Belarusian monetary unit. Monetary unit of Belarus
The exchange rate of the Russian ruble to the Belarusian ruble (BYN) is determined based on the results of exchange trading and is regularly published on the official portal of the Central Bank. The ratio of these currencies is the basis on which they are guided commercial banks to set your own fair exchange price. That is, it is the Bank of Russia that determines how much the currency - Belarusian rubles - is worth in relation to the Russian ruble. Official data is published every day, except weekends - then the price of the previous banking day is valid. The site has a graphical display of the temporal dynamics for the year, according to which the exchange rate of the dollar against the Belarusian ruble changes. You can choose the most favorable purchase or sale price by comparing the information in the table. credit institutions... Make an exchange of Belarusian rubles for another world currency at the best cost - you can at the selected bank from the list. The Belarusian ruble is the official currency of the Republic of Belarus. 1 ruble of Belarus is divided into 100 kopecks. Today in circulation are such denominations of banknotes as: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 BYN, as well as manets in 1 and 2, BYN and 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 kopecks. When in the distant 1990 in Belarus they abandoned the use of Soviet rubles, and for a long time politicians discussed what name to give the new Belarusian currency. This issue was even considered at the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet, but the new name “Thaler” was supported by only 1 person. In 1992, Belarus went through a series of crises. The Soviet financial system collapsed like a house of cards, and coupons were introduced in Belarus. In the future, cut-off coupons began to be called “settlement tickets of the National Bank”. The cost of such 1 ticket was only 10 Soviet rubles. The situation seemed critical until July 1992. It was at this moment that the first transactions in Belarusian rubles in non-cash form began to be made. A year later, all Soviet rubles were withdrawn from the country's circulation, and the ruble became the only official and legal tender in Belarus. This currency has gone through a number of denominations. Initially in 1992, and up to August 1994, 1 ruble of Belarus was equal to 10 Soviet rubles. August 20, 1994 will be remembered as the period of the denomination of prices, which were previously set in Soviet rubles. In order to add stability to the currency at the beginning of 2000, it was decided to carry out another denomination, this time a thousand times. Therefore, new currency did not have exchange units... And finally, in July 2017, another denomination took place Belarusian ruble, now 10,000 times, a penny was also introduced. A hare was depicted on the 1 Belarusian ruble banknote. This was the reason that in the future all money in Belarus was conventionally called "bunnies". The currency of Belarus has gone through more than one crisis. So, in 2009, in the first quarter, the regulator lowered the national currency rate by 20%. After that, the value of the dollar amounted to 2650 Belarusian rubles, and the euro grew slightly more than 3700 rubles. Substantial increase salaries in 2011, associated with the upcoming presidential elections in Belarus, as well as sharp drop the level of competitiveness of Belarusian products exported, became the reasons for a new round economic crisis... As a result, the National Bank had to weaken the rate of the Belarusian ruble, which almost doubled. In 2012, 8160 rubles were given for the dollar, and 1070 rubles for the euro. Not everyone knows that not a single banknote of Belarusian rubles was produced in Belarus itself. After all, all banknotes are produced in the Russian Federation. At the same time, it is quite difficult to counterfeit Belarusian rubles, because the level of protection of banknotes is pleasantly surprising. The main component that allows you to quickly distinguish genuine Belarusian rubles from a fake is a watermark. It is located on the obverse of the banknote, it is a local halftone pattern in a fragment of the main image. Another important element of protection is a special security thread. It is a window-type element that extends beyond the obverse in the form of a rectangle. If we consider a banknote with a security thread in the light, it will appear to us as one single dark stripe with a light text with inverted letters. The overlapping image is another important element by which the owner of the Belarusian rubles can distinguish the original from the fake. A fragment of the denomination on the reverse is aligned with a similar fragment on the obverse, together they form a figure indicating the denomination of the banknote. Consideration of the elements of protection of the Belarusian ruble would be incomplete without such an important component as Mask. In this component, two images are combined together, and made using different printing methods. The upper part was created using metallography, the lower part was created using offset. At the bottom you can see how the denomination of the banknote is displayed, and at the top - a certain geometric pattern. Also, do not forget about such elements of protection of the Belarusian ruble as a latent image, a mesh that prevents possible copying, a serial number and microtext.
