Nº B5-00-170 Pro Kor

PRAKAS
On

Khmer Riel Denominated Check Clearing House

Chapter 1

General Provisions

Article 1:
To set up the regulations on the Riel (KHR) denominated checks' Clearing house
which establishes the terms and conditions applicable to the daily exchange of checks
among participating banks for settlement of accounts on the books of the National
Bank of Cambodia to pay for those exchanges, as following articles.
Article 2: Participants:
1. Banks who have intention to be participants of the Clearing house may submit
applications for participation (Annex I). Such banks if qualified, will be approved for
participation by the National Bank of Cambodia on the first business day of the next
month. The Clearing house participants are listed in Annex II.
2. Banks who are not participants may be represented in the Clearing house on their
behalf by approved participants for purposes of clearing and settlement of checks.
This relationship shall be announced and approved by letter of the National Bank of
Cambodia.
Article 3: Qualifications for participation
1. A Company licensed by the National Bank of Cambodia as a commercial bank may
apply for application. The application form includes:
- a formal request signed by Bank Manager or an authorized official,
- a certified copy of the license issued by the National Bank of Cambodia,
- a Designation Letter and Specimen of Signatures.
Additionally, participating banks must:
- maintain a clearing account denominated in riel at the National Bank of
Cambodia, and
- pay a fee for the service as determined by the National Bank of Cambodia.
2. The bank submitting an application shall operate at least one licensed office within
Phnom Penh.
Article 4: Departure from participation
1. A bank whose license to conduct the banking business is withdrawn by the National
Bank cannot participate in the Clearing house.
2. A bank may voluntarily withdraw from the Clearing house, provided it has made
suitable arrangements with another bank to handle checks on its behalf in an
acceptable manner approved by letter of the National Bank of Cambodia.

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Article 5: Settlement Bank
The National Bank of Cambodia is responsible for preparing a daily report of the total
amounts in US Dollars for payments brought to, and received from, the Clearing
House for exchange and determining the net amounts to be debited or credited to the
individual accounts of the participating banks.
Article 6: Management
1. The National Bank of Cambodia shall designate the Chairman of the Clearing house
who will be in charge of its operations. The Chairman may delegate the supervision
and control of the daily function to a Clearing house Leader. Both the Chairman and
the Leader will be employees of the National Bank of Cambodia.
2. In the even of any dispute arising between representatives of participating banks,
when delivering or accepting payments or in connection with settlement amounts due
to or from participants, the decision of the Clearing house Leader shall be accepted
temporarily, subject to ratification by the Chairman. In the event the dispute continues
after settlement, it shall be resolved directly between the banks concerned.
Article 7: The Operations Committee
1. The business of the Clearing house may be augmented by an Operations Committee
consisting of one representative of each participating bank, and presided over by a
Chair selected by the participants. The Chair shall serve a term of one year.
Subsequent leaders will be nominated and elected by the participants in the Clearing
house.
2. The Operations Committee functions are to assist the Clearing house Leader by:
- suggesting improvements in operations,
- disciplining the behavior of their representatives if required, and
- performing such other duties as may be assigned to it by either the National Bank
of Cambodia or the Committee.
3. The Operations Committee shall meet at least four times each year. Additional
meeting may be called at any time or upon written request of at least two participants.
The request must specify the business to be discussed.
Article 8: Modifications to Regulation
The terms and conditions of Clearing house Regulation may be modified from time to
time as determined by the National Bank of Cambodia or in agreement with the
Operations Committee. Additionally, the Bank may extend the Clearing house
operation to other cities of the country, add other services, and conduct additional
sessions, as it deems necessary to improve the payment system of the country.

Chapter 2
Definitions

Article 9: The terms used in Regulation have the following meanings:

1. Business day means Monday through Friday or any additional day which the Bank has
designated to be open for business. Business days exclude all public holidays.
2. Clearing House means the facility maintained by the Bank at its office in Phnom
Penh.

