Belarusians have rushed to currency exchange offices

Lines are forming near currency exchange offices.

The memory of the almost three-time devaluation of the Belarusian rouble in 2011 is indelible: has the dollar exchange rate just started cautiously going up, lines have formed near currency exchange offices of those willing to buy the foreign currency.

A reporter of Naviny.by personally made sure of the fact, having observed the traffic near currency exchange offices in the area of Belarus supermarket and in the city center last night. People are using three-digit number in currency operations and the ratio of those who sell and those who buy varies between 1:4 and 1:6.

“Do you have 300 euros? Please”.

Point number one. MTBank. The underpass at the crossroads of Partizan Avenue and Zhylunovicha Street. Time: 17.20—17.35. Exchange rates: dollar - 8880—8960 roubles, euro - 11440—11600, Russian rouble - 267,5—270 Belarusian roubles.

In quarter an hour near this exchange office one did not need to go anywhere: everything was here altogether, including people’s analytics. In the window there was an announcement: “Dear customers! There are no United States dollar for sale. Accept our apologies”. There were six people in the line. “Do you have 300 euros?”, - a man asks with hope in his voice. “Yes”. – “For me, please”. The woman behind him silently sold dollars bringing luck to the next customer, who was going to buy 200 “greens”. The announcement still was there scaring away those, who wanted to convert their roubles into this currency. Having seen the announcement, a woman, who was already in the line, sighed contritely: “It is pointless to wait, there are no dollars”, - and left quietly. Someone sold Russian roubles, but they were of no interest to anyone.

The next customer, apparently decided to get a psychotherapy session altogether, having addressed the cashier with the question: “Are there always euros available?”

A group joined the end of the line: two middle-aged women and a man. “Look how it has jumped up: the day before yesterday it cost 8830”, - one of them said, while the exchange office was dealing with another 400 euros. “There will be another leap. They were holding artificially, now they added up to the salaries and started releasing again”, - the man continued. Having reached the window, the group made the order: “One thousand euros, but only not in 500 bills”.

Point number two. Idea Bank near the trading center Underground City. Time: 17.38—17.45. Exchange rates: dollar - 8850—8950 roubles, euro - 11400—11550, Russian rouble - 266—272 Belarusian roubles. Ten people in the line. Only the first one in the line was not dealing with foreign currency. The girl next to him wondered, whether she could buy 5 euros and 30 dollars. The answer was negative. The next woman was a tad luckier: “Can I buy dollars?” – “Yes”. – “How much do you have?” – “One hundred”. The hundred dollars bill was the only one at this currency exchange office, but there were no honest announcements like at the first place. A tiny lady gingerly wondered: “Aren’t there any more dollars?”. There weren’t. Soon the journalist would find this woman at the end of the line to another currency exchange office.

Point number three. Belinvestbank, supermarket Belarus. Time: 17.52—18.02. Exchange rates: dollar - 8860—9000 roubles, euro - 11420—11620, Russian rouble - 265—270 Belarusian roubles. There were 13 people in the lines to two windows. They were served fast. The tiny lady got her desired 200 dollars. Two girls bought 400 dollars. A large woman in a red dress, having wondered whether dollars and euros were available, started intensive phone conversations. In the meanwhile the next customer buys a hundred bucks. Out of all the people in the lines only two sold foreign currency.

Point number four. Belarusbank in Niezalezhnasci Avenue 44. Time: 19.10—19.20. Exchange rates: dollar - 8860—9050 roubles, euro - 11420 — 11760, Russian rouble - 260 — 272 Belarusian roubles. There was less than an hour till the closing time. Only two guys were inside. Did the agiotage go down? A woman entered and headed to an ATM. Having spent some time there, she went to the cashier’s desk. “Can I buy 400 dollars if I cash the card into Belarusian roubles?..”