Tajik Exchange Points Stop Selling U.S. Dollars

Operators at exchange points told RFE/RL on February 14 that the current rate was more than 5 somonis for $1.

DUSHANBE -- Currency-exchange points in Tajikistan's capital, Dushanbe, have stopped selling U.S. dollars as the national Tajik currency, the somoni, has lost 3 percent of its value against the dollar since February 11.

The rate on February 10 was 4.8 somonis to $1.

Operators at exchange points told RFE/RL on February 14 that the current rate was more than 5 somonis for $1.

Tajikistan's National Bank said on February 14 that the situation had nothing to do with the 19 percent devaluation of Kazakhstan's national currency, the tenge, announced this week.

Officials in neighboring Kyrgyzstan said on February 13 that the tenge's devaluation had prompted the Kyrgyz National Bank to initiate a $27 million intervention to stabilize the situation.

Kyrgyz Economy Minister Temir Sariev said on February 14 that the government was not able to sustain the value of the Kyrgyz national currency, the som, for a long time.

With reporting by RFE/RL's Tajik and Kyrgyz services