May 4, 2023
4 mins read

Banga appointed as President of World Bank

Joe Biden, Kamala Harris congratulate Banga on his resounding approval by the World Bank’s Board of Governors…reports Asian Lite News

India-born Ajay Banga has been elected as the World Bank’s next president. A 25-member executive board elected the ex-Mastercard CEO who was nominated for the post by US President Joe Biden in late February.

“The Board looks forward to working with Mr Banga on the World Bank Group Evolution process,” the bank said in a statement published shortly after the board voted to approve his leadership for a five-year term. Banga, a finance and development expert, will take over the role on June 2. He was the sole contender to replace departing World Bank chief David Malpass whose term ends early next month.

Sources familiar with the process said that Banga won the board’s approval after several meetings in recent weeks and a formal interview on Monday.

President Joe Biden congratulated Ajay Banga on his resounding approval by the World Bank’s Board of Governors. He stated that Banga will be a “transformative leader, bringing expertise, experience, and innovation to the position of World Bank President.”

“I want to congratulate Ajay Banga — my nominee for the next President of the World Bank — on his resounding approval by the Bank’s Board of Governors,” US President Joe Biden said in a statement released by the White House.

“Ajay Banga will be a transformative leader, bringing expertise, experience, and innovation to the position of World Bank President. And together with World Bank leadership and shareholders, he will help steer the institution as it evolves and expands to address global challenges that directly affect its core mission of poverty reduction–including climate change,” he added.

Biden said Ajay Banga will also be integral in bringing together the public and private sectors, alongside philanthropies, to usher in the fundamental changes in development finance that this moment requires.

Biden said that he looked forward to working with Banga in his new role and supporting his efforts to transform the World Bank.

Over the course of his career, Ajay Banga has become a global leader in technology, data, financial services and innovating for inclusion.

Vice President Kamala Harris congratulated India-born Ajay Banga on being elected as the President of the World Bank.

Appreciating Banga for his past work, Harris tweeted, “Congratulations to Ajay Banga on his election as President of the World Bank. Ajay has been an incredible partner in our work in Central America, helping to deliver hope and opportunity on the ground. I look forward to our continued work together.” On Wednesday, Banga has been elected as the World Bank’s next president. A 25-member executive board elected the ex-Mastercard CEO who was nominated for the post by US President Joe Biden in late February.

“The Board looks forward to working with Mr Banga on the World Bank Group Evolution process,” the bank said in a statement published shortly after the board voted to approve his leadership for a five-year term.

Banga, a finance and development expert, will take over the role on June 2. He was the sole contender to replace departing World Bank chief David Malpass whose term ends early next month.

He became an advisor to General Atlantic’s climate-focused fund, BeyondNetZero, at its inception in 2021. Previously, Ajay Banga served on the Boards of the American Red Cross, Kraft Foods and Dow Inc. He has worked closely with Vice President Harris as the Co-Chair of the Partnership for Central America.

Banga is a co-founder of The Cyber Readiness Institute and served as a member of President Obama’s Commission on Enhancing National Cybersecurity. He is a past member of the U.S. President’s Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations.

He was awarded the Foreign Policy Association Medal in 2012, the Padma Shri Award by the President of India in 2016, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor and the Business Council for International Understanding’s Global Leadership Award in 2019, and the Distinguished Friends of Singapore Public Service Star in 2021.

India’s FM congratulates Banga

Meanwhile, India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman congratulated Banga. “Hearty congratulations Ajay Banga on being selected as the President of @WorldBank. I am confident that you’ll bring your wide experience in the corporate world for meeting the goals of the bank,” she said in a tweet.

In a statement, the World Bank said that its “board looks forward to working with Banga on the World Bank Group Evolution process, as discussed at the April 2023 Spring Meetings, and on all the World Bank Group’s ambitions and efforts aimed at tackling the toughest development challenges facing developing countries”.

The president of the World Bank Group is also the Chair of the Board of the Executive Directors of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD). (ANI)

ALSO READ: Strategic diplomacy elevates India’s global status

Previous Story

Pak PM arrives for coronation

Next Story

US okays expansion of China flights  

Latest from -Top News

EU, China United on Climate, Split on Rest

Climate pact offers rare unity as trade rifts, Ukraine war, and economic tensions dominate EU-China summitChina and the European Union struck a rare note of unity on climate change Thursday, issuing a

Hungary Pays the Trump Price

Despite his success in wooing Trump’s conservative base, Hungary is among the EU nations most vulnerable to Trump’s incoming tariff blitz Hungary’s populist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has spent years forging close

Meta Muzzles Election Ads

Meta to Halt Political Ads in EU, Citing Legal Uncertainty Over New Rules Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, announced on Friday that it will suspend all political advertising

Holy War Talk

Russian officials have downplayed the Vatican’s potential role as a mediator, citing its location within NATO-member Italy, which has firmly supported Ukraine throughout the war. In a move that may signal an

Greece Battles Blazes, Heatwave Chaos

With temperatures soaring above 38°C (100°F), and dry, windy conditions prevailing, fires are spreading fast. A wildfire tore through a northern suburb of Athens on Saturday, forcing residents to evacuate as Greece
Go toTop

Don't Miss

Double engine govt working with double speed, says Modi

The projects will benefit the significant tribal population of the

Kashmiri women achievers open up on Int’l Women’s Day

The achievers were from backgrounds as diverse as academics, medicine,