
Barbara Jaroszek
Director of Cash & Issue Department
Narodowy Bank Polski
Biography
About the company
Presentation
In late February 2022, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, millions of people fled the war to seek refuge in neighbouring countries. Taking into consideration the urgent need to enable the refugees to meet their basic needs, Narodowy Bank Polski and the National Bank of Ukraine decided to sign a bilateral agreement under which Ukrainian refugees were able to exchange Ukrainian hryvnia for Polish zloty. This was the first such initiative in Europe. The scheme initiated in Poland subsequently served as a template for other European countries. As they go through the slides with me, the participants will discover the hryvnia exchange programme assumptions, key data on its implementation, and the unprecedented example of cooperation between two central banks in the face of Russian military aggression.
Immersion session: The NBP’s experience in crisis management – a look behind the scenes
This immersion session provides a profound insight into the challenges faced by the National Bank of Poland following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. What was the role of the National Bank of Poland in meeting the increased demand for Polish currency and providing Ukrainian refugees fleeing to Poland with the possibility of exchange of Ukrainian Hryvnia into Polish Zloty, what were the main challanges, and how were they overcome?