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Individuals said to have bought $19.5 million more foreign exchange than they sold in February

Individuals’ purchases of foreign exchange (including cash and non-cash currency) from banks in February 2014 exceeded sales by $19.5 million, reported the National Bank of Belarus (NBB).

According to the NBB, individuals’ purchases of foreign exchange from banks totaled $756.1 million in February and $1,469.2 million in the first two months of the year, while sales amounted to $736.6 million and $1,524.2 million, respectively.

According to the NBB, individuals’ purchases of foreign exchange from banks last year totaled $10,676 million, while sales amounted to $8,296 million.

While speaking to reporters last October, Alyaksandr Lukashenka attacked Belarusians for buying foreign cash.

“It is not that easy to earn this foreign currency, and we need much of it to pay for oil and gas," the Belarusian leader said.

Mr. Lukashenka warned that the Belarusian rubel might be devalued again if people continued buying foreign cash on a large scale. //BelaPAN