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Let’s work from home

By A. Jafri
Tue, 03, 20

As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads, big cities around the world are going under a lockdown to prevent it altogether....

COVID-19

As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads, big cities around the world are going under a lockdown to prevent it altogether. During this pandemic, we observe a crucial dilemma - to keep ourselves safe and at the same time make ends meet. There is a looming financial crisis with the anxiousness of the wage workers, plummeting stock market and businesses going out. During this time, FINCA Pakistan, part of a global network, is playing its role to stem the spread.

The Microfinance Bank has taken swift and divisive measures to ensure the health and safety of its employees, partners and customers all over the world in cognisance of the guidelines suggested by the World Health Organization.

In Pakistan specifically FINCA Microfinance Bank is closely monitoring the situation. It has issued progressive internal guidelines for all of its employees, ensuring the strict enforcement of all precautionary measures encouraging employees to adhere to the new no-contact greetings, limiting unnecessary travel, social distancing measures as recommended. It is one of the first financial institutions to implement a Work From Home (WFH) plan, to do its best to ensure the safety of its employees and their well-being. At the same time, Business Continuity Plan (BCP) has been re-assessed to ensure that our patrons have access to financial services during this pandemic.

As a responsible organisation, the bank is further providing free healthcare (in case of COVID-19) to all of its employees, free hand sanitizers have been placed across the network for employees and customers, protocols to disinfect regularly all premises have been put in place, the bank will rotate critical resources between office/work from home while keeping the BCP resources separate, strict screening at office entrance has started and visits of external vendors have been limited.

For its customers, FINCA has sent out communication recommending limiting branch visits and offering incentives to use its digital and alternate delivery banking channels; which include Phone Banking, ATM channel, and the FINCA Pakistan's Wallet and SimSim APP which enable customers to responsibly make transactions without leaving their homes as well as repay their loans or withdraw cash using partner merchant networks as UBL Omni. Both FINCA Pakistan and the SimSim app allow a host of financial facilities such as funds transfers and mobile recharge, all from the comfort of their homes.

–– A. Jafri