KARACHI: State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Deputy Governor Riaz Riazuddin, addressing the 13th International e-Banking Conference and Exhibition, has asked the commercial banks to install more automated teller machines (ATMs) as the current network of 9,000 machines is not enough for the growing customers.
Addressing the event, which was jointly organised by Total Communications and 1Link, Naveed Ali Baig from World Bank said that there are 6.49 ATMs per 1,000 people in Pakistan as compared to 290 machines in South Korea, 173 in US, 42.4 in Indonesia, and 13.27 ATM in India.
Baig said banks have planned to deploy another 500-600 ATM machines during the current year.
Faisal Ejaz Khan, Chief Executive Officer at 1Link, said they would soon launch a mobile app – POS (point of sale) – that would enable debit cardholders to make payments through smart phones, which would work like debit machines.
“POS app would help swapping debit cards through smart phones…we are just waiting for approval from the regulator,” he said, adding that over seven million debit cards in Pakistan would automatically become POS cards.
Faiq Sadiq, Head Payment Services at Habib Bank Limited, said his bank has deployed 5,000 POS terminals nationwide. He said his bank has come at number one position in deploying ATM machines in the country.
