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Published in the Official Gazette, Series I, No. 20, of 30 January
NOTICE N° 01/2023
SUBJECT: FINANCIAL SYSTEM
- Opening, Handling and Closing of Bank Accounts
Considering the evolution of the financial system, the foreign exchange market and
the payment system;
Taking into account the new legal and regulatory requirements, particularly on
preventing and combating money laundering, the financing of terrorism and the
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction;
It is necessary to update the regulations governing the terms and conditions for
opening, maintaining, operating and closing bank accounts;
Under the terms of the combines provisions of article 36 of Law no. 14/21, of May 19,
Law on the General Regime of Financial Institutions, of no. 4 of article 9 of Law no.
/97, of 27 June, Foreign Exchange Law, paragraph a) of paragraph 2 of article 57 of
Law no. Financing of Terrorism and Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction,
Article 31(f) and Article 98(1) of Law No. 24/21, 18th of October, Law of the National
Bank of Angola.
DETERMINED:
Article 1
(Object and Scope)
This Notice establishes the rules that must be complied with by financial banking
institutions based in Angola when opening, maintaining, operating and closing bank
accounts, by natural and legal persons.
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Article 2
(Definitions) For the purpose of this Notice the
following definitions apply:
a) Bank Account Opening: process by which the contract for account opening is
celebrated between the customer and the Financial Institution.
b) Customer: individual or legal person, national or foreign, resident or non-resident,
public or private, who enters into an account opening contract with a Banking
Financial Institution to whom the latter makes available, financial products and
services.
c) General Conditions: the general conditions that govern the relationship between
the Banking Financial Institution and the customer, in what concerns the opening,
maintenance, operation and closing of the account.
d) Specific Conditions: the conditions agreed between the customer and the
Banking Financial Institution for the operation of the account.
e) Corporate Accounts: held by more than one person, which may be
i. Joint Accounts: may be operated by any of the holders, autonomously;
ii. Joint Accounts: can only be used with the simultaneous signature of all
holders;
iii. Mixed Accounts: allow different handling possibilities, according to the terms
defined by the holders with the Banking Financial Institution.
f) Single Account: those accounts with a single holder.
g) Account Opening Agreement: composed by the customer file, general
conditions and special conditions, when applicable.
h) Account Closure: process by which the contractual link between the customer
and the Financial Institution is terminated.
i) Customer Application Form: account opening forms where the identification and
characterization data of the customer and the respective legal representatives are
filled in, when applicable.
j) Means of Distance Communication: any means of telephone, electronic,
telematics or analogous nature that allow the establishment of business relations or
the transmission of instructions or information, without the physical and simultaneous
presence of the customer in the Banking Financial Institution.
k) Account Activity: the account is operated through deposits, withdrawals and
transfers.
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l) Legal representatives: all persons with powers of legal representation in the
relationship between the account holder and the Banking Financial Institution.
Article 3
(Opening of Accounts)
- Individuals or corporate persons, residents and non-residents, may hold
accounts in Angolan and/or foreign currency in Financial Banking Institutions
based in Angola.
- Minors may be holders of deposit accounts opened by their legal
representatives.
- Financial Banking Institutions shall ensure that accounts held by non-residents,
regardless of their currency of denomination, are duly identified as such.
- Opening of a bank account may be done with or without the physical presence
of the customer.
- Opening an account without the physical presence of the customer may be
done through the exclusive use of means of distance communication; and
- The opening of an account may also be done through third parties to whom
such competence has been legally or contractually entrusted.
- The initial delivery of funds as provided for in the preceding paragraph,
originating from an account held by a person other than the client, shall only be
accepted on presentation of a credible justification.
Article 4
(Duty of Identification and Diligence at the Time of Opening an Account)
- Financial Institutions shall develop customer files to be filled by account
opening applicants, which ensure the collection of all the necessary information to
identify and characterize the customer and his representatives, when applicable,
as well as to know the reason for opening the account.
- Customer forms, once completed, shall be signed by the account holders and/or
their representatives, as applicable.
- In compliance with applicable special legislation, Banking Financial Institutions
shall use biometric means to serve the signature function whenever customers do
not know or are unable to sign.
