José Sena Goulão / Lusa
Mário Centeno with João Leão and António Costa
The time spent in the USA and in the Government also counted towards the total of practically 35 years. The “perplexity” increases.
On Sunday, André Ventura that the value of reform by Mário Centenohaving worked at Banco de Portugal, is “scandalous”.
“He is 59 years old, not 67 as is required of the vast majority of the Portuguese population. He is not in any class of rapid wear”, commented the president of Chega, while announcing that he will call Álvaro Santos Pereira, governor of the bank, to Parliament.
Now, Ventura’s “scandalousness” must reach another scale.
The Bank of Portugal however where the money comes from: Centeno will benefit from the retirement scheme under the existing pension fund at the central bank, for workers hired until March 2009.
But the bank did not reveal what is now revealed by: Of the practically 35 years that counted toward retirement, the former minister only worked effectively at the bank for 20 years.
The other 15 years were spent, or in USA, or in Government led by Antônio Costa.
Mário Centeno started working at Banco de Portugal in 1995, at the time as a technician – but also in 1995 he left for a doctorate in the USA (with scholarship paid by the bank). He studied in the USA until 2000, but those 5 years counted towards his years of service.
There he returned to Banco de Portugal, as economist. In 2004 he became deputy director of the economic studies department. In 2013 he became an administration consultant.
He left the bank in 2015 to be minister of Finance in the first Government of António Costa.
But the discounts to the pension fund continued (he remained on the bank’s staff, even without working there).
In 2020, he ceased to be Minister of Finance. In the same year he was appointed governor from the Bank of Portugal.
Summary: Mário Centeno effectively worked at the bank between 2000 and 2015 and between 2020 and 2025. But, not total, reform covers the period between 1995 and 2025.
A negotiationessential in this outcome, for early retirement even came from the current governor, Álvaro Santos Pereira. Centeno should receive a retirement something less than his salary of 15 thousand euros.
Banco de Portugal did not clarify the Observer about the number of years of service that was counted for this reform.
