.svg)
Sara Brites
Deputy Governor
Banco Central de Timor-Leste
Sara Lobo Brites is the Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Timor-Leste (BCTL), a position she has held since November 2023. In this role, she oversees the Banking and Payment Systems Department and leads BCTL’s efforts in advancing digital payments and the modernization of the financial sector.
Prior to her current appointment, Ms. Brites served as Vice Minister of Finance and subsequently as Interim Minister of Finance in the VIII Constitutional Government from 2018 to 2022. She has extensive experience in public finance, treasury management, banking, and financial sector development, having held senior positions across the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank of Timor-Leste.
Ms. Brites previously served as Director of the Treasury at the Ministry of Finance from 2009 to 2012 and as Deputy Governor of BCTL from 2012 to 2017. With extensive experience spanning fiscal and monetary institutions, she brings a strong understanding of public financial management, financial sector policy, and the development of digital payment systems in Timor-Leste.
Speaking at SFF 2026
-
4:30–5:10pmWed 18 NovFutureMatters StageHall 5, Singapore EXPOPremium
Technology Rewiring
Inclusive Instant Payments: Building a Commercially Sustainable National Roadmap
-
Jean Bosco IyacuChief Executive OfficerMojaloop Foundation
-
Kosta PericDeputy Director, Inclusive Financial SystemsGates Foundation
-
Sateesh PalagiriChief of Mobility SolutionsNational Payments Corporation Of India (NPCI)
-
Sara BritesDeputy GovernorBanco Central de Timor-Leste
-
Pat PatelChief Executive Officer, MEA, USA, LATAM & ForumsGlobal Finance & Technology Network (GFTN)Moderator
About this session
Instant payments can reach millions of the unbanked—but only if the economics work for everyone building the rails. Around the world, national real-time payment systems are proving that speed and inclusion can coexist, yet many struggle to balance universal access with commercial viability. Getting that balance right is now a defining test of payments strategy.
You will learn: how to design instant payment schemes that serve the underserved without eroding sustainability; which governance and pricing models drive long-term adoption; and what lessons successful national roadmaps offer to markets still building theirs. Miss this session, and you risk designing a system that scales in usage but never in value. -
