cbe

USD
55.2124
56.3166
,
GBP
64.4967
65.7866
,
EUR
58.7184
59.8928
,
CHF
57.9363
59.095
,
SEK
4.5316
4.6222
,
NOK
4.6506
4.7436
,
DKK
7.1279
7.2705
,
DJF
0.3092
0.3154
,
JPY
0.3362
0.3429
,
CAD
37.1227
37.8652
,
SAR
13.3203
13.5867
,
AED
13.6031
13.8752
,
XAF
0.012
0.0122
,
INR
,
KES
,
AUD
32.1139
32.7562
,
SDR
,
ZAR
,
CNY
6.8347
6.9714
,
KWD
170.5482
173.9592

awash

EUR
56.5106
57.6408
,
GBP
64.5257
65.8162
,
JPY
0.4037
0.4118
,
CHF
57.4629
58.6122
,
SAR
14.1527
14.4358

abyssinia

abay

USD
55.2124
56.3166
,
EUR
58.7184
59.8928
,
GBP
67.5358
68.8865
,
CHF
60.6663
61.8796
,
AUD
35.485
36.1947
,
AED
15.0311
15.3317
,
CNY
7.5522
7.7032
,
DKK
7.8761
8.0336
,
DJF
0.3092
0.3154
,
INR
0.664
0.6773
,
JPY
0.3715
0.3789
,
KES
0.3737
0.3812
,
NOK
5.1388
5.2416
,
SAR
14.7186
15.013
,
ZAR
2.946
3.0049
,
SEK
5.0073
5.1074
,
SDR
72.654
74.1071

zemen

CAD
41.0196
41.84
,
EUR
58.7184
59.8928
,
GBP
67.5358
68.8865
,
SEK
5.0073
5.1074
,
USD
55.2124
56.3166

buna

USD
54.778
55.8736
,
EUR
60.4201
61.6285
,
GBP
67.3216
68.668
,
AED
13.4962
13.7661
,
SAR
13.2148
13.4791
,
CAD
37.5106
38.2608
,
CNY
6.9339
7.0726
,
USD
7.3374
7.4841
,
EUR
4.7259
4.8204
,
GBP
60.0815
61.2831
,
AED
0.3485
0.3555
,
SAR
4.8953
4.9932
,
CAD
170.2997
173.7057
,
CNY
33.2543
33.9194

nib

GBP
64.4967
65.7866
,
EUR
58.7184
59.8928
,
CHF
57.9363
59.095
,
USD
55.2124
56.3166
,
CAD
37.1227
37.8652
,
AED
13.6031
13.8752
,
SAR
13.3203
13.5867

berhan

wegagen

USD
55.1843
56.288
,
GBP
65.3387
66.6455
,
EURO
59.0472
60.2281
,
CAD
37.1702
37.9136
,
AUD
32.2574
32.9025
,
CHF
58.7918
59.9676
,
SEK
4.4943
4.5842
,
NOK
4.6479
4.7409
,
DKK
7.1688
7.3122
,
DJF
0.3093
0.3155
,
INR
0.6629
0.6762
,
KSH
0.3749
0.3824
,
JPY
0.3382
0.345
,
SAR
13.3139
13.5802
,
AED
13.5955
13.8674
,
ZAR
3.1723
3.2357
,
CNY
6.8493
6.9863
,
KWD
170.6195
174.0319

dgb

USD
55.2124
56.3166
,
GBP
67.5358
68.8865
,
EUR
58.7184
59.8928
,
CHF
60.6663
61.8796
,
CAD
41.0196
41.84
,
AUD
35.485
36.1947
,
SEK
5.0073
5.1074
,
NOK
5.1388
5.2416
,
DKK
7.8761
8.0336
,
DJF
0.3092
0.3154
,
INR
0.664
0.6773
,
KSH
0.3737
0.3812
,
JPY
0.3715
0.3789
,
SAR
14.7186
15.013
,
AED
15.0311
15.3317
,
ZAR
2.946
3.0049
,
CNY
7.5522
7.7032
,
KWD
178.5845
182.1562

enat

USD
53.1422
54.205
,
GBP
62.1342
63.3769
,
CHF
0
0
,
SEK
0
0
,
NOK
0
0
,
DKK
0
0
,
KES
0
0
,
JPY
0
0
,
DJF
0
0
,
CAD
0
0
,
AUD
0
0
,
SAR
0
0
,
AED
0
0
,
ZAR
0
0
,
CNY
0
0

addis

nbe

KWD
126.8085
129.34467
,
CNH
5.6258
5.738316
,
ZAR
2.6751
2.728602
,
AED
9.9063
10.104426
,
SDR
57.7908
58.946616
,
EUR
48.4016
49.369632
,
CAD
28.7765
29.35203
,
AUD
28.3265
28.89303
,
JPY
0.3389
0.345678
,
SAR
9.7001
9.894102
,
INR
0.5525
0.56355
,
DJF
0.2234
0.227868
,
KES
0.3664
0.373728
,
DKK
5.8896
6.007392
,
NOK
4.2714
4.356828
,
SEK
4.3114
4.397628
,
CHF
41.5822
42.413844
,
GBP
53.539
54.60978

