Mário Cruz / Lusa
The governor of Banco de Portugal, Mário Centeno
Substitution decision was only up to the government: “This is how it was done is how it should be done. Respect, obviously.”
The governor of Banco de Portugal (BDP), Mário Centeno, He says respecting the government’s decision not to be reappointed, guarantees that he leaves without “disappointment” and responds to criticism of his performance by saying that the bank’s independence has not changed.
In an interview with, the current governor said he was always independent in his performance.
“My Independence cannot be called into question by anyoneI always used what is the Bank’s critical mass for the work that were released. The bank has not changed its attitude, ”he defended himself in response to criticism that he has not been targeted by not being led the institution independently.
Centeno said respecting the executive’s decision to choose another name for the institution’s leadership. “The decision that was made is a Decision that only fit the government, this is how it was made is how it should be done. RespectObviously, all these decisions, ”he replied on the fact that the executive chose as a new governor.
Asked if he understands non-reconditioning as a “lead”, a negative appreciation about his work, Centeno said that this question should not be directed to himself.
Mario Centeno, who even manifests he is available to continue in the BDP, now defended his term by saying that he has “Congreal results” to present, among them the stabilization of the financial system. He also said that his public service work “is there to be evaluated.”
“This whole way was marked by a feature of stabilization of the financial system Very significant, reinforcing Portugal’s position internationally, I am very pleased for all these years of public service and that is what is more important to me, ”he said.
As for your mood for not being reappointed, Centeno said that “There can be no disappointment At these times ”and stated that as a governor, he was performing a public service that sought to do“ the most competent way he knew ”.
To the government’s resigned successor, economist Álvaro Santos Pereira, Centeno wished happiness when he was asked if he has any opinion about the successor’s profile, who is the chief economist of the OECD and was Minister of Economy in the government of Pedro Passos Coelho (PSD/CDS-PP) between 2011 and 2013.
“Much happiness For Professor Álvaro Santos Pereira in the new functions, ”he replied only.
The building and the doubts
Mário Centeno confirmed that the Ministry of Finance knows “all information” about the purchase of new facilities of the institution in Lisbon and considered “very light” the raised question.
It justified the decision of the BDP board of directors to enter into the purchase and sale agreement of the future building with loyalty in May, when it was already in the end of mandate, saying that the project was long “one one generational desire ” no BdP.
“Eight governors and 22 finance ministers have passed until we can reach this point today. It is with enormous anxiety and even expectation that the bank sees this step,” he defended, about the consummation of advancing with the project of construction of the new building on the land of the former Popular Fair, in Entrecampos.
Asked if, being sure that he would be reappointed, he was the right person to close the deal, Centeno replied that the BDP has been from the end of 2023, “one and a half”, working on the project, in a work involving “broad dozens of people”, “inside and outside the bank, with the best legal advisers, technicians, engineers in the country”.
Centeno’s explanations come after the ‘Online’ newspaper has reported that the value of the building will be greater than 191.99 million euros consecrated in the purchase and sale contract, estimating the newspaper that the total cost can rise to 235 million From euros, because the first amount concerns only structural works.
Without wishing to comment on the Ministry of Finance’s public positions, which requested an audit to the General Finance Inspection and made known not to be aware of all the implications of the operation, Centeno assured that “the Ministry of Finance received the entire list of questions that were raised in the building in February this year, along with the evaluations on a later date when they were completed and with the promise of purchase and sale contract”.
“All information was given Respecting the promise contract of purchase and sale, the alerts, how the bank dealt with the alerts, the cost of evaluations, ”insisted Centeno.
The governor also assured that the ministry led by Joaquim Miranda Sarmento “was also informed that the cost was not that who was already hired [192 milhões e que] there were other funds to be taken into consideration. There was a “Unqualified financial rigor” On the part of the institution, it ensures.
As to final value, Centeno rejected Confirm what it will be, because “if Banco de Portugal was disclosing these estimates, it was committed to financial values that would later be used by the companies we will resort to as reference values and that was a financial disaster.”
However, it assured that these values “were shared with the Ministry of Finance”, so it considered “Very light that doubts are raised about these contractual relationships made by the Central Bank ”.
“The estimate I can give, with all transparency, was the first time that such a process had this type of disclosure, never before it had happened, there are 192 million euros, is a building bought under the conditions in which they are sold,” he said.
Centeno also explained that two assessments of the building were made and that the bank “followed the lowest value, by the financial rigor,“ after a very large internal debate, with doubts about how, from a legal point of view, react to these two evaluations ”.
