Parliament Elects Karina Karaivanova as Deputy Governor of the Bulgarian National Bank

The Parliament on March 13 elected Karina Karaivanova as deputy governor of the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) and head of its Issue Department.

Her nomination was backed by 101 MPs, while 28 voted against and 16 abstained. Ms Karaivanova subsequently took the oath of office before parliament.

She had been heard the previous day by the parliamentary Committee on Budget and Finance.

Her candidacy was presented in the plenary chamber by the BNB Governor, Dimitar Radev, who said she possessed the necessary professional qualities and institutional experience to perform the duties of Deputy Governor and head of the Issue Department.

“I am convinced that the proposed candidate will contribute to strengthening the institutional role of the Bulgarian National Bank and to the effective performance of its functions within the eurozone,” Radev said.

Karina Karaivanova is an established expert in the field of public finance and financial regulation, with over 20 years of experience in senior positions in the Bulgarian civil service and in international institutions, the report of the Budget and Finance Committee in the National Assembly said.

According to the report by the Committee on Budget and Finance, Ms Karaivanova is an established expert in public finance and financial regulation, with more than 20 years of experience in senior positions in Bulgaria’s public administration and in international institutions.

She holds a master’s degree in finance and banking and has several professional qualifications. Her career includes seven years representing Bulgaria on the board of directors of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

Karaivanova also served as chair of the Financial Supervision Commission after being elected by parliament in 2016. Earlier, between 2012 and 2016, she was deputy finance minister and represented Bulgaria in the governing bodies of the European Investment Bank, the European Investment Fund and the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank. During that period she was also Bulgaria’s alternate governor at the International Monetary Fund.

Her professional background also includes academic work as a lecturer at the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration of Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski, where she has been teaching since 2017.

Source: BTA