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3. Payment or item means a check drawn on a current account in a financial institution.
A check is an order by an account holder of a bank to pay funds from that account to a
beneficiary.
4. Returned or unpaid item means a check dishonored by the receiving participant for
any of the reasons listed in Annex III
5. Eligible items which may be presented to the Clearing house include:
a.- bank checks and drafts drawn by third parties payable to third parties, in riel on
Phnom Penh offices of licensed banks,
b.- such checks drawn on the National Bank of Cambodia,
c.- other debit items designated by the National Bank of Cambodia as eligible.
Checks must be drawn on the approved forms supplied by the banks, which comply
with any applicable standards set by the National Bank of Cambodia. Checks may be
drawn in Khmer, English, or French.
6. Participant means a bank that has agreed to participate in the Clearing house under
the terms and conditions of Regulation.
7. Participation means attending the daily Clearing house meeting. Participants are
expected to attend sessions whether or not they have checks to present to other
participants.
8. Receiving participant means, with respect to any check, the participant that receives
that payment through the Clearing house. This participant also may be referred to as
the Paying Bank.
9. Sending Participant means, with respect to any payment, the participant that sends an
item through the Clearing house.
10. Books means the accounting records maintained by a bank for its clients and current
accounts of the National Bank of Cambodia maintained for such banks.
11. Posting means the debiting of a customer account for a check by the receiving bank.
12. Settlement means the entry of a net debit or credit to the clearing account of a
participating bank for the daily clearings. All settlements shall be provisional and may
be revoked with respect to any payment that has been dishonored by a Receiving
Participant and returned as provided for in Regulation.
13. Routing Number means the identification number of the participant as listed in the
Directory of Bank Routing numbers maintained by the National Bank of Cambodia.
The routing number is used to sort payments among the participants in the Clearing
house. The routing number must be printed in the proper location on a check in
accordance with National Bank of Cambodia standards.
14. Session means a meeting of the Clearing house participants to exchange checks with
each other. The principal session will occur at 10:00 a.m., and a secondary session for
returned checks at 3:00 p.m. However, the Chairman may decide to hold additional
sessions in a given day if deemed necessary.
15. Clearing Account means the account maintained by each participant at the National
Bank of Cambodia for settlement of its daily obligation at the Clearing house. It is
used for settlement of Clearing house obligations by any participant.

Chapter 3
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 Sending Banks' Responsibilities

Article 10: Banks are expected to utilize the Clearing house to send payments to other
participants. Any bilateral exchanges of payments other than at established clearing
house meeting times is permitted only upon mutual and specific agreement between
the appropriate clearing house participants.
Article 11: Sending participants must:
1. Authorize and identify sendings
All checks must bear the stamp of the sending participant, and the date of sending on
the reverse side of each item.
2. Prepare sendings properly
Each sending participant shall prepare list of checks in duplicate (Form PPC001) on
which shall be shown the individual check amounts and the total value of checks
drawn on the other participants. Example of all forms appears in Annex IV. One list
shall be prepared for each other participant showing the total value and number of
checks presented to them;
i. drawn on the Phnom Penh offices of each other participant, and
ii. Returned unpaid and ineligible items.
Each sending participant may deliver a computer file (diskette) in the prescribed
format containing the worksheet of Form PPC001.
3. Attend regular Clearing house meetings
Checks are to be brought to the Clearing house at or before the prescribed hour on
each business day. A participant whose representative arrives more than five minutes
after the prescribed Clearing house session may be excluded from that session by the
Clearing Leader. A participant who is excluded from a clearing session shall not
present his items to the other participants. He shall however, be compelled to accept
and his account be debited for the checks which other participants deliver to him.
4. Authorize debit to account for payments returned
Each sending participant, by its act of sending payments to the Clearing house,
authorizes the Bank to debit its current account for the subsequent return of
dishonored payments by a receiving participant.
5. Retain records
Sending Participants must retain all pertinent records necessary to reconstruct any
shipment or individual payment for one year beyond the date of original presentment.
This does not imply, however, an obligation to research, provide customer contact, or
resolve any adjustment for a particular payment later than this time.

