Leanid Zlotnikau: Dollar may cost 18,000 Belarusian rubles in autumn

Experts forecast further growth of dollar-ruble exchange rate.

The National Bank has today set the official exchange rate at Br15,310 a dollar. The dollar has grown Br810 since the beginning of last week.

What can the Belarusians expect? Economist Leanid Zlotnikau thinks the future of the Belarusian ruble to a large extent depends on political decisions, Salidarnasts reports.

“The exchange rate will depend on the government's policy. If it puts pressure on the National Bank making it give money to allow plants to work, the exchange rate will grow, of course. If the National Bank doesn't yield, workers will earn less, demand for foreign cash will be lower, and the exchange rate will remain on the current level or won't increase a lot. It's hard to say what will be in autumn. It will depend more on political decisions rather than on economic measures taken by the National Bank. If the authorities print more money and inflation rate grows, the exchange rate may reach 16,000, 17,000 or 18,000 rubles a dollar. But even without such steps the dollar will grow anyway, “ Leanid Zlotnikau noted.

The dollar-ruble exchange rate significantly increased on the Belarusian Currency and Stock Exchange yesterday. It reached 15,130 Belarusian rubles a dollar, which is the highest rate since March 16, when the dollar cost 15,120 rubles.