National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) has so far handed over about 50,000 environment friendly CNG rickshaws worth more than Rs 5.5 billion to applicants all over Pakistan under its Rozgar Scheme. This was stated by the Group Chief Consumer Banking NBP Aamir Siddiqui in an interview here Monday.
He said that about 75,000 applicants have been registered so far under the scheme involving a total amount of Rs 7.5 billion. He pointed out 20,000 registered applicants are waiting for the deliveries of CNG rickshaws from the manufacturers. "In my view, NBP is not only promoting self-unemployment among youth, but also making a humble effort by replacing heavy and dangerous smoke emitting rickshaw with CNG rickshaw", he said.
Aamir said that NBP also has a distinction of developing CNG rickshaw industry in Pakistan, thus providing employment to thousands of jobless and improving environment in the country.
"Currently, ten assemblers including Masters, Qingqi, Pak Hero and Sazgar are producing CNG rickshaws for NBP Rozgar Scheme so that the applicant can select a rickshaw of his own choice", he opined.
He said that NBP has told the manufacturers that it will cancel the contract if the rickshaw has a generic problem. "Besides, it is also in the contract that the manufacturer will refund the money, if the customer was not satisfied with the quality or performance of rickshaw, he added. Responding to a question about the complaints of inferior quality of rickshaws, Aamir said that NBP has cancelled the contract with M/s Qingqi after receiving reports of faults in its auto rickshaw.
Aamir said that a group of "transport mafia" was trying malign NBP Rozgar scheme products to avoid instalment payments which are due now. "Members of this mafia rent out their rickshaws and now they are loosing their clients after the introduction of our Rozgar Scheme", he observed.