The BNA, in its notice, already published in Diário da República and which Lusa had access today, states that the measure arises from the need to expand the banking network, in order to facilitate the population's access to banking services.
Increasing levels of financial inclusion is also one of the purposes of this notice "of mandatory application" for banking financial institutions of systemic and voluntary importance to other banking financial institutions.
According to the central bank, the banking network in municipal offices can be made up of service points in the forms of fixed branch, mobile branch, bank agents and self-service centers.
The definition of opening hours and attendance, the operation of branches, shared by two or more institutions, can be freely defined by the banking institutions.
Banking financial institutions "can deduct daily the fulfillment of mandatory reserves, the cash in cash at their branch network, including cash in automatic teller machines, as soon as the expansion of the banking network is completed".
The central bank ensures the "availability of cash in provincial capitals", via the regional directorates or Cash Custody Centres.
The process of opening service points, the modality and opening hours of the bank stations must be reported to the BNA.
Sanctions to banking financial institutions, in case of non-compliance, are also provided for in the document signed by the governor of the BNA, José de Lima Massano.
Several municipal seats do not have banking representations, which leads many citizens, including the elderly and pensioners, to travel long distances in search of banking services, a situation that leads to long queues at the entrance of institutions.