dashen

USD
55.2124
56.3166
,
GBP
64.4967
65.7866
,
CHF
57.9363
59.095
,
SEK
4.5316
4.6222
,
NOK
4.6506
4.7436
,
DKK
7.1279
7.2705
,
JPY
0.3362
0.3429
,
CAD
37.1227
37.8652
,
SAR
13.3203
13.5867
,
AED
13.6031
13.8752
,
EUR
58.7184
59.8928
,
DJF
,
INR
,
KES
,
AUD
,
ZAR
,
CNY
,
AED

oromia

USD
53.3285
54.3951
,
EUR
56.7522
57.8872
,
GBP
64.2235
65.508
,
SAR
14.185
14.4687
,
CHF
57.398
58.546
,
AED
14.5198
14.8102

lion

USD
55.2124
56.3166
,
GBP
64.4967
65.7866
,
EUR
58.7184
59.8928

coop

USD
55.208
56.3122
,
GBP
67.6574
69.0105
,
EUR
58.8131
59.9894
,
SAR
14.7182
15.0126
,
AED
15.0291
15.3297

gadaa

hijra

EUR
59.0833
60.265
,
USD
54.2297
55.3143
,
GBP
64.8713
66.1687
,
AED
13.3629
13.6302
,
KWD
168.8489
172.2259
,
SAR
13.3629
13.3481

Ethiopia Cracks Down on Black Market Forex Exchange as $1

Blackmarket Forex Exchange

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

The black market for foreign exchange in Ethiopia has been exhibiting a rapidly increasing gap from the official bank exchange rate, passing through the 90-birr mark in early September before reaching the hundreds in October 2022. According to Borkena, $1 was fetching as high as 120 Ethiopian birr, a two-fold jump from the 53- birr banks were selling it for.

The matter was further complicated by the discovery of bank officials’ involvement involved in feeding the black market, along with the other two main culprits: diasporas and illegal Hawala agents. It was found that a single foreign Hawala operator sends forex up to 80 times every week.

In an effort to reverse what has now become a leading cause for the loss of considerable revenue to the government in addition to aggravating inflation, the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) has introduced a series of regulatory measures against this illegal market. Although the central bank has launched crackdowns several times prior to this, they had been mostly ineffective.

What’s different this time? Well for one, NBE has introduced several incentive packages for informants who expose black market operators, in a bid to prolong the effectiveness of the measure and make it more appealing to citizens. According to Yinager Dessie, Governor of NBE, informants are rewarded with 25,000-birr per illegal hawala agent they expose and also get 25% of the cash apprehended.

To further hedge against other such activities, the amount of cash holdings outside of the bank is now 100,000-birr for individuals and 200,000-birr for businesses. Anonymous informants of excess holdings could get up to 15% of the seized cash value once the court ruled that the holding is illegal.

Other Black Market Regulations by NBE

NBE has also put in a system that enables it to monitor irregular mobile banking, internet banking, and account transfers between locals and foreigners, as well as the domestic market. With these tools in place, the crackdown began.

On October 7, 2022, NBE revealed that the bank accounts of 391 illegal Hawala transfer providers had been frozen, with preparations underway to open legal suits via the Ministry of Justice. Two days later, on Monday, the Financial Intelligence Center (FIC) announced the number of frozen bank accounts had reached 665.

According to The Reporter Ethiopia, a week after the central bank announced this major clampdown on black market operators, the exchange rate in the parallel market dropped on average from 100-birr to 75-birr. As a result, the spread between the official and market exchange rates reduced from 47 to 29%. This effect was the opposite of the expected outcomes.

While such restrictions would push up the price of dollars in the black market, it seems that the demand has fallen faster than the supply of forex. As per the statement of a former broker in the market, none of the shadow market buyers, who are usually importers, investors, brokers, foreigners, and travelers, are coming to buy forex after the strike because they are afraid.

There is doubt, however, that these measures are permanent. As has previously happened, new black-market operators are bound to turn up, with more sophisticated and smarter operating systems. Many factors have stimulated the parallel market to bulge, and treating the effect rather than the root of the problem may yield only short-term relief.

The major reason driving the black market is the inability to access foreign currency from official sources due to the depleted forex reserve. And the devaluation is not helping matters either.

With regards to the forex shortage, the government has imposed a temporary restriction on importing 38 goods deemed unnecessary and aims to save close to 100 million dollars per year.

Among the major items barred from importation are automobiles, motorcycles, and three-wheelers, whose (already imported) prices might skyrocket as a result. Yinager, when asked by The Reporter, did not comment on the contribution of the ongoing devaluation to the expansion of the black market.