KABUL (Pajhwok): Customers of the New Kabul Bank branch in northern Takhar province on Wednesday accused the bank officials of using delaying tactics in releasing their salaries and meeting other tasks.
The bank is situated near the central mosque in Taloqan, the provincial capital. Hundreds of people could be seen outside the bank waiting for their turn to be allowed inside.
These clients include government officials, security personnel and common people.
They say those knowing someone in the bank could easily get done their job, but others had to wait for hours.
A government employee posted in central Uruzgan province, Sirajuddin, said it was his third day in a row visiting the bank to withdraw his salary.
He said the people standing outside the bank included those coming from far-flung districts.
“We hold the bank chief responsible because he keeps two doors open — one for those who have connections and the second for those having no connections with bank officials. “
He said those knowing no one in the bank were not allowed to enter the bank and they had wait for hours to get their jobs done.
An NGO official Shah Wali said he visited the bank to withdraw his salary. He urged the government to increase the bank’s representation in Takhar.
He said the bank lacked sufficient chambers and staff to deal with the so many clients. He said residents from districts had to spend nights in Taloqan until they accomplished their tasks at the bank.
Pajhwok Afghan News reporter in Takhar Zalmai Aziz said he was mistreated by the bank’s guards when he was interviewing customers.
Aziz said: “The security guards misbehaved with me and stopped me from talking to people. They detained me and took me to the bank chief.”
The bank chief, Mehdi, called his apprehension as an illegal act and politely said that they faced numerous problems and could not resolve them.
He said: “I have no permission from the central office to speak to the media, I have repeatedly shared people’s problems with the main office, but there has been no response.”
He said almost half of their branch’s staff had been fired and most of their clients were security personnel and government employees who arrived at the bank in great numbers during salary days.
He said the only solution to these problems was an increase in the number of chambers in the bank.
New Kabul Bank customers in other provinces also say they are not satisfied with services provided by the branches.
The complaints are raised at a time when the Kabul Bank case has been reopened and is yet to be resolved. A special tribunal has been created to hear the case.
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