The foreign currency bid price has been increased on average by 25 per cent at currency exchange offices in Belarus. Now it is higher than the ask price, because the latter is indicated without the 30% fee.
On December 22 the Belarusian banking sector was recommended to raise the foreign currency bid price by the National Bank in order to encourage people to sell foreign currency to banks and to prevent them from engaging in ‘shady dealings’.
BIT bank has set the highest rate as of today – Br13,900 per one U.S. dollar. Belswissbank purchases U.S. dollars at Br13,500, Absolutbank and Technobank – at Br13,760, Priorbank – at Br13,770. At Belgazprombank the U.S. dollar bid price is Br13,760 and the ask price is Br11,149. Fransabank and Paritetbank hold the lowest bid price – Br12,500 for a U.S. Dollar. Some banks failed to meet the recommendation of the National Bank: their bid prices remain unchanged.
The U.S. dollar is sold at the same price (Br11,140-11,145) at most banks and exchange offices, but anyone buying foreign currency there is to pay 30% of purchase price.
It is to be recalled that a temporary 30% fee on purchasing foreign currency was enforced in Belarus on December 19, which is commonly regarded as a disguised devaluation. In spite of such a drastic measure, the National Bank of Belarus has not solved the problem of the foregn currency lack at exchange offices yet.
