Palestine Monetary Authority

PALESTINE MONETARY AUTHORITY

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Instructions No. (1) of 2016

Regarding the Processing of Public Complaints

Based on the provisions of Article No. (22) of Presidential Ordinance No. (132) of 2011 regarding the licensing and supervision of specialized lending institutions, and in accordance with the powers delegated to us, and in pursuit of the public interest, we have issued the following Instructions:

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Article (1)

Objective

These Instructions aim to enhance trust in the financial and banking sector and consolidate the principles of transparency and comprehensive disclosure between specialized lending institutions and their clients.

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Article (2)

Scope of Application

The provisions of these Instructions shall apply to all licensed specialized lending institutions operating in Palestine.

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Article (3)

General Provisions

1. The task of processing public complaints at a specialized lending institution shall be assigned to its internal audit function.

2. The Palestine Monetary Authority may request that the task of processing and following up on public complaints be assigned independently within the specialized lending institution, according to the institution's workload and the development of its activities.

3. The specialized lending institution must place a complaints box in all branches, label it "Complaints Box", and clearly announce within the branches the complaint submission procedures outlined in Annex No. (1).

4. A copy of the complaint, stamped by the lending institution to confirm receipt and dated by the institution, must be provided to the complainant.

5. A designated employee must be assigned at each branch to be responsible for opening the complaints box, recording complaints in a special register, assigning them a serial number, and forwarding them to the internal auditor or to the designated complaints officer, if appointed.

6. A written response to the complaint must be issued within a maximum of ten working days from the date of submission, and a copy of the response must be retained.

7. If the received complaint is already under judicial review, the institution may apologize for not responding to the complainant, as the matter is subject to court proceedings, but it may still investigate and follow up to facilitate settlement.

8. Written standard operating procedures regarding the above provisions must be prepared and disclosed to employees, covering complaint handling, the institution's contact point, the procedure to be followed to process the complaint, and the timeframe for processing and responding.

9. A periodic quarterly report must be submitted to the Palestine Monetary Authority's "Public Relations and Market Discipline Department", covering all received complaints and the actions taken to process and rectify their subject matters, in accordance with Annex No. (2).

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Article (4)

Implementation

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

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Issued in Ramallah on 07/03/2016 CE,
Corresponding to: 27 Jumaada Al-Awwal 1437 AH

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Public Relations and Market Discipline Department Palestine Monetary Authority

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Ramallah - Palestine P.O. Box 452 | Tel: +970 2 2415250 | Fax: +970 2 2409922 Gaza - Palestine P.O. Box 4026 | Tel: +970 8 2825292 | Fax: +970 8 2844487 Email: info@pma.ps www.pma.ps

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Annex No. (1)

Complaint Submission Form for Specialized Lending Institutions

Complainant Details:

Full Name:
Telephone No.:
Mobile No.:
Fax No.:

Institution Against Which Complaint is Filed:

Complaint Details:

Complaint Details:

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Attachments:

• Date of Complaint Submission:
• Complainant's Signature:
• Complaint Submission Instructions:

1. The complaint must be submitted personally by the complainant or their legal representative using the approved complaint form.
2. A response to the complaint will be issued within 10 working days from the date of submission to the lending institution.
3. The complainant shall be provided with a stamped copy of the complaint.
4. The complaint must relate to the services of the lending institution, one of its branches, or its employees.
5. The complainant must accurately disclose their full name, title/role, complaints, and contact information.
6. If the specialized lending institution refuses to accept the complaint, the complainant has the right to approach the Palestine Monetary Authority.

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Annex No. (2)

Report of Complaints Filed Against Specialized Lending Institutions

Serial No.	Complainant Name	Telephone / Fax No.	Subject of Complaint	Date of Submission	Date of Response to Complainant	Institution's Handling of Complaint	Remarks

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