The President of the Republic affirmed this Monday that he found, upon discussions with a group of the main figures in Portuguese banking, amongst them a state of mind "of great mobilization in order to help the Portuguese economy".
Credit lines are already reaching companies, for example. He stated: "I leave this meeting with the feeling that the Portuguese banking sector is following the reality of our country very closely, what is happening in both families and companies," following a meeting, by videoconference, with the presidents of the five largest Portuguese banks (CGD, BCP, Novo Banco, Santander and BPI).
"I also leave with the idea that the banks have taken on their own initiatives, in addition to those taken by the Government," he added. The head of state announced that the banks are already beginning the process to put the financing in place to provide for a number of punlic measures on the ground, recalling, however, that it is "a process that takes time".
Even so, the different credit lines "have already arrived, are arriving or will arrive in the next days and weeks to Portuguese companies". Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa also praised the "maturity" revealed by the Portuguese people, throughout March, in their relations with banks.
"The way the Portuguese resorted to the bank, in some cases for relief, in others to safeguard a nest egg, thinking about the future, was with great maturity", he stressed. The President of the Republic will meet with, this Tuesday, the President of the Portuguese Banking Association and the Governor of the Bank of Portugal, in order to further hammer out how people’s livelihoods will be aided over the coming days and weeks.
