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She says Smolii's replacement at top post should be an independent technocrat.
The Board of the National Bank of Ukraine expects that a professional, a technocrat with great reputation, not amenable to political pressure, will be appointed as head of the NBU, says Kateryna Rozhkova, an NBU first deputy who is assuming duties of acting NBU Governor until the new chief is appointed following today's dismissal of Yakiv Smolii.
"From our point of view, this should be a professional who has a good reputation both in the domestic market among the financial sector, businesses, and among Ukraine's external partners, including investors. This should be a technocrat who doesn't give in to political pressure," said Rozhkova.
Also, Rozhkova believes, this should someone who is ready to continue implementing a balanced policy of the NBU in various regards.
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As UNIAN reported, today, July 3, the Verkhovna Rada supported the motion by President Volodymyr Zelensky to dismiss Yakiv Smolii from the post of NBU Governor.
On July 1, 2020, Smolii submitted to president a resignation letter, explaining his move by a long-standing systematic political pressure, which he says makes it impossible for him to effectively fulfill his duties.
Speaking at a briefing in the Verkhovna Rada, Smolii said that the pressure exerted was aimed at NBU adopting "decisions that are not economically substantiated, that are focused on short-term, easy wins and may cost dearly to the Ukrainian economy and Ukrainians in a longer perspective". These measures, he added, included uncontrolled printing of cash money, pumping up inflation to fit budget targets, and artificial devaluation of hryvnia to fit exporters' interests.
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On March 15, 2018, at the proposal of the then President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, the Verkhovna Rada appointed Smolii NBU governor to replace Valeriya Gontareva.
From May 11, 2017, Smolii had been acting NBU head.