The Bank of Albania published a press release on First Deputy Governor Holta Zaçaj’s official visit to the Bank of Italy, where discussions focused on the TIPS Clone project and broader cooperation between the two central banks. The update centres on work to build a national instant payments platform for Albania that is fully compliant with European standards, with support from the Bank of Italy. The two sides reviewed progress to date and discussed the technical and operational aspects of the next implementation stages. TIPS Clone is intended to enable real-time payments on a 24 hours a day and 7 days a week basis, speed up transactions for businesses and citizens, and support new financial products. The Bank of Albania linked the project to the Cashless Albania initiative and said successful delivery will also require coordination, investment and operational preparation by market participants. The meeting also reaffirmed cooperation in payment systems and other areas of mutual interest, with continued exchange of technical expertise positioned as support for institutional modernisation and European integration.
Bank of Albania2026-06-05
Bank of Albania and Bank of Italy review TIPS Clone progress for Albania's instant payments platform
The Bank of Albania reported First Deputy Governor Holta Zaçaj’s visit to the Bank of Italy, highlighting cooperation on the TIPS Clone project to build a national instant payments platform aligned with European standards. The central banks reviewed technical and operational progress and linked the project to the Cashless Albania initiative, stressing the need for market participant coordination and investment. They also reaffirmed broader cooperation in payment systems and other areas of mutual interest to support institutional modernisation.