• Procedures to be Followed

    • BC-5.1.2

      On each occasion that a retail bank becomes aware of a dishonoured cheque of one of its customers, that retail bank will send a written warning to the relevant customer informing him/her of the existence of the dishonoured cheque, requesting him/her to immediately make good the insufficiency in his current account in order to clear the cheque. This written warning will also inform the customer of the provisions of this system with regard to dishonoured cheques and abusers of cheques.

      October 07

    • BC-5.1.3

      On the first working day of each calendar month, each retail bank should provide to the CBB a list of the names, supported with I.D. numbers (CPR or CR numbers (as applicable) for Bahrain residents, Passport or CR-equivalent numbers (as applicable) for non-Bahrain residents) of those customers to whom one (or more) written warning(s) has been sent in accordance with Paragraph BC-5.1.2 above during the immediately preceding calendar month. This list should specify the number of written warnings relating to dishonoured cheques for each customer of the relevant retail bank for the month in question and shall be in the form set out in Appendix BC-1. Retail banks will be responsible for ensuring the accuracy of all details on their respective lists.

      Amended: January 2011
      October 2009
      October 2007

    • BC-5.1.4

      Using the lists referred to in Paragraph BC-5.1.3 above, the CBB will prepare a further list (the 'Control List') of those customers to whom two or more written warnings were sent by any one or more retail bank at any time within a maximum period of three consecutive calendar months. The Control List, which will be in the form set out in Appendix BC-2, will specify the name and I.D. numbers of each such customer, the total number of dishonoured cheques for that customer included in the lists referred to in Paragraph BC-5.1.3 above, the name of the relevant retail bank(s) on whose list(s) the customer's name has been included, and other relevant details for retail banks' information and checking in accordance with Paragraph BC-5.1.5 below. Any customer to whom more than two written warnings relating to dishonoured cheques were sent by any one or more retail bank at any time within a maximum period of three consecutive calendar months will be automatically deemed an abuser of cheques for the purposes of Paragraph BC-5.1.7 below.

      Amended January 2011
      October 2007

    • BC-5.1.5

      On the second working day of each calendar month, the CBB will circulate a draft copy of the Control List to retail banks. Retail banks will be requested to check the accuracy of the Control List by reference to the information they have sent to the CBB in accordance with Paragraph BC-5.1.3 above, and to notify the CBB within a maximum period of one week of receiving the list of any inaccuracies on the Control List. The Control List, as amended if appropriate, will be circulated to the retail banks by the CBB on the second working day after it receives all responses from the retail banks. Retail banks will be required to monitor the customers on this Control List to establish whether any one or more of them issued another dishonoured cheque in the instant calendar month. Any retail bank becoming aware of a dishonoured cheque of one or more of its customers on the Control List during this month should notify the CBB of this fact, using the relevant Section in Appendix BC-1, on the first working day of each calendar month.

      Amended January 2011
      October 2007

    • BC-5.1.6

      If the CBB does not receive any notification as contemplated in Paragraph BC-5.1.5 above for a particular customer on the Control List, that customer's name shall be withdrawn from the next issue of the Control List. However, the CBB will monitor the names of customers appearing on the Control List during the three consecutive calendar months falling immediately after the calendar month in which a customer's name is taken off the Control List. If any such customer's name is again reported to the CBB pursuant to Paragraph BC-5.1.3 above at any time during this three-month period,

      (a) His name will be returned to the Control List on the date of its next issue if there is only one dishonoured cheque reported in this context; or
      (b) He will be automatically deemed an abuser of cheques for the purposes of Paragraph BC-5.1.7 below if there is more than one dishonoured cheque reported in this context.

      If, however, his name is not reported to the CBB in this regard, the CBB will cease its monitoring thereof.

      Amended January 2011
      October 2007

    • BC-5.1.7

      If the CBB does receive notification as contemplated in Paragraph BC-5.1.5 above for a particular customer on the Control List, or if a customer is deemed to be an abuser of cheques within Paragraph BC-5.1.4 or Paragraph BC-5.1.6 above, such customer (herein referred to as an 'abuser of cheques') will be penalised as follows. Using Appendix BC-3, on the second working day of the calendar month following the receipt of the information referred to above, the CBB will circulate a draft list to retail banks. Retail banks will be requested to check the accuracy of this list by reference to the information they have sent to the CBB in accordance with Paragraph BC-5.1.5 above, and to notify the CBB within a maximum period of one week of receiving the list of any inaccuracies on that list. The list, as amended if appropriate, will be circulated to retail banks by the CBB on the second working day after it receives all responses from retail banks, and will direct the retail bank(s) which has/have reported an abuser of cheques to withdraw all cheque books held by that abuser of cheques, and to close such person's current account(s) by transferring any balances therein to saving and/or any other accounts held with that/those retail bank(s). Furthermore, those retail bank(s) will be required not to provide current account facilities to that abuser of cheques for the twelve calendar month period immediately following the date of issue of the relevant list. All other retail banks should, within a maximum period of one month after the issue of the relevant list, also withdraw current account facilities from that abuser of cheques for the same twelve calendar month period. Retail banks will be entitled to recover any amounts due to them from abusers of cheques as a result of compliance with this system by availing of their set-off rights under Bahrain Law.

      Amended January 2011
      October 2007

    • BC-5.1.8

      On Appendix BC-4, the CBB will notify retail banks of those abusers of cheques in respect of whom the twelve calendar month period referred to in Paragraph BC-5.1.7 above has ended, and to whom retail banks may reinstate/offer current account facilities at their discretion.

      Amended January 2011
      October 2007

    • BC-5.1.9

      Nothing in this Directive shall prejudice the rights of banks against customers otherwise existing under Bahrain Law and/or under any particular bank/customer agreement. Furthermore, retail banks will be entitled to the same immunity from prosecution as the CBB for any harm suffered, or alleged to be suffered, by customers as a result of retail banks complying with the Rules in this Chapter.

      Amended January 2011
      October 2007

    • BC-5.1.10

      The Rules in this Chapter may be amended, in whole or in part, from time to time by the CBB. In addition, the CBB may, at its discretion and as it so deems appropriate, issue specific directions to all or any retail banks regarding abusers of cheques or any particular abuser of cheques.

      Amended January 2011
      October 2007