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The Financial Stability Department (AFS) produces the material the Executive Board needs to work with the Riksbank’s statutory task of “promoting a safe and efficient payment system”. The Riksbank shall oversee that the banks with the aid of the financial infrastructure can mediate payments and receive deposits. They should also carry out these activities in an economically efficient way.
The purpose of AFS’ work is that the Riksbank should be able to identify at an early stage any risks that might mean that the financial system would no longer be stable and efficient. If such risks exist, the Riksbank tries to affect the market participants concerned through discussions with them and by generally providing information about the problem, for instance in the Financial Stability Report published twice a year. AFS is also responsible for ensuring that the Riksbank can manage a financial crisis, if one should nevertheless arise.
The department works in close collaboration with authorities such as Finansinspektionen (the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority) and the Ministry of Finance, Swedish banks and with other participants in the financial markets. Outside Sweden the department participates in a large number of committees and working groups with various purposes, for instance in the ECB/EU, the BIS and the G10.
Organisation
Mattias Persson is the Head of the Department and Malin Alpen and Martin W. Johansson Deputy Heads. In addition to a staff of advisers and secretaries, the department consists of five divisions:
- The Banking Analysis Division
- The Financial Infrastructure Division
- The Financial Market Division
- The Macroprudential Division
- The Policy and Analysis Division