One of the important advances expected by community banks - institutions created for the purpose of granting tiny loans to low-income communities - is the possibility of the Mint of Brazil to print the ballots in each of them, called "social money".

Currently, the Central Bank has an agreement with the National Solidarity Economy (Senai) to study community banks. Representatives of EU institutions that have in the past year, members of the Central Bank would have raised the idea that the regulator could determine the impression of social money in the Mint, during a seminar on social economy. Asked by iG, Marusa Vasconcelos Freire, prosecutor of the Central Bank, said there is still nothing concrete in relation to the printing of ballots.

Still, Joaquim Melo, founder of the Banco Palmas, says that "the more the central bank signals its support, the better." The Palms was the first of 51 community banks in Brazil, founded 12 years ago. Besides the content of expressions of positive support from the Central Bank, which for many years not recognized nor supported the community banks in Brazil, the end of printing costs would make a big difference to these institutions.

"We have a cost of $ 0.15 per coin produced and also we handle the transportation from Fortaleza, where is the graphical confidence Palmas Institute," says Mauro Rodrigues da Silva, coordinator of the Bank of Cocais, St. John's Festival located in the territory called Cocais in northern Piaui. "If the Mint to manufacture, besides reducing costs, the material will be of higher quality," added Silva. Currently, printing is coordinated by the Institute Palmas, manager and certification of community banks in Brazil.

"Printing the ballots in the Mint would advance m gigantic," says Joaquim Melo, founder of the Banco Palmas
"Today, to send ten thousand ballots is up to the cost of $ 5000. It is a very expensive resource. If we had this support, it would be a giant step forward both from an institutional standpoint and financially, "Melo added. The founder of the Banco Palmas says the newer institutions need to "very much support and partnership" to achieve sustainability.

£ 155 000 paid in currencies other social

The 51 community banks are Brazilian currency, always tied to reality. In some cases, governments and businesses support the idea and pay part of salaries in real and partly in local currency. This is the case of the Bank of Cocais, where the city hall employees get 25% of the fees in palm grove, and also the Banco Palmas, Fortaleza, where the majority of the population receives 30% of salary in the palms, the local currency.

Throughout Brazil, have already been granted at least five thousand credits in social currency, surpassing 155,000 in cash, according to a survey of the Institute Palmas. Besides the social currencies, which are geared to consumption, community banks also provide credit production, usually in dollars. In the Brazilian currency, community banks now exceed 11 000 transactions in an amount of $ 5 million.