Markets & payments
A safe and efficient payments system is critical to supporting day-to-day financial transactions in the economy. For this reason, the Reserve Bank oversees and operates New Zealand’s wholesale payment and settlement systems.
The Bank also monitors and liaises with financial markets to manage liquidity in the New Zealand banking system, and manages foreign reserves to support monetary policy objectives and maintain orderly markets.
Payment operations
The Reserve Bank has both an oversight and operational role in the payment system in New Zealand. The operational activities of the payment system include the provision of currency and a range of payment and settlement services.
ESAS is the Reserve Bank of New Zealand's Exchange Settlement Account System and along with Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) allows individual transactions between financial institutions to be settled electronically as the transactions happen.
In April 2016, the Reserve Bank started the Payment Systems Replacement Programme, focussing on implementing a change programme that ensures the on-going provision of payment and settlement infrastructure and systems.