DUSHANBE, May 29, 2009, Asia-Plus — The currency exchange offices in Dushanbe have functioned in normal regime since Friday afternoon. Both private and bank exchange offices are now purchasing and selling dollars, euros and Russian rubles.
Thus, they now purchase dollars at the rate of 1:4 and sell them at the rate of 1:4.42. The purchasing rate of the euro is currently 1:6.0 and the selling one is 1:6.5. The exchange office now purchase Russian rubles at 10:1.4 and sell them at 10:1.41.
Moreover, the number of speculators in foreign currency has increased in the city today; they purchase dollars at 1:4.35 and sell them at 1:4.39.
It is notable that official exchange rates of the dollar and the Russian ruble against the somoni set by the National Bank of Tajikistan (NBT) are higher than the rates set by the exchange offices – 1:4.4537 and 10:1.4726 respectively. In the meantime, the exchange rate of the euro set by the central bank is, as usual, little lower – 1:5.9761.
As it had been reported earlier, many currency exchange offices in Dushanbe today have temporarily refrained from selling and purchasing foreign currencies. Employees of the exchange offices attributed that situation to unsteady rate of the somoni against the dollar. Officials with the central bank refrained form commenting on the situation, just saying that the NBT did not intervened on Friday to prop up the national currency.
Speaking in an interview with Asia-Plus, employees of some exchange office attributed the fall in the exchange rate of the dollar against the somoni and in demand for the dollar to reopening of the Tajik-Chinese border crossing.
As it had been reported earlier, the border-crossing point Kulma-Qarasou on the Tajik-Chinese border in GBAO’s Murgab district was reopened or this year on May 5. Sine May 1, 2008, the crossing has worked every day, except weekends, from May though November.
An employee of the currency exchange office located near the Dushanbe Circus told Asia-Plus today that following reopening of the Tajik-Chinese border crossing Tajik entrepreneurs allegedly prefer to purchase Chinese yuans in order to deliver goods from China.
