The Bank of Uganda (BoU), as the regulator of the banking industry, recognizes the frequent grievances from clients of commercial banks and other financial institutions regarding service delivery. These complaints often relate to issues like unexplained deductions, overcharged services, and inadequate customer care.
Despite these concerns, many customers hesitate to pursue redress, often discouraged by perceived complexity, potential costs, or the belief that their efforts will be futile.
To address these barriers, BoU has established a straightforward complaints procedure under the Financial Consumer Empowerment Mechanism (FCEM). This mechanism aims to provide a transparent, cost-effective, and simplified process for resolving customer complaints.
The FCEM adheres to several legislative guidelines, including the Access to Information Act 2005, Financial Consumer Protection Guidelines 2011, and Mobile Money Guidelines 2013. It covers complaints involving financial loss, incorrect charges, failure to execute instructions, poor service, and more.
Kenneth Egesa, Director of Communications at BoU, outlines the steps an aggrieved customer should follow: Initially, the customer should address the complaint directly with the financial institution to exhaust all internal mechanisms. If the response is unsatisfactory or not received within 21 days, the customer can then escalate the issue to BoU.
When filing a complaint with BoU, customers should provide full contact details, including an address, telephone number, and email if possible. Complaints are considered valid if they concern a product or service provided by a Supervised Financial Institution (SFI) regulated by BoU, relate to incidents not older than ten years, and have not been legally adjudicated.
Complaints deemed invalid include those without financial loss or significant inconvenience, those better resolved through legal or arbitration processes, and those infringing on the rights of others not party to the complaint. By empowering consumers with clear guidelines on how to proceed with complaints, BoU aims to improve customer service standards across Uganda’s financial sector.
For valid complaints, BoU provides multiple channels for submission, including email (fcem@bou.or.ug), social media (@BOU_Official on X), and phone (0312-392191, 0312-392124). Additionally, customers can visit BoU’s headquarters on Kampala Road or its branches in Arua, Fort Portal, Gulu, Jinja, Kabale, and Masaka, open from 9 AM to 4 PM.