- The Banking Financial Institutions shall also require, for the purposes of
Paragraph 5 of Article 3 of this Notice, that the initial delivery of funds is made by
bank transfer that allows the identification of the payer, originating from an
account opened with a Banking Financial Institution that has proven to apply
measures for identification and due diligence of its customers.
Article 5
(Information to be provided to the Customer upon Opening an Account)
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- Prior to opening bank accounts, Financial Institutions shall make available to
customers or their legal representatives a copy of the general and specific terms
and conditions of the account opening contract to be signed, and shall file
evidence of such availability.
-
- The general terms and conditions for opening an account shall contain, as a
minimum, information on the following matters, among other conditions that may
govern the opening, maintenance, operation and closure of accounts:
(a) Regime of ownership of bank account;
b) Means of communication between the Financial Institution and the customer;
c) Conditions for handling accounts;
d) Means of account operation
e) Conditions for debit and credit entries by the Financial Institution
e) Conditions of debit and credit entries by the Banking Financial Institution;
f) Treatment of customers' instructions and of processing errors;
g) Clearing of credits;
h) Duty of communication by the customer of changes in his identification details
or other details provided to the Banking Financial Institution
i) Handling of non-moving accounts;
j) Processing of personal data;
k) Terms, conditions and procedures for closing bank accounts
k) Terms, conditions and procedures for closing bank accounts;
l) General conditions for the rendering of payment services, including conditions
for the processing of transfers ordered and received by the customers, execution
time and value date, information to be provided to the customer about the
processed operations, treatment of unauthorized or incorrectly executed
operations and respective responsibilities of the Banking Financial Institution and
of the customer, among other conditions;
m) Duty of the Banking Financial Institution to inform the customer of alterations
to the general and/or particular conditions and the deadlines for such.
-
- The Banking Financial Institutions must also provide the customer with an
informative technical sheet in accordance with the regulations on information
duties with respect to bank deposits.
Article 6
(Issue of Statements)
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- Financial Banking Institutions shall provide their customers with statements of
deposit accounts.
- The statements shall be made available through the channels agreed upon
between the Banking Financial Institution and the client, and the first copy shall be
issued free of charge to the clients in accordance with the regulation on Exemption
from Charging Commissions within the scope of Minimum Banking Services.
Article 7
(Dormant Accounts)
- Dormant accounts are those accounts with no debit movement for a period of
24 (twenty-four) months or more.
-
- The Banking Financial Institutions shall establish procedures to identify
dormant accounts and apply restrictions to their debit movement in order to ensure
the security of their customers' deposits
Article 8
(Account Handling)
Accounts shall be maintained in accordance with the account operation regime agreed
between the customer and the Financial Institution, in the general and specific terms
and conditions and in compliance with the provisions of this Notice.
Article 9
(Operation of Accounts held by Minors)
- Accounts held by minors may be operated by their legal representatives at the
counter, through internet banking or debit card, when provided by the Financial
Institution.
- Without prejudice to the provisions of the preceding paragraph, minors above
the age of 14 (fourteen) are permitted to use debit cards on their accounts, provided
that they are requested to do so by their legal representatives, who shall sign a
statement of responsibility in which they undertake to monitor the proper use of the
card, account balances and periodic statements.
-
- Debit movements with the card are limited to maximum daily amounts
agreed between the Financial Institution and the minor's legal representative when
the card is requested.
- In accounts held by minors, it is not allowed to contract credits or make
available payment instruments that do not comply with the provisions of paragraph 2
of this article.
Article 10
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(Foreign Currency Account Transactions)
- The operation of foreign currency accounts shall comply with the laws and
regulations governing financial and capital exchange transactions, current
invisibles, import and export of goods, including the regulations applicable to
specific sectors.
- Unless otherwise provided for in specific regulations, intrabank and interbank
transfers, between accounts domiciled in Financial Banking Institutions in national
territory, to the debit of accounts in foreign currency in favour of entities resident
in national territory may only be executed in foreign currency in the following
cases
a) Between legal persons in a group relationship;
b) Between individuals in a family relationship; and
c) When the originator and the beneficiary are the same natural or legal person.
