2020-01-01
The Central Bank of Montenegro issued this Decision to regulate the structure, detailed conditions, and procedures for opening and closing transaction accounts for national and international payments. It mandates that national accounts follow an 18-digit BBAN structure while international accounts must use a 22-character IBAN structure, with specific algorithms for control numbers. The regulation further defines the documentation requirements and contractual obligations for payment service providers when onboarding residents, including legal persons, entrepreneurs, and natural persons.
Pursuant to Article 44 paragraph 2 point 3 of the Central Bank of Montenegro Law (OGM 40/10, 46/10, 06/13) and Article 64 paragraph 8 of the Payment System Law (OGM 62/13), the Central Bank of Montenegro Council, at its meeting held on 10 November 2014, passed the following DECISION on the structure, more detailed conditions and manner of transaction account opening and closing I. BASIC PROVISIONS Article 1 This Decision regulates the structure, more detailed conditions and manner of transaction account opening and closing for executing national and international payment transactions. Article 2 A transaction account is a type of the payment account opened in the name of one or more payment service users for executing payment transactions and for other purposes by the following payment service providers:
2 II. STRUCTURE OF THE TRANSACTION ACCOUNT FOR EXECUTING NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL PAYMENT TRANSACTIONS
3 Article 6 Control number referred to in Article 3 paragraph 3 point 3) shall be the number calculated for the line of sixteen digits (fixed number of the payment service providers under Article 2 paragraph 1 herein and the transaction account number) according to the international standard ISO 7064, MODUL 97. The control number shall be obtained by multiplying the line of the first sixteen digits by 100, dividing the obtained number by 97, and by subtracting the rest from 98. The obtained result, expressed by two digits, shall be the control number. If there are no remaining parts during the subtraction, the control number shall be 98. Article 7 The transaction account opened in accordance with Article 3 paragraph 3 herein may be used as uniform identification sign within the meaning of the provisions of the law regulating the payment system. 2. Structure of the transaction account for executing international payment transactions Article 8 Payment service providers referred to in Article 2 paragraph 1 herein shall open the transaction account for executing international payment transactions according to the IBAN structure (International Bank Account Number), which alphanumeric character consists of 22 characters. Article 9 Alphanumeric character of the transaction account under Article 8 herein shall consist of the following five separate parts:
4 Article 10 Country code referred to in Article 9 paragraph 1 point 1) herein shall be ME and it shall be uniform identification sign for Montenegro as defined under ISO standard 3166-1. Article 11 Control number for IBAN structure referred to in Article 9 paragraph 1 point 2) herein shall be algorithmic number 25 calculated according to the international standard ISO 7064, MODUL 97. Article 12 Fixed number of the payment service provider referred to in Article 9 paragraph 1 point 3) herein shall be uniform identification number set forth in accordance with Article 4 herein. Article 13 The transaction account number referred to in Article 9 paragraph 1 point 4) shall be determined by the payment service provider referred to in Article 2 paragraph 1 herein. Article 14 Control number referred to in Article 9 paragraph 1 point 5) shall be the number calculated in accordance with Article 6 herein. III. OPENING, MAINTAINING AND CANCELLING OF THE TRANSACTION ACCOUNTS FOR EXECUTING NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL PAYMENT TRANSACTIONS
5 2) Central Depository Agencies – the account for netting of cash of the subprime market transactions (cash pool). Article 16 Payment service providers referred to in Article 2 paragraph 1 herein, except the Central Bank, shall open, maintain and cancel:
6 2. Transaction accounts of residents 2.1.Transaction accounts of legal persons and entrepreneurs – residents Article 19 A legal person or an entrepreneur – resident shall be submit the request for opening of the transaction account for the execution of national and international payment transactions, which shall contain the following data:
7 Notwithstanding paragraph 2 above, in addition to the request for opening the transaction account for payment of funds for establishing a legal person, only contract on establishing that legal person shall be submitted. In addition to the request and documents under paragraph 2 above, payment service provider referred to in Article 2 paragraph 1 herein shall request other data, i.e. other documents, if it is prescribed by the law or other regulation, and may also request the submission of additional documents which it deems necessary for deciding upon the request. When, on the basis of the submitted request and documents, the payment service provider referred to in Article 2 paragraph 1 herein determines that the conditions for opening the transaction accounts are fulfilled, it shall conclude with the applicant the framework contract on transaction account opening and maintaining. Article 20 Specimen signature card referred to in Article 19 paragraph 2 point 6) herein must contain the following data:
