OREANDA-NEWS. November 10, 2009. The priority goals of NBM will be maintenance of the price stability and unblocking lending in the bank sector-, the new NBM president Dorin Dragutanu. Answering the MPs questions, he said that currently economic agents can not obtain loans as the banks are afraid to lend enterprises in current situation.

Speaking about the prospects of liberalization of the monetary policy, Dorin Dragutanu said that NBM plays an important role in maintaining the exchange rate at an acceptable level based on supply and demand. The National Bank should also prevent sharp fluctuations in the exchange rate. Slight exchange rate fluctuations are possible if all the participants are able to adapt to them. Speaking about the prospects of devaluation of leu, the new NBM President said that under the objective reasons slight depreciation may take place.

Responding to MPs' questions, Dorin Dragutanu stressed that he had no information on whether the NBM had provided concessional loans to the certain banks, ignoring others, noting that all banks should have equal access to such funding. He pledged to ensure continuity of NBM policy, if the economic situation in the country does not change. Speaking on the prospects of expanding the Administrative Board of NBM, which he heads as NBM president, Dorin Dragutanu did not exclude that in future the independent experts from outside, who will enhance the effectiveness of this institution, will be attracted.

The new NBM president did not answer the question whether he had any information on the accounts of high-ranking Moldovan officials in the foreign banks. Dorin Dragutanu refuted information of the Communist Party representatives that he has Romanian citizenship and previously cooperated with the secret services of Romania.

He noted that he has citizenship of Moldova and has never cooperated with the secret services of Moldova or any other countries. He also stressed that he is not a member of any political party or relative to any politician. Responding to the criticism of PCRM deputies, that he does not meet the requirements to be appointed the NBM’ s president, which provide 10 year experience in banking-financial and monetary sectors, Dorin Dragutanu stressed that for 11 years he has accumulated enough experience and understanding of the problems faced by the banking sector.

In addition, while working in the international auditor company PricewaterhouseCoopers in Serbia, he has accumulated experience in struggle with the bank crisis in the Eastern Europe countries. PCRM representatives have criticized the candidate for the post of NBM president, saying that he does not have enough experience to take over such important position, especially during the financial crisis, taking into account that he is not a prominent figure in the banking sector of Moldova.