According to information released by the National Bank of Georgia, the Executive Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has congratulated Natia Turnava on her appointment as the Governor of the central bank.
As noted in the congratulatory message from IMF Executive Director Jeroen Kliks and Alternate Director Marnix van Rij, they look forward to continuing their partnership with the National Bank of Georgia.
"Please accept our sincere congratulations on your appointment as President of the National Bank of Georgia. We look forward to continuing our partnership and wish you success in your work," the letter sent by the IMF Executive Director to Natia Turnava states.
Last week, the newly elected president from the "Georgian Dream" party, Mikheil Kavelashvili, appointed Natia Turnava as the President of the National Bank. Turnava's candidacy was presented to Kavelashvili by the board of the National Bank, whose four new members were approved by the Georgian Parliament on February 6. The National Bank's board consists of nine members.
In 2023, the IMF postponed the presentation and subsequent approval of the second tranche of Georgia's support program at the Board of Directors. The Georgian government and the IMF had agreed on the Stand-by Arrangement in April 2022—a three-year program providing $289 million in loans. The first tranche, amounting to $40 million, had already been disbursed. The IMF suspended the program after the Georgian Parliament overrode the president’s veto and amended the law on the National Bank, raising concerns about the institution’s independence.
