Ukrposhta director general Ihor Smilianskyi announced his readiness to leave his position as soon as the company receives a banking license from the National Bank of Ukraine. He announced this during the podcast "What is the challenge?", noting that he had already informed President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about this decision.
According to Smilianskyi, the National Bank sometimes perceives the idea of creating a postal bank as his personal ambition. To dispel these remarks, the head of the company proposed a radical solution.
"The NBU gives Ukrposhta a bank, and I write a statement. If the issue is in Smilianskyi, we remove the issue of Smilianskyi. Let them give it, and I will leave. In any case, this is the last thing I wanted to do in Ukrposhta," he stressed.
The idea of creating a postal bank has been discussed in Ukraine since 2016. Ukrposhta insists that this is the only way to financial inclusion for millions of Ukrainians in rural areas. However, the NBU traditionally expresses caution about increasing the state's share in the banking sector and potential risks for competition.
Recall that earlier the Ukrainian News Agency wrote about Smilianskyi's 10 years at Ukrposhta - progress and losses, salaries and scandals.
The loudest of them is the discussion of Smilianskyi's high salary, which, against the background of Ukrposhta's financial losses and the minimum salaries of postmen, raises questions. He is also constantly in conflict with the NBU, both regarding obtaining a banking license and the work of Ukrposhta and the situation on the financial market in general. The latest story is when the regulator doubts the managerial competence of Smilianskyi (who has significant experience as a financier before Ukrposhta), and he accuses the NBU of manipulating the company's financial indicators and the lack of any external control. We can also recall Smilianskyi's frequent harsh statements on social networks, for example, in a discussion about the company's rebranding, he called his opponent a "whore."
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