Government: Dismissed Minister Keketi Should Become New NBS Vice-governor

Bratislava, March 5 (TASR) - Dusan Keketi should become a new vice-governor of Slovakia's central bank (NBS), as the government approved Finance Minister Ladislav Kamenicky's (Smer-SD) proposal to this effect at its session on Wednesday. The proposal is yet to be approved by Parliament and President Peter Pellegrini. Keketi was the tourism and sport minister until Wednesday, when he was replaced by Rudolf Huliak (a Smer-SD nominee) following an agreement in the governing coalition. In line with the law, the NBS Bank Board should have six members: a governor, two vice-governors and three other members. Both vice-governor posts have been vacant for a long time. Ludovit Odor was the last to serve in a vice-governor post until he became the premier of the caretaker government in May 2023. "As it is necessary to constantly ensure that all the functions and tasks of the central bank stemming from the Act on NBS are fulfilled, there's need to complete the number of Bank Board members," explained Kamenicky, adding that Keketi meets all the criteria and preconditions for successfully carrying out his intended post. Keketi has held several managerial posts in the past. In the private sector these included, for example, at Skoda Auto Slovakia and UniCredit Leasing. Before serving as minister, he occupied the chief posts at Slovakia's Export-Import Bank (Eximbanka) and at Bratislava airport. ko/df