2023-10-10
Added · Updated
The Central Bank of Jordan issued Instructions No. 11/2023, effective October 8, 2023, for licensed exchange companies. These instructions mandate detailed procedures for documenting and retaining exchange operations, maintaining organized records and accounts, and preparing audited financial statements. Companies must use original withdrawal vouchers for cash operations, reconcile daily cash balances, and retain records and customer invoices for at least five years. Furthermore, the instructions specify comprehensive requirements for the content, signing, and certification of annual audited financial statements, including detailed disclosures on various financial items and transactions, and require the legal accountant to assess compliance with anti-money laundering and terrorism financing laws. The instructions also repeal previous Exchange Business Instructions No. 26 of 1992.
In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Central Bank of Jordan
Number: 17412 / 9 / 11 Date: 3 / 2 / 1445 AH Corresponding to: 8 / 10 / 2023 AD
Instructions for Documenting and Retaining Exchange Operations, Keeping Records and Accounts, and Preparing Financial Statements No. (11/2023) issued by virtue of Central Bank Board of Directors Resolution No. (2023/8/28) pursuant to the provisions of Article (21) of the Exchange Business Law No. (44) of 2015.
Article (1): These instructions shall be called "Instructions for Documenting and Retaining Exchange Operations, Keeping Records, and Preparing Financial Statements," and shall apply to all services provided by licensed exchange companies to customers and shall be effective from its date.
Article (2): The definitions contained in Exchange Business Law No. (44) of 2015 shall be adopted wherever they appear in the provisions of these instructions, unless the context indicates otherwise.
Cash Handling
Article (3): When the company carries out a cash withdrawal operation, it must use original withdrawal vouchers and adhere to the following: a. Retain these vouchers in an organized and sequentially numbered and dated manner, provided that they include the following information as a minimum:
Keeping Accounts and Records
Article (4): The company must maintain organized records and accounts in accordance with the effective legislation and adhere to the following: a. Record all financial operations in the accounting system immediately upon their occurrence and according to accounting principles, with the necessity of informing the Bank in case of a system malfunction or failure and working to resolve it as quickly as possible. b. Inventory cash balances at the end of each business day and reconcile them with the balances in the accounting system, with the necessity of documenting this, stating the reasons for any differences if they exist, and resolving them according to accounting principles. c. Not to carry out any offsetting or splitting of operations, ensuring the completion of their accounting cycle and according to accounting principles. d. Store and archive records and entries on a secure external storage medium, ensuring business continuity and easy access at any time, taking into account the required retention period under effective legislation as appropriate, and for no less than five years from the date of termination of the relationship or operation, whichever is longer.
Article (5): The company must retain a copy of the invoices/or notices provided to customers in an organized and sequentially numbered and dated manner, including the customer's name and signature, the amount and nature of the operation, and its execution date, to be retained for a period of no less than five years from the date of termination of the relationship or operation, whichever is longer.
Audited Final Financial Statements
Article (6): The company must provide the Bank with the audited final financial statements for the ended financial year within the period specified by law, taking into account the following: a. To be signed by the General Manager and those authorized by the company for administrative and financial matters - for partnership companies and simple limited partnerships - as for other companies, they shall be signed by the Chairman of the Board of Directors/Board of Managers or his deputy in his absence. b. To be duly certified by the legal accountant by stating his name, license number, classification category, and signature, provided that his signature is certified by the Jordanian Association of Certified Public Accountants and in line with its requirements. c. Include in the financial statements the legal accountant's report and opinion and detailed clarifications - as a minimum - on the following:
General Provisions
Article (7): When the company carries out its exchange services by accepting bank checks for those services, it must record these operations in a special traceable account that shows the basic information of the checks and their collection dates.
Article (8): A company wishing to utilize any location outside its licensed site for the purpose of retaining documents or archiving must submit a prior written request to the Bank for this purpose, taking into account adherence to the following: a. The site shall be limited solely to storing the company's documents. b. Not to conduct exchange business within the site and to provide all requirements for secure document storage and general safety and security systems. c. Inform the Central Bank in case of any modification to the site or its relocation to another site. d. Provide the Central Bank with a lease contract duly certified by the competent authorities.
Article (9): The Exchange Business Instructions issued pursuant to the provisions of Exchange Business Law No. (26) of 1992 are hereby repealed.
Governor Dr. Adel Al-Sharkas