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Committees & Forums
Regulatory Forums
The various regulatory forums provide specialist support across all other PASA Structures.
Competition Committee
The Competition Committee was established to discuss and analyse matters relating to the Competition Act pertaining to PASA and its Members and to recommend risk mitigation approaches to PASA Council, PASA EXO or the relevant PASA Structure.
Compliance Committee
This Committee is mandated to ensure that all PASA members and PASA Committees conform to the PASA Regulatory Framework.
Regulatory Forums
PASA EXO also engages with non-members. The Card Payments Stakeholder Forum and EPC Stakeholder Forum provide the platform for engagement and provide an opportunity for discussion on topical industry payment issues and related matters. Non PASA members include representatives from various stakeholder forums/groups such as SARPIF, ASO, FRA, ASISA, PSSF, MFSA as well as from Visa, MasterCard and BankservAfrica.
Dispute Resolution Committee
This Committee is mandated to consider and mediate in all disputes within the jurisdiction of PASA relative (primarily) to clearing.
Legal Committee
The Legal Committee is mandated to examine, vet and draft legal documentation and advise on legal matters emanating from PASA Committees for the purpose of assisting and supporting the various PASA structures.
Strategy Forums
PASA Strategy Forums aim to provide strategic direction with focus on current and future matters. Strategic initiatives attempt to increase payment system integrity, efficiencies, interoperability, promote competition and minimise risks.
Currently there are two main Strategy forums namely the Card Strategy Forum and the Electronic, Paper and Cash Strategy Forum. Each of the Forums has a number of Sub-Forums and/or Workgroups that reflect the current priorities.
Card Strategy Forum (CSF)
The CSF is mandated to provide strategic direction to Members participating in the Card PCHs through the development of an agreement to implementation of principles, policies, strategies, rules and procedures or by proposing such principles, policies, strategies, rules and procedures to appropriate bodies. This strategic direction focusses on current and future Card related matters or initiatives in relation to the minimising of strategic risks, increasing of payment system integrity, improving efficiencies, promotion of competition, innovation and access requirements.
Electronic, Paper and Cash (EPC) Strategy Forum
The EPC Strategy Forum is responsible for proposing strategic direction to the relevant PCH’s and/or PASA Council with regards to Electronic, Paper and Cash Payment Systems through the development of principles, policies, strategies, rules and procedures or by proposing such principles, policies, strategies, rules and procedures to appropriate bodies. This strategic direction focusses on current and future matters or initiatives in relation to the promotion of innovation, access and competition, improving efficiencies, increasing of payment system integrity and the minimising of strategic risks (reputational, liquidity, credit, systemic etc.)
Strategy Forums
Payment Clearing House: Participant Groups (PCH PG)
In order for PASA Members to clear instructions (to submit and/or receive payment instructions for execution to an account) from and to other members, there must be a legal arrangement between participating members. These arrangements must include an understanding of the ‘business’ rules, requirements and technical agreements that make clearing possible. Practically this enables seamless transactions for example from a merchant banking with Bank A to accept a card payment from a customer banking with Bank B. Settlement of the transaction is assured as both banks are Members of the PCH PG.
PCH means an arrangement between two or more system participants governing the Clearing and Settlement of payment instructions between such system participants.
PCH PGs manage operational matters via PCH Agreements, Clearing Rules and Service Level Agreements.
The following PCH PG’s are currently in operation.
- Card PCH PG
The Card PCH PG is the structure responsible for governing the Clearing and Settlement of Debit, Credit, ATM and SSD, AMEX, Diners and Fleet transactions between the banks in South Africa. Card products are in most instances linked to one of the two major international Card Schemes, Visa and MasterCard, with American Express and Diners Club also being represented. Fleet Card, Petrol and Garage Card products bear domestic branding (white label) of the individual banks.
- Cash Settlement PCH PG
The Cash Settlement PCH is the Clearing House governing bulk Cash movement between the banks in South Africa and is governed by the Cash Settlement PCH PG.
- LVD PCH PG
- EFT PCH PG
The EFT PCH PG manages both the debit (pull) and credit (push) EFT payment instructions.
- Electronic Securities Settlement PCH PG
The Electronic Securities Settlement manages settlement for bonds, equities (share market) and money market payment instructions.
- Derivatives Margin PCH PG
The Derivative Margins PCH governs the settlement of margins originating from derivative related transactions.
- Immediate Settlement PCH PG
This PCH PG governsimmediate payments, operated by the South African Reserve Bank. Processing and settlement takes place transaction-by-transaction continuously throughout the day. The stream is aimed at higher value payments but credit payments of any value may be made through it. Currently in excess of 90% of the value of all interbank obligations is processed on a real time gross settlement (RTGS) basis, providing for immediate, final and irrevocable settlement.
- Paper PCH PG
This PCH PG governsimmediate payments, operated by the South African Reserve Bank. Processing and settlement takes place transaction-by-transaction continuously throughout the day. The stream is aimed at higher value payments but credit payments of any value may be made through it. Currently in excess of 90% of the value of all interbank obligations is processed on a real time gross settlement (RTGS) basis, providing for immediate, final and irrevocable settlement.
- RTC PCH PG
The RTC PCH PG governs the real time clearing (within 60 seconds) of irrevocable payment instructions.