Moldovan leu depreciates by over seven per cent against dollar in one day alone

Chisinau, 17 february /MOLDPRES/ - The Moldovan leu has strongly depreciated against the dollar, by 7.1 per cent, and by 7.3 per cent against the euro. This is the highest depreciation of the last ten years, experts said. 

The National Bank of Moldova (BNM) informed about an exchange rate of 20.9933 against one dollar for 18 February, by 1.4 per cent more against the today's one. BNM announced a rate of 24.0154 lei against the euro, up by 1.6 per cent against 17 February. 

Since early 2015, the leu has depreciated by 34.4 per cent against the dollar, and by 26.4 per cent against the euro. Some exchange desks today were selling the dollar against up to 24 lei for one dollar, and the euro for up to 28 lei. The high quotations posted by certain exchange desks and commercial banks shows that there is agiotage on the foreign exchange market, BNM Governor Dorin Dragutanu said.

At a today extraordinary meeting, the BNM Board of Directors ruled to increase the base rate at the main monetary policy operations from 8.5 to 13.5 per cent, given that the tendency of national currency's depreciation grew worse.

(Reporter V. Berco, Editor M. Jantovan)