How is the Belarusian ruble gaining ground? To this question "AiF" asked to answer Candidate of Economic Sciences Elena SEMAK.
Semak Elena Adolfovna - Associate Professor of the Department of International economic relations Faculty of International Relations, Belarusian State University.On exchange rate(i.e. the ratio of the price of the national currency to the foreign one, for example, the Belarusian ruble to the dollar) is influenced by the supply and demand for foreign currency. Businesses that purchase goods for import, as well as the population, need dollars and euros for tourist trips abroad or for savings. At the beginning of 2017, the volumes of currency purchased by these two categories decreased.
According to the National Bank, in January of this year, business entities - residents of the Republic of Belarus, bought more currencies than they sold, the difference amounted to USD 13.1 million. This is much less than in January last year, when this excess was USD 198.2 million.
At the same time, our exporters have increased their revenue. Compared to January 2016, sales volume foreign currency Belarusian enterprises in the first month of 2017 grew by USD 262.7 million. According to the expert, this indicates a possible improvement in the state of Belarusian foreign trade.
Thus, the first factor that influenced the strengthening of the Belarusian ruble was an increase in supply and a decrease in demand for foreign currencies on the part of business. It is also necessary to add: Belarusian enterprises prefer to buy foreign currency from banks (on the over-the-counter market). On the Belarusian Currency and Stock Exchange (BCSE) they purchased only USD 14.3 million, while outside the exchange - USD 1,278.1 million. Namely, exchange rates are set on the exchange.
The second factor, according to the expert, was the high level of spending of the population during the holidays (dollars were exchanged for rubles, for which goods for the feast were then bought), the third factor was low level income, which forces the population to spend foreign exchange savings.
Another aspect is political: the sharp weakening of the European currency on the BCSE was largely due to the depreciation of the euro against the US dollar in the Forex market. This is due to fears that the leader of the National Front, Marine Le Pen, may take the post of President of France, which, if won, could withdraw the country from the euro zone and initiate the return of the franc as the national currency of France.
According to Elena Semak, one should not forget that the Russian ruble is strengthening at the same time.
The Belarusian ruble exchange rate is determined by the sum (basket) of 3 currencies: euro, dollar, Russian ruble. And the share of the latter in the basket is 50%. Most of our foreign trade is connected with Russia, and in relation to the Russian ruble, the Belarusian is weakening.
What's the forecast?
Predicting further changes in the exchange rate is very difficult. At the end of 2016, most economists expected, at best, a gradual depreciation of the Belarusian ruble at the same rate as inflation. Further forecast The development of the Belarusian ruble exchange rate depends on the success of our foreign trade, growth or decline in household income and fluctuations in foreign exchange rates on world markets.
Summary
The following main factors influenced the strengthening of the Belarusian ruble most of all:
- Increase supply of foreign currency in Belarus (due to various reasons: the success of Belarusian exporters, the still low level of income of the population (people are forced to spend hard currency savings), etc.). When supply is higher than demand, the value of the product ( dollars and euros are also a kind of "commodity". - Note.) falls.
- Decrease business demand for dollars and euros;
- Seasonal factor (the population spends more currency during the New Year holidays).
Citizens of Belarus are getting used to new banknotes and weaned to be "millionaires"
Photo: Victor Drachev / TASS
On July 1, 2016, the denomination started in Belarus. President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko signed a corresponding decree on November 5, 2015. How the Belarusian ruble started a new life without four zeros - in a special report from Banki.ru from Minsk.
The denomination in Belarus is going on quite calmly. Apparently, the preparation process, which officially began in the fall of 2015, is making itself felt. Then the journalists were shown new money, they were even allowed to touch and photograph. And the banks were given recommendations for the denomination.
Just a few weeks after the announcement of the denomination, the media reported that some "enterprising citizens" went to lonely pensioners to exchange old money for "new" money, but law enforcement agencies quickly explained to the population how to behave in this situation.
Perhaps the criminal aspect has become the only negative moment in the process of “cutting off zeros” from the national currency in Belarus. On the night of June 30 to July 1, the Belarusian ruble lost four zeros and changed the encoding. Now its code is BYN, not BYR.
