2. (1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires— Interpretation “ advance ” means— (a) any direct or indirect payment of monies, a loan or an extension of credit to a person or common enterprise— (i) made on the basis of an obligation of that person or common enterprise repaying the funds; or (ii) repayable from specific property pledged by, or on behalf of, a person or common enterprise; 188 No. 7 of 2017] Banking and Financial Services (b) the credit risks arising from actual claims, potential claims and credit substitutes; or (c) a commitment to extend credit or acquire a debt security or other right to payment of a sum of money; “ alternative financial service ” means a financial service that applies specific regulatory rules based on religious principles; “ associated person ” means— (a) a company in which a person is a manager or director; (b) each person that beneficially owns shares in the same company; (c) a third person that owns or exercises, or is capable of exercising, directly or indirectly, significant control over a company or person referred to in paragraph (a) or (b); (d) persons that are in a partnership; (e) persons that are both members of a voting trust or other arrangement relating to shares, except that this paragraph does not apply to a financial business where— (i) two or more persons are affiliated if the persons are companies that are controlled by the same person; and (ii) a company is the subsidiary of another company and if more than fifty percent of the issued voting shares of the company, other than qualifying directors’ shares, are owned directly or indirectly by the other company; or (f) the spouse, parent, child, brother or sister of a person, or of the person’s parent, child, brother or sister; and “ associate and association ” shall be construed accordingly; “ articles of association ” has the meaning assigned to the term in the Companies Act, 2017; “ bank ” means a company authorised to conduct banking business in accordance with this Act; “ Bank ” means the Bank of Zambia established in accordance Act No. of 2017 Cap. 1 with the Constitution; “ banking licence ” means a licence specified in section 5 and granted in accordance with section 8; “ banking business ” means— Banking and Financial Services [No. 7 of 2017 189 (a) receiving deposits, including chequeing and current ac- count deposits, and the use of the deposits, either in whole or in part, for the account and at the risk of the person carrying on the business to make loans, advances or investments; (b) providing financial services; and (c) any custom, practice or activity, prescribed in rules issued by the Bank, as banking business; “ beneficial owner ” means an individual who— (a) exercises control over a financial service provider, legal person or arrangement; or (b) owns or controls a customer or the person on whose behalf a transaction is conducted and, where two or more persons are associated through the beneficial ownership of shares in the same company, each person shall be a beneficial owner of the aggregate number of shares of the company; “ board ” means the governing body of a financial service provider; “ body corporate ” has the meaning assigned to the word in the Companies Act, 2017; “ borrower ” includes a person who becomes indebted to a financial service provider due to a guarantee made for the repayment of an amount owed by another person; “ branch” means the permanent premises, other than the head office, at which a financial service provider conducts business in or outside Zambia; “ branchless banking” means the provision of banking services or financial services without relying on physical branches; “ bridge bank ” means an institution created by the Bank to temporarily operate a failed bank or financial institution until a buyer is found for its operations; “ capital adequacy ” means the legal capital prescribed by the Bank in terms of money or assets invested or available for investment in the business that is sufficient for the sustainability of the financial service provider; “ capital conservation buffer ” means the mandatory capital that financial institutions are required to hold, in addition to minimum capital requirements, as prescribed, to be drawn down when losses are incurred during periods of stress; Act No. of 2017 190 No. 7 of 2017] Banking and Financial Services Act No. of 2017 “chief executive officer” means the person engaged by a financial service provider who is responsible, under the immediate authority of the board, for the conduct of banking business or financial services for the financial service provider; “ chief financial officer ” means a person responsible for maintaining the accounts and accounting records of a financial service provider; “ chief risk officer ” means a senior employee of a financial service provider with distinct responsibility for risk management functions and the financial service provider’s enterprise-wide risk management framework; “ company ” has the meaning assigned to the word in the Companies Act, 2017; “ common enterprise ” means an undertaking of two or more persons with an equal right to direct and benefit from the undertaking and where the negligence of any of the persons may be imputed to the others; “ common equity tier one ” means the sum of the following: (a) paid-up common shares issued by a financial service pro- vider; (b) share premium, resulting from the issue of common shares; (c) retained earnings; (d) accumulated comprehensive income and other disclosed reserves; (e) common