Government wants Multibanco machines in 1,000 parishes that don’t have them – Portugal Resident
The government wants the “more than 1,000 parishes that don’t have Multibanco (ATM) machines” to get them – as soon as possible.
In a refreshing change from news of yet more cuts in services, economy minister Manuel Castro Almeida has announced the project, saying it will be moving forwards from next month. The objective is to ensure there are no parishes anywhere on the mainland are without a Multibanco outlet.
As the minister explained, the government wants to create conditions so that SIBS (the interbanking service that runs the country’s ATMs) and the Bank of Portugal can give the people of every parish the capacity to withdraw money when they need it.
It is a “question of elementary justice” for territories with fewer people, said Castro Almeida.
ANFE, the national association of parishes – has been pushing for ATMs for ‘forgotten parishes’ for some time, stressing that in some cases, people have to travel “tens of kilometers to reach a cash dispenser”. But it is Denária – the platform for people keen to keep using cash – that has been most instrumental in this policy decision.
Denária criticised what it calls “the cash deserts” of Portugal, in September last year – saying it was “imperative” to give people the right to use cash.
At the end of 2025, according to Bank of Portugal data, there were 13,700 ATMs in Portugal.
Source material: SIC Notícias
