Instructions No. 5 of 2022 Regarding the Handling of Customer Complaints

Palestine Monetary Authority PALESTINE MONETARY AUTHORITY

Instructions No. (5) of 2022 Regarding the Handling of Customer Complaints

Pursuant to the provisions of Decision No. (41) of 2016 on the Licensing and Regulation of the Exchange Business, particularly Article (21) thereof, and in accordance with the powers delegated to us, and in pursuit of the public interest, we have issued the following Instructions:

Article (1)

Objective and Scope of Application

1. The provisions of these Instructions aim to consolidate the principles of protecting the rights of customers dealing with exchange offices, thereby contributing to enhancing trust in the banking sector.
2. The provisions of these Instructions apply to exchange offices licensed by the Palestine Monetary Authority.

Article (2)

General Provisions

1. Exchange offices are prohibited from refusing to accept any complaint submitted by one of their customers.
2. Exchange offices must handle all complaints submitted to them transparently, fairly, and without discrimination.
3. Exchange offices must provide a written policy and operational procedures regarding the mechanism for handling customer complaints and disclose them to their employees, which shall include (the mechanism for handling the complaint, the procedure to be followed to resolve it, the time period for processing the complaint and responding to it).
4. Exchange offices must work to inform customers about the availability of complaint submission and the handling mechanism, through whatever means they deem appropriate, such as (advertising at premises, the website, social media platforms).

Article (3)

Receipt of Complaints

Exchange offices must comply with the following:

1. Provide suitable channels for receiving complaints from customers, such as (telephone, fax, email, complaint box, social media pages), with a minimum requirement of placing a complaint box in all exchange office branches labeled "Complaint Box", and providing a complaint submission form specifying the submission procedures as per Appendix No. (1).
2. Issue a complaint receipt to the complainant dated with the date of receipt.

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1 www.pma.ps Ramallah and Al-Bireh Governorate - Palestine P.O. Box 452 | Tel: +970 2 2415251 | Fax: +970 2 2415310 | info@pma.ps Gaza - Palestine P.O. Box 4026 | Tel: +970 8 2825713 | Fax: +970 8 2844487

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Palestine Monetary Authority PALESTINE MONETARY AUTHORITY

Article (4)

Handling of Complaints

Exchange offices must comply with the following:

1. Assign the complaint handling task to the Compliance Officer and Contact Person, if available, or designate an employee to handle complaints if the Compliance Officer and Contact Person are not available.
2. Notify the complainant within a maximum period of (4) four working days that their complaint is complete and under review, and request any additional documents from the complainant during this period if needed.
3. Respond in writing to all points raised in the complaint within a maximum period of (10) ten working days from the date of submission, and retain a copy of the response.
4. If a settlement is reached with the customer to resolve their complaint, they must sign a special form prepared for this purpose.

Article (5)

Reports

Exchange offices must submit a periodic quarterly report to the Palestine Monetary Authority via email at "CRMC@pma.ps" within a maximum period of (10) ten working days from the end of each quarter, covering all complaints and the actions taken regarding their handling as per Appendix No. (2).

Article (6)

Exceptions

The following are exempt from the provisions of these Instructions:

1. Complaints already under judicial review or for which a judicial ruling has already been issued.
2. Complaints related to labor and union matters.

Article (7)

Penalties

Any person who violates the provisions of these Instructions shall be penalized in accordance with the provisions of Decision No. (41) of 2016 on the Licensing and Regulation of the Exchange Business.

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2 www.pma.ps Ramallah and Al-Bireh Governorate - Palestine P.O. Box 452 | Tel: +970 2 2415251 | Fax: +970 2 2415310 | info@pma.ps Gaza - Palestine P.O. Box 4026 | Tel: +970 8 2825713 | Fax: +970 8 2844487

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Palestine Monetary Authority PALESTINE MONETARY AUTHORITY

Article (8)

Repeal of Conflicting Provisions

1. Instructions No. (3) of 2013 Regarding the Handling of Public Complaints are hereby repealed.
2. Any provision conflicting with the provisions of these Instructions is hereby repealed.

Article (9)

Implementation and Enforcement

All competent authorities shall, each within their respective jurisdiction, implement the provisions of these Instructions, which shall apply from the date of their issuance.

Issued in the city of Ramallah on 3/03/2022 AD,

Dr. Firas Malham Governor [Signature]

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3 www.pma.ps Ramallah and Al-Bireh Governorate - Palestine P.O. Box 452 | Tel: +970 2 2415251 | Fax: +970 2 2415310 | info@pma.ps Gaza - Palestine P.O. Box 4026 | Tel: +970 8 2825713 | Fax: +970 8 2844487

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Appendix No. (1) Complaint Submission Form

Complainant Details:

Full Name:
Landline Number:
Mobile Number:
Fax Number:
Email Address:

Respondent Institution: ....................................................................................

Complaint Details:

[Blank Space]

• Attachments:
• Date of Complaint Submission:
• Complainant Signature:
• Complaint Submission Procedures:

1. The complaint must be submitted by the complainant in person or by their legal representative using the complaint form approved by the exchange office.
2. A response to the complaint will be provided within 10 working days from the date of submission to the exchange office.
3. The complainant will be provided with a receipt acknowledging the complaint, dated with the date of receipt.
4. The complaint must relate to the exchange office's services.
5. The complainant must clearly disclose their name, title, complaint, and contact information.
6. In case of no response from the respondent institution or if the complainant is dissatisfied with the response, the complainant may submit a written complaint to the Palestine Monetary Authority through the public reception halls in Ramallah and Gaza by filling out a special form, or via fax or email, attaching the respondent's response.

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Appendix No. (2) Complaint Report

Serial Number	Complainant Name	Phone/Fax Number	Complaint Subject	Date of Submission	Date of Response	Exchange Office Handling	Notes