The Market Operations Department comprises all the Riksbank's operational activities, namely:
- implementing monetary and exchange rate policy operations with the aim of influencing interest rates and/or the krona exchange rate in accordance with monetary policy decisions
- managing the Riksbank’s assets in the form of gold and foreign currency (i.e. the Swedish gold and foreign exchange reserve)
- operating the Riksbank's payment system (RIX) for large-value payments between banks
- ensuring the supply of banknotes and coins in Sweden.
A description of how monetary and exchange rate policy is implemented in practice can be found under the link Market operations. You can also read there about the Riksbank’s management of the gold and foreign exchange reserve as well as about the Riksbank’s payment system for large-value payments. The link Banknotes and coins contains information about Sweden’s banknotes and coins and the role played by the Riksbank in supplying these in Sweden.
In addition, the department is responsible for compiling and publishing statistics regarding market interest rates, exchange rates and turnover in the fixed income and foreign exchange markets. Both these and other data can be found under the link Statistics.
Organisation
The department has approximately 60 employees and is headed by Kai Barvèll. The Deputy Heads of the department are Eva Julin and Kristina Åkerberg.
The department is divided into five divisions: the Middle office, the Banknotes and Coins, the Payment System Division, the Investment Division and the Market Operations and Analysis Division. There is also a body of support staff consisting of an adviser and a secretary.