The Bank of Albania reported that its TIPS Clone instant payments system has entered the intensive, final phase of implementation and remains targeted to become operational in November 2026. Governor Gent Sejko provided the update during a meeting with World Bank representatives, presenting the project as the next step in modernizing Albania’s payment infrastructure following its integration into the Single Euro Payments Area. Developed with the Bank of Italy, the European Central Bank and Albania’s banking system, TIPS Clone will support real-time payments 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with the aim of making transactions faster, safer and less costly for households and businesses. The meeting also covered continued World Bank technical assistance for payment systems and financial regulation, while the parties agreed to continue work on Albania’s regulatory and institutional framework and alignment with European Union standards.