The Riksbank wants to extend the operating hours for RIX

The payments market, in Sweden and abroad, is under considerable pressure to change as a result of technological advances, increased competition and requirements for standardisation. Central banks have historically played an important role in the payments market; by allowing financial institutions to regulate their debts in central bank money, the risks in the financial system are reduced. But as the structure of the payments market changes, central banks need to upgrade their settlement services. Several central banks are therefore considering extending the operating hours of their settlement systems for large-value payments or offering entirely new systems. One example of a new system is "TIPS", which is being developed by the euro system and will enable instant transfers between bank accounts.

The Riksbank also needs to be prepared to adapt its payment services and will over the coming months investigate the market's views on this. Some changes may take a long time to implement, others can be made relatively quickly, such as changing RIX operating hours. RIX is currently accessible for settlement 07:00-17:00, but there are no technical obstacles to having longer operating hours. The Riksbank's impression is that extended operating hours, and thereby better opportunities for financial institutions to settle payments on the Riksbank's balance sheet, are desirable and in line with the Riksbank's task of promoting a safe and efficient payment mechanism.