Inactive Bank Accounts Research Project

The PBA Project Team (PT)/ Working Group (WG), with representations from banks, has been working on the inactive bank accounts issue since 2021 to carry out an in-depth survey/research to understand the key reasons for inactivity in some customers’ bank accounts.

Reasons for inactivity were identified and discussed by the WG following the research, including useful information regarding the dormancy of accounts, which was based on analyses of six different participating banks. A Study Report was shared with SBP in November 2022 with the findings, however, SBP had responded that the scope of the study be widened to include increased customer base for information gathering and to expand certain details in the research designs and the questionnaire used for surveys regarding the inactivity and customers’ data.

The PBA Working Group then broadened its research study and prepared a revised version of the Study Report with increased sample sizes and by including detailed policy recommendations.