Progress of payment to quake victims reviewed

Minister of State for Finance Omar Ayub Khan has directed the banks to reduce time for opening of accounts and encashment of cheques of earthquake affectees. He gave these directions in a meeting here on Monday with senior representatives of banks including Habib Bank, Khushhali Bank, MCB, Bank of Khyber, NBP and SBP.
The meeting was held to review the progress and remove procedural bottlenecks faced by the earthquake victims in opening accounts and encashment of cheques issued to them by the government.
Central Board of Revenue chairman Abdullah Yusuf, Federal Relief Commissioner Major General Mohammad Farooq, DG Pakistan Post, Agha Masood Hasan, senior officials from the ministry of finance and representatives from NWFP and ERRA also attended the meeting. The banks were also given directions that no fee/charge would be realised from affectees for opening and operating accounts.