Fresh currency notes receive overwhelming response

KARACHI: The central bank’s fresh currency notes service has attracted overwhelming response from the general public as around 1.6 million individuals have obtained booking code so far, a statement issued by the State Bank of Pakistan said on Friday.  Of these, around 40 percent have received fresh currency notes from the branches against surrender of exchange value, it added.

 

“We expect the service will reach its maximum limit of bookings in a few days and further bookings will not be possible thereafter,” the SBP said. In order to meet the public demand for fresh currency notes on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr 2017, the State Bank of Pakistan Banking Services Corporation (SBP BSC) re-launched the SMS Short Code based service (8877) for issuance of fresh currency notes on the occasion of this Ramzan as well from June 12, 2017.

The service has been made available through a network of 1002 e-branches of banks in 120 cities and 16 field offices of SBP BSC across Pakistan.  The SBP said that that the booking service will be closed after reaching its maximum limit, expected by end of June 20, 2017 and as such no booking code will be issued thereafter. However the member of general public who would have obtained booking code for issuance of fresh cash shall  be eligible to draw the same up to close of business on Friday the 23rd June 2017 subject to validity of the booking code.  

Apart from this SMS service banks may continue to provide fresh notes to their customers from their branches and ATMs as sufficient quantity is being provided to them by the State Bank of Pakistan.