Banking Industry in Pakistan
Banking is one of the most sensitive businesses all over the world. Banks play very important role in the economy of a country and Pakistan is no exemption. Banks are custodian to the assets of the general masses. The banking sector plays a significant role in a contemporary world of money and economy. It influences and facilitates many different but integrated economic activities like resources mobilization, poverty elimination, production and distribution of public finance.
Pakistan has a well-developed banking system, which consists of a wide variety of institutions ranging from a central bank to commercial banks and to specialized agencies to cater for special requirements of specific sectors. The country started without any worthwhile banking network in 1947 but witnessed phenomenal growth in the first two decades. By 1970, it had acquired a flourishing banking sector.
SBP acts as a nucleolus in the financial system of the country. To day, a central bank is the central arch of the monetary and fiscal framework in many countries of the world and its activities are essential for the proper functioning of the economy and critical for the fiscal operations of the government and Pakistan’s banking system is no exemption. Will Roger (1992) describe a central bank as one of the great inventions of the 20th century. State Bank of Pakistan was established on the first of July 1948 under the SBP order 1948 as the central bank of the country.
State Bank of Pakistan reins the monetary and credit system in Pakistan. The SBP is performing many useful functions like custodian of cash reserve of commercial banks, custodian of foreign currency reserves, bank of rediscount, central clearance, settlement and transfer, and condu ...