Circular No. 01/EFI/2021, of February 8 – Compliance with Measures to Prevent and Contain the Spread of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Bank of Mozambique Administration

FINANCIAL STABILITY DEPARTMENT

CIRCULAR NO. 01/EFI/2021

Maputo, February 8, 2021

SUBJECT: COMPLIANCE WITH MEASURES TO PREVENT AND CONTAIN THE SPREAD OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

The Government of the Republic of Mozambique, through Decree No. 2/2021 of February 4, established restrictive measures aimed at containing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Indeed, Article 23 of the aforementioned Decree stipulates that the services of credit institutions and financial companies must be provided in compliance with the prevention and combat measures against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Therefore, given the need to ensure compliance with hygiene and disinfection measures for branches, payment channels and instruments, and objects frequently used by financial consumers, as well as to contribute to reducing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bank of Mozambique determines the following:

1. Credit institutions and financial companies must establish plans, procedures, and promote hygiene and disinfection actions for their branches, equipment, objects, surfaces, as well as for ATM keyboards and cabins and remote payment kiosks or those located within branches, and the aforementioned plans and procedures must be made available for monitoring and evaluation of the degree of their compliance by the competent authorities.

2. Credit institutions and financial companies must implement and ensure, at all times, in an integral and rigorous manner, among other measures:

   a) Regular hygiene and disinfection of their branches, equipment, keyboards and ATM cabins, remote payment kiosks or those located within branches, objects, service counters, door handles, and other surfaces, in accordance with the plan approved by the institution;

   b) Ventilation of their branches; and

   c) The provision, in each branch, ATM cabin, and payment kiosk, of hygiene products or solutions for washing or disinfecting the hands of their staff and financial consumers, namely hand sanitizer and alcohol, in accordance with the characteristics and guidelines defined by health authorities.

---

Bank of Mozambique Administration

3. Institutions must also ensure that POS (Point of Sale) contracting entities are properly informed and implement, in an integral and rigorous manner, procedures for frequent cleaning and disinfection of POS terminals and their respective service counters, before and after POS use.

4. For the secure execution of transactions, customer service, and protection of financial consumers and their staff in each of their branches, ATM cabins, or payment kiosks, credit institutions and financial companies must implement, among others, the following measures:

   a) The mandatory washing or disinfection of financial consumers' hands before entering branches and after using ATMs and payment kiosks, using disinfection products or solutions defined by health authorities.

   b) Compliance with interpersonal distancing of at least 2 (two) meters, both inside branches and in the exterior areas for branch access;

   c) Body temperature measurement of financial consumers before they access branches;

   d) Reduction of the number of financial consumers in branches and ATM cabins to conduct transactions, request information, or perform any acts, in order to avoid overcrowding and gatherings of people;

   e) Correct use of masks, or visors that must be worn simultaneously with masks, for access to or stay within branches, by both financial consumers and their staff;

   f) Service to financial consumers and the general public inside branches for the strictly necessary and prompt duration, adopting measures to avoid gatherings or concentration of people and the risk of contagion and spread of the COVID-19 pandemic to their staff and financial consumers; and

   g) Definition of maximum capacity and its respective posting in highly visible locations within branches, with branch managers being responsible for its compliance.

5. To ensure information regarding interpersonal distancing, credit institutions and financial companies must reorganize spaces, including at ATMs, utilizing signage, namely floor markings and other informational elements.

6. Credit institutions and financial companies must:

   a) Disseminate, among their staff, information on recommended measures and procedures to prevent contagion and spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to mitigate panic, boost morale, and provide essential information for the

---

Bank of Mozambique Administration

    continuity of critical functions and provision of financial services in a safe environment;

b) Promote financial education and awareness actions for financial consumers and the general public regarding the need for strict compliance with contagion prevention and pandemic spread measures, including the correct method of disinfecting payment instruments; and

c) Without prejudice to the adoption and reinforcement of security measures for using electronic payment instruments and channels, appeal to financial consumers and the general public to prioritize digital channels for conducting banking operations, recommending physical presence of financial consumers in branches only when strictly necessary.

7. In disseminating the information referred to in the preceding paragraph, credit institutions and financial companies may use the communication means and channels that most closely reach staff, financial consumers, and the general public.

8. Credit institutions and financial companies, as well as other entities subject to the supervision and monitoring of the Bank of Mozambique, must collaborate with competent authorities in the integral and rigorous compliance with the measures and obligations established in this Circular, in Decree No. 2/2021 of February 4, as well as with additional guidelines determined by health authorities for the prevention and combat of the COVID-19 pandemic.

9. The administrative body of the credit institution and financial company is responsible for implementing and monitoring compliance with the measures established in this Circular among its staff and financial consumers.

10. Non-compliance with the measures established in this Circular is punishable under applicable legislation.

This Circular enters into force on February 9, 2021, and revokes Circular No. 05/AEFI/2020 of November 16.

Any doubts arising from the interpretation and application of this Circular shall be clarified by the Behavioral Supervision Department.

[Signature] BANK OF MOZAMBIQUE Financial Stability Department Administrator