The appointment of Jens Stoltenberg as the new central bank governor was in accordance with the Ministry of Finance’s recommendation in the case.
“The Ministry of Finance’s assessment is that Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg is best qualified for the position of central bank governor.
“The Ministry, therefore, recommends that he be appointed to the position,” the Ministry’s conclusion reads.
Interim Governor – Ida Wolden Bache
Deputy Governor Ida Wolden Bache will be interim Governor from March 1 until Jens Stoltenberg takes office.
The current central bank governor, Øystein Olsen, has asked to resign on March 1.
Stoltenberg will take office around December 1, but the exact date will be determined by the employment contract, the government stated on Friday.
Controversy
Stoltenberg’s candidacy has been debated due to his close ties to the Labor Party and Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.
The debate also flared up when it became known that the position of central bank governor was mentioned during two dinners which included Oil Fund chief Nicolai Tangen and Knut Brundtland. Støre participated in one dinner, and Stoltenberg participated in the other.
However, the Legal Department of the Ministry of Justice and Emergency Management has stated that Stoltenberg is not unfit for the position of central bank governor.
In its assessment, the Department wrote, among other things, that it is difficult to see how Stoltenberg, in his role as central bank governor, “would deal with matters that could give Prime Minister Støre personal benefits, even if it can not be completely ruled out.”
Source : © NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today / #NorwayTodayNews
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