- Except as provided for in specific regulations, credit in accounts denominated in
foreign currency may not be granted to non-exporting entities.
Article 11
(Operation of Accounts Held by Deceased Persons)
- Whenever Financial Institutions become aware of the death of one of their
clients, they shall block the accounts held by the latter and only authorise their
operation by the heirs upon presentation of legal documents authorising them to
do so, namely, death certificates and certificate of proof of inheritance or other
similar documents.
-
- The banking financial institutions shall make available to the heirs all
information requested by them concerning the accounts of deceased account
holders, provided that the quality of heir is proven, by submitting the documents
referred to in the preceding paragraph.
- Once the succession process is concluded, the Banking Financial Institutions
shall close the account of their deceased client or change the holders of accounts
jointly held by a deceased client, among other persons, transferring the amounts
as defined in the succession process.
Article 12
(Handling of Accounts of Account Holders in Bankruptcy or Insolvency
Proceedings)
(Insolvency)
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Financial Institutions, on becoming aware of bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings
of an account holder domiciled in their institution, shall
a) Proceed to block the debit of the respective account, regardless of whether it is
a natural or legal account; and
b) act as instructed by the competent judicial authorities.
Article 13
(Closing of Accounts)
- Bank accounts may be closed at the request of their holders or legal
representatives, or at the initiative of the Banking Financial Institution, in accordance
with this Article.
- Closing an account on the initiative of customers depends on the instruction of
all account holders or their legal representatives, indicating the destination to be given
to any balance deposited in the account.
-
- The Financial Institution reserves the right not to close the account in case
there is, among others, the existence of
(a) a debit balance in favour of the Banking Financial Institution, of outstanding orders
or operations or of outstanding liabilities of the customer to the latter; and,
b) A judicial imposition or legal impossibility.
-
- The Financial Institutions may close accounts, for which purpose they shall
notify the client at least sixty (60) days prior to the date set for the closure.
- The Financial Institutions may close clients' accounts with immediate effect in
the following situations, among others
(a) falsehood or inaccuracy in the information provided by the customer to the
a) False or inaccurate information provided by the customer to the Banking Financial
Institution;
b) Non-compliance with contractual conditions by the account holders or their legal
representatives, including the incorrect use of the means of payment;
c) The impossibility to comply with the requirements of the applicable legislation and
(c) failure to comply with the requirements of applicable legislation and regulations
regarding identification and due diligence;
d) The risk profile of the client under the terms of the applicable laws and regulations
becomes incompatible with the risk appetite of the Financial Institution
Banking Financial Institution;
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e) By dissolution of a legal person; and
f) By imposition of judicial or administrative authority.
6. 6. Closing the account implies the immediate cancellation of all the means of
account operation that have been delivered to the client, who must proceed with their
destruction or delivery to the Banking Financial Institution at the time of account
closure.
7. If the customer does not withdraw or transfer the available balance in the
account by the date of its closure, nor issue an instruction as to the destination of the
funds at the time of closure, the Banking Financial Institution may transfer the funds
to an internal
funds to an internal book-keeping account pending receipt of the customer's
instructions for transfer or withdrawal.
8. 8. The Banking Financial Institutions must close accounts without debit or credit
movements within a period of fifteen (15) years, and this process must be preceded
by all legal steps in order to contact the holder or eventual heirs, by means of
publication of notices in the most widely circulated newspaper in the country, to
express their opposition to the financial institution's claim.
9. If there is no opposition, under the terms of the previous number, the amount
deposited in the bank account to be closed shall revert to the State, under the terms
of Decree-Law no. 187/70, of 30 April, on the Prescription Regime of Certain Assets
Abandoned by their Owners in Favour of the State.
Article 14
(Transitional Provision)
(Transitional Provision)
The Banking Financial Institutions shall comply with the provisions of this Notice 90
(ninety) days after its publication.
Article 15 °
(Infringements)
Non-compliance with the provisions set out in the present Notice shall be punishable
under the terms of the following legislation
(a) Law No. 14/21 of 19 May, Law on the General Regime of Financial Institutions
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Institutions;
b) Law No. 05/20 of 27 January, Law on the Prevention and Combat of Money
Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction
c) Law No. 5/97 of 27 June, Foreign Exchange Law; and
d) Other applicable legislation.
