National Bank to hide foreign exchange trading statistics

• 3.02.2009, 13:03

The National Bank decided to suspend providing of statistics on selling and purchasing foreign currency to individuals by banks.

BelaPAN has learnt it from Anatol Drazdou, head of the information department of the central bank of the country.

According to him, this decision was made in order “not to disturb people” in the current situation. A. Drazdou noted that information about foreign exchange trading was open and was published on the website of the National Bank some months late. That’s why information about operations at the currency market in December 2008 and January 2009 will be available for public no sooner than in spring.

A. Drazdou also noted that individuals had traditionally preferred purchasing of foreign currency to selling during the last years. Demand for foreign currency increased in the end of year 2008 and in the beginning of year 2009.

Final data on foreign currency trading with banks this January have been published by the Belarusian Currency and Stock Exchange. The volume of transactions with the dollar amounted to 1,042,278,000 dollars in January; the initial demand was 1,055,474,000, the supply was 664,414,000 dollars.

So, in January the demand exceeded the supply 1.6-fold, or by approximately 400 mln dollars.