The change in savings certificates is “an implicit appeal to the banking sector,” says Marcelo Rebelo de Souza.

The President of the Republic on Monday considered that the change in the terms of savings certificates is an “implicit call to the bank” to offer more interest on deposits.

Marcelo Rebelo de Souza spoke to reporters in Cape Town, South Africa, during a meeting with Portuguese and Portuguese descendants at Associação Portuguesa do Cabo da Boa Esperança.

According to the head of state, “The Portuguese Republic, that is, the Portuguese state, has suspended the current broadcast in order to replace it with another for national reasons, as well as for reasons related to the fact that there was a feeling of moving, transferring amounts from deposits to postal savings certificates “.

Asked if he thought the government wanted to help the bank by suspending a series of savings certificates and issuing another one with a lower interest rate, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa replied: “No, I think it ended up drawing attention to the existing problem, but which is actually a good reason to go to the bank.”

In his opinion, given the “attitude of the Portuguese, gradually moving from deposits to savings certificates”, this “is a wake-up call for banks to realize that they must make an effort to increase the remuneration of deposits.”

“There was a coincidence that the State, for national reasons, but objectively turned out to be reasons that are also a kind of implicit appeal to the bank, which is to replace more favorable conditions with others, less favorable, immediately, then increase over time,” added He.

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa once again defended that “the bank should help by giving so many families who want to know where to invest their money more favorable interest rates”, taking into account “what is happening at the European level”.

The head of state arrived in South Africa on Monday, where he will stay until Friday on an official visit and to celebrate the Day of Portugal.