Article 16
(Doubts and Omissions)
The doubts and omissions arising from the interpretation and application of this Notice
shall be settled by the National Bank of Angola.
Article 17
(Revocation)
Notice no. 03/2009, of 5 June, Notice no. 10/2016, of 5 September and Notice no.
02/2017, of 3 February, as well as all rules that contradict the provisions of this
Notice, are hereby revoked.
Article 18
(Entry into Force)
This Notice shall enter into force on the day following its publication.
PUBLISHED
Luanda, 26 January 2022.
THE GOVERNOR
JOSÉ DE LIMA MASSANO
ANNEX I
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Bank Account Opening Form I.
Collection of Information Regarding Clients
The identification obligations below apply not only to new customers of the Institution,
but should also apply to existing customers, depending on the assessment of the risk
of money laundering, financing of terrorism and proliferation of weapons of mass
destruction associated with them.
In this sense, the fields delimited are the minimum required by current regulations,
and the Institutions may request additional information that they deem relevant for
the adequate assessment of the customer's risk profile.
The Institutions should collect and keep all the records on customers for a minimum
period of 10 (ten) years, and also ensure that the records are available in a timely
manner so that the competent authority may consult them if it deems necessary.
If there is any doubt as to the true identity of the customer and, if applicable, the legal
representative or beneficial owner, which cannot be resolved satisfactorily, the
Institution should refuse to carry out any transactions.
- Personal identification
Full Name Signature
Date of Birth Nationality Place of birth
Full address of usual residence (including a reference point)
Full address of alternative residence (including a reference point)
Profession/occupation and employer, if applicable
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Name of identification
document used
Identification
number
Date of expiry of
the identification
document
Entity
that issued the
identification
document
Nature and amount of income Tax Identification Number
National or foreign individuals who perform, or have performed, prominent public
functions in Angola, or in any other country or jurisdiction or in any international
organization, in accordance with Article
3 of Law No. 05/20, of 27 January.
2 The following are considered:
I. High offices of a political or public nature:
- Head of State;
- Holder of the Executive Power;
- Vice-President
- Members of the Government, namely Ministers of State, Ministers, Secretaries of
State, Governors, Vice- Governors, Municipal Administrators and the Mayors
- Members of Parliament or Members of Parliamentary Chambers;
- Magistrates of higher courts and members of the Superior Council of the Judiciary,
whose decisions cannot be appealed, save in exceptional circumstances;
- Members of the management and supervisory bodies of the National Bank of
Angola;
- Heads of diplomatic missions and consular posts;
- High-ranking officers of the Armed Forces and Police;
- Members of the management and supervisory bodies of public companies and
public limited companies with an exclusive or majority public capital, public
institutes, foundations and public funds, public establishments, whatever their
mode of appointment, including the management bodies of companies belonging
to the entrepreneurial and local sectors
- Members of the executive bodies of organisations governed by international law.
II. Close Family Members
- Spouse or persons with whom they are living in a de facto union;
- Parents, children and their spouses or persons with whom they live in a de facto
union.
III. People who are known to have a corporate or commercial relationship with them:
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- Any natural person, who is known to be the joint owner with the holder of political
or public office of a legal person, a collective interest centre without legal
personality or who has close business relations with it;
- Any natural person who owns the share capital or the voting rights of a legal
person or the property of a legal arrangement, which is known to have as its sole
beneficial owner the holder of the high political or public office.
1.1. Sole traders (in addition to the above information, the following
should also be completed):
Full company name
Head Office Address.
Tax Identification Number (NIF) Social Purpose
Amount of Income
Sustainability Report
- Identification of legal persons - also applies to condominiums of properties
under horizontal property regime and independent properties
Full company name
Corporate objective and business purpose
Head Office Address
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Identity of the holders of stakes in the capital and voting rights of the legal entity of a value equal to or
greater than 20%
Identity of the proxies of the legal entity and their mandate
2.1. Non-profit organisations (in addition to the above information,
this must also be completed):
3
. This field should be completed by also filling in the beneficial owner section
Geographical location
Organisational structure
Nature of donations and volunteering
Nature of funds and expenditure, including information on beneficiaries
3. Charities without legal personality, church organs or places of
worship
Full name
Tax Identification Number (NIF) Commercial register registration number
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Nature and purpose of the organisation's activities
Names of all managers
Names or classes of beneficiaries
4. Actual beneficiary
Full name Signature
Date of Birth Nationality Place of birth
Full address of usual residence (including a reference point)
Occupation/occupation and employer, if applicable
Address.
