Has anybody ever seen a serving grade 20 or 21 officer, an MNA or MPA , a general or a judge standing in a queue alongwith other ordinary citizens? Hardly. They have minions who perform these tasks. Thus insulated and cushioned by an elitist facade, they have little understanding of the misery suffered by the people in dealing with anything that looks like government.

The rich and the powerful often keep their money abroad, not wanting to rub shoulders with the ‘riffraffs’ at the National Saving Centres. There have been complains and protests for the last 30 years that millions of citizens, often frail and unable to travel, are compelled to make monthly visits to the Saving Centres to redeem profits on their savings. All this hassle could be completely eliminated if the Saving Organisation was to send, directly and automatically, an individual’s profit to his/her bank account every month.

Alas, the Saving Organisation has now come up with an unbelievable self-congratulatory move that doubles the number of visits, time, money, misery and scope for errors. The new system requires individuals to calculate their own profits, write the amount on profit coupons, have it stamped by the concerned Saving Branch, sign and deposit the same in their bank account. After waiting for 3-4 days, they must then make a second visit to the bank to collect the profit — this time by issuing a regular bank cheque.

The National Savings Organization’s new system is a quantum leap in the wrong direction. A state does not need to come up with gimmicks to pretend improvement. The ordinary citizen will now undergo twice the agony to receive monthly profits on their lifetime savings. Can the government of Pakistan please consult any high school student to understand how money can be transferred, received or sent to any bank by using cell phones and while staying at home?