**Georgian Dream Fills Vacant Seats on National Bank Board**
The Georgian Dream parliament has appointed four new members to the National Bank of Georgia’s (NBG) board. The candidates, nominated by GD President Mikheil Kavelashvili, were approved by a majority vote in the GD parliament.
**Who are the New Members?**
The four new members are:
* Vakhtang Burkiashvili, an economist who has worked at the National Bank of Georgia since 2018.
* Otar Shamugia, a former Deputy Minister and Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture.
* Levan Dzneladze, who has headed the Cash Operations and Cash Circulation Department at the National Bank of Georgia since 2020.
* Nino Jeladze, an economist and lawyer who has worked in various positions, including at ProCredit Bank.
**Importance of a Full Board**
GD Parliament Chair Shalva Papuashvili emphasized the importance of the NBG continuing to function with a full board. He referred to President Zurabishvili‘s “sabotage” as causing the delay and affecting the bank’s activities for over a year and a half.
**Questionable Independence**
The independence of the National Bank of Georgia has been questioned by international and local stakeholders. In June 2023, GD voted to override President Zurabishvili’s veto on amendments to the Law on the National Bank, which sparked criticism from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
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