Chapter 4
Receiving Bank's Responsibilities

Article 12: Receiving Banks are expected to pick up any checks made available to them at the
Clearing house each day, including any dishonored checks as noted in Article 11.
Checks made available to a receiving participant which are not picked up by such
participant because he has failed to attend the clearing house session or has been
excluded because of tardy arrival on that day are deemed to have been delivered on
that day for purposes of settlement and timely return of any dishonored checks.
Article 13: Receiving Participants must:

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1. Certify acceptance
The receiving participant shall sign the copy of the list on PPC001 to acknowledge
receipt of the checks at the Clearing house. Each receiving participant shall sign a
copy of PPC002, prepared by the National Bank of Cambodia or a printout containing
all Forms 002 as an acknowledgment of his agreement with the amount to be debited
or credited to his clearing account as result of the clearing session.
2. Settle for or return payments
Payments remain the property of sending participants until they have been settled for
or returned. Receiving participants hold payments in trust until they have received
credit from the drawer of the payment by charging that client account on its books.
Receiving participants are expected to keep adequate funds in their National Bank of
Cambodia clearing accounts to pay for their obligation in daily settlements.
3. Return unpaid or dishonored payments
i. General Provision
Unpaid or dishonored checks are to be returned by sending through the Clearing
house. Receiving participants must note conspicuously on each returned check, the
cause for return using an approved reason as listed at Annex III, and the name of
the receiving participant.
ii. Timely Return
Any check presented through the clearing house shall be deemed to be returned
timely, and the receiving participant shall not be held accountable for such
payment, if it is returned no later than the 3:00 p.m. clearing session on the same
day of settlement. Checks are not to be considered as finally paid, with
disbursement in cash, until after the close of the applicable return item session.

iii. Settlement for Returns

Receiving participants must return the unpaid payment clearly marked as a
"RETURN ITEM" in the prescribed format. The amount will be deducted in the
net settlement amount for the receiving participant (Form PPC001).
iv. Expiration of Return privilege
Checks may be dishonored and returned on two occasions only. Checks remaining
Unpaid after the second dishonor must be handled outside of clearing house
channels by collection directly between the banks involved.
4. Retain records
Receiving participants must retain computer file (diskette) or paper listings, and any
other Associated evidence necessary to reconstruct records for any Clearing house
transaction for one calendar year beyond the date of receipt. Receiving participants are
under no obligation however, and may as a courtesy, assist sending participants in
resolving inquiries about transactions which occur after the mandatory records
retention period has expired.
5. Return all unposted checks in event of default
In the event a participant is unable to provide adequate funds in its current account
with the National Bank of Cambodia for the daily settlement and is declared insolvent
by the Banking Supervision Department, the National Bank of Cambodia will so
inform other participants and request the defaulting participant to immediately return
all unposted payments in its possession to the National Bank of Cambodia. The
National Bank of Cambodia will then return such payments to the participant that
originally sent them to the Clearing house for payment.

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 Chapter 5
National Bank of Cambodia Responsibilities

Article 14: The National Bank of Cambodia is a participant of the Clearing house and can receive
and send checks to the same extent as any other participant for drawn or payable to
the National Bank of Cambodia. In addition, the Bank provides facilities for the
Clearing house meeting and settles accounts on its books for the participants.
Article 15: Preparation of forms
The Clearing Leader shall electronically prepare Form PPC002, and PPC003, as
shown in the Annexes by incorporating participant's computer worksheets (PPC001)
from the diskette brought to the clearing session.

Article 16: Settlement

1. Settlement will be completed each business day by debiting and crediting current
accounts maintained by participant with National Bank of Cambodia. When the total
amount of the checks presented exceeds the total amount received, the participant' s
account will be credited. When the total amount of checks received exceeds the total
amount presented, the participant' s account will be debited. When the Clearing
Leader is satisfied that the clearing settlement form is balanced he shall sign a copy or
a print-out of each participant's Form PP002 as an advice of debit or credit to that
participant's clearing account. He shall then announce that the session is closed. No
participant shall leave the session before the announcement of the closure.
2. In the case that the receiving participant has insufficient funds in its clearing account
for settlement, it will have 2 hours to arrange for funds from another bank to be
deposited into its clearing account at the National Bank of Cambodia. This will be the
primary and expected source of funds for settlement.
Article 17: Balances maintained at National Bank of Cambodia
Participants authorize the Bank to charge to their accounts at the National Bank of
Cambodia any debit amounts that they may occur as a result of clearing checks, and
must maintain funds in these accounts adequate to cover such debits. As a prudential
measure, the National Bank of Cambodia may require banks to maintain adequate
unencumbered deposits of foreign currencies in accounts abroad to cover their largest
net debit exposure incurred during the previous calendar quarter.
Article 18: Failure to Settle

