Bankers hope for quick appointment of new head of NBU, expect regulator to maintain consistent course
Bankers hope for a quick appointment of a new head of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) to replace Kyrylo Shevchenko, who announced his resignation on October 4, and expect the regulator to maintain a consistent course even after the new appointment, this is evidenced by the bankers' comments provided to the Interfax-Ukraine agency on Wednesday.
"I don't think that any radical changes in the strategy of the National Bank should be expected in the conditions of war. The entire system of governing the country in the current situation is more or less subordinated to a single common goal. Under these conditions, one can hardly speak of full-fledged freedom of decision-making by individual state authorities. In other words, I do not expect any "revolution"," Ivan Svitek, the head of the board of Unex Bank, said.
He believes that it is better not to delay the appointment of a new head, as this is important for the banking system and its stability, as well as for foreign partners and creditors.
"As a banker, shareholder and head of the bank, I, of course, would like to see a person from the system at the post on NBU head, who has fresh experience in a commercial bank, who understands all the complexities and problems of the system. I am sure that in addition to strategic state tasks, the regulator should remain a "friend" of the market it regulates," Svitek said.
The banker added that the new head of the NBU, who has fresh practical experience in a commercial bank, is better able to provide banks, especially during the war, not only with instructions and requirements, but also with support.
"It is necessary to appoint a new head of the NBU as soon as possible, especially given martial war in the country. But this is not a question, we will hear his name in the near future," said Volodymyr Mudry, the head of OTP Bank.
According to him, if one of the members of Shevchenko's team becomes the new head, this will mean a certain continuity of the NBU policy and a greater degree of predictability of further decisions and tools to influence the market.
