On 11 February the
press office of the Supreme Council of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (Верховный
Совет Приднестровской Молдавской Республики) – the country’s parliament – reported
that the Committee on Economic Policy, Budget and Finance had been discussing
the possibility of the Russian ruble being allowed to circulate in Transnistria
on an equal basis with the Transnistrian ruble.
The proposal, put
forward by parliament member Andrey V. Sipchenko, would amend the Law on the
Central Bank of the PMR and the Law on Currency Regulation and Currency
Control to permit the Russian ruble (RUB) to be used in the country on
equal terms with the domestic currency, the Transnistrian ruble (PRB).
Parliamentary press office report on the meeting
of the Committee on Economic Policy, Budget and Finance
of the Committee on Economic Policy, Budget and Finance
The proposal was
vigorously opposed by the central bank, the Trans-Dniester Republican Bank (Приднестровский
Республиканский Банк), one of whose deputy chairmen, Vadim I. Stepanov, told
the Committee that such a move would have risks given the fact that the Russian
ruble is issued by the Bank of Russia, which follows a monetary policy of its
own and might not necessarily be interested in considering the interests of
Transnistria.
In the end the
Committee decided to recommend to the Supreme Council the adoption of the
measure, but with a transition period of a number of years.
The largest banknote currently
in circulation in Transnistria, the 500 PRB note,
which bears an image of Russian empress Catherine the Great
and presently has an exchange value of € 33.47
which bears an image of Russian empress Catherine the Great
and presently has an exchange value of € 33.47
Sources:
Video: Хождение российского рубля в
Приднестровье? -11.02.2013 (2013-02-11)
Mark Pleas
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