

Kathmandu alone observed 168 confirmed COVID-19 cases on Monday, according to the Ministry.  A total of 9,639 coronavirus-infected patients are in isolation across the country, the ministry said.

Stating that most of the daily transactions can be carried out through digital banking, the NBA also urged bank clients to utilize the services available through mobile or internet.  

The NBA said that clients can contact their bank branches via telephone if they encounter technical problems, forget passwords or face other difficulties while using digital banking services.

All commercial banks have been providing almost all types of daily transactions like fund transfer from one account to another, utilities payment and checking details of transactions and balance in any account.  

The NBA said that the appeal to carry out transactions from home to avoid physical contact was aimed at protecting clients, employees as well as others from potential risks of COVID-19 infection.

As a part of its push for the digital banking services and encouraging ordinary people to avoid visiting bank branches, bank and financial institutions (BFIs) have been waiving fees and charges on interbank ATM withdrawal following a directive of the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB).

According to the NRB, there has been an astronomical rise in the volume of digital transactions in recent months as people worried about the possibility of the spread of coronavirus through cash or transmission risk while visiting banks have shifted to digital banking.

In the wake of the rising COVID-19 cases in recent weeks, BFIs have also started mobilizing their staff on a rotational basis.  

 
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