Dili, March 13, 2025 - The National Bank of Commerce of Timor-Leste (BNCTL), in collaboration with the National Institute of Social Security (INSS), signed an agreement on the payment of the first phase of social pensions for Senior Citizens and people with Disabilities, which will be carried out on March 17.

In her speech, the Hon. Madam Minister of Social Solidarity and Inclusion (MSSI), Ms. Verónica das Dores, informed that the payment, by the East, will be made in the municipalities of Lautém, in the eastern area of ​​Covalima, in the west of Ermera, including Dili and RAEOA, and that, in this first phase, a retroactive payment will also be made to the six municipalities that were unable to make the payment in the fourth quarter of 2024. In this initial phase, the total beneficiaries who will receive the social pension is 107,786, with a total budget of $32,780,541.00.

In turn, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of BNCTL, Mr. Januário da Gama, the bank is in a position of readiness and confirmed its commitment to guarantee payments in accordance with the agreement already signed. BNCTL is committed to traveling to remote areas to serve all beneficiaries already on the list.

The ceremony was attended by the President of the BNCTL Executive Committee, Mr. Marcelo da Cruz Carvalho, the President of INSS, the Director of the Operations Division of BNCTL, Mr. Zelio Amaral, and technicians from INSS and BNCTL.