RIZWAN BHATTI

KARACHI: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has advised SBP Banking Services Corporation (SBP BSC), National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) and all the scheduled & microfinance banks, both domestic and overseas, to receive the donations/contributions for Diamer Basha Dam and Mohmand Dam.

The government of Pakistan has established a fund, namely, the “Diamer Basha and Mohmand Dam Fund-2018,” for raising funds for construction of the two dams in the country.

The donations will be part of the public account of the federal government, separate from the Federal Consolidated Fund, and will be used exclusively to defray the expenditure to be incurred on the construction of the dams.

The SBP has also requested the Finance Division, Government of Pakistan for necessary directive to Chief Finance and Accounts Officer, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Islamabad for repatriation of donations/contributions received in Pakistan Missions abroad, to the Nostro Account of State Bank of Pakistan for onward credit to the foresaid fund account.

According to the SBP circular on Diamer Basha and Mohmand Dam Fund 2018, the fund will be receive donations/contributions, both from domestic and international donors, for which purpose an account with the name of “Diamer Basha and Mohmand Dam Fund 2018” has been established at all the field offices of SBP Banking Services Corporation (Bank), all branches of National Bank of Pakistan and all scheduled commercial banks and microfinance banks.

The fund account will also be opened at the branches of domestic banks operating abroad to facilitate receipt of donations/contributions from overseas Pakistanis and/or any international donors/contributors.

Donations and contribution to the funds can be made in the form of cash, cheque, prize bonds and other cash equivalents hereto against which the bank will be required to a proper receipt.

The SBP has advised banks that the receipt of fund will be made in triplicate, the original of which duly signed by the authorized branch officials will be delivered to the donor/contributor; the duplicate along with a scroll of receipts will be tendered at the nearest field office of SBP Banking Services Corporation (SBPBSC), or branches of National Bank of Pakistan, with consolidated amount of pay order on the working day immediately following the day of receipt of donations/contributions; and the triplicate copy will be retained by the collecting branch for its own record.

The donations/contributions tendered at the branches of domestic bank operating abroad will be consolidated by their respective head office in Pakistan and consolidated amount will be wired to SBP Nostro account in equivalent USD account.

Simultaneously, the head office will render an account of the amount wired to SBP account, by giving breakdown of the amount in terms of each donor’s contribution through email.

According to SBP said the amount received in currencies other than USD, will be converted at the closing rate of that currency against USD.

Banks have been advised for issuance of necessary instruction to all your branches, both domestic and abroad to open the foresaid account mentioned above. The branches may further be advised to display notice at the conspicuous place indicating “Donations/Contributions to the Diamer Basha and Mohmand Dam - 2018 are accepted here.”

The funds deposited directly at the counter of SBP Banking Services Corporation (SBPBSC) and branches of National Bank of Pakistan, along with donations/contributions surrendered by the commercial banks, will be credited to the Government account against the head “G12421 DIAMER BASHA AND MOHMAND DAM FUND–2018,” the SBP maintained.