In preparation for the denomination, the most stressful period was June: banks were finalizing software, carried out reconfiguration of equipment and training of cashiers.
- stock up on cash for the first two or three days;
- pay in advance for communication services and the Internet, make payments on loans, make tax and other payments (the peak of utility bills in Belarus falls on the 20th-25th day of the month, after which the bases are blocked).
Also, the National Bank and Belarusian banks explained that on the night of the denomination:
- all cards issued by Belarusian banks (in all currencies) will stop working on the territory of all countries;
- operations in RBS channels will be unavailable, ATMs, self-service kiosks and terminal equipment will “freeze”.
Cash at ATMs quickly dwindled, but in general, banks were quite successful in dispensing a large amount of cash. True, there were some curiosities - some took off all their savings from the cards. So, just in case.
On the night of the denomination, at 23:00 on June 30, banking life in Belarus came to a standstill. ATMs, information kiosks, remote control systems stopped working. banking services... At that moment, hundreds of specialists in Belarusian banks were reconfiguring electronics.
By 10 o'clock in the morning on July 1, most of the ATMs of Belarusian banks were already fully functioning. And they gave out new paper money to clients. So far, everything is much more complicated with coins, ATMs are simply not configured to work with them. A whole generation has already grown up in Belarus, which does not know what coins are, the last metal money disappeared from circulation with the collapse of the USSR. By the way, new Belarusian banknotes, and the new Belarusian coins are very similar in design to the euro.
Certain questions arose with remote banking systems. Some banks have taken a timeout to reconfigure.
Officially, the National Bank of Belarus allowed credit institutions do not work with clients on the day of denomination. However, already in the first hours of July 1, round-the-clock exchange offices (in particular, at train stations) began to issue new money. Cash collectors are now delivering new banknotes and coins to trade and service organizations throughout the country.
The excitement is observed only on the part of young people and journalists who are hunting for new banknotes. As cashiers in regular and online stores admit, so far almost everything is paid with old money. There were no unforeseen excesses. It can be stated that the preparation for the denomination took place at a fairly high level and Belarus is slowly switching to new means of payment.
By the way, new banknotes- a sample of 2009 (all these years they were kept in the depository of the National Bank of Belarus). These banknotes bear the signature of Pyotr Prokopovich, who left the post of the head of the Belarusian regulator more than five years ago, in the spring of 2011. Also important is the psychological aspect of the denomination - the inhabitants of Belarus are accustomed to the fact that they are "millionaires". average salary in the country amounted to 6-7 million rubles (about 20 thousand Russian rubles). Now they will have to part with the status of "millionaires". 1 million old rubles is 100 new. For 1 dollar they ask for 2 new Belarusian rubles, for 1 Russian ruble they give 3 new kopecks. But so far no one has complained about this.
Until the end of the year, price tags in Belarusian stores will be in both old and new money.
And the denomination will continue. The old rubles will officially go on a par with the new ones until December 31, 2016.
The Russian ruble is declining against all currencies, including against the Belarusian ruble, ”said Vadim Iosub, senior analyst at Alpari.
According to him, the main reason for the fall of the Russian currency is the American sanctions. The expert recalls that in April the United States imposed sanctions against 24 major Russian businessmen and officials. Since yesterday, sanctions have been in effect due to the poisoning of the Skripals.
These purely Russian affairs were superimposed on the currency crisis in almost all developing countries ah: there was a serious fall in the Turkish lira and the Brazilian real, it backfired in Mexico, South Africa, the economist says.
The expert emphasizes that almost all currencies of the CIS countries are falling against the dollar. However, the Belarusian ruble looks even better than currencies other developing countries where there are foreign investors.
But not because we have such a strong ruble or a strong economy. It's just that there is practically no government debt denominated in Belarusian rubles on the market. foreign investors... They didn’t come here, so they don’t leave here, ”the analyst notes.
Apparently, the current US sanctions against Russia are not the last. On August 21, Congress held hearings on new anti-Russian sanctions related to Crimea, Donbas, and interference in elections in the United States.
For the future, everything is not very simple. For Belarusian economy the consequences of the tax maneuver can be quite painful. The issue of duty-free supplies of oil products to Belarus has become aggravated, the economist says.
