Directorate General of Payments
The Directorate General of Payments of Da Afghanistan Bank bears the responsibility for payment systems and provides clearing and settlement services for banks and people through these systems. In addition, the directorate makes an effort to improve and develop domestic and international payment systems for the financial sector in the country.
The Directorate General of Payments ensures the performance of systems in the clearing and settlement of payments, and functions in a fast, secure, effective, reliable, and accessible manner for the banking sector and other users. The Directorate General of Payments of Da Afghanistan Bank has played a vital role in the management of domestic and international transactions initially known as the Cipher Systems Section.
Since 2003, with Da Afghanistan Bank’s membership in the SWIFT system and the creation and implementation of the AFTS system in 2004, the directorate has endeavored to digitalize payments. With the establishment and expansion of private banks, the directorate implemented the ACSS interbank payment system in 2005 and the ICPSS system in 2017 to facilitate interbank and national payments. Furthermore, the directorate upgraded the advanced ATS (RTGS) system and 2020 in ACSS/ICPSS new systems in 2023 with the ability to connect to the systems of the Ministry of Finance and private banks to align the payment services with global standards.
Vision:
The vision of the directorate is to implement cutting-edge technologies and advanced payment systems to facilitate domestic and international transactions for system members and beneficiaries while enhancing security and strengthening the country's financial market.
Mission:
The mission of the directorate includes establishing a national payment system that operates efficiently, securely, and reliably and developing payment systems considering technological developments for the growth of public interests, providing domestic and foreign payment services that meet international standards for the financial sector and through which to the Afghan people.
The mission further includes Revising policies, regulations, procedures, and job descriptions and enhancing payment systems, connecting bank accounts, commercial banks in the center and their provincial branches, connecting government revenue accounts to facilitate and expand electronic revenue collection in inter-bank payment systems of Da Afghanistan Bank, and resolving payment system -related technical issues in collaboration with relevant technical departments.
Structure:
The Directorate General of Payments is staffed by 33 employees, whose duties and responsibilities are divided among one deputy directorate and two senior sections, as explained below:
Senior Operational Section:
The Section is responsible for clearing and settling electronic payments in ACSS, ICPSS, and ATS related to domestic payments, according to the decisions of the competent authorities, implementing P number in the ASYCUDA system of the Customs Department of the Ministry of Finance, clearing and settling transactions related to currency auction, processing received and sent international electronic messages through the SWIFT system in the accounts of Da Afghanistan Bank with correspondent banks according to the orders of the relevant departments, coordinating and reconciling electronic and cash customs transactions, reconciling and controlling inter-bank payment transactions.
Senior Technical, Planning, and Policy Development Section:
The section is responsible for developing the annual plan, reviewing the policies, regulations, procedures, and job descriptions, developing payment systems, serving as admin of domestic and international payment systems, connecting the commercial bank accounts with the center and their provincial branches, connecting government revenue accounts to provide facilities and increase revenue collection (customs and revenues) in electronic form through inter-bank payment systems of Da Afghanistan Bank, and addressing technical problems in payment systems in cooperation with the relevant technical departments.