Belarusian rouble exchange rate in Latvian bank: dollar – 4400, euro – 6316

The Latvian bank "Rietumu Banka" has announced a new exchange rate for the Belarusian rouble. They are ready to buy our money at the rate of 4400 for the dollar and 6136 for the euro on account. It was possible to buy dollars for 3750 roubles in this bank on March 22. The rouble has devalued by more than 17% in less than two weeks in the neighbouring country and by 44% if compared to the National Bank’s official exchange rate.
The bank has refused to tell Euroradio whether anyone has bought dollars at the new exchange rate.


The Latvian bank Svedbank has received offers from Belarus. Somebody bought dollars for 3 million roubles at 4000 a dollar last Friday.
“We do financing business with Belarusian roubles if we can, - informs the dealer department.  – There is no demand for the Belarusian currency now. There are individual buyers from time to time but the rate they offer is lower than the central bank’s. For example, a person acquired dollars for 3 million roubles at 4000 roubles a dollar. Belarusian companies experience problems with foreign currency and offer Belarusian roubles to their Latvian colleagues. The latter ask us for advice and we explain that it is almost impossible to sell roubles at the moment”.


The exchange rate in SEB bank is almost 5 thousand roubles a dollar and about 7 thousands - a euro. However, they noted that nobody had tried to sell roubles to them and the bank is not going to buy roubles either.


“If somebody came to us we would not be able to help in this situation. The bank would have problems converting Belarusian roubles in the interbank market. If a private person would like to exchange small sums, up to one thousand dollars, we could do it. The exchange rate is worse than it was a month ago. That is why we cannot sell roubles”.
 
Two other major Latvian banks -DNBnord and Citedele – do not convert Belarusian roubles at all.
 

Photo by: foto.delfi.lv