2015-12-31
The Bank of Mozambique issued Notice No. 5/GBM/2015 and Notice No. 6/GBM/2015 to mandate the retention, authentication, and remittance of fake or counterfeit currency while establishing compulsory protection measures for client funds exchanged for electronic money. Credit institutions, financial companies, and professional cash handlers must verify currency authenticity using defined security features, issue signed retention receipts upon suspecting counterfeit notes or coins, and remit confirmed fake currency to the central bank for custody and subsequent legal proceedings. The notices further prescribe strict physical preservation of retained currency, detail restitution procedures for genuine funds, and enforce compliance through established sanctioning regimes under Mozambican banking legislation.
OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE REPUBLIC OF MOZAMBIQUE
NATIONAL PRESS OF MOZAMBIQUE, S.A.
The matter to be published in the «Republic Gazette» must be submitted as a duly authenticated copy, one for each subject, containing, in addition to the necessary indications for this purpose, the following endorsement, signed and authenticated: For publication in the «Republic Gazette».
Bank of Mozambique:
Notice No. 5/GBM/2015: Approves the Regulation on the Retention and Remittance of Fake or Counterfeit Currency.
Notice No. 6/GBM/2015: Establishes the protection measures for funds received from clients in exchange for electronic money issued by electronic money institutions.
Notice No. 5/GBM/2015 of December 31
In order to regulate the process of retention and remittance to the Bank of Mozambique of banknotes and metallic coins that are manifestly or suspected to be fake or counterfeit, with a view to preventing and combating the phenomenon of currency counterfeiting and forgery, thereby promoting confidence and preserving its value, the Bank of Mozambique, using the powers conferred upon it by Articles 7 and 37 of Law No. 1/92, of January 3 (Organic Law of the Bank of Mozambique), determines:
Bank of Mozambique, in Maputo, July 13, 2015. — Governor of the Bank of Mozambique, Ernesto Gouveia Gove.
Regulation on the Retention and Remittance of Fake or Counterfeit Currency
CHAPTER I General Provisions
ARTICLE 1 Subject Matter This Regulation establishes the rules to be observed in the retention of currency that is manifestly or suspected to be fake or counterfeit and its respective remittance to the Bank of Mozambique.
ARTICLE 2 Scope of Application
ARTICLE 3 Definitions For the purposes of this Regulation, the following terms are understood as: a) Currency – banknotes and metallic coins that have legal tender status in Mozambique or abroad; legal tender being understood as the capacity of banknotes and metallic coins to be used as a means of payment in a given territory, where their acceptance at nominal value is mandatory; b) Counterfeit currency – genuine banknotes or metallic coins reproduced illegitimately and completely, by graphic, photocopy or other means, with the intention of placing them in circulation or for sale; c) Fake currency – legitimate and genuine banknotes or metallic coins whose face value or other characteristic element has been subject to alteration, with the intention of placing them in circulation or for sale.
794 — (158) | FIRST SERIES — NUMBER 104
CHAPTER II Authentication Verification and Currency Retention Procedures
ARTICLE 4 Duty to verify the authenticity of currency
ARTICLE 5 Mechanisms for verifying currency authenticity The institutions and entities to whom this Regulation applies must establish internal mechanisms for verifying currency authenticity and strict compliance with this Regulation.
ARTICLE 6 Duty to retain and remit currency Institutions and entities that operate professionally with cash must immediately retain and remit in full the currency whose fake or counterfeit nature is manifest or suspected to the Bank of Mozambique, which will conduct a conclusive analysis of its genuineness.
ARTICLE 7 Retention procedures
ARTICLE 8 Preservation of currency characteristics The institutions and entities to whom this Regulation applies must ensure that, under no circumstances, acts are performed that alter the physical or visual characteristics of the retained currency, which could prejudice its analysis.
ARTICLE 9 Verification of currency authenticity upon public request
CHAPTER III Subsequent Actions Following Currency Analysis
ARTICLE 10 Return of genuine currency
ARTICLE 11 Custody of fake or counterfeit currency
CHAPTER IV Final Provision
ARTICLE 12 Sanctioning regime Violation of the provisions of this Regulation is subject to the sanctioning regime provided for in the Law on Credit Institutions and Financial Companies, Law No. 15/99, of November 1, with amendments introduced by Law No. 9/2004, of February 21, and other applicable legislation.
Notice No. 6/GBM/2015 of December 31
In order to establish measures through which electronic money institutions must ensure the protection of funds received from clients in exchange for electronic money, under Article 17(4) of Law No. 2/2008, of February 27 – National Payment System Law, the Bank of Mozambique determines:
CHAPTER I General Provisions
ARTICLE 1 Subject Matter This Notice establishes the protection measures for funds received from clients in exchange for electronic money issued by electronic money institutions.