shares issued by consolidated subsidiaries of the financial service provider and held by a third party that meets the criteria prescribed by the Bank, for inclusion in common equity tier one capital; and (f) regulatory adjustments, applied in the calculation of the common equity tier one, as prescribed by the Bank; “ compliance officer ” means a senior employee of the financial service provider with overall responsibility for coordinating the identification and management of the financial service provider’s compliance risk and supervising the activities of the other employees responsible for the compliance functions of the financial service provider; “confidential information” means information that is not pub- lic, regarding— Banking and Financial Services [No. 7 of 2017 191 Act No. 24 of 2010 Act No. of 2017 (a) the nature, amount or purpose of any payment made by or to a person; (b) the recipient of a payment made by a person; (c) the assets, liabilities, financial resources or financial con- dition of a person; (d) the business or family relations of a customer; or (e) any information of a personal nature that the customer disclosed, in confidence to the financial service provider; “ consumer ” has the meaning assigned to the word in the Competition and Consumer Protection Act, 2010; “ control ” means the control of a financial service provider by a person that – (a) beneficially owns more than one half of the issued share capital of the company; (b) is entitled to cast a majority of the votes that may be cast at a general meeting of the company, or has the ability to control the casting of a majority of those votes, either directly or through a controlled entity of that person; (c) is able to appoint or to veto the appointment of a majority of the directors of the company; (d) is a holding company and the financial service provider is a subsidiary of that company as provided for in the Companies Act, 2017; or (e) has the ability to significantly influence the management, policy and affairs of the financial service provider in a manner comparable to a person who, in ordinary commercial practice, can exercise an element of control referred to in paragraphs (a) to (d); “ corporate ” means a legal entity, including a company or body corporate, that is separate and distinct from its owners and which is recognised as such by law and acts as a single entity; “ corporate restructuring transaction ” means a merger, take- over, amalgamation, reconstruction or acquisition where an entity, directly or indirectly, acquires or establishes control over the whole or part of the business of a financial service provider or where two or more financial service providers and another entity agree to adopt arrangements for common ownership or control over the whole or part of the business of a financial service provider, and includes such arrangements by an entity outside Zambia which affect a financial service provider in Zambia; 192 No. 7 of 2017] Banking and Financial Services “ counter cyclical capital buffer ” means an amount of capi- tal prescribed by the Bank to be maintained by banks and financial institutions where there is excessive buildup of credit that is likely to lead to a system wide risk; “ Court ” means the High Court of Zambia; “ credit facility ” includes an advance, loan, financial guaran- tee or any other liability incurred by a person; “ customer identification data ” means— (a) in the case of a natural person, the person’s (i) name, including any forename or maiden name; (ii) permanent address; (iii) telephone number, fax number or email address; (iv) date and place of birth; (v) nationality; (vi) occupation or public office held and the name of the employer; (vii) official personal identification number or other unique identifier contained in a valid official document that bears a photograph of the per- son; (viii) bank or other type of account and the nature of the relationship the person has with a financial service provider; and (ix) signature; and (b) in the case of a corporate, that corporate’s— (i) registered name; (ii) principal place of business; (iii) mailing address; (iv) contact telephone, fax number or electronic mail address; (v) official identification number, such as the tax identification number or official registration number; (vi) documents such as the original or certified copy of the certificate of incorporation, registration, articles of association or other internal governing rules confirming the legal existence of the ac- count holder; and Banking and Financial Services [No. 7 of 2017 193 (vii) board resolution to open an account and the identification documents of the persons authorised to operate the account.; “deposit” means— (a) an amount of money received by a bank or financial institution in the ordinary course of business that— (i) the bank or financial institution may transform into assets at its own risk; (ii) is repayable on demand or at a specified or unspecified date, or on terms agreed to, by, or on behalf of, the person making the payments; (b) an outstanding draft, a cashier’s cheque, money order or other officer’s cheque issued by the bank or financial institution and drawn on a customer’s funds for any purpose, in the ordinary course of business; or (c) such other obligations of a bank or financial institution as the Bank may prescribe by rules issued in accordance with this Act; excluding electronic money and instruments issued by a bank or financial institution in respect of an advance or for the purpose of fulfilling a payment for