Travellers to access $4,000 as CBN boosts forex supplies

0
477

 

 

-Advertisement-

 

 

 The Central Bank of Nigeria has announced the increase of forex supplies that Nigerians travelling abroad can access a maximum amount of $4,000 foreign exchange from the banks.

-Advertisement-
Learn More
-Advertisement-

Sources from some of the banks said those travelling on business trips could also access a maximum amount of $5,000 for each trip.

The CBN had said in a recent statement that it had concluded plans to increase the amount of foreign exchange allocated to banks to meet legitimate needs.

This followed the warning by the CBN Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele, to Deposit Money Banks to desist from denying customers the opportunity to purchase foreign exchange.

READ ALSO: How FG Borrowed N1.3tn to Subsidise Power Consumers

The purposes to access forex included Personal Travel Allowance, Basic Travel Allowance, tuition fees, and medical payments as well as Small and Medium Enterprises transactions or for the repatriation of Foreign Direct Investment proceeds, the CBN had stated.

At a virtual Bankers’ Committee meeting last week, the bankers discussed how the CBN intended to assist with forex to ensure availability for the upcoming summer period and the return of students to school in September.

The CBN also said the BDCs would continue to have their weekly allocations as the committee observed that the rates were going up.

The committee stated, “The CBN has said that all the banks must make availability at all times and anyone who wants to buy BTA, PTA, medical fees, student school fees and all the eligible invisible purchases to ensure that Nigerians are not forced to go and queue in the parallel market.

READ ALSO: Check Out the 36 Firms Delisted from Stock Market

“So what the Central Bank is doing is to encourage all banks to make sure that there is available forex at all times, and that his information should be communicated on all our platforms.

“We are asking our customers to come to the branches and for BTA, for example, present the required documents, which are basically your international passport, your visa, your valid ticket and fill up the form in the bank.

“And what we have been instructed to do is ensure that we don’t turn anybody back and that we should request from the Central Bank once we exhaust the forex that we have.

“The idea is to have a hitch-free summer period and the resumption for children to go back to school. The idea is to ensure there is less pressure on the forex and then the rates will come down.”

The Group Managing Director, Access Bank, Herbert Wigwe, while speaking during the virtual meeting, said, “I think again as part of the central bank’s role in terms of price stability and the need to support small and medium enterprises, there was highlight of the need for banks to go and support SMEs who import small raw materials for them to set up their businesses.”

Ecobank, Managing Director, Patrick Akinwuntan, said, “All banks are available to ensure forex need is met.”

Sterling Bank, Managing Director, Abubakar Suleiman, also said that the CBN had provided sufficient foreign exchange to meet the needs of all legitimate Nigerian travellers and therefore, the idea of going to any other market should not arise at all.

 

-Advertisement-

We do everything possible to supply quality information for readers day in, day out and we are committed to keep doing this. Your kind donation will help our continuous research efforts.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here