SBP Establishes Service Desk System

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has introduced a ‘Service Desk System,’ an end-to-end complaint management portal, to address complaints from Regulated Entities (REs) regarding SBP-hosted portals, including the Regulatory Approval System (RAS). To enhance the security of SBP-hosted portals (RAS and Service Desk), the SBP has decided to transition from web-based access to Virtual Private Network (VPN)-based access, effective from May 30, 2025. To access these portals through VPN, financial institutions will be required to procure Multifactor Authentication (MFA) licenses. Regulated Entities (REs) are advised to acquire the necessary MFA accounts to ensure a seamless transition to VPN-based access for RAS and the Service Desk, in compliance with the prescribed timeline. The SBP has also digitized the end-to-end process of receiving requests and proposals from Regulated Entities and disseminating its regulatory decisions through the Regulatory Approval System (RAS).