Decisions adopted by the Governing Board on the occasion of its 284th regular meeting on 5 February 2004

Important matters dealt with and decisions taken by the Bank of Slovenia Governing Board on its 284th regular meeting on 5 February, 2004:
The Board reduced the interest rates of the Bank of Slovenia by 25 basis points, as follows:

• 60-day Tolar bills: from 5.75% to 5.50%
• 270-day Tolar bills: from 6.50%% to 6.25%
• buy/sell FX swap: from 2.75% to 2.50%
• sell/buy FX swap: from 1.25 to 1.00%
• lombard loan: from 7.00% to 6.75% p.a.

The new interest rates will take effect from 6 February 2004.

The Board adopted the report on counterfeit money detected in 2003.
The Bank of Slovenia is in charge of expertise on authenticity of Tolar banknotes. Upon request by judicial authorities the Bank also provides expertise on authenticity of foreign banknotes.

In 2003, the Bank of Slovenia detected 1,189 counterfeit Tolar notes (73% thereof of denomination of SIT 10,000 and 15% of SIT 1,000 ) and 542 counterfeit foreign banknotes (out of which 328 Euro banknotes).
The National Counterfeit Detection Center, established in the Bank of Slovenia in late October 2003, is part of the respective system run by the ECB. The National Center also cooperates with other national counterfeit detection centers and with the European Technical and Scientific Centre.