Belarus Central Bank Chief Sacked Amid Economic Crisis

Chairman of the National Bank of Belarus, Pyotr Prokopovich

The head of the Belarusian central bank has been released from his position amid an economic crisis.

The official Belta news agency quoted a decree signed by President Alyaksandr Lukashenka as saying National Bank of Belarus chief Pyotr Prokopovich had been "relieved of his duties."

Prokopovich, who underwent heart surgery in April, had headed the national bank since 1998. His successor has yet to be named.

In June, the president signed a decree appointing Yury Alymov as acting chairman of the National Bank while Prokopovich was convalescing.

The bank has repeatedly hiked interest rates in a bid to grapple with an economic crisis that has sparked spiraling inflation as well as a massive currency devaluation, and forced the government to put price controls on some key goods.

compiled from agency reports