1. If the participant does not provide for its net debit obligation in the clearing house
within the 2 hours allowed, the Clearing house Leader will inform the Chairman of
the circumstances, who will determine corrective measures. If the participant is
declared "in default" by the National Bank of Cambodia, the Chairman will so inform
the other participants. The session will not be declared closed until the all accounts
have been successfully debited on the day of clearing.
2. In the case default is announced during the session, the National Bank of Cambodia
shall "unwind" the settlement, i.e. reverse the credit given that paying bank for its
payments brought to the clearing house and the debit against it for payments brought
by other banks, and recalculate the net positions of all participants accordingly. New
forms shall be prepared by the Clearing Leader to reflect the new positions of the
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 Participants. The defaulting bank will not be permitted further access to the Clearing
house.
Article 19: Limit of liability
The National Bank of Cambodia shall not any way be responsible or liable in the event
a participant incurs a loss in connection with participant in the clearing house, except in
case of the Bank's own negligence or misconduct. It is understood and agreed that all
claims on account of missorting, untimely return, failure to return, default by a
participant, etc. shall be resolved directly between the participants except insofar as they
agree to use the National Bank of Cambodia books to post the transactions. The Bank
shall, however be accountable pursuant to the terms and conditions of Regulation for its
own items entered for clearing and settlement in the same manner as any other
participant.

Chapter 6
Miscellaneous Provisions

Article 20: Governing Law

The transactions covered by Regulation shall be subject in all respects to the laws of
Kingdom of Cambodia and all other applicable published regulations of the National
Bank of Cambodia.
Article 21: Emergency conditions
Conduct of daily clearing operations may be delayed within a business day or deferred
to a later day in the event that participants are unable to attend due to adverse
conditions as may be attributable to weather, loss of power or communications, or
other major disruption in the city or country. In such circumstances, the National
Bank of Cambodia will provide explicit instructions to the participants regarding to
the procedures to be followed for entries applicable to the clearings or returns.
However, individual participants should prepare for disruptions in their own facilities
and are responsible for maintaining contingency plans and alternate processing sites
with necessary equipment to continue operations for the duration of the emergency.
Article 22: Statistics
The National Bank of Cambodia shall compile and publish monthly statistics of the
number and value of checks exchanged on daily basis throughout the month,
including information on returned checks (unpaid checks). The statistical series shall
compare monthly averages for the current and past years. Information on an
individual bank's clearing shall not be published, except to that bank.

Article 23: All former Regulations that contradict with this Prakas shall be abrogated.

Article 24: The General Direction, the General Secretariat, the General Cashier, the General
Inspection, all Department of the National Bank of Cambodia and Commercial banks
members of the Clearing House of riel denominated cheque shall strictly implement
this Prakas.
Article 25: This Prakas shall have effect from this signing date.

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 Phnom Penh, December 27, 2000
THE GOVERNOR,
Signed. CHEA CHANTO

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Annex I-A

KINGDOM OF CAMBODIA
NATION RELIGION KING

Application for Participant of the Clearing house

Name: .............................................................................................................
Position: .........................................................................................................
Address: .........................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................
Postal Address: ..............................................................................................
Telephone: .....................................................................................................

To: The Chairman of the KHR denominated Checks' Clearing house

According to what the Prakas No.....of ....../...../ 2000 on the KHR denominated
Checks' Clearing House has been understood, and in order to facilitate the use of
Checks among our bank and other commercial banks in Phnom Penh,

We respect for elders to you to allow our bank attending as Participant of the the
KHR denominated Checks' Clearing house .

Attached Documents:
- A copy of banking license 1 copy
- Designation Letter and
Specimen of Signatures 3 copies

We strictly intend to comply with the above Prakas.

Very truly yours,

Phnom Penh, ...........................

Signature

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Annex I-B

KINGDOM OF CAMBODIA
NATION RELIGION KING

BANK ......................................

Designates the Names and Specimen of Signatures of our bank Liaison

Officers who have been authorized to sign on our formally written proof and other
clearing evidence at the National Bank of Cambodia to complete the KHR
denominated Checks' Clearing house service.

a./- Clearing House Committee:

Bank Manager
Name: .............................

