The network of Central Banks of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) was launched today in Luanda with the aim of deepening interaction between the heads of these banking institutions, as well as at a technical level on common areas of interest.
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the member states to achieve this goal, according to Thiago Dias, the manager of the National Bank of Angola, who reported to the press.
According to Thiago Dias, several working groups were formed, dedicated to macroeconomic issues, financial inclusion, digitalization, improvement of payment systems, and other topics. He noted that 'this is a set of working groups being formed so that specialists from our central banks can find a permanent space for interaction there.'
Following the official launch of the network, the first meeting took place, where the organizational structure of the body was approved, including the chairmanship and mandates of the various created working groups.
In his statements to the press, the manager of the Bank of Portugal, Álvaro Santos Pereira, called this initiative historic for central banks. He emphasized that it will allow for the exchange of information and interaction in areas such as payments, statistics, financial literacy, crisis management, and economic analysis.
Álvaro Santos Pereira highlighted the importance of this memorandum amid geopolitical conflicts and world fragmentation, noting that it is crucial for the Portuguese-speaking community to unite to strengthen cooperation.
The manager of the Bank of Portugal congratulated Angola on hosting the first meeting in its capital, considering the 50th anniversary of the existence of the National Bank and Angola, which is celebrated on Thursday, to be very significant. He stated: 'This is a very important date, I am here with pride and great honor. In recent years, Angola has made important reforms, and it is important to see the growing dynamism that exists in the Angolan economy.'
Álvaro Pereira Santos suggested that Angola's economic growth, especially in the non-resource sector, could become a source of opportunities for potential foreign investors, adding: 'I hope there will be more investment, and may it happen in both the financial system and other sectors.'
On the same day, a meeting of the managers of CPLP central banks took place, where the international context and its possible impact on the economies of the member states were discussed, as well as potential areas of cooperation, since such meetings also serve to exchange experiences.