8 account which cancelation is requested and the number of the transaction account to which the funds are transferred using the appropriate payment order. When the transaction account is cancelled to a legal person or an entrepreneur that ceases to exist as a legal entity, funds from the accounts to be cancelled may be paid in cash. By way of derogation from paragraph 1 above, payment service providers referred to in Article 2 paragraph 1 herein shall cancel the account of the payment service users without the request if the payment service user ceases to exist as a legal entity on the basis of the law or other regulation (upon the finalisation of the bankruptcy and/or liquidation proceedings, and the like). In case of paragraph 4 above, if the legal successor or other person in favour of whose transaction account the payment transaction is executed is not prescribed by regulation or other legal document, the payment service provider referred to in Article 2 paragraph 1 herein shall transfer cash from the cancelled transaction accounts to the transaction account opened for cash which is not in use. Payment service providers referred to in Article 2 paragraph 1 herein shall deny the request for cancelling the transaction account of a legal person or an entrepreneur – resident which is frozen (during the enforced collection, prohibition of disposal, and the like). Article 22 Payment service provider referred to in Article 2 paragraph 1 herein shall cancel all transaction accounts of the payment service user which is a legal entity or an entrepreneur - resident under bankruptcy or liquidation proceedings, pursuant to the request of bankruptcy or liquidation administrator, and shall open the bankruptcy or liquidation transaction account. In addition to the request referred to in paragraph 1 above, bankruptcy or liquidation administrator shall submit the following documents:
9 2) Abstract from the law which proves that this account is exempted from the enforced collection; 3) Payment order for transfer of funds from transaction accounts of the payment service user under bankruptcy or liquidation proceedings to be cancelled, before the cancellation, to the opened transaction account of the payment service user under bankruptcy or liquidation proceedings; 4) Request for cancelling all transaction accounts of the payment service user against whom bankruptcy or liquidation proceeding has been initiated; 5) Evidence on payment of compensation or fee, if prescribed. Article 23 A payment service provider shall transfer funds referred to in Article 2 paragraph 1 herein from transaction accounts of the payment service user to be cancelled to the opened transaction account of the payment service user under bankruptcy or liquidation proceedings, which cannot be used for other payment transactions until cancelling the transaction accounts of the payment service user against whom bankruptcy or liquidation proceedings have been initiated. Article 24 If the bankruptcy proceedings are terminated and the payment service user under bankruptcy or liquidation proceedings continues with business, the payment service provider referred to in Article 2 paragraph 1 herein shall, upon the request of the bankruptcy administrator or other authorised person, cancel transaction account of the payment service user against whom bankruptcy proceedings are terminated, and shall open a new transaction account to the payment service user. In addition to the request from the paragraph 1 above, the following documentation shall be submitted:
10 terminated which shall be cancelled, before the cancellation, to newly opened transaction account of the payment service user; 3) Request for cancelling transaction account of the payment service user against whom bankruptcy or liquidation proceeding has been terminated; 4) Evidence on the payment of compensation or fee, if they are prescribed. Article 25 Payment service provider referred to in Article 2 paragraph 1 herein shall transfer funds from the transaction account of the payment service user against which the bankruptcy proceedings are terminated to the newly opened transaction account of that payment service user, which cannot be used for other payment transaction until cancelling the transaction account of the payment service user against whom bankruptcy or liquidation proceedings have been conducted. Article 26 Payment service provider shall cancel the transaction accounts of the payment service user whose statutory changes occurred, pursuant to the request of that payment service user or its legal successor, and shall execute transfer from the cancelled transaction accounts to the transaction account specified in the request. In addition to the request referred to in paragraph 1 above, the payment service user or his legal successor shall submit the following:
11 the payment service user ceased to exist by statutory change as a legal entity from the register of the competent authority; 4) Evidence on payment of the compensation or fee, if they are prescribed. 2.2. Transaction accounts of natural persons – residents Article 27 A natural person – resident shall submit the request for opening transaction account for the execution of national or international payment transactions, which shall contain the following data:
