The commercial banks have committed to provide smooth banking services to customers while fully implementing the week-long lockdown announced by the government.

The government has declared a lockdown since March 24 to stop the spread of coronavirus infection.

A meeting of the Bankers’ Association held online this morning has decided to provide full service by opening the essential branches of the banks so as to facilitate the complete utilisation of the earnings of members of the general public at times of natural disaster, the Association stated in a press release it issued after the meeting.

The Association has said the banks would make available adequate money through ATMs while the bank branches without ATMs would be opened for limited time.

"The commercial banks’ branches will provide essential services like LC and treasury even during the lockdown period. The bank branches will put in adequate money in the ATMs while there will not be transaction in cash from these branches. However, the bank branches without ATM would be kept open for a limited time," the press release states.

It is also stated that the bank branches would share the contact phone number of two authorised persons to the customers and the customers can also contact the authorised persons in case they are in need of essential banking services.

Similarly, the Association has appealed to the customers to carry out transactions through digital banking system as far as practicable while urging the local and government bodies to provide medical and protective eqiipments to the bank employees.