Also, according to him, it is not yet clear whether the official Minsk will receive a Russian state loan of $ 1 billion.
According to the expert, if the government of Belarus settles the oil issues with the Russian Federation and negotiates a loan, then the weakening Russian ruble will fall against the Belarusian one.
If we do not resolve our problems, the Belarusian and Russian ruble will fall simultaneously. And the dollar will grow stronger against the Belarusian ruble, - predicts Vadim Iosub.
He believes that it is not worth making changes in the currency basket of Belarus, where today 50% is the Russian ruble, 30% - the dollar and 20% - the euro.
While on Russia is coming almost 50% of Belarusian exports, it is quite reasonable that the Russian ruble also occupies half of the basket. If the geographical and currency structure of our exports changes seriously, then only then there will be a reason to talk about a change in the currency basket, - believes a senior analyst at Alpari.
The economist reminds: the leadership of Belarus talks a lot about the need to diversify the geography of exports, but in reality nothing changes: Russia remains the main sales market.
This addiction is harmful and painful. Blow on Russian economy means automatically a decrease in demand for Belarusian products, - emphasizes Vadim Iosub.
We will tell you what currency is now used in Belarus and why it is called "bunnies". Let us dwell separately on exchangers and the current exchange rate.
In Belarus, their own rubles are in use. They are similar to the Russian ones only in name, and the locals often call them "bunnies". Where did this diminutive name come from, and what is remarkable about this currency? Let's start from afar.
Since 1 2016, the ISO code of the Belarusian ruble is BYN (before that it was BYR). To determine the exact exchange rate against the Russian ruble, euro or dollar, use a special calculator.
A brief background for the most meticulous
Belarusian currency relatively young. Until 1991, only Soviet rubles were used in the country, but with the collapse of the USSR, the question arose about the need to create their own banknotes. The fact is that in comparison with the rest of the countries of the Soviet Union, Belarus had the lowest prices for food products, and in order to prevent their massive export by foreigners, the government introduced special coupons for goods.
At first, coupons were used along with Soviet rubles, and at the end of 1992, the country switched to settlement tickets, the rate of which was equal to 10 Soviet rubles. New itself National currency at this time lay on electronic accounts and waited in the wings.
Some public figures first suggested to name the means of payment "thaler" - in honor of an old German coin. They even developed sketches of banknotes and coins ("pennies"). However, in the end, only the poet Nil Gilevich supported such a name, while the majority supported the more familiar name - “Belarusian ruble” or “ruble”.
Since mid-1993, Soviet money gradually began to be withdrawn from circulation, and in 1994 the local ruble acquired the status of the only legal remedy for making payments on the territory of an independent state.
Where did those "bunnies" come from?
In order to move away from the political theme as much as possible, it was decided to use neutral images for the design of banknotes. Thus, various animals appeared on banknotes: bison, bear, squirrel, lynx, elk, wolves, beavers and the notorious hare, thanks to which the people began to call new money "bunnies" (hare = 1 ruble).
Animals decorated banknotes up to 100 rubles. But on larger banknotes there are images of architectural monuments.
On the banknotes of the new design (modification of 2011), animals are no longer there; instead, images on the banknotes are dedicated to different regions of the country. Nevertheless, the Belarusians still call local money "bunnies" out of habit.
Denominations and modern course
The currency of Belarus has gone through difficult times. If in 1992-1994. one local ruble could be purchased for 10 Soviet rubles, then in subsequent years its rate began to steadily fall under the influence of inflation.
In 1994, the Bank of Belarus carried out the first denomination of its currency 10 times. Six years later, another denomination was required - this time 1000 times! And on July 1, 2016, the denomination took place 10,000 times, and for the first time coins with a denomination of 1 kopeck to 2 rubles appeared in everyday life. Earlier, only commemorative coins were issued in the country.
Where is the best place to exchange Russian rubles for local
Since the Belarusian ruble is a non-convertible currency, it cannot be bought outside the republic. But within the country, any currency can be freely exchanged for the national one. This can be done at exchange offices located at airports, bus stations, hotels and large shopping centers.
A passport may be required for the exchange procedure. The receipts and checks received during the exchange should be kept: they will be required when leaving the country.