Chief Economist Gita Gopinath To Quit IMF; Know Her Next Move

Washington: The chief economist of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Gita Gopinath will quit her post and will be back to Harvard University’s economics department in January, the IMF declared on Tuesday.

Harvard University provided an extension of Ms Gopinath’s leave of absence by one year, which allowed her to shoulder the IMF responsibility for three years, the Fund statement was quoted as saying by news agency AFP.

Gopinath currently heads the research department of the IMF. The department produces the quarterly World Economic Outlook report with its closely watched GDP growth forecasts.

IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva was full of praise for Gopinath, who “made history” as the first woman to serve in the post, for her critical analysis during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Gita’s contribution to the Fund and our membership has been truly remarkable — quite simply, her impact on the IMF’s work has been tremendous,” Georgieva said via a statement.

“We benefitted immensely from her sharp intellect and deep knowledge of international finance and macroeconomics as we navigate through the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression,” the IMF MD was quoted as saying by the agency.

A dual US-Indian citizen, Gopinath was appointed to her role in October 2018. The search for a replacement will begin shortly, the IMF said.

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