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A group of Vietnamese came to the Komarovski Market the day before yesterday, in order to sell a considerable sum in dollars. They were quite happy to sell their money to black marketeers at the rate of 30 thousand roubles per dollar. And they decided to sell more bucks the next day. But their slanted eyes turned round with surprise because the same people told them the purchasing price was 22 thousand, and the selling price – 35 thousand per dollar. The Vietnamese hurried away from the "strange" black marketeers.

The officials, whom our correspondent addressed, refused to comment both the "trick" with the Belarusian rouble on the currency market, and the arrest of Tamara Vinnikova, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Bank. As if by mutual accord, both the banks and the Prosecutor's Office said nothing concrete on this matter. But many independent experts say there is some connection between the two events. Isn’t the unexpected rise in dollar price (it was 32-34 thousand roubles, even at exchange offices the day before yesterday) the result of financial tycoons machinations?

The National Bank ordered all commercial banks that the price of one dollar should by no means exceed 22.050 Belarusian roubles. It is forbidden to sell American dollars for Ukranian, Lithuanian, Latvian and other banknotes at currency exchanges in Belarus. They promised to control these orders strictly.

What happened these days has never happened before – the Belarusian rouble dropped by half in its price. It took place despite setting up a "currency corridor" with the possible limits of 15.500 - 21.000 roubles per dollar, with the corresponding prices on other currencies. It looks now as if everything has returned to the normal state of affairs – the "hare" ( Belarusian rouble ) has been caught, censured, and locked up in a cage. But there are no miracles in any economy, even in an ill one, so the exchange rate of the dollar is to grow slowly and steadily. According to some forecasts, it will grow up at least to 40 thousand roubles this year. At the same time there is a fall of the dollar throughout the world.

Alexander Yelovik, Chairman of the "Intercontinental" financial society, expressed his vision of the situation, on the request of the "Vecherni Minsk":

" I have been to Czechia recently, and the rate of the dollar is 26-27 korunas. In other words, the dollar is falling there, as anywhere else. How does it happen that everything goes well in Czechia, with roughly the same population and with the industrial potential similar to that in Belarus? In my opinion, it is because the Czechians support their paper banknotes with goods. But most important is that they support them with property. They have denationalised everything they could. You cannot find a single shop, cafe or restaurant in Prague, which is not private or co-operative property. The dollar is growing in Belarus because its consumer value rises. As for Czechia, property and their own products are more valuable than dollars. People there go and buy high quality goods, not dollars, as it happens to be in our country. Let God help make privatisation in Belarus go along the same pattern as in Czechia, where it is profitable to invest your money into any production process.

I support the idea that the government should regulate the exchange rate during the transition period, because the economy should be predictable. But it does not favour mistakes. As they say, "water will always find a hole." So it happens periodically: the artificial "harnessing" of the rouble hits back sooner or later, and common people are hit most hard. As for the Russian rouble, it is stable thanks to the reforms there; the economy of Ukraine began to develop in accordance with the healthy market laws, too. It is necessary to do the same in Belarus, and to conduct reforms faster, because salvation is there.

I am convinced that they should not build a cage for the "hare" (Belarusian rouble), but a spacious house where it could feel more or less free. To provide it with regular meals, and only afterwards to serve it, well-cooked.

When the issue was being prepared, it became known, that Tamara Vinnikova was arrested by the Prosecutor's Office agents in the afternoon on January, 14.

According to Alexey Taranov, the senior assistant of the Prosecutor General, Tamara Vinnikova had attracted their attention during the investigation of some law violations in the "Belarusbank". The Prosecutor's Office has information that the former head of the National Bank is responsible for abuse of trust, and for inflicting serious damage to the country’s economy. Alexey Taranov said that new details would, probably, become known during the investigation of T.Vinnikova’s case. He also emphasised that her arrest had not any political motivation. The case will be handed over to the court as soon as the investigation is completed. He does not know when it might happen.

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