Govt launches PM Relief Fund to aid Ghaza, Lebanon

October 14, 2024 (MLN): The government of Pakistan has notified the establishment of a relief fund, namely, the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund for Ghaza and Lebanon, to extend maximum humanitarian support to the people of Ghaza and Lebanon, according to the Circular issued to the Chief Executives / Presidents All Commercial Banks and Microfinance Banks. 

The Fund shall accept donations both from domestic and international sources for the aforesaid purpose, it added. 

The Fund will be administered by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) while the Accountant General Pakistan Revenue will maintain accounts of the Fund.

In this regard, the State Bank of Pakistan has opened ‘Prime Minister’s Relief Fund for Ghaza and Lebanon’ account vide IBAN: PK11SBPD0000001111114292 (Raast ID: 01111114292) for collection of donations to the Fund.

All the commercial and microfinance banks shall receive donations in cash, through cheques, payorder, demand drafts banker’s cheques etc., at all their branches across the country for onward credit to above mentioned account.

Banks shall also enable their Internet banking, mobile banking apps and mobile wallet apps for collection of donations in the said account.

Donors have been provided multiple options for making donations to the Fund as described below:

A. Domestic Donations:

1. Donors and contributors may make their donations to the fund in cash at any branch of any bank operating in Pakistan, which shall transfer the amount collected either through Raast or RTGS to SBP. Similarly, donations may also be made at any of the field offices of SBP Banking Services Corporation.
2. The donors may make their donations to the Fund by dropping crossed cheques in the name of the Fund in their respective bank’s drop box. All banks shall make available a drop-box facility at their selected branches for donors where they may drop their crossed cheques in favour of the Fund. The banks shall, accordingly debit the customer’s account and transfer the donation through Raast.
3. Banks shall mandatorily provide the option for collecting donations through the above-stated Raast ID via their internet banking, mobile banking apps and mobile wallet app.

The bank shall also remove all limits on such transfers. The commercial and microfinance banks shall prominently display the IBAN: PK11SBPD0000001111114292 and Raast ID: 01111114292 on their websites and ADCs.

B. Overseas Donations:

1. Overseas donors including overseas Pakistanis may donate to the Fund through wire transfer in the Fund account maintained with their respective bank. The bank shall provide its IBAN & routing details for receiving donations. The banks shall transmit the consolidated amount of donations received in the Fund account to SBP daily through RTGS.
2. Overseas donors may also donate through Money Service Bureaus (MSBs), Money Transfer Operators (MTOs) and Exchange Houses (EHs) in line with the arrangements in place for receiving home remittances.

Banks receiving such remittances in the Fund Account shall transfer the consolidated amount through RTGS to SBP daily.

The banks shall maintain the details of individual donors i.e. name of the donor the amount of his/her donation, mode of payment etc., with them which shall be made available to SBP as and when needed.

The banks shall also share details of individual donors, the amount of their donations and the mode of payment every week with the NDMA via email address: dirfin@ndma.gov.pk.

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