.
Number of the document proving its
legalisation by the state authorities
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Name of
identification
Used.
Identification
Number
Date of expiry of
the identification
document.
Entity that issued the
identification
document
Nature and amount of income Tax Identification Number
II. Documents to be requested from the client
The information presented must be verified by means of the presentation of the
documents listed, which contain all the records that must be kept in the form of
physical documents and any technological process under the terms to be established
by the National Bank of Angola and maintained by the Institution for a minimum
period of 10 (ten) years.
- Individuals
Full Name Residents - identity card or resident card issued by
the competent authority, showing photograph, full
name, date of birth and nationality;
Non-residents - passport, except for non-residents
of Angolan nationality upon presentation of an
identity card bearing a photograph, full name, date
of birth and nationality.
When establishing the business relationship in the
name of minors who, due to their age, do not hold
any of the documents referred to above, the proof
of the respective identification elements of the
minor shall be made in the following manner:
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.
.
Tax Identification Number
2. Legal Persons
Full company name;
Resident - displaying a personal identity card; or
Non-resident - by an equivalent public document,
to be presented by the person who demonstrates
legitimacy as their legal representative for the
establishment of the business relationship.
Full address of usual residence
(including a reference point)
Occupation/occupation and employer,
if applicable.
Documents, means or steps considered
valid, appropriate and sufficient for the
demonstration of the information provided.
Tax identification card or equivalent
issued by the General Tax
Administration.
Resident legal persons:
Certificate of commercial registration issued by the
Commercial Registry or other public document of
proof, namely the copy of the Diario da Republica
(Official Gazette of the Republic) or a copy that has
purchased the publication on the official site of the
competent public entity, containing the publication
of the states or a notary's certificate of the deed of
incorporation.
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Non-resident legal persons:
Proof of commercial registration or
other valid public document, duly
certified by the competent authorities
of the country of residence and
authenticated by the Angolan consular
representation in the country of
origin.
Tax Identification Number (NIF) Tax Identification Card or equivalent
issued by the General Tax
Administration.
Identity of the holders of stakes in the
capital and voting rights of the legal
person of a value equal to or greater
than 20%
Minutes of the Constituent General
Meeting as well as the minutes of the
alteration to the shareholder or
member structure.
Identity of the proxies of the legal entity
and their mandate.
Written declaration issued by the legal
person itself, containing the names of
the members of the management
bodies, proxies and representatives.
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3. Actual beneficiary
Full Name
•
Authenticated document confirming the identity
of the beneficial owner:
Residents - Identity card or resident card issued
by the competent authority, containing a
photograph, full name, date of birth and
nationality;
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- Non-residents- passport, with the
exception of foreign exchange
residents of Angolan nationality on
presentation of an identity card
containing a photograph, full name,
date of birth and nationality.
When establishing the business
relationship on behalf of minors who,
due to their age, do not hold any of
the documents referred to above, the
proof of identification of the minor
shall be made in the following
manner:
• Resident- display of personal
ID, Identification Card
• - Non-residents- by an
equivalent public document, to
be presented by the person
who shows legitimacy as
his/her legal representative for
the establishment of the
business relationship, and the
respective identity of the same
must be verified at the
beginning of the business
relationship.
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Full address of usual residence (including
a reference point).
Profession/occupation and employer,
applicable.
Any documents, means or steps
considered valid, appropriate and
sufficient for the demonstration of the
information provided.
Copy of the trust or partnership agreement, or other equivalent document
Minutes of the Constituent General Meeting as well as the minutes of the alteration to the
shareholder or member structure
Other reliable information, which is publicly available and considered relevant by the
Financial Institution
Tax Identification Number Tax identification card or equivalent
issued by the General Tax
Administration
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