12 Article 28 Payment service providers referred to in Article 2 paragraph 1 herein shall cancel transaction account to a natural person – resident based on his written request for cancelling of the respective transaction account, and the cash from the cancelled transaction account shall be transferred to the transaction account noted in that request or may be paid in cash. In addition to the data referred to in Article 27 paragraph 1 herein, the request for cancelling of the transaction account shall contain the transaction account which cancelation is requested and the transaction account to which the funds are transferred using the appropriate payment order, if the funds are transferred to another transaction accounts. Payment service providers referred to in Article 2 paragraph 1 herein shall deny the request for cancelling the transaction account of a natural person – resident which is frozen (during the enforced collection, prohibition of disposal, and the like). 3. Transaction accounts of non-residents 3.1. Transaction accounts of legal persons – non-residents Article 29 Request submitted by a legal person – non-resident for opening transaction account for the execution of national or international payment transactions shall contain the following data:
13 which the authorised person has transferred proxy and/ or from other legally valid document of founding, verified by seal to be used for the verification of payment orders; 4) Evidence on the payment of fee or taxes, if prescribed; 5) Other documents requested by the payment service providers referred to in Article 2 paragraph 1 herein in accordance with its business policy. A copy of the document referred to in paragraph 2 point 1 above which is verified by a competent body shall be submitted as well as its certified translation to Montenegrin language that cannot be older than three months. A legal person – non-resident shall, upon the signing of the framework contract on the transaction account opening and closing, submit the document referred to in paragraph 3 above to the payment service provider referred to in Article 2 paragraph 1 herein once a year. If it fails to do so, the payment service provider referred to in Article 2 paragraph 1 herein shall not execute payment transactions of such legal person – non-resident until it submits such document. When opening transaction account, foreign diplomatic and consular representative offices in Montenegro shall submit the following:
14 In addition to the data referred to in Article 29 paragraph 1 herein, the request for cancelling of the transaction account shall contain the transaction account which cancelation is requested and the transaction account to which the funds are transferred using the appropriate payment order, if cash payment is not required. In case of paragraph 2 above, if legal successor has not been determined or other person on which behalf the payment transaction from the transaction account is executed, the payment service provider referred to in Article 2 paragraph 1 herein shall transfer cash from the cancelled transaction account to the transaction account opened for cash that is not used. Payment service providers referred to in Article 2 paragraph 1 herein shall deny the request for cancelling the transaction account of a legal person – nonresident which is frozen (according to the court decision, and the like). 3.2. Transaction accounts of natural persons – non-residents Article 31 Request submitted by the natural person – non-resident for opening transaction account for the execution of national or international payment transactions shall contain the following data:
15 account, where payment service providers referred to in Article 2 paragraph 1 herein shall determine the identity of the authorised person and open transaction account based on power of attorney verified by the competent authority and which may not be older than three months. When it is determined based on the submitted request and documentation that the conditions for opening transaction account have been fulfilled, the payment service provider referred to in Article 2 paragraph 1 herein shall sign framework contract on transaction account opening and maintaining with the applicant. Article 32 Payment service providers referred to in Article 2 paragraph 1 herein shall cancel transaction account to a natural person – non-resident based on its written request for cancelling of the respective transaction account, and the cash from the cancelled transaction account shall be transferred to the transaction account noted in that request or may be paid in cash. In addition to the data referred to in Article 31 paragraph 1 herein, the request for cancelling of the transaction account shall contain the transaction account which cancelation is requested and the transaction account to which the funds are transferred using the appropriate payment order, if payment in cash is not required. Payment service providers referred to in Article 2 paragraph 1 herein shall deny the request for cancelling the transaction account of a legal person – nonresident which is frozen (according to the court decision, and the like). 4. Joint transaction account Article 33 Request for opening joint transaction account shall be signed by all persons intended to be holders of joint transaction account. In addition to the request referred to in paragraph 1 above, the documents set forth in this decision for opening transaction accounts shall be submitted individually for each holder of joint transaction account.
16 IV. FINAL PROVISIONS Article 34 Decision on the structure of the transfer execution account and the detailed conditions and manner of the account opening and closing (OGM 24/09, 15/11) and the Decision on the unique structure for identification and classification of the accounts by IBAN standard for cross border payments (OGRM 74/06) shall be repealed with effect from the date of entry into force of this decision. Article 35 This decision shall enter into force on the eighth day following that of its publication in the Official Gazette of Montenegro, and it shall apply from 9 January 2015.
THE COUNCIL OF THE CENTRAL BANK OF MONTENEGRO CHAIRMAN GOVERNOR, Decision number: 0101-4014/63-2 Podgorica, 10 November 2014 Milojica Dakić, m.p.