Governor of the CBK presents to the media the conclusions of the IMF Article IV Mission

The Governor of the Central Bank of the Republic of Kosova (CBK), Mr. Ahmet Ismaili, together with the Minister of Finance, Mr. Hekuran Murati, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Mission Chief for Kosovo, Mr. David Amaglobeli, addressed the media to present the conclusions of the Article IV Consultation Mission, conducted in Kosovo from 3 to 13 February 2026.

In his remarks, Governor Ismaili thanked the IMF for its continued cooperation and professional support, emphasizing that discussions during the Mission focused on macroeconomic and financial developments, the economic outlook, and policy priorities in the financial sector.

He assessed that Kosovo’s economy continues to demonstrate resilience and positive performance, maintaining a stable growth trajectory despite external challenges and risks that require ongoing attention. The financial sector, particularly the banking sector, remains sound, well capitalized, highly liquid, and characterized by a low level of non-performing loans.

Governor Ismaili underlined that bank lending recorded annual growth of 14.7%, while deposits increased by 13.0%. Non-performing loans remain low at 2.1%, supported by high levels of provisioning. The capital adequacy ratio reached 17.2%, exceeding the regulatory requirement of 14.0%, while liquidity indicators (LCR and NSFR) remain well above the prescribed regulatory thresholds.

Regarding reforms, Governor Ismaili stated that the CBK has made significant progress in implementing previous Article IV recommendations. In the area of banking supervision, the first draft of the SREP Manual has been finalized, and advanced tools have been developed for risk assessment and the automation of supervisory processes.

He also emphasized that the adoption and publication of the new Law on Banks constitute a major reform, strengthening the resilience of the banking sector and representing an important step toward European Union integration. This Law was developed with IMF support within the framework of the Article IV consultations, the Stand-By Arrangement (SBA), and the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF), which were successfully concluded last year.

In terms of financial stability and crisis management, the revised framework for Emergency Liquidity Assistance is being finalized, while the new Law on Deposit Insurance is expected to advance with the support of the World Bank. At the same time, the macroprudential framework and analytical capacities are being strengthened through the development of new macroeconomic models and multi-year technical assistance projects with the IMF.

With regard to governance and transparency, most recommendations from the Safeguards Assessment have been implemented, while the assessment report under the IMF’s Central Bank Transparency Code (CBT) is in its final stage, with high evaluations for the CBK.

Concerning the payments system, the CBK has aligned the regulatory framework with EU legislation and has submitted a pre-application to DG FISMA. The Law on Payment Services and

the Law on the Prevention of Money Laundering and the Combating of the Financing of Terrorism will be resubmitted to the Assembly for approval, following the Constitutional Court’s decision. In parallel, the instant payment system (TIPS Clone) is being developed as part of the modernization of the payments infrastructure.

Governor Ismaili also informed the media about progress in the regulation of crypto-assets, including the approval of the Regulation on Licensing of Crypto-Asset Service Providers and the designation of 1 March 2026 as the deadline for existing and potential providers to apply and align with the applicable regulatory framework.

In conclusion, Governor of the CBK emphasized that the progress achieved in financial stability, supervision, payment systems, governance, financial integrity, and alignment with EU standards demonstrates the CBK’s commitment to building a stable, transparent, and modern financial system in support of sustainable economic growth and the country’s prosperity.