Growing concerns about Responsible Banking Conduct has revitalized the Consumer Protection mandate of the financial sector’s regulators/supervisors globally. SBP in its Vision 2020 envisioned consumer protection as one of the key policy objectives. In line with the SBP’s Vision, a departmental strategy was devised which identified high-level goals to be pursued by 2020. Accordingly, the Consumer Protection Department was renamed as “Banking Conduct & Consumer Protection Department (BC&CPD) to give balanced focus to both conduct and consumer protection aspects.  In order to concentrate more on the institution specific issues of conduct in the supervisory framework and to address conduct related regulatory separately from prudential policies, the  BC&CPD has been recently spilt into BCPD (Banking Conduct Policy) Department and CPD (Consumer Protection Department) which are placed under Banking Policy, Regulations Group, and Banking Supervision Group respectively.

The department aims to develop relevant, dynamic and appropriate legal, regulatory and policy framework for Responsible Conduct and Fair Treatment of Customers for Regulated Entities (REs).  The Department ‘s role is also critical in ensuring presence of effective and efficient system for collection and dissemination of credit information to the relevant stakeholders in accordance with the Banking Companies Ordinance 1962 and the Credit Bureau Act 2015. The Department also to provide necessary regulatory instructions /guidance to the banks and DFIs relating to surrendering and refund of Unclaimed Deposits in terms of Section 31 of Banking Companies Ordinance, 1962.

DEPARTMENTAL GOALS & OBJECTIVES

Departmental Goals

• To identify the potential and emerging banking conduct trends and risks.
• To prepare and review banking conduct regulatory interventions, policies and guidelines.
• To promote responsible consumer grievance handling at banks/DFIs/MFBs.
• To empower banking consumers about their rights and responsibilities.
• To provide correct and updated credit information to the member financial institutions through eCIB in seamless manner.
• To regulate and supervise private credit bureaus.

Departmental Objectives

• To develop conduct related policies for the SBP regulated entities in order to promote a fair and transparent market in which all the participants are treated fairly and responsibly.
• To prepare and review banking conduct regulatory interventions, policies and guidelines.
• To promote responsible consumer grievance handling at banks while ensuring that the banks serve as the first and most efficient fora of redressal.
• To assist banks and financial institutions in credit risk management through access to eCIB database and private credit bureaus.
• Prepare regulatory and supervisory framework for private credit bureaus.
• To issue licenses, Supervise and regulate private credit bureaus.
• Collect, validate and manage credit data from banks and financial institutions.