2. The following new Part is hereby inserted immediately after Part IV, and shall have effect as Part IVA of the Banking Act, No. 30 of 1988 (hereinafter referred to as the "principal enactment") :-
| 34A. (1) The Monetary Board may, by order made with the approval of the Minister, authorize a licensed commercial bank to operate numbered banking accounts on behalf of customers who are non-residents or foreign citizens. |
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| (2) Numbered accounts facilities offered by a licensed commercial bank authorized by the Monetary Board under this Part to customers, who are foreign citizens or non residents may extend to current accounts, deposit accounts and savings accounts but shall not extend to credit facilities. |
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| (3) All moneys accepted by a licensed commercial bank authorized by the Monetary Board under this Part for deposit in a numbered account shall be in such foreign currencies as are specified by the Monetary Board. |
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| (4) The owner of a numbered account opened in a licensed commercial bank authorized by the Monetary Board under this Part shall be known only to such senior officers of such bank as may be determined by the Board of Directors of such bank. |
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| 34B, (1) Every officer of a licensed commercial bank operating a numbered account on behalf of a customer and every person, who by reason of his capacity or office, has any access to the records, registers, correspondence or any other material of such bank relating to such numbered account shall keep absolute secrecy with regard to the contents thereof, in the interests of the customer to whom the account relates. |
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| (2) Where a licensed commercial bank authorized by the Monetary Board under this Part opens a numbered account on behalf of a customer, the identity of the owner of the numbered account shall be absolutely inviolate and every officer of such licensed commercial bank and every Other person referred to in subsection (1) shall not give, divulge or reveal any information whatsoever regarding the name or identity of the owner of such numbered account to any individual, corporation, bank, court, institution, entity, department, official, agent, representative of the Government of Sri Lanka or any other government or to any other legal or natural person, judicial or military authority, unless |
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| 34c. (1) The Minister may make regulations, regarding the maintenance of numbered accounts, the restrictions that may be placed on such accounts, including the inclusion or the exclusion of the moneys lying in such accounts for the computation of the deposit liabilities of a licensed commercial bank for the purposes of section 20 or section 21. |
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| 34D. For the purposes of this Part, the expression |
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Sri Lanka Consolidated Acts