goods supplied or services rendered to the Bank; “ Deputy Registrar ” means a person holding office or acting as a Deputy Registrar of Financial Service Providers appointed in accordance with this Act; “ director ” means a natural person who holds office as a member of a board; “ discretionary payments ” means any payments or distributions, other than dividends, that are within the discretion of the financial service provider to make and, if not paid by the financial service provider, are not an event of default, including staff bonuses; “ equity interest in a person ” means (a) in the case of a company, any share issued by a company, the terms of which entitle the registered holder or bearer to a share in the profits of the company; or (b) in the case of a partnership, association or other body of persons acting in concert, any right to share in the profits of that partnership, association or other body of persons acting in concert; 194 No. 7 of 2017] Banking and Financial Services “ equity interest in a property or undertaking ” means an ownership interest, and includes any right to share in the profits of the operation or proceeds of disposition of the property or undertaking; “ financing ” means the act or process of raising or providing funds; “ fit and proper requirements ” means the criteria set by the Bank in accordance with section 41 and as the Bank may prescribe; “ financial business ” means a body corporate that conducts a financial service business, excluding acceptance of deposits; “ financial business licence ” means a licence specified in section 5(b) and granted in accordance with section 8; “ financial derivative ” means a contract between two or more parties whose value is based on an agreed upon underlying financial asset, index or security; “ financial institution ” means a company, other than a bank, providing a financial service; “ financial institution’s licence ” means a licence specified in section 5(c) and granted in accordance with section 8; “ financial sector ” means the subsector of the economy concerned with or related to financial, banking and monetary matters and provision of banking and financial services to commercial and retail customers including banks, investment funds and capital markets; “ financial service ” means any one or more of the following services: (a) commercial or consumer financing services; (b) brokering; (c) factoring, with or without recourse; (d) finance leasing; (e) financing of commercial transactions, including forfeiting; (f) issue and administration of credit cards, debit cards, traveller’s cheques or banker’s drafts; (g) issue of guarantees, performance bonds or letters of credit, excluding those issued by insurance companies; (h) lending on the security of, or dealing in, mortgages or any interest in real property; Banking and Financial Services [No. 7 of 2017 195 (i) payment of cheques or other demand orders drawn or issued by customers and payable from deposits held by the payer; (j) purchase and sale of foreign exchange; (k) issue of debentures and money market instruments; (l) the acceptance of deposits; (m) issue of building society and mutual society shares, with characteristics similar or identical to deposits; (n) venture capital funding; (o) micro-financing; (p) development financing; and (q) any other service that the Bank may designate, excluding the underwriting, marketing or administration of contracts of insurance or reinsurance; “ financial service provider ” means a bank, financial institution or financial business; “ foreign financial service provider ” means a financial service provider that is not incorporated in Zambia; “ foreign company ” has the meaning assigned to the word in the Companies Act, 2017; “ insider ” means— (a) an officer, director or principal shareholder of a bank or financial institution; (b) a person who participates or has the authority to participate in major policy making functions of a bank or financial institution, whether or not employed by the bank or financial institution; (c) a bank or financial institution in which a person referred to in paragraph (a) or (b) owns, directly or indirectly, alone or with one or more other persons specified in the paragraphs, more than twenty percent of the shares; or (d) a company in which a bank or a financial institution owns more than ten percent of the outstanding shares; “ insolvency ” means a situation where a financial service provider — (a) is unable to pay debts as they fall due; (b) has assets that are insufficient to meet liabilities; or (c) has regulatory capital which is below the prescribed minimum; Act No. of 2017 196 No. 7 of 2017] Banking and Financial Services Act No. of 2017 Act No. of 2017 “ licence ” means a banking licence, financial institution li- cence, or financial business licence as the case may be; “ licensee ” means a financial service provider holding a li- cence; “manager” means an officer of a financial service provider who is in a position to control, direct or influence decisionmaking in a matter relating to banking business or financial services; “ meeting ” has the meaning assigned to the word in the Companies Act, 2017; “merchant banking” includes the underwriting of securities for corporations, advising on and arranging finance for mergers and takeover bids, the financing of foreign trade by accepting bills of exchange, underwriting new issues and investment management; “ money circulation scheme ” means a plan, arrangement, agreement or understanding, between two or more persons that involves the