Saturday Banking Announced – All Branches to Remain Open: Special Schedule Released

All commercial bank offices nationwide, including National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) branches that handle customs duties, will stay open on Saturday, November 29, 2025, according to a significant announcement from the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). In order to guarantee the efficient collection of government taxes, tariffs, and other payments prior to the month-end closing, this decision has been made.

Banks will be open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm to facilitate prompt payment clearance for people, filers, and businesses.

SBP Orders Saturday Banking for Taxpayers

To support taxpayers and government departments, the SBP has instructed all banks to provide over-the-counter (OTC) payment services throughout the day. This includes:

Federal and provincial taxes
Customs duties
Excise payments
Government fees and receipts
Surcharge deductions
Corporate filings and challans

The SBP emphasized that enhanced banking hours will help avoid any backlog and ensure timely settlement before the end of the month.

NBP Branches to Collect Customs Duties

Special directives were issued for NBP-designated branches responsible for handling customs-related transactions.

These branches will:

Remain open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Continue manual collection of duties and taxes
Forward all government receipts to SBP-BSC offices the same day
Ensure accurate reporting and reconciliation without delay

This move is particularly important for importers and clearing agents who need same-day clearance to release goods from ports.

Same-Day Settlement Through Special NIFT Clearing

To ensure smooth processing of government payments, the National Institutional Facilitation Technologies (NIFT) has been instructed to conduct a Special Clearing on Saturday, 29 November 2025.

Special Clearing Details

All government-related instruments received by bank counters will be picked by NIFT at 5:30 pm.
Clearing results (fate of instruments) will be made available to banks by 11:30 pm the same day.
Banks must settle all government receipts with SBP-BSC field offices immediately after the clearing cycle.

This arrangement ensures no delays in government revenue reporting, especially during the closing days of November.

Why SBP Extended Banking Hours?

The SBP issued this directive due to the following reasons:

Increasing load of month-end tax payments
Need for seamless processing of customs duties
High volume of corporate transactions expected before December
Avoiding Monday backlogs in tax and customs collections
Facilitating taxpayers during peak deadline periods

The decision aims to support businesses, importers, and ordinary citizens needing urgent financial services.

Services Available at Banks on Saturday

All commercial banks will offer the following services:

Over-the-counter tax payments
Customs duty and excise fee deposit
IBAN-based payments for government challans
ATM services & digital banking support
Corporate challan processing
Cash and cheque deposits

However, some banks may operate with selected staff, so customers are advised to visit early to avoid rush.

Conclusion

The State Bank of Pakistan’s directive to keep banks open on Saturday, 29 November 2025, with extended hours ensures smooth and timely government revenue collection. With NBP branches handling customs duties and NIFT operating a special clearing cycle, taxpayers and businesses can conveniently make their payments without delays. The extended schedule highlights the government’s commitment to improving public convenience, reducing financial backlogs, and ensuring efficient settlement of all fiscal transactions before month-end.