Stop Banks From Withholding Customers Reversed Funds – Reps To CBN

The House of Representatives has urged the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to stop commercial banks in the country from withholding customers reversed funds beyond the stipulated period.

The House also mandated its Committees on Banking Regulations, Banking and other Ancillary Institutions, and Digital and Electronic Banking, “to liaise with the apex bank and Nigeria Interbank Settlement System to look into the issues and provide solutions.

The joint committee is expected to report back to the House within four weeks for future legislative action.

This followed the adoption of a motion by the member representing Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency, Akwa Ibom State
Emmanuel Ukpong-Udo, on “Need to restrain commercial banks from holding funds reversal beyond the date prescribed by the Central Bank of Nigeria“.

Ukpong-Udo, in his motion, informed the House that the apex bank, in a statement on June 8, 2020, announced timelines for reversals and resolution of refund complaints including Failed “On-Us” automated teller machines transactions.

The lawmaker explained that, according to the CBN, “Where instant reversal fails due to any technical issue or system glitch, the timeline for manual reversal shall not exceed 24 hours; refunds for failed “Not-on-US” ATM transactions (where customers use their cards on other banks’ ATM) shall not exceed 24 hours from the current 3-5 days.

“Resolution of disputed/failed POS or web transactions shall be concluded within 72 hours from the current five days,” stressing that “All banks are directed to resolve the backlog of all ATM, POS, and web customer refunds within two weeks starting June 8, 2020”.

Nevertheless, he expressed worry that the financial sector, in the country, “is facing serious concerns due to persistent complaints of failed customer transactions, with over 69 per cent of complaints in July 2023 encompassing failed
transactions“.

Ukpong-Udo added that ”the rapid increase in numbers of failed banks and the magnitude of the problem which has reached an unprecedented level and alarmed that the high rate of failed bank transactions is causing a decrease in business investments and lending across the country“.

The lawmaker urged the CBN to direct banks to work on their systems in mitigating failed transactions without the customer’s prompting, and to ”reverse customers’ funds within the stipulated periods whether or not the customers lodge complaints”.

Oduyemi Odumade, Edited By Grace Namiji