As of 29.5.2003, the operation of the Government Bonds market commenced on the Athens Exchange (ATHEX), through the trading of Fixed Income Securities, issued by the Greek Government, into the Integrated Automated Electronic Trading System (OASIS).

With the establishment of such a retail government bonds market, each interested investor, through the securities companies-members of the ATHEX, may give government bonds bid and ask orders, as it applies in the securities market also.

The clearing and settlement of government bonds is carried out through the Dematerialized Securities System (SAT) of the Central Securities Depository (CSD) on the working day following the transaction (T+1).

Securities companies that are interested to proceed with the sale of their clients'' titles through the ATHEX, they should-the latest until the day before- to transfer such titles in the DSS of the CSD, in their clients? accounts according to the instructions that the CSD has given to securities companies-members. In cases there is a purchase of fixed income titles, such titles will be deposited into the accounts that the investors hold in the DSS, as it is the case in the securities market also.

Through this new service that the Central Securities Depository provides with its DSS, i.e. to deposit government bonds into investors'' accounts, the users (banks-securities companies), which have access to the DSS are able to have an integrated management of all the titles traded in the Greek capital market and they can compose investor portfolios.

It should be noted that the trading of Fixed Income Securities, issued by the Greek government, is launched for the first time through the OASIS trading system and it is the result of the systematic work of the companies comprising the HELEX Group, i.e. the Central Securities Depository and the Athens Exchange, in co-operation with the Bank of Greece as well as with the significant contribution of the ATHEX Members'' Association (SMEXA) and the Hellenic Banking Union.