pooling and distribution of funds by recruitment of subscribers, and which, for its continuous existence and realisation of its benefits, substantially depends on the incremental recruitment of subscribers for an unspecified period; “ money market instrument ” means a negotiable instrument with an original term to maturity of three hundred and sixtyfive days or less; “ name ” means the name by which a financial service provider is incorporated as provided by the Companies Act, 2017; “ nominee shareholder ” means a person whose name appears on a company’s register as the registered shareholder but who holds the shares on behalf of another person; “ nonperforming loan ” means a loan in respect of which payment of principal or interest is in arrears for more than ninety days; “ physical presence ” means the physical location of a financial service provider within Zambia, or the control of the financial service provider; “ practitioner ” has the meaning assigned to the word in the Cap. 30 Legal Practitioners Act; “ primary capital ” means the sum of the— (a) common equity tier one; and Banking and Financial Services [No. 7 of 2017 197 (b) additional tier one capital, as prescribed by the Bank by rules issued in accordance with this Act; “ principal administrative office ” means the office in which the overall administration of the affairs of a financial service provider, other than its banking business or financial service business, is carried on; “ Register ” means the Register of Financial Service Providers established and maintained in accordance with section 21; “ Registrar ” means the person holding office or acting as the Registrar of Financial Service Providers appointed in accordance with this Act; “ Registrar of Companies ” means the person appointed as Registrar in accordance with the Patents and Companies Registration Agency Act, 2010; “ Registrar of Lands and Deeds ” means a person appointed as a Registrar in accordance with the Lands and Deeds Registry Act; “ regulatory capital ” means the sum of the— (a) primary capital; and (b) secondary capital, as prescribed by the Bank, in rules issued in accordance with this Act; “ related party transaction ” means a transaction in which two or more persons, by virtue of their relationship, benefit severally or jointly from funds or services arising from a transaction involving any one of them and a financial ser- vice provider; “ regulatory statement ” means directives, guidelines, orders, circulars and bulletins issued by the Bank for the efficacious implementation of this Act, regulations and rules issued in accordance with this Act; Act No. 15 of 2010 Cap.185 “ repealed Act ” means the Banking and Financial Services Cap. 387 Act, 1994; “ representative office ” means an office in Zambia belonging to or representing a foreign financial service provider; “ senior officer ” means a chief executive officer, chief financial officer, manager or other management personnel of a financial service provider; “ shell bank ” means a bank which does not have a physical presence in the country in which it is incorporated and licenced and which is unaffiliated with a regulated group to any financial service that is subject to consolidated statutory regulation supervision; 198 No. 7 of 2017] Banking and Financial Services “significant shareholding” means a direct or indirect shareholding or beneficial interest of ten percent or more of the share capital of a financial service provider, and the words “significant shareholder” shall be construed accordingly; “ subsidiary ” has the meaning assigned to the word in the Companies Act, 2017; “ tribunal ” means an ad hoc tribunal to determine appeals constituted in accordance with section 139; “ unsafe and unsound practice ” means— (a) conducting the affairs of a financial service provider in a manner that is; (i) detrimental to the stability of the financial sector or the interests of depositors and creditors; (ii) prejudicial to the interest of the financial service provider; or (iii) in contravention of this Act or any other relevant written law; (b) accumulating a high volume of nonperforming loans; (c) making secured loans based on inadequate collateral; (d) maintaining an inadequate level of reserves for loan losses; (e) maintaining an inadequate level of common equity capital; (f) advancing loans without regard to the borrower’s ability to pay; (g) maintaining inadequate liquidity; or (h) any other practice that the Bank may designate as unsafe and unsound practice; “ venture capital funding ” means risk capital given by investors to start up small or medium sized businesses with perceived high growth potential, and includes the mobilisation of funds from various sources in risky projects that would not normally attract conventional finance; “ voting shares ” means common shares in the capital of a financial service provider and any other shares of any designation or description that carry the right to vote on a resolution at a meeting; and “ Zambia Institute of Chartered Accountants ” means the Institute established in accordance with the Accountants Act, 2008. Act No. of 2017 Act No. 13 of 2008 Banking and Financial Services [No. 7 of 2017 199 (2) In this Act, unless the context otherwise provides, words and expressions used and which are not defined, but are defined in the Companies Act, 2017, the Corporate Insolvency Act, 2017, the Securities Act, 2016, or any other relevant Act, shall have the meaning assigned to them in those Acts. (1) This Act applies to all financial service providers.