Authorized Person
Position:..........................
Name: .............................

b./- Representative Participant in the Clearing Session:

Representative
Position: .........................
Name: .............................
Authorized Person
Position: ..........................
Name: .............................

We will newly designate the others, while the above Officers have been
removed.

Phnom Penh, ...........................

Signature
This Specimen of signatures is valid from
................... to ........................
Phnom Penh, .........................
Chairman of the Clearing house

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Annex II
LIST OF
THE KHR DENOMINATED CHECKS' CLEARING HOUSE
MEMBERS

No. BANKS' NAME ABBREV. ROUTING No.

1 National Bank of Cambodia NBC
2 National Treasury NTG T001
3 Foreign Trade Bank FTB B001
4 Cambodian Commercial Bank CCB B003
5 Cambodian Public Bank CPB B004
6 Canadia Bank CNB B005
7 Krung Thai Bank KTB B009
8 Thai Farmers Bank TFB B012
9 Credit Agricole Indosuez CAI B013
10 Cambodia Asia Bank CAB B016
11 Singapore Banking Corporation SBC B018
12 May Bank MBB B020
13 Singapore Commercial Bank SCB B021
14 Standard Chartered Bank SCB1 B025
15 Union Commercial Bank UCB B026
16 First Overseas Bank FOB B031

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Annex III

Agreed reasons for return of checks by member banks

I. Insufficient or no funds
II. Funds not cleared
III. Payment Stopped
IV. Post dated and improperly-dated
V. Out-of-date ( more than six months old)
VI. Words and figures differ
VII. Amount in words required
VIII. Drawer's signature differs- from sample signature
IX. Drawer's signature required
X. Drawer's signature required from alteration
XI. Not drawn on bank's form
XII. Mutilated check
XIII. Account closed
XIV. No account
XV. Drawer deceased
XVI. Drawer bankrupt / in liquidation

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ANNEX IV

FORM PPC001: LISTING OF INDIVIDUAL CHECKS BROUGHT TO THE CLEARING

HOUSE

THE KHR DENOMINATED CHECKS' CLEARING HOUSE

Items presented by ........................ to ...................................

Date ...../...../......

Cheque No. Amount in riel Cheque No. Amount in riel

1 36
2 37
3 38
4 39
5 40
6 41
7 42
8 43
9 44
10 45
11 46
12 47
13 48
14 49
15 50
16 51
17 52
18 53
19 54
20 55
21 Total - New Items
22
23 Returned Items
24
25 Cheque No. Amount in riel
26
27 1
29 2
30 3
31 4
32 5
33 6
34 7
35 8
Sub - Total: Total - returned Items

Total - New and Returned Items

For Clearing house use

Signature

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 THE KHR DENOMINATED CHECKS' CLEARING HOUSE

US DOLLARS UNPAID CHEQUES STATEMENT

Cheques from Clearing of: ...........................(Date)

From ......... .............................................................
To ...........................................................................
Date: .......................................................................

No. Cheque No. Amount in riel

Total:

This Cheque shall be listed in the Session of Form PPC001 date: ...................
reserved for returned / unpaid items..

Signed "for Presented Bank" ...........................

Signed "for Receiving Bank" .........................

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 FORM PPC002: SUMMARY LISTING, BY BANK, OF CHECKS BROUGHT TO THE CLEARING HOUSE

THE KHR DENOMINATED CHECKS' CLEARING HOUSE

Items presented by ................................."Bank' Name" Debit Acct: ..................

At ........"Time" Session Date: ..../..../...." Credit Acct: .................

Cheques presented to Cheques received from Amount

No Bank No. Bank "Funds Due to sending No. "Funds Due to other No. Receivable Payable
Bank" Banks"
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16

Total

Signed (for Presented or receiving Bank) .......................

Signed (for National Bank of Cambodia) .....................

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FORM PPC003: SETTLEMENT LISTING OF CHECKS BROUGHT, AND CHECKS RECEIVED, BY BANK

THE KHR DENOMINATED CHECKS' CLEARING HOUSE

At ........"Time" Session Date: ..../..../....

Amount
No Bank No. Bank "Funds Due to" No. "Funds Due from " No. Receivable Payable
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16

Total

Signed (for National